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CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

Steelers brace for Chiefs at KC
January 9, 2017

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers won a rematch from the regular season in the wild card round of the playoffs. Now their opponent in the divisional round will try to do the same against the Steelers.

The Steelers will travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. In the first meeting at Heinz Field on Oct. 2, the Steelers routed the Chiefs 43-14.

"I think we came in with the mindset that those guys beat us earlier in the year, but I feel like we're in the playoffs now and we can't let them beat us again," said running back Le'Veon Bell, who rushed for a franchise playoff record of 167 yards in the Steelers' 30-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. "I think Kansas City is going to come in with that same mindset. We have to understand that. We have to understand that the same passion and dedication that we put in this week to beat Miami, that's how Kansas City is going to try to beat us.

"We have to put that much more time in to our detail. We have to do all the little things right because they're going to try to take the things away that we did well last game and make us beat them a different way. Also, Kansas City got better over the course of the year. It's going to be a very good game. We're playing in a hostile environment. It's going to be very loud there."

The Steelers dominated the first game against the Chiefs from the outset. It was 22-0 at the end of the first quarter and 29-0 at halftime.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had one of his best games of the season. He was 22 of 27 for 300 yards and five touchdown passes. Bell had 144 yards on 18 carries.

But this game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs were 6-2 during the regular season. Kansas City's two home losses came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans, two teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

The Steelers and Chiefs met once previously in the playoffs. The Chiefs beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime in January 1994 after Pittsburgh blew a 17-7 halftime lead.

REPORT CARD VS. DOLPHINS

PASSING OFFENSE: A-minus -- It's a good day when your first incomplete pass hits the ground in the fourth quarter. Ben Roethlisberger completed his first 11 passes and finished 13 for 18 for 197 yards and two touchdowns. The passing game wasn't as in sync in the second half, but the Steelers had long since focused on allowing Le'Veon Bell to take the game over with his running. Roethlisberger's early success against Dolphins' secondary set that up. His touchdown passes of 50 and 62 yards to Antonio Brown backed the Miami secondary off the line of scrimmage and forced them to respect the passing game for the remainder of the game.

RUSHING OFFENSE: A -- It's also a good day when you set a franchise record for rushing yards when you play for the most successful NFL team of all-time. That's what Bell did when he rushed for 167 yards on 29 carries. He also scored two touchdowns. It was the type of dominating performance the Steelers have come to expect from Bell, who went over 100 yards on the ground in five of the final six games he played in during the regular season.

PASS DEFENSE: B -- On a day the Steelers shut down running back Jay Ajayi, one might think the pass defense would have excelled, too. But that wasn't the case. Backup quarterback Matt Moore completed 29 of 36 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown. The only saving grace for the Steelers is they were able to turn Moore over. Ryan Shazier intercepted him once and James Harrison and Mike Mitchell had strip sacks. If not for those turnovers it would have been a much closer game.

RUSH DEFENSE: A -- All the defenders heard all week was how Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns when the Steelers played in Miami in mid-October. They made sure they didn't have to hear about him after the playoff game. Ajayi had 33 yards on 16 carries for a 2.1 average. His longest run of the day was eight yards. For the game, the Dolphins finished the game with 52 yards on 16 carries.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D -- Pittsburgh's special teams are a mess. The starting field position for their first three drives was as follows: 15-, 10- and 17-yard lines. Luckily for the Steelers, they scored touchdowns on all three drives, but the special teams hindered their chances rather than help them. The punt return team had a holding penalty that put the Steelers on the 10, and the kickoff return team only managed to get the ball to the 15 and 17. The special teams have been a problem all season, and coach Mike Tomlin doesn't appear to have any answers.

COACHING: D -- Head coach Mike Tomlin had his players ready to compete and the coordinators had strong game plans to defeat the Dolphins, but the decision by Tomlin to keep quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the game until the end was unnecessary and inexcusable if Roethlisberger's right foot injury is serious. Even if it's not, Tomlin deserves to be criticized because he unnecessarily put his team's postseason in jeopardy. The Steelers led by 24 and 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Tomlin pulled running back Le'Veon Bell. Not only did Tomlin keep Roethlisberger in the game, but he had him passing. The injury occurred when Cameron Wake dragged him down from behind.

CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

Roethlisberger downplays foot injury
January 9, 2017

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out of the walking boot on his right foot after an MRI exam Monday showed "nothing severe" to an old injury suffered in Sunday's AFC wild-card game.

Big Ben is downplaying the late-game injury that landed him in a walking boot after Sunday's 30-12 win over the Miami Dolphins, telling Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook that it was merely for precaution and his right foot fine. Cook is co-host of the "Ben Roethlisberger Show" on 93.7 The Fan.

"(The MRI) showed I aggravated an old foot fracture but nothing severe," Roethisberger wrote to Cook in an email Monday. "I should be good to go."

The Steelers will travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC divisional-round playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium.

ESPN reported that Roethlisberger avoided major damage and is still slated to start against the Chiefs.

Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake appeared to roll over Roethlisberger's foot on a tackle attempt with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger attempted a pass while on the move and was intercepted by cornerback Xavien Howard.

"You're always worried about being hurt, but I'll be out there next week," Roethlisberger said after the game.

Roethlisberger finished 13 of 18 for 197 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

"I don't know if they had a conversation about staying in or out, but I love being out there with the guys," Roethlisberger said Sunday when asked about remaining in the game while the Steelers were up three scores.

CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

Steelers RB Bell conjures up memories
January 9, 2017

PITTSBURGH -- Running back Le'Veon Bell has drawn comparisons to Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk because of his ability to run and catch out of the backfield.

After Bell rushed for a franchise playoff-record 167 yards in a 30-12 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger compared Bell to another Pro Football Hall of Famer.

"Well, I think he brings a little bit of everything to the table," Roethlisberger said. "There are times when he is patient. Like I am standing back there and I am watching and I am like, 'Uh, are you going to go any time here?' But he is so patient and then when he needs to put his head down and run someone over, he does that. He is a powerful back.

"If he gets one-on-one with a guy in the hole or just beyond, I get the best view in the house."

Roethlisberger reference one of his former backup quarterbacks to lavish high praise on Bell, who set the franchise record by rushing for 236 yards against Buffalo last month.

"I'll never forget when Charlie Batch was here, he used to always tell me about how he would hand off and just watch Barry Sanders," Roethlisberger said. "I am not trying to put Le'Veon with Barry Sanders yet, you know that is an awesome honor. But, it is fun to sit and watch and just see what he is going to do because he is incredibly talented."

In six of his past seven games, Bell has rushed for 118 yards or more. In the one game that he was held under 100 yards in that span, he posted 93 in a win at Cincinnati.

"The second half of the season, Le'Veon has been on such a tear because people are really trying to make us one-dimensional, whether that is the run or the pass," Roethlisberger said. "They are trying to take away the big play. From what we see on film and stuff, teams try and bleed slow, you know, and give us the run.

"Not trying to give up the big pass play and so we have been able to utilize Le'Veon so much and (Sunday) I think the first two series we came out throwing it and really kind of backed them off, and then that opens up Le'Veon and the guys in the run game."

CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

NFL viewership down 7 percent
January 9, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) Average TV viewership for the four NFL wild-card telecasts was down about 7 percent from a year ago - in line with lower ratings during the regular season, but also perhaps a result of four routs this time.

According to numbers released Monday by the league, the weekend's playoff games averaged about 30.3 million viewers, compared with about 32.7 million for those games in January 2016.

The most-watched game this year was on Sunday night, when the Packers beat the Giants 38-13, drawing a 21.3 household rating and 39.3 million viewers nationally. The equivalent game last year - Green Bay beating Washington 35-18 on Sunday night - got a 21.8 household rating and 38.9 million viewers.

One factor that frequently affects how many people watch a sporting event is the competitiveness, and there's been little of that so far in the 2017 postseason. The 19-point average margin of victory in the four games - none was closer than 13 - made it the most lopsided first round of the playoffs since 1981.

Last year, the average point difference in the wild-card round was 12.5. One game was decided by one point, another by two.

CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

Chiefs again chasing rare playoff win at Arrowhead Stadium
January 9, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Andy Reid could spend hours waxing poetic about playing at Arrowhead Stadium.

He'll extoll the virtues of the crowd, which set a Guinness World Record last season for loudest outdoor stadium in the world.

He'll praise the die-hards that show up hours before kickoff, pouring into the parking lot and creating a college-like atmosphere on game days.

He'll point out that the venue is one of the toughest places for an opponent to play.

What Reid won't discuss, either by choice or by ignorance, is the fact that the Chiefs have not won a postseason game in their 44-year-old home in more than two decades.

''I love bringing teams in here,'' Reid said Monday, ''and now a playoff game - it was rocking and rolling that game where they set the decibel record. The ground was shaking. And I can't wait for this.''

The Chiefs welcome the Steelers on Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs, a rematch of a lopsided Week 4 loss in Pittsburgh.

It's the first time Kansas City has hosted a playoff game since 2011, when the Ravens romped to a 30-7 victory, and the first time there has been a divisional round matchup at the stadium pitched just off Interstate 70 since a loss to Indianapolis on Jan. 11, 2004.

Not surprisingly, the Chiefs are gearing up for a big weekend.

Team president Mark Donovan spent time Monday discussing the game-day events that are planned, and how parking lots will open for eager tailgaters earlier than normal. Donovan said tickets were sold out and that the crowd could be one of the biggest and loudest in years.

But asked about the Chiefs' playoff futility at home, Donovan was caught a bit speechless.

''I don't know if you have to win games to restore or solidify the iconic nature of Arrowhead,'' he said. ''I had the good fortune of working for the NFL and traveling to all the markets and being in all the stadiums, and there's something special about Arrowhead, and the playoffs will magnify that.''

Perhaps that's true, but that ''special'' feeling has nothing to do with playoff history.

Kansas City has lost four straight home playoff games, three of them in the divisional round, since beating the Steelers - coincidentally enough - in the wild-card round on Jan. 8, 1994.

Three of them were one-possession games, only underlining the frustration experienced at home.

In fact, the Chiefs have only won two playoff games at home in their history, even though they proudly remind people that they were a founding member of the old AFL. The other came against the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1991, also in the wild-card round.

Their saving grace may be that Reid and Co. were not around for any of those letdowns, and the longtime Eagles coach has actually fared quite well in defending the home turf. He was 7-4 in postseason games played in Philadelphia, many of those wins coming in the divisional round.

Since arriving in Kansas City, Reid is 23-9 in four seasons at Arrowhead Stadium.

''We know the fans will be here and do their part, and now we have to do our part,'' Reid said. ''Rain, snow, it doesn't matter. They'll be here and do their thing and that's exciting.''

Make no mistake: Playing a home game sure beats the alternative.

The Chiefs haven't exactly been good anywhere in the playoffs, losing eight straight games before a win in Houston last January.

But their regular season-ending win in San Diego coupled with Oakland's loss to Denver gave them the benefit of a home game - along with a much-needed week off.

Now, the Steelers have to turn around after their lopsided wild-card win over Miami and catch a flight to Kansas City, where they have lost three of their past four games.

''It's loud. It's the loudest stadium I've ever played in, them and Seattle,'' Steelers right tackle Marcus Gibert said.

''They came here early on in the year and felt a little embarrassed by how they played in all three phases. We don't expect to see that this time around.''

Notes: Reid said OLB Justin Houston (knee) and RB Spencer Ware (ribs) would practice as usual this week. Asked whether that means both will play Sunday, he replied: ''Just practice and see how they do.'' ... MLB Justin March-Lillard has not played since early in the season, when he broke his hand. But he came off IR a few weeks ago and could play Sunday. ''We'll see,'' Reid said, ''just see how that works.''

CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

Patriots stay focused on Texans in playoff rematch
January 9, 2017

Bill Belichick and his coaches will spend this week convincing Patriots players that the Texans team headed to Gillette Stadium for Saturday night's AFC divisional playoff game is a far cry from the Houston squad that New England shut out 27-0 back in Week 3.

That Thursday night affair saw rookie and third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett lead the home team to an impressive, three-phase victory over Bill O'Brien's overmatched visitor.

But with Houston having dispatched the Oakland Raiders 27-17 in an AFC wild-card game last Saturday, the Texans have earned a return trip to Foxborough with the season on the line.

The Patriots, a team once again led by Tom Brady, have already been installed as a 16-point favorite. But neither the point-spread nor the early-season shutout will be a focal point for New England's preparations this week.

"I think we all evolve as the season goes on. Playing a game that early in the season, I mean, there are some things you learn from it, but honestly, they've improved in a lot of different areas," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said.

Houston finished the regular season with the NFL's top-ranked defense based on yards. The group, led by first-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney and an impressive corps of linebackers in Benardrick McKinney, Brian Cushing and Whitney Mercilus, gave up the fewest first downs in the league, was 11th in third downs and points allowed and tied with the Patriots for eighth in red zone defense.

"This is a defense that doesn't give you anything easy," McDaniels continued. "You're going to have to execute a lot of plays to drive the ball and get points. They make you earn everything you get -- first down, second down, third down, red zone, short yardage, very few big plays allowed. They're physical, they're aggressive."

"We're going to need a great week of preparation. It's going to be a big challenge for us. They've already won a playoff game. They should have a lot of confidence, deservingly so, based on the way they've played."

Defensively New England will likely face Brock Osweiler, the once-again Texans quarterback, and a Houston attack that finished the regular season 29th in total offense and tied for 28th in points scored. But, coordinator Matt Patricia is clearly intent on taking nothing for granted.

"Coach (Bill) O'Brien and George Godsey, the offensive coordinator, are two guys that I have the most respect for in the entire league. These guys work extremely hard to get their team ready to go and prepare," Patricia said. "I'll say one of the other differences -- there's a little bit of tempo with the offense now. There's going to be some at the line of scrimmage offense that they try to run and try to catch the defense in a particular look, which obviously gives you a lot of problems in pace and tempo and snap counts and all those different things too, so it's a huge challenge."

Clearly both teams are different heading into the second round of the postseason than the ones that did battle in September.

Unfortunately for Houston, New England is significantly better at this point. First and foremost, Brady is back under center. He's developed maybe his deepest, most diverse corps of targets in years. And the Patriots' stout, opportunistic defense has made huge strides over the second half of the season.

Whether you base it on a Week 3 beatdown or where the teams have come since that point, New England is a heavy favorite to open another potential Super Bowl run. But the guys drawing up the game plans on both sides of the ball will be taking nothing for granted, a message they'll be instilling (brainwashing?) into their players all week.

"I think that really honestly with Houston because it was so long ago in the season and I think our team, their team is -- I don't want to say changed but it has changed. The situations have changed," Patricia concluded. "They're obviously coming in here coming off a big win this past weekend, a lot of energy, a lot of confidence so I would say we just try to attack it from the standpoint of, 'Hey, this is this week's game and it's not the same as the last time we played them,' if that makes any sense, and it's just a situation where you try to attack them fresh."

"We're going to focus on today's meetings, tomorrow's practices, those types of things that will help us get better this week and try to go out there and play our best football of the season on Saturday night."

Even if it may not take nearly that much to take care of business against a Texans squad that, at least on paper, doesn't appear close to being ready to upset the Patriots at Gillette in January.

Based on what Brady has been saying, though, the players are already falling in line with the company line of thought this week.

"I think this is a day-to-day league," Brady said in his weekly Monday morning radio interview on WEEI. "It really doesn't matter last time we played them or last year because things change so much with the game and a game plan and players. ... You put together the process and the winning formula and you need to go out and execute it. If you don't execute it, you lose."

CNOTES · Jan 10, 2017

Quinn downplays personal stake in Falcons-Seahawks rematch
January 9, 2017

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) Falcons coach Dan Quinn is determined to make sure he's not the story in Saturday's NFC divisional-round playoff game against Seattle, his former team.

Quinn spoke briefly on Monday about his personal connection to Seattle and then offered a polite request.

''Hopefully for everyone listening that will be the last question we hear about it this week,'' Quinn said.

Quinn, the Seahawks' former defensive coordinator, took Atlanta to the NFC South title and a wild-card round bye in his second season as coach.

He made his first return to Seattle on Oct. 16, when the Seahawks rallied for a 26-24 win. A trip to the NFC championship game will be on the line Saturday, and Quinn said that overshadows any personal motivations in the rematch against Seattle and his former boss, Pete Carroll.

''I so never wanted the spotlight to be about me,'' Quinn said. ''I want it to be about our team and the way they compete and the toughness they have.''

He acknowledged that he's glad he already has his first game against his former team out of the way.

''Anytime you go through something for the first time, I am glad that game got out of the way,'' Quinn said. ''... Let's hope through the years we battle a bunch of times against them. I sense that will be the case.''

Seattle beat Detroit 26-6 in the wild-card round on Saturday night.

The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the league and won the Super Bowl in 2013, Quinn's first season as defensive coordinator. That success helped make him an attractive candidate when the Falcons were looking for a coach after the 2014 season.

The Falcons missed the playoffs at 8-8 in Quinn's first season before earning the NFC's No. 2 seed at 11-5 this season.

Quinn said his familiarity with the Seahawks is a only a minor part of the behind-the-scenes strategy and gamesmanship.

''I know that you know that I know - there's definitely some of that,'' he said. ''... The fun part about it is come kickoff time the guys between the white lines are the ones playing it.''

Veteran offensive guard Chris Chester said Quinn ''doesn't get too caught up'' in personal incentives.

''Maybe there's something there, but I know that what we're going for is more important than any extra emotional motivation,'' Chester said. ''What we're trying to accomplish is bigger than going against an old team.''

Quinn's postseason success is important for an Atlanta team that hasn't had a playoff win since beating the Seahawks in the divisional round in 2012. The Falcons are 1-4 in the playoffs with Matt Ryan at quarterback , including a loss to the 49ers in the 2012 NFC championship game.

Quinn said the remake of the team's culture is complete.

''Having a team identity, having a real clear vision of how you want to play, you'd like for that to happen overnight,'' he said. ''But it takes time to build that. Our team is very tight, very connected. ... We have a real good understanding of who we are and how we want to play.''

NOTES: Quinn expects all players, including WR Taylor Gabriel (foot), TE Austin Hooper (knee) and CB Robert Alford (knee) to practice on Tuesday. Alford was limited in some speed work on Monday but Quinn said Alford's movement was encouraging.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Wednesday’s six-pack

Longest shots to win the 2017 World Series:

150-1— Cincinnati Reds

100-1— Brewers-Rays-Diamondbacks

80-1— A’s-Padres-Twins

75-1— Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies

60-1— Los Angles Angels

50-1— Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings……

13) Milwaukee Bucks came into the NBA in 1968; they went 27-55 in their first season, but 56-26 in their second season, then 68-16 with an NBA title in their third season.

This is fairly graphic evidence that Kareem Adbul-Jabbar is the greatest basketball player ever; they won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns for the top pick in the ’69 draft and the right to select Kareem. Add in his 88-2 record as a college player, and you get the point.

They outlawed the dunk in college basketball because of Kareem.

No one dominated the sport like Abdul-Jabbar did, but because he has a surly personality, doesn’t do a lot of commercials, he fell out of public consciousness, unlike Michael Jordan, whose Jordan Brand shoes/apparel is still a huge money maker for Nike.

Then there is this: freshmen were ineligible to play college ball back then. UCLA won the national title when Kareem was a senior in high school— his freshman team beat the UCLA varsity by 20 that year, and the UCLA varsity was the defending national champs.

12) Underdogs were 25-15-1 vs spread in bowl games this season.

11) ACC went 9-3 in bowl games; they were underdog in seven of the 12 games.

10) Alabama RB Josh Scarbrough broke his leg in Monday night’s game, which no doubt will be brought up next year if/when a running back sits out a bowl game to keep himself healthy for the NFL Draft.

9) Wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if college football scrapped the rule that says the clock stops after every first down. National title game took over four hours to play and ratings were a bit down, even though it was a great game. Knee-jerk reaction will be to shorten games.

My theory on the ratings being down? Two teams from the south played; people in other regions of the country aren’t as interested if their teams aren’t playing.

8) College football coaches don’t go on vacation now that the games are over; National Signing Day is February 1, three weeks from today, so coaches will be working their butts off on the phone between now and then, recruiting players who will win games down the road.

Games that will be played from 2018-2021 will be partially determined by who signs where on February 1st. Football recruiting is a big. big business.

7) Giants’ DE Jason Pierre-Paul says he won’t sign a 1-year contract next season; what happens if no one offers him a multi-year deal? Will he retire?

6) March is going to feel a little different this year; the ACC tournament is in Brooklyn, for some reason. The Big 14 tourney is in Washington DC because of Maryland being in the league, but it doesn’t make much sense. Big 14 should have their tournament in the midwest; the ACC tourney should be somewhere on Tobacco Road.

5) I worked for New York State for 34 years in a mundane office job; if I needed a day off that I hadn’t asked for previously, had to call in sick and tell a person in charge that I wasn’t coming in that day. Failure to do so meant you went LWOP (Leave With-Out Pay), meaning there would be no pay for that day— I never did that once in 34 years.

My job wasn’t very important, certainly not as critical to my agency as a point guard is to an NBA team. Derrick Rose didn’t bother to call/text the Knicks Monday, when he flew to Chicago and missed their game; when they called him, he couldn’t be bothered to answer the phone.

I’m very curious how much the team fined him, but no one is saying. Rose makes a little over $260,000 PER GAME- he is a free agent this summer. I’m curious where he’ll wind up.

4) Quick work-related story from my mediocre career with New York State- this happened back in the late 80’s. I was 28 or 29 at the time.

In mid-afternoon on a Thursday, this is in mid-October, my boss’ boss calls me into her office. She was kind of a stern woman, we had very little interaction, but she had a job for me to do.

“We need a World Series pool and I want you to run it. You think you can do that?”

I’m trying not to laugh as I sat there, but quickly agreed and went about my duty and we had a good World Series pool that year. Sometimes, working for the government was fun.

3) Tuesday’s college hoop:
— West Virginia 89, Baylor 68— Bears lasted one day at #1- they had 29 turnovers.
— Villanova 79, Xavier 54— Surprisingly easy win for the Wildcats.
— Kentucky 87, Vanderbilt 81— Commodores had their chances in last minute.
— Florida State 88, Duke 72– Seminoles are 4-0 in ACC for first time.

2) Oakland Raiders let OC Bill Musgrave walk after his contract expired, promoted QB coach Todd Dowling to OC, telling the world they think Dowling was more responsible for Derek Carr’s improved play than Musgrave was. Interesting decision.

1— Remember Warrick Dunn, the running back for the Buccaneers? His mom was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty, when Dunn was 18. He used her life insurance to buy a house for himself and four younger siblings- there was no father in the picture.

After Dunn became an NFL player, he started a charity that has put 152 families into affordable homes, just great work. If there was a People Hall of Fame, Dunn would be in it.

Back in 2006, one of the families Dunn’s charity gave a home to was Clemson QB Deshaun Watson’s family.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

NFL opening line report: Patriots open as massive favorites, line pushes higher

“The Patriots are the highest power-rated team in the NFL, going up against the worst playoff team left. We figured we couldn’t make this line high enough."

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (-4)

Seattle had an up-and-down finish to the regular season, but looked the part of a playoff-tested team Saturday in the wild card game. The third-seeded Seahawks (11-5-1 SU, 9-8 ATS) coasted past Detroit 26-6 as an 8-point home chalk.

Now, the vaunted Seattle defense will be tested by an Atlanta offense that led the league, averaging 33.8 points per game. The Falcons (11-5 SU, 10-6 ATS) earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, finishing the regular season on a 4-0 SU run (3-1 ATS). Atlanta dropped New Orleans 38-32 in the finale as a 7.5-point home favorite.

These two teams met at Seattle in October, with the Seahawks squeaking out a 26-24 win as a 7-point fave.

“We posted Falcons -4 and 49.5. As expected, we’re seeing the public jump on the ‘dog in this game, as the bet count and money are on Seattle so far, which is fine,” Childs said Saturday night. “I really like this Falcons team, and I have no problem booking early Seahawks money here. The Falcons off a bye, they’ll be as healthy as they’ve been all year.

“What the public is forgetting is how poorly the Seahawks finished their regular season, yet the betting public is willing to forget the Seahawks’ weaknesses after beating up a very bad Lions team at home. The same betting public that faded the Seahawks (on Saturday) is now backing them against the far superior team, the same team that should have beaten Seattle in Seattle if not for an awful missed pass-interference call in the waning moments of that game.”

Childs said there was some Sunday support for the Falcons, pushing the number to 4.5.

“Now we’re seeing some real nice two-way action.”

Houston Texans at New England Patriots (-14.5)

Fourth-seeded Houston may have won its wild card game with relative ease on Saturday, but it came against an Oakland team missing star quarterback Derek Carr, and the oddsmakers were not impressed. The Texans (10-7 SU, 7-9-1 ATS) posted a 27-14 home victory laying 4 points against the Raiders. Brock Osweiler, benched a few weeks back, had a serviceable game with no turnovers and will remain the starter this week.

New England led the NFL both SU and ATS this season, at 14-2 and 13-3, respectively, earning the bye week as the AFC’s top seed. The Patriots won their last seven in a row (6-1 ATS), including a 35-14 bashing of fellow playoff team Miami giving 7.5 points on the road in Week 17.

Patriots superstar Tom Brady, suspended the first four games of the season for Deflategate, has 28 touchdown passes against just two interceptions this season. Osweiler has 15 TD passes and 16 interceptions.

“We opened the Pats -14.5, and that’s the highest playoff number that I can remember,” Childs said. “If memory serves me correct, you’d have to go back all the way to when the NFC was dominating Super Bowls to find an opening line in that range, and that was back in the 1990s. Bottom line, the Texans beat up on a third-string QB (Connor Cook) who was making his first career NFL start Saturday. It was an awful situation for the Raiders, and it showed.

“The Patriots are the highest power-rated team in the NFL, going up against the worst playoff team left. We figured we couldn’t make this line high enough, and while we discussed opening 14, we wanted to err on the side of caution. If we happen to take early money on the dog, it would be welcomed.”

What’s happened instead is the line has already shot up to New England -16.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs (+2.5)

Pittsburgh has now peeled off eight consecutive SU victories, going 6-1-1 ATS in that stretch. On Sunday in the wild card game, the third-seeded Steelers (12-5 SU, 10-6-1 ATS) blew past Miami 30-12 as a hefty 11-point home favorite. The Dolphins were without QB Ryan Tannehill, and Matt Moore was totally over-matched, throwing one INT, losing a pair of fumbles and taking five sacks.

Kansas City (12-4 SU, 9-7 ATS) nabbed the second seed and a bye week by winning the AFC West in a tiebreaker over Oakland. The Chiefs got out of the gate 2-2 SU and ATS, with the last of those four games a 43-14 beatdown at the hands of Pittsburgh, with K.C. a 3-point road ‘dog. However, Andy Reid’s troops went 10-2 SU (8-4 ATS) the rest of the way, topping San Diego 37-27 laying 5.5 points on the road in the regular-season finale.

“The Steelers are fresh off a dominating win over the hapless Dolphins. Miami came into that game with all kinds of injuries, especially on the offensive line, and it showed. They couldn’t protect their second-string QB, and the game got out of hand early,” Childs said. “The betting public is going to be very impressed with the Steelers’ showing (Sunday), and while I personally made the game pick ’em, there’s no doubt in my mind that the public is going to back the Steelers in this game, so we opened them a bit inflated. I believe the sharps are going to back the Chiefs big time, taking the home dog and the points.”

That’s precisely what happened early on. Sportsbook.ag opened Pittsburgh -2.5, and the line quickly flipped all the way to KC -2 before settling at Chiefs -1.5 Sunday night.

“It’s going to be a game where the pros will be butting heads with the Joes, with sharps on the Chiefs and Joe Q. Public on the Steelers,” Childs said.

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)

Green Bay is nearly as hot as Pittsburgh, as it now owns a seven-game SU winning streak (6-1 ATS). The Packers rumbled over New York on Sunday, 38-13 as a 5-point home favorite in the NFC’s 4-5 matchup. Aaron Rodgers has 19 TD passes and no interceptions during the Packers’ surge, including three straight four-TD games heading into Dallas.

The Cowboys (13-3 SU, 10-6 ATS) claimed the NFC East title and the No. 1 seed, getting this past weekend off. After losing its season opener, Dallas ripped off 11 consecutive SU wins and beat the spread in the first nine of those games, riding rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. In Week 17, with the top seed wrapped up, the Cowboys rested those two and more, losing at Philadelphia 27-13 as a 6.5-point pup.

TheGreek.com opened Dallas a 4.5-point home chalk and decided to move to 4 within a few minutes, with Green Bay at a price of -115.

“We took some money on the Cowboys, and now were at Dallas -4 (-115),” Kaminsky said. “It’s a great game. I don’t know how the number is gonna go. I know that I loved the Packers against the Giants, because I just like playing hot teams. But conversely, I like Dallas here.

“I hate to go against Rodgers, because he’s point-blank one of the top three quarterbacks of my era. I just think the Packers are gonna have a tough time stopping Elliott, and if Dak plays a decent game, I think the Cowboys are gonna cover. The week off is a big factor, too.”
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CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Wiseguys are advising that these NFL divisional round lines are going to move

Atlanta’s offense is really good, especially at home where Atlanta averaged more than 36 in its final four regular season games.

Game to bet now

Houston at New England (-15.5)

All playoff games are not created equal, and while the other three this weekend could reasonably go either way, there just seems to be no way that the Texans can hang in this one. Houston was not a good road team (2-6) this season, with one of the losses a 27-0 turtle job in New England in a game in which Tom Brady didn’t even play. New England has had two weeks of R&R time to get ready for this one, so it’s hard to see Houston making this one competitive. If Houston has any shot, it would be by pressuring Brady up with the gut and taking away the middle of the field (that worked for the Jets a few years back). Somehow the line which opened at 16 has melted down a half point as jubilant Houston fans celebrate the fact that Brock Osweiler did not spit the bit too much against the Raiders last weekend. It’s unlikely to move any more.

Game to wait on

Green Bay at Dallas (-4)

On occasion fans tend to overreact to wild card round victories, and that might explain the heavy money placed on the Packers in early wagering. But Green Bay was dominant in a 25-point victory over the Giants on Sunday, and Packers fans hope that the great play of Aaron Rodgers, and tons of momentum, are enough to carry them past the Cowboys in Dallas. When Dallas is good – and the Boys haven’t been this good in a while – it always draws heavy national money, so the betting figures to level off. With so much action expected on this premier game, cautious bettors might want to hang on a bit and see if they can catch a line that might move a half-point in their favor as kickoff nears.

Total to watch

Seattle at Atlanta (51)

The number on this one has already moved from 49 to 51, perhaps a sign that bettors are looking more closely at the Falcons and starting to realize that Atlanta’s offense is really good, especially at home where Atlanta averaged more than 36 in its final four regular season games. Matt Ryan’s rep has taken hits over the last several years as the Falcons couldn’t get any traction, but this season he’s the potential league MVP and has the best stats this side of Tom Brady. The Falcons won their last four games to earn the bye, and the key in each of those games was getting off to a fast start. If that happens again, the teams could easily blow past 51.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

NFL
Long Sheet

Division Round

Saturday, January 14

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SEATTLE (11 - 5 - 1) at ATLANTA (11 - 5) - 1/14/2017, 4:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-49 ATS (-23.9 Units) off a win against a division rival since 1992.
ATLANTA is 12-28 ATS (-18.8 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive wins since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-0 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 1-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (10 - 7) at NEW ENGLAND (14 - 2) - 1/14/2017, 8:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a favorite of 10 or more points over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) against conference opponents this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games against AFC South division opponents since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after 2 or more consecutive wins this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 113-81 ATS (+23.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 79-53 ATS (+20.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ENGLAND is 2-0 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
NEW ENGLAND is 2-0 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, January 15

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH (12 - 5) at KANSAS CITY (12 - 4) - 1/15/2017, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in playoff games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-1 against the spread versus KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 2-1 straight up against KANSAS CITY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GREEN BAY (11 - 6) at DALLAS (13 - 3) - 1/15/2017, 4:40 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GREEN BAY is 230-188 ATS (+23.2 Units) in all games since 1992.
GREEN BAY is 230-188 ATS (+23.2 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
GREEN BAY is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 93-65 ATS (+21.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
GREEN BAY is 70-41 ATS (+24.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 2-1 against the spread versus GREEN BAY over the last 3 seasons
GREEN BAY is 2-1 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NFL
Short Sheet

Division Round

Sat – Jan. 14

Seattle at Atlanta, 4:35 PM ET
Seattle: 19-8 OVER in road games after gaining 175 or more rushing yards last game
Atlanta: 15-31 ATS off a home win against a division rival

Houston at New England, 8:15 PM ET
Houston: 4-8 ATS after a win by 10 or more points
New England: 12-3 ATS as a favorite

Sun – Jan. 15

Pittsburgh at Kansas City, 1:05 PM ET
Pittsburgh: 9-1 ATS after gaining 6.5 or more yards/play in their previous game
Kansas City: 2-11 ATS in playoff games

Green Bay at Dallas, 4:40 PM ET
Green Bay: 14-3 ATS after allowing 99 or less rushing yards in 4 straight games
Dallas: 1-6 ATS after having won 8 or more out of their last 10 games

NFL

Division Round

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 14

4:35 PM
SEATTLE vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games at home

8:15 PM
HOUSTON vs. NEW ENGLAND
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
New England is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home
New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Sunday, January 15

1:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

4:40 PM
GREEN BAY vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Green Bay's last 5 games
Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Green Bay

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Playoff Rookie Quarterbacks
January 10, 2017

The NFL playoffs continue this weekend with the divisional round as four teams that rested last week will hit the field. One of those squads will feature a rookie quarterback making his playoff debut as Dak Prescott will look to lead Dallas past Green Bay on Sunday. Rookie signal-callers aren’t exactly the best bets in the NFL postseason as history tells us by owning a substandard record both straight-up and against the spread.

Prescott becomes the 16th rookie to quarterback a playoff game since 1983, but his predecessors have compiled an 8-15 SU and 11-12 ATS record. Six of these quarterbacks have won their playoff debut with the last one being Seattle’s Russell Wilson in the 2012 Wild Card round at Washington in a 24-14 victory as three-point favorites. Wilson joins a group alongside Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun King, and T.J. Yates that picked up a postseason win in their first opportunity.

Plenty of successful quarterbacks (and one Hall-of-Famer) didn’t fare as well in their first playoff start as a rookie. Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton, Bernie Kosar, Jim Everett, Andrew Luck, and that Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino all lost in their postseason debuts in their first season. The most recent quarterback to start a playoff game was Oakland’s Connor Cook, who was thrust into that role after Derek Carr and Matt McGloin each were injured late in the season. Needless to say, Cook struggled by throwing three interceptions in a 27-14 setback at Houston.

Cook was making his first professional start against the Texans, which hurts the numbers for rookies, while former Raiders’ first round bust Todd Marinovich made his second career start in the 1991 Wild Card round loss to the Chiefs. Yates outdueled fellow rookie Dalton in the 2011 Wild Card round as Houston beat Cincinnati, 31-10 as four-point home favorites.

Not one rookie quarterback has ever reached the Super Bowl, but Flacco, Sanchez, Roethlisberger, and King all went to the conference championships in their first season. Flacco led Baltimore to a pair of road victories at Miami and Tennessee in 2008 before bowing out to Pittsburgh as six-point underdogs in the AFC Championship. The next season, Sanchez paced the Jets past the Bengals and Chargers in the first two rounds before losing to the Colts in the AFC title game.

Three active quarterbacks that started as rookies in the postseason are still alive in these playoffs (Ryan, Roethlisberger, Wilson). Out of that trio, Roethlisberger is the only quarterback that made his debut at home, beating the Jets in the divisional round before getting blown out by the Patriots in the AFC Championship in 2004. Bringing it back to Prescott, who faces Green Bay at home, rookie QB’s own a 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS at home, including a 1-3 ATS mark in the home favorite role.

From a totals perspective (not doubling up on Yates/Dalton and Wilson/Griffin matchups), the OVER has cashed in 10 of 19 opportunities. Only one game had a total of 50 or higher as Ryan and the Falcons lost to the Cardinals on the road in 2008 by a 30-24 count on a 52 total. The total on the Cowboys/Packers matchup is currently sitting at 52.

In his first start against the Packers back in Week 6 at Lambeau Field, Prescott threw three touchdown passes in a 30-16 victory over Green Bay. In seven of eight home games, Prescott didn’t throw an interception, while owning an 11/1 touchdown to interception ratio at AT&T Stadium. However, Dallas closed the season on a 1-5 ATS run, while Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers owns a solid 5-1 ATS mark as a road underdog in the postseason.

NFL ROOKIE QB'S IN PLAYOFFS SINCE 1983

Quarterback Year/Opponent Score/Line ATS Result Total Result

Dan Marino, Mia 1983 vs. Seattle 20-27 (-8) L/L OVER 36.5

Jim Everett, LA 1986 vs. Washington 7-19 (+4.5) L/L -

Bernie Kosar, Cle 1986 vs. Miami 21-24 (+10) L/W -

Todd Marinovich, LA 1991 at Kansas City 6-10 (+5) L/W UNDER 35

Shaun King, TB 1999 vs. Washington 14-13 (-5.5) W/L UNDER 44.5

Shaun King, TB 1999 at St. Louis 6-11 (+14.5) L/W UNDER 44.5

Ben Roethlisberger, Pit 2004 vs. N.Y. Jets 20-17 (-9) W/L OVER 35

Ben Roethlisberger, Pit 2004 vs. New England 27-41 (+3) L/L OVER 35

Matt Ryan, Atl 2008 at Arizona 24-30 (+1.5) L/L OVER 52

Joe Flacco, Bal 2008 at Miami 27-9 (-4) W/W UNDER 38

Joe Flacco, Bal 2008 at Tennessee 13-10 (+3) W/W UNDER 34

Joe Flacco, Bal 2008 at Pittsburgh 14-23 (+6) L/L OVER 35

Mark Sanchez, NYJ 2009 at Cincinnati 24-14 (+2.5) W/W OVER 34

Mark Sanchez, NYJ 2009 at San Diego 17-14 (+9) W/W UNDER 43

Mark Sanchez, NYJ 2009 at Indianapolis 17-30 (+8) L/L OVER 40

Andy Dalton, Cin 2011 at Houston 10-31 (+4) L/L OVER 38

T.J. Yates, Hou 2011 vs. Cincinnati 31-10 (-4) W/W OVER 38

T.J. Yates, Hou 2011 at Baltimore 13-20 (+7.5) L/W UNDER 37

Robert Griffin III, Wsh 2012 vs. Seattle 14-24 (+3) L/L UNDER 44.5

Russell Wilson, Sea 2012 at Washington 24-14 (-3) W/W UNDER 44.5

Russell Wilson, Sea 2012 at Atlanta 28-30 (+3) L/W OVER 46.5

Andrew Luck, Ind 2012 at Baltimore 9-24 (+7) L/L UNDER 48

Connor Cook, Oak 2016 at Houston 14-27 (+4) L/L OVER 37.5

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

AFC Divisional Notes
January 10, 2017

Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017

Houston at New England (CBS, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Line Movement: The Patriots opened as 14 ½-point home favorites and the number jumped to as high as 16 at some books. Most shops are holding New England -15 ½ as of Tuesday. The total has dropped from an opener of 46 to 44 ½.

Houston Road Record: 2-6 SU, 2-6 ATS
New England Home Record: 6-2 SU, 6-2 ATS

Head-to-Head: These teams have met eight times since Houston came back into the league in 2002 and this series has been dominated by New England. The Patriots have gone 7-1 and that includes a run of five consecutive victories. New England has covered six of the seven wins and five have come by double digits, which includes its 27-0 victory over Houston in Week 3 this season. The Patriots have scored the Texans 150-49 in the four meetings at Foxboro.

Playoff Notes: Bill Belichick has gone 22-9 in the playoffs with the Patriots. At home, the team has gone 15-3 SU and 9-5-1 ATS during this span while the ‘under’ is 10-8. In the last eight postseason games played at Foxboro, the Patriots are 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS with four of the victories come by double digits. Including last week’s win over Oakland, Houston is now 3-3 all-time in the playoffs and that includes a 0-2 record on the road. New England defeated Houston 41-28 in the 2012 playoffs as a 9 ½-point home favorite.

Total Notes: The ‘over’ has gone 6-2 in the eight meetings between the pair but the ‘under’ has gone 2-0 in the most recent encounters. New England watched the ‘under’ go 10-6 this season, which includes a stalemate (4-4) from Gillette Stadium. The Texans saw the ‘under’ go 4-3-1 on the road behind an offense that only averaged 14.8 points per game as visitors. New England enters this game with the league’s best scoring defense with 15.6 PPG.

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017

Pittsburgh at Kansas City (NBC, 1:05 p.m. ET)

Line Movement: The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened Pittsburgh as a 2 ½-point road favorite but the number flip-flopped quickly. Most books have Kansas City now listed as a 1 ½-point home favorite as of Tuesday. The total in this game also dropped, going from 46 ½ to 44 ½.

Injuries: QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) has been upgraded to ‘probable.’

Pittsburgh Road Record: 5-3 SU, 5-3 ATS
Kansas City Home Record: 6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS

Head-to-Head: The Steelers blasted the Chiefs 43-14 on Oct. 2 as 3 ½-point home favorites in wire-to-wire fashion. Pittsburgh led 36-0 behind five touchdown passes from QB Ben Roethlisberger and Kansas City added two meaningless scores in the fourth quarter. Including that outcome, Pittsburgh has now won four of its last five against Kansas City and the lone loss occurred last season when Landry Jones stepped in at QB for an injured Big Ben.

Playoff Notes: Pittsburgh improved to 12-6 in the playoffs with Big Ben as QB after last week’s Wild Card win over Miami. The Steelers have gone 6-3 away from home during this span and all three of the losses have been decided by seven points or less. Kansas City went 1-1 in the playoffs last season and the victory over Houston was the first for the franchise since 1994 and also the first for head coach Andy Reid with the Chiefs. Reid owns an all-time 11-11 record in the playoffs, which includes a 1-2 with KC. The last playoff win at Arrowhead Stadium took place in 1994 when coincidentally the Chiefs beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime behind legendary QB Joe Montana. Since then, KC is 0-4 in its last six playoff games at home and 0-6 ATS in the previous six.

Total Notes: The Steelers have seen the ‘under’ 11-6 this season and that includes a 6-2 (75%) mark on the road. Kansas City has also been a very strong ‘under’ wager (10-6) and that includes a 6-2 lean to the low side at Arrowhead. Pittsburgh has scored 18 and 16 points in two playoff games on the road last season, both resulting in ‘under’ tickets.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

NFC Divisional Notes
January 10, 2017

Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017

Seattle at Atlanta (FOX, 4:35 p.m. ET)

Line Movement: The Falcons opened as 3 ½-point home favorites last Saturday and the line has been pushed up to 4 ½ at most betting shops as of Tuesday. The total also jumped up, going from 48 ½ to 51 ½.

Seattle Road Record: 3-4-1 SU, 3-5 ATS
Atlanta Home Record: 5-3 SU, 3-5 ATS

Head-to-Head: These teams met in Week 6 and Seattle rallied for a 26-24 win over Atlanta from CenturyLink Field as the Seahawks outscored the Falcons 9-0 in the final five minutes of the game. Atlanta had a chance to earn the win but they couldn’t move the football late and didn’t get help from the officials, who missed a questionable pass interference call on Seattle. Despite not winning, the Falcons managed to cover as seven-point road underdogs. The previous meeting between these teams came in the 2013 regular season as Seattle earned a 33-10 road win at Atlanta as a three-point road favorite.

Playoff Notes: Atlanta defeated Seattle 30-28 in the 2012 playoffs, which was the second career playoff start for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. The Falcons built a 20-0 lead at halftime and were up 27-7 entering the final quarter but the ‘Hawks scored 21 unanswered points. Atlanta regained its composure and managed to win on a late field goal.

Including that loss, Seattle has gone 8-3 in the playoffs with Wilson as its starting quarterback which includes a 3-3 mark away from home. Coincidentally, QB Matt Ryan’s only playoff win came in the aforementioned victory over Seattle. The signal caller is 1-4 all-time in the postseason and that includes a 1-2 mark at the Georgia Dome.

Total Notes: The Falcons were the best ‘over’ bet in the NFL season, going 13-2-1 and that includes a perfect 8-0 mark at home. Atlanta’s averaged 33.8 points per games and the offense was very balanced, ranked third in passing (295.3 YPG) and fifth in rushing (120.5 YPG). Including last week’s result in the Wild Card round versus Detroit, the Seahawks have seen the ‘ under’ go 9-8 and 4-4 on the road. The Seahawks have made three trips to the East Coast and they ‘over’ went 2-1 in those games. Seattle has seen the ‘over’ go 6-5 in 11 playoff games with Wilson and the ‘over’ is 4-2 in road and neutral games. Ryan and the Falcons are 4-1 to the ‘over’ in his five career playoff starts.

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017

Green Bay at Dallas (FOX, 4:40 p.m. ET)

Line Movement: The Cowboys opened as four-point home favorites last Sunday and the number is now 4 ½ as of Tuesday. The ‘over’ got some early action with the opener going from 51 to 52.

Injuries: Green Bay wide receiver Jordy Nelson (ribs) is listed as ‘doubtful’ for Sunday’s game.

Green Bay Road Record: 4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS
Dallas Home Record: 7-1 SU, 5-2-1 ATS

Head-to-Head: Dallas defeated Green Bay 30-16 as a five-point road underdog in Week 6 behind a strong running game (191 yards) and an opportunistic defense that forced four turnovers (3 fumbles). Rookie QB Dak Prescott tossed three touchdowns for Dallas, two of the scores going to WR Cole Beasley. Prior to this outcome, Green Bay had won five straight (4-1) games versus the Cowboys with four of those victories coming at Lambeau Field. The Packers captured a shocking 37-36 win at Dallas in the 2013 regular season behind backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who was filling in for the injured Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay outscored Dallas 34-10 in the final two quarters.

Playoff Notes: Including last week’s 38-13 win over the Giants, the Packers are now 9-6 in the playoffs with Rodgers at QB. The signal caller has gone 5-4 in games away from home in the postseason and three of the losses came in overtime. Dallas is 2-8 in its last 10 playoff but went 1-1 in the 2014 playoffs. The loss came against Green Bay, a 26-21 decision at Lambeau Field.

Total Notes: The ‘under’ has gone 4-2 in the last six meetings between the pair, which includes the Week 6 matchup earlier this season. Green Bay enters this game on a 5-0 ‘over’ run and its offense is averaging 35 PPG during this span. The Packers have also seen the ‘over’ 6-2 on the road this season. Dallas has leaned to the ‘under’ (10-6) and that includes a 4-4 mark at AT&T Stadium.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Seahawks headed back to Atlanta
January 10, 2017

RENTON, Wash. (AP) Four years ago, the Seattle Seahawks walked out of Atlanta after a defining moment that shaped what has taken place since.

A 30-28 loss to the Falcons in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs stung and lingered.

To this day it's still a touchy subject after Seattle was unable to hold on to the lead in the final 30 seconds.

But that loss also became the foundation for two NFC championships, a Super Bowl title and two more playoff appearances.

And while the people involved have changed significantly since that game, the circumstances are just as meaningful for Seattle when it travels to Atlanta for a divisional round playoff game on Saturday.

Except instead of trying to create the foundation of being among the elite, Seattle is trying to prove it still is among the elite in the NFC.

''It's one of those games,'' Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday of the loss in January 2013. ''It's one of those games you store away, but it doesn't have anything to do with what's going on now.''

Seattle was an upstart during the 2012 season. Led by then-rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks earned a wild-card spot in the NFC and knocked off Washington in the opening round.

Against Atlanta, the No. 1 seed in the NFC that season, Seattle appeared outclassed, falling behind 20-0 at halftime and 27-7 entering the fourth quarter.

That's when Wilson pulled off one of his greatest rallies to date, leading Seattle on three fourth-quarter touchdown drives to take a 28-27 lead with 31 seconds left after a 2-yard TD run by Marshawn Lynch.

Wilson finished that day throwing for 385 yards, still a career best, but Atlanta hit two long pass plays in the final 30 seconds and Matt Bryant's 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds left won the game for the Falcons.

''We felt like we were far, but we still had a long way to go,'' Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. ''Kind of like woke us up, but it definitely made us hungry too because when you feel like you have a great team that should win it all and you lose ... and you sit there in the offseason and watch the other teams win, it gives you that hunger to come into the next season prepared and I think that's what happened.''

K.J. Wright echoed Wagner's feeling about the game. Wright is among a handful of key players that remain on Seattle's roster despite the Seahawks constant churn. He believes Seattle doesn't get to a Super Bowl without that loss.

''I believe that we weren't quite ready yet to take it all the way,'' Wright said. ''I'm kind of glad that happened to us because we learned from it. We won the Super Bowl the following year so we learned from that moment.''

While their experience and knowledge has grown in the seasons since, the memory of that game remains fresh, especially this week when the scenario is very similar.

Atlanta is again the higher-seeded team with a multifaceted offense that was among the best in football, and Matt Ryan directing the charge. The Falcons are the rightful favorites then and now.

But the situation is significantly different for Seattle.

The Seahawks were the upstarts then; young, brash and looking to prove they belonged.

Now, they're trying to continue their legacy and prove even with a resume that includes five straight appearances in the divisional round of the playoffs, they are still the powerhouse of the NFC.

''I still remember that game, me and (Bruce Irvin) sitting at the end, watching,'' Wagner said. ''It wasn't a great feeling. We want to make sure that doesn't happen again.''

NOTES: RB C.J. Prosise practiced on Tuesday for the first time since suffering a broken shoulder blade in November. Carroll said it would go all week before a decision is made if Prosise will play. ''He's going to have to go full speed and let it rip. If he's holding back, he won't play,'' Carroll said. ... FB Marcel Reese should be able to play after suffering a foot injury in the opening-round win against Detroit.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

McCarthy steers Pack to playoff power
January 10, 2017

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) For all the postseason appearances that the Green Bay Packers have made in coach Mike McCarthy's tenure, this year's run to the playoffs might be the most unique yet.

The Packers were considered a likely Super Bowl contender in the preseason. They look like a Super Bowl contender now going into the divisional round game on Sunday against Dallas.

In between, the middle of the season resembled a roller-coaster ride. But the Packers are peaking at the right time.

They haven't lost since falling to 4-6 following a 42-24 defeat to Washington in Week 11. Just like other teams, Green Bay had to make adjustments after losing key players.

They got healthier on defense. They have quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is playing perhaps the best football of his career .

Through the ups and downs, McCarthy's confidence didn't waver, even as some fans took to social media to question his job security following a four-game skid. There were no apparent outbursts in the locker room, no rash decisions.

''I'm not into shock and awe, or a torch-the-landscape-type person. I'm a builder, I'm a developer. I've said that since the first day I arrived here,'' McCarthy said on Nov. 14 , the day after a 47-25 loss at Tennessee. ''You build a program, culture is what makes it go, you have to invest in that culture every single day, and that's my big-picture focus.''

The steady leadership made an impact, left tackle David Bakhtiari said.

''I think he stayed true to who he was, and we stayed true to who we are,'' Bakhtiari said on Monday when asked about how the culture developed by McCarthy aided the team's rebound.

''It got rough, you know? With everyone outside, all the outside noise. We just understood that it's about us. It's about everyone in here. We know what we're capable of,'' Bakhtiari added. ''Let's go do what we do, don't worry about them.''

Bakhtiari has been to the playoffs in each of his four seasons in Green Bay. The Packers have been to the postseason eight straight years - the Patriots are the only other team to do so - and in nine of McCarthy's 11 years overall in Titletown.

Green Bay won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. The team hasn't had a losing record since going 6-10 in 2008, Rodgers' first year as starting quarterback.

Rodgers has called criticism of McCarthy ''ridiculous,'' citing the high standards that the Packers have set for themselves through the annual success.

''I think if anything after the Washington game, he became even more of a players' coach. He was even more positive and listened even more, and just kept encouraging us that we were close to kind of getting over the hump and starting to win games,'' Rodgers said last week.

''So he took some crap from everybody, but he stayed the course for us in the meeting room and the locker room.''

On the field, McCarthy turned to former receiver Ty Montgomery to help fill the void in the backfield left by Eddie Lacy's season-ending ankle injury in October. The return of tight end Jared Cook from injury gave Rodgers another option in the passing game in the second half of the season.

''We had to fine-tune our game plan, had to find our rhythm with the people that we had, with the guys that were stepping up,'' center Corey Linsley said. ''We found our rhythm, we found what works.''

Now the Packers might have to make a major adjustment again if top receiver Jordy Nelson can't return against Dallas from a rib injury.

But they also rallied without him to defeat the New York Giants in an NFC wild-card game on Sunday, the Packers' seventh straight win going back to the regular season.

''I think it's what makes it so good,'' Bakhtiari said about the team's run. ''We know what adversity is.''

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

QB Ryan looking to fill void on resume
January 10, 2017

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) Matt Ryan's poise under pressure has produced 25 fourth-quarter comebacks, a ''Matty Ice'' nickname and his first All-Pro selection.

The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback also is a leading MVP candidate .

The glaring void on Ryan's resume is his 1-4 postseason record. At 31, Ryan may not have many more chances to change his reputation as a quarterback who comes up short in the playoffs.

Ryan's only playoff win came against Seattle after the 2012 regular season, and he'll have another shot at the Seahawks in Saturday's NFC divisional round game.

Ryan said Tuesday he has never been better prepared for the playoffs.

''I feel like as you get experience throughout your career, you try to learn from all of it and you try to use it to make you better,'' Ryan said. ''I feel like I've done that throughout my career. Both positive and negative, I've learned from all of those experiences and ... I feel like I'm just playing my best and playing better than I ever have.''

No matter his stats, Ryan ultimately will be judged by his team's success. The Falcons led the NFL in scoring while winning the NFC South, but a loss in their playoff opener would lead some critics to conclude they were just another regular-season fad that was not built for the postseason.

A loss also would leave an even larger void on Ryan's record.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he talked with Ryan about the extra playoff pressure placed on the quarterback.

Quinn said this is a different Ryan than the one who lost to the 49ers in the NFC championship game after the 2012 season and also suffered one-and-done playoff losses to Arizona in his 1998 rookie season, to Green Bay in 2010 and to the Giants in 2011.

Quinn believes Ryan is ready for postseason success.

''For him I think you can't truly be relentless until you've been right close to it and you didn't get it,'' Quinn said Tuesday. ''I know from my experience you learn so much from a loss and what you gain from it. What I can tell you is Matt's a far different quarterback today than he was a few years ago.''

Quinn said Ryan's ''ability to attack, his ability to be ready'' in this season's offense ''has nothing to do with'' past playoff failures.

Ryan said he doesn't dwell on past playoff letdowns.

''I don't worry about it too much,'' he said. ''One thing I've learned throughout my career is if you spend time worrying about that, you're not spending time worrying about the things that are going to make a difference on Sunday.''

The approach is working for Ryan. He had a career-high 38 touchdown passes and a low with only seven interceptions this season. He finished second in the league in TD passes and yards passing. His 117.1 passer rating leads the NFL.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Ryan's success following a startling dip in production in 2015 is a natural progression for his second season with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The success has made Shanahan a target for at least four teams looking for head coaches.

''The word we use is chemistry between throwers and catchers,'' Carroll said in a telephone interview. ''There really is a lot to that. You can see just the benefit of the years together and the benefit of being in the same scheme for two years.''

Carroll said the Falcons offense led by Ryan is ''as good as you can get.''

Ryan wouldn't say if this offense will be a better fit for the postseason.

''I know this team that we're a part of right now,'' Ryan said. ''We're good enough to get the job done every week. I really feel that way. We just need to continue to do the same things we've done up to this point.''

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Texans try to quiet noise about O'Brien
January 10, 2017

HOUSTON -- The noise surrounding the future of Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien hasn't quieted down despite owner Bob McNair insisting he won't be fired and the two-time AFC South champion having two years remaining on a five-year contract.

There continues to be speculation nationally that O'Brien could potentially become available for head-coaching vacancies due to reported clashes with general manager Rick Smith and a desire for more power over personnel decisions.

O'Brien has gone 9-7 for three consecutive seasons and reiterated Monday that he's happy working for the Texans and emphasized that the talk about his status isn't affecting the focus of the team as it prepares for an AFC divisional-round game against the New England Patriots.

"Absolutely not, no, there's no distraction," O'Brien said. "Like I said after the game, I really enjoy coaching this team. I think one of the things about coming to work here every day is it's a great place to work because you have really good people here and you have a bunch of great players that really understand the meaning of hard work and have put a lot of time into this thing.

"The other thing is our staff. I really enjoy working with our staff. We had a good staff meeting, trying to get going here on an obviously very difficult challenge for us. Just enjoy every day."

With so many job openings, O'Brien would be an extremely attractive candidate. However, he's not available unless McNair changes his mind and fired him or worked out a trade to receive compensation for allowing O'Brien to go elsewhere or O'Brien opted to quit and walked away from $10 million to $12 million over the remainder of the contract and wouldn't be able to coach elsewhere in 2017 or 2018 unless McNair allowed him out of his contract.

All of those factors make it appear to be a farfetched scenario that O'Brien would leave. O'Brien has repeatedly said he enjoys living and working in Houston. O'Brien and his wife, Colleen, also have a son, Jack, who requires specialized medical care because he suffers from lissencephaly, a genetic condition that causes developmental issues.

"There's nothing to it," McNair said following the Texans' AFC wild-card playoff game win over the Oakland Raiders when questioned about reports that O'Brien would have been fired if they had had lost that game. "I'm not going to fire him. Forget that. If I were you, I wouldn't repeat it because it's false. No, I don't know where they get that. I got a chuckle out of it."

--Texans backup quarterback Tom Savage has been cleared under the mandatory NFL concussion testing protocol after missing the playoff win against the Oakland Raiders.

Savage will be available to be the backup Saturday in an AFC divisional-round playoff game against the New England Patriots. Brandon Weeden was the backup against the Raiders.

"He'll be ready to practice," Texans HEAD coach Bill O'Brien said. "He should be ready to go."

Savage was the Texans' starter, but was replaced by Brock Osweiler with the first-string offense after the head injury. In three games and two starts, Savage completed 46 of 73 passes for 461 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for an 80.9 passer rating.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Tomlin takes blame for Big Ben injury
January 10, 2017

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin pointed the finger at himself for the play call that resulted in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injuring his right foot late in Sunday's victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Pittsburgh led 30-12 with 4:34 remaining in the AFC wild-card game when Roethlisberger was attempting to pass and had Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake fall on his foot.

Roethlisberger departed the stadium in a walking boot but is recovering swiftly and will be ready when the Steelers visit the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.

"I got a little over-aggressive there," Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday. "It goes beyond taking the responsibility. I made the call. So don't ask (offensive coordinator) Todd (Haley) about it on Thursday. I made the call and I take responsibility for it."

Roethlisberger said on his radio show that he's no longer wearing a boot on the foot.

Tomlin said he isn't concerned about the injury and expects Roethlisberger to practice on Thursday and Friday.

"Ben aggravated his foot but it doesn't appear to be an issue," Tomlin said. "We'll watch him closely as we push forward toward the game. But not anticipating that limiting him."

Tomlin said that tight end Ladarius Green remains in concussion protocol. That would put Green in jeopardy of sitting out once again.

Tomlin also said the arrest of outside linebackers coach Joey Porter won't be a distraction. Porter, a former star player for Pittsburgh, allegedly assaulted a doorman at a Pittsburgh bar on Sunday night.

"To be involved in the National Football League is an honor and a privilege, it's not a right. We should respect it as such," Tomlin said. "Obviously that was breached in that circumstance and there are consequences to be suffered because of it."

Tomlin said there isn't a timetable for Porter's return to the club.

CNOTES · Jan 11, 2017

Can Osweiler lead Texans to upset?
January 10, 2017

Before this weekend, just five NFL playoff games since 1966 have featured a team favored by at least 15 points. Just one of those underdogs won the game (Google ''Joe Namath'' if you need more information on that).

Oddsmakers don't think Brock Osweiler should guarantee the 16-point underdog Houston Texans can beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in New England. In fact, even if Brady were not playing, the Patriots would be favored by nearly two touchdowns.

''Normally, he is worth six to seven points to the spread, depending on the opponent,'' said Scott Cooley, spokesman for BookMaker, an offshore book and casino. ''But in this situation it changes a bit because the Patriots have a very capable backup in Jimmy Garappolo, who we've seen perform well in meaningful games. If Brady wasn't playing this weekend, we would make the Patriots 12- to 13-point favorites.''

The Patriots (14-2) beat the Texans 27-0 in Week 3 with third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett leading the way.

Brady, of course, will be under center against the Texans and he's playing some of his best football. He's taking nothing for granted because coach Bill Belichick wouldn't have it another way.

''There is nothing easy about this game for our offense,'' Brady said on WEEI radio in Boston.

Osweiler is 1-0 against Brady. Peyton Manning's former backup rallied Denver from a 21-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Patriots 30-24 in overtime last season.

But this isn't the same Osweiler - he was benched last month - and the Texans (10-7) are not last year's Super Bowl champion Broncos.

The Patriots are used to double-digit point spreads in the playoffs. They've been involved in the five largest spreads since 2000, according to Pro Football Reference. They're only 1-3 covering the spread as favorites, but 3-1 in the won/loss column.

New England was a 14-point underdog when it upset the Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl. After going 16-0 in 2007, the Patriots failed to cover three times as favorites of 12 1/2 or more in the playoffs. They defeated the Jaguars and Chargers before losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

In 2012, they whipped Tim Tebow and the Broncos 45-10 in the divisional round to cover a 13 1/2-point spread.

Pro Football Reference lists 59 double-digit favorites in playoff games since the Super Bowl began in January 1967. The favorites are 33-25-1 against the spread and 47-12 straight up.

The five biggest point spreads in the playoffs since 1966:

19 points: 49ers vs. Chargers in 1995 Super Bowl. Steve Young threw six touchdown passes, including three to Jerry Rice, to lead San Francisco to a 49-26 victory and its fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

18 points: Colts vs. Jets in 1969 Super Bowl. Namath guaranteed a win for the underdog Jets and delivered. Broadway Joe threw for 206 yards, Matt Snell had 121 yards rushing and a TD and Jim Turner kicked three field goals in New York's 16-7 victory over Baltimore.

16 + points: Vikings vs. Cardinals in 1999 NFC divisional round. Randall Cunningham tossed three TD passes, including one to rookie Randy Moss, to lead the Vikings to a 41-21 win.

15 + points: 49ers vs. Bears in 1995 NFC divisional round. William Floyd ran for three TDs and San Francisco routed Chicago 44-15.

15 points: Cowboys vs. Falcons in 1978 NFC divisional round. Danny White replaced Roger Staubach after he sustained a concussion and led the Cowboys to a 27-20 win, but not a cover.

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