Seahawks at Bears
11 a.m., KDVR-31
The spread: Bears by 10
Seahawks win if: They continue their no-pressure, why-not-us approach to things. They have the advantage of living without expectations, given their division title at 7-9. If they take a few chances and pop a couple of big plays, especially early, they can shove all of the pressure to the Chicago sideline.
Bears win if: QB Jay Cutler can behave. He has plenty of natural gifts, especially his top-tier right arm, but he finds trouble when he decides to play fast and loose with the percentage plays. The only way the Bears lose this game is if he makes enough mistakes for the Seahawks to keep themselves in it.
Seahawks player on the spot: WR Brandon Stokley. A team as limited as the Seahawks have been on offense this season will face a lot of third- down situations. That won’t change in this one, so Stokley moves to the forefront, because even with all of the injuries he’s faced in his career, the former Bronco remains one of the best in the gotta-have-it situations.
Bears player on the spot: Cutler. Sure, the Bears’ defense has to be all it can be and the team has to find a way to run the ball, but the simple fact remains that if the interceptions column has a zero in it when this one is over, the Bears will almost certainly be in the NFC championship.
Bet you didn’t know: Seahawks WR Mike Williams, who was out of football for two seasons, is the first wide receiver in franchise history to finish with three 10-reception games in the same season.
Key matchup: Cutler vs. Seahawks secondary. Seattle certainly scored one of the biggest postseason upsets in history last week when it knocked the defending champs out of the postseason. But Saints QB Drew Brees did heave the ball around for 404 yards along the way. The Seahawks sacked Cutler six times in a matchup earlier this season, and that kind of pressure would certainly help them again. The book on Cutler is when he gets impatient, he makes mistakes, so look for the Seahawks to take away the big stuff to see if Cutler is willing to work the short and intermediate routes.
The call: Bears 27-13
Jets at Patriots
2:30 p.m., KCNC-4
The spread: Patriots by 8 1/2
Jets win if: Their loose-lips defense, especially cornerback Antonio Cromartie, is up to the challenge of slowing down the league’s highest-scoring offense. The Patriots scored at least 28 points 12 times this season and have scored at least 31 in their last eight games.
Patriots win if: They simply do what they do — watch uber-QB Tom Brady, left, move the offense up and down the field without mistakes and get just enough from the defense to walk away with another postseason victory. They’re a tested team with a quarterback at the peak of his powers — that’s a tough combination to overcome.
Jets player on the spot: OT Wayne Hunter. Former Patriots offensive lineman and current Jets right tackle Damien Woody suffered an Achilles tendon injury during the Jets’ final offensive drive in the win over the Colts last weekend and will miss this one. That puts Hunter in the lineup, and Bill Belichick is one of the best matchup coaches in the league. The Jets figure to help Hunter some in protection, but look for Belichick to test that edge.
Patriots players on the spot: RBs Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Yes, they have Brady and that’s plenty, as three Super Bowl rings attest, but the Pats have to have some balance to keep Brady out of harm’s way. The Patriots play a little mix-and- match with these two, and they’ve averaged more than 6 yards a carry around either the right or left end this season.
Bet you didn’t know: With one more postseason win, Belichick will tie Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll for most playoff victories — 16.
Key matchup: Jets CB Kyle Wilson vs. Patriots WR Wes Welker. Wilson, a rookie, was made the Jets’ nickel cornerback full time in November and gets one of the league’s tallest orders in the undersized Welker. Welker is quick, instinctive and tough, which is why he catches so many passes against defenses trying to stop him out of the slot. Welker is strong enough to get himself off the jam at the line of scrimmage and understands how to find the open spaces in coverage. He also has Brady’s trust so the ball will come his way.
The call: Patriots 28-17
