MY NFL PLAYOFF STORYLINES TO KEEP AN EYE ON

A great NFL regular season concluded with a wide-open field in the playoffs. Here's a look at 20 storylines to keep an eye on as we approach wild-card weekend.

THE NEW HEAD COACHES

This year's playoffs feature two first-year coaches among the 12 playoff teams. Bears head coach Matt Nagy is likely to win Coach of the Year after leading his team to an NFC North title, while Colts head coach Frank Reich also did a great job leading the Indy back to the playoffs with the help of Andrew Luck's return and a great draft class.

NICK FOLES, THE LEGEND

Foles came off the bench to lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory last year, and he's at least in a position to do the same thing this year with Carson Wentz nursing a back injury. Foles led the team to back-to-back wins to close out the year, and the pending free agent is certainly adding more money to his future earnings with his recent success.

IS EAGLES' LATE-SEASON MOMENTUM REAL?

Battling major injuries all year on both sides of the ball, Philadelphia finally came together late in the year and won five of its last six games to make the playoffs. That included an impressive win at the Rams and a home comeback win vs. Houston. The Eagles have the experience to make another run but will have to do it all on the road this time as the No. 6 seed in the NFC.

CHARGERS VS. RAVENS REMATCH

Just two weeks ago, Baltimore went on the road to beat Philip Rivers and the Chargers, 22-10. That win effectively got Baltimore to the playoffs and prevented Los Angeles from getting the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Ravens defense was absolutely dominant in that game, scoring a touchdown, and now Baltimore gets to face the Chargers at home. Still, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen are healthier for this matchup, and L.A. is also set to get tight end Hunter Henry back for the contest.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: THE TEAM NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY?

The Ravens finished the year 6-1 with rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson under center, and their one loss was due to the late-game heroics of Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium. Baltimore's defense has been the best in football lately, and the offense has been the most run-heavy in the league. It's a style unlike any other teams in the playoffs.

PHILIP RIVERS' PLAYOFF TRACK RECORD

The Chargers haven't appeared in the playoffs since 2013, and the team's track record with Rivers under center isn't great. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has advanced to the conference championship only once in five playoff appearances and he's 4-5 with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He will get another tough test on wild-card weekend at Baltimore after losing to the Ravens 22-10 at home two weeks ago.

DESHAUN WATSON'S PLAYOFF ARRIVAL

Watson's rookie season ended early with a torn ACL, but he bounced back this season and put the Texans on his back late in the year with injuries to Lamar Miller, Will Fuller and Demaryius Thomas. We saw Watson's postseason heroics while in college at Clemson, and it wouldn't be surprising if he has more left in him.

ANDREW LUCK FINISHING HIS COMEBACK

Luck is likely to win Comeback Player of the Year after sitting out all of last season with a shoulder injury. No one knew if Luck would ever be the same, and that was still the case a few weeks into the season when the Colts offense struggled. However, it's clear that he's back now, as the Colts have won nine of their last 10 games, and it would make a great story even better if Luck had some playoff success.

SEAHAWKS RETURN TO THE PLAYOFFS

Seattle missed the playoffs last year at 9-7, and not much was expected of the squad after slashing talent on defense during the offseason. After a slow start, the Seahawks are back in the playoffs at 10-6 with a young defense that has rapidly improved and an elite running game. The team still has a history of playoff success with a 9-5 playoff record for Pete Carroll while in Seattle, and with Russell Wilson, it wouldn't be a shock if the Seahawks made some noise.

CAN JASON GARRETT FIND SUCCESS IN THE PLAYOFFS?

Dallas returns to the playoffs for the third time under head coach Jason Garrett. However, he has just one win over his last two appearances and has been much maligned by his conservative approach. Dallas hosts Seattle on wild-card weekend, but the Cowboys faithful probably won't be too accepting of a one-and-done from Garrett and Co.

CAN OFFENSE WIN IN JANUARY?

Offenses have never been more explosive than what we've witnessed in 2018, and the top five offenses in the NFL this year are in the playoffs. There's an old saying that defense wins championships, but that hasn't always been the case in recent years during the playoffs. Teams like the Chiefs, Rams and Saints certainly hope offense leads the way this year.

ANDY REID'S PLAYOFF HISTORY

Reid moved into sixth place in all-time wins this year, but there's no escaping his struggles in the playoffs. The K.C. head coach is just 11-13 in his playoff career and 1-4 with the Chiefs. He's advanced to the Super Bowl just once in his 20 seasons as an NFL head coach. To solidify his spot as one of the truly elite coaches of all time, he needs to win a Super Bowl.

CHIEFS PLAYOFF HISTORY AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM

When is the last time Kansas City won a playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium? It was 1993. Since then, the Chiefs have lost seven straight playoff home games with some absolutely dreadful defeats, including last year's 22-21 loss vs. Tennessee after leading 21-3 at halftime. Chiefs fans don't seem optimistic come playoff time, and it's no wonder given what they've lived through in recent years.

ERIC BERRY'S HEALTH

The heart and soul of the Chiefs defense, Berry tore his Achilles in Week 1 last year and didn't return until Week 15 this year due to an injury to his other heel. He aggravated the injury before Week 17, so it remains to be seen if we'll even see the former All-Pro safety in the playoffs. With one of the worst defenses in the league, Kansas City could certainly use him

RAMS' SLOW FINISH

The Rams started the year 11-1 but have lost two of their last four games. Their acclaimed offense was pummeled at Chicago and vs. Philadelphia, and those playoff teams could match up against L.A. again during the postseason. Some blame the loss of Cooper Kupp, while others point to Todd Gurley's knee injury. Either way, the Rams' late-season play is making some fans nervous.

TODD GURLEY'S KNEE

Todd Gurley has seemingly been hampered by a knee injury for the last month-plus, with indications he was nursing an injury going back to Nov. 19 vs. the Chiefs. The Rams rested Gurley over the last two games of the season and get the all-important bye during the opening weekend of the playoffs. It still remains to be seen how Gurley will look when he returns, but the Rams desperately need him to be healthy in a tough NFC field.

WHO'S THE REAL MVP?

The primary MVP debate is Patrick Mahomes vs. Drew Brees, with some also making arguments for Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers and Aaron Donald. While the ballots are being cast before the playoff outcomes, the playoff results will go a long way in determining the "true MVP" in the minds of fans.

ONE MORE TIME FOR BELICHICK AND BRADY?

New England certainly ran into its share of hiccups this season but has successfully secured a first-round bye after going 11-5. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have appeared in eight Super Bowls and won five during their 18 years together, but there aren't too many chances remaining with Brady's play starting to deteriorate at age 41 and Belichick also getting closer to retirement at 66.

DREW BREES' LAST SHOT?

Speaking of last shots, Brees could also be looking at his last, best shot to win a second Super Bowl. The Saints quarterback had a historic season, completing a record-breaking 74.4 percent of his passes and finally getting a solid defense to support him in New Orleans. At age 39, Brees also could be looking at his final chance to win a Super Bowl.

"MNF" PART 2?

Some say it was the greatest "Monday Night Football" game ever. Some even claim it was the greatest NFL regular-season game ever. During Week 11, the Rams defeated the Chiefs 54-51 in a game that featured more than 1,000 yards of offense and two 400-yard passing quarterbacks. At the time, most were hoping we'd see a rematch in the Super Bowl, which remains a possibility with the teams getting top two seeds in their respective conferences.