Falcons vs. Eagles live stream: How to watch 2018 NFL playoffs online

For the first time since the NFL playoffs expanded to 12 teams, a No. 1 seed is a betting underdog to a No. 6 team. For the now-underdog Philadelphia Eagles, that’s a statement about how valuable second-year quarterback Carson Wentz has been. For the Atlanta Falcons, it’s a testament to how dangerous last year’s NFC champions can be in the postseason.

The two teams meet Saturday with a spot in the conference championship game on the line. Kickoff is set for 4:35 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC (live stream).

Philadelphia has plenty to prove despite a 13-3 season. The Eagles lost MVP candidate Wentz to a torn ACL in Week 14, handing an explosive offense over to Nick Foles. The former Pro Bowler hasn’t been especially bad as a short-notice starter, but he hasn’t been Wentz. Philly scored 31 points per game with its young gun behind center. Under Foles, that number has dropped to 17.7 — although one of those games was a shutout in a meaningless Week 17 tilt vs. the Cowboys.

The Falcons are trending in a different direction. The franchise has faced elimination games in each of the past two weeks — a win-and-in Week 17 contest against the Panthers and last week’s Wild Card Game with the Rams. While Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are the team’s headliners, an opportunistic defense has been the catalyst behind Atlanta’s recent run; the Falcons have forced five turnovers in their two must-win games.

The Eagles emerged as clear Super Bowl contenders with Carson Wentz under center going 11-2 SU and 10-3 ATS through their first 13 games. But when Wentz tore his ACL against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, the air of invincibility around this team quickly diminished.

Nick Foles is a serviceable backup but isn’t viewed as the type of player who can win quarterback duels and carry a team deep into the postseason. Philadelphia is 0-3 ATS over its last three games since Foles took over as starter.

“Well, we’re not supposed to talk about it, but I will say that we as a team, as a brotherhood, know all there is to know about taking care of today for today, about not getting ahead of ourselves and how doing that can put you in a bind,” Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “When you talk about the dos and don’ts of winning, we’ve learned some lessons there in the hardest way. And through it all, we’ve leaned on each other.”

The parallels between the year-separated division rivals are clear. There’s a young, emerging quarterback behind center directing traffic and earning MVP consideration. There’s a lengthy winning streak propelling them to the top of the NFC East. A high-powered offense and an above-average defense have been the engine between each franchise’s sudden rise.

But the Eagles are doing what last year’s Cowboys did, but better — at least through 11 games.

Matt Ryan went to Boston College, but he’s a Philadelphia native. That’s where he started playing football, that’s where he became a highly sought-after quarterback prospect, and that’s where he’ll return on Saturday to face his hometown Philadelphia Eagles.

Since Foles has been relegated to backup status in recent seasons, it’s easy to forget he was briefly one of the league’s best quarterbacks. His 2013 sophomore season featured a then-record 27:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and earned him a Pro Bowl nod; he’s been chasing that kind of production ever since.

While he may not be able to return to those heights, he’s been a perfectly serviceable passer in the interim. A solid defense and cache of offense weapons helped him post a 5-1 record in games where he threw at least 10 passes over the past two seasons. His last playoff performance was a modest 195-yard, two-touchdown showing back in ‘13. If he can just be similarly successful on Saturday, he’ll have a shot to push the Eagles to the NFC title game.

Five of our seven human experts took Atlanta in their Divisional Round picks. OddsShark’s computer did, as well.