Kirk Cousins

San Francisco were a class above against Minnesota in the divisional-round clash on Saturday as the 49ers moved a step closer to the Super Bowl.

The 49ers will face either the Green Bay Packers or Seattle Seahawks for a place in the Super Bowl after Tevin Coleman rushed for two touchdowns, while quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw one TD.

Garoppolo finished 11 of 19 for 131 yards and an interception as he claimed his first playoff victory as a starter.

A week after their dramatic overtime win against the New Orleans Saints, the Vikings were dominated by San Francisco's suffocating defense in Santa Clara.

The 49ers drew first blood after Garoppolo's three-yard throw to Kendrick Bourne capped a 61-yard drive for a 7-0 lead, though the Vikings responded four minutes later following Kirk Cousins' pass to Stefon Diggs.

Midway through the second quarter, Eric Kendricks forced a fumble on Deebo Samuel, which was recovered by Irv Smith Jr., but the call was overturned because the replay concluded a knee was down.

The 49ers then proceeded to complete the touchdown drive – a one-yard run by Coleman finishing it off and putting San Francisco ahead 14-7.

As Minnesota tried to reduce the deficit, Dee Ford sacked Cousins – who was 21 of 29 for 179 yards, a touchdown and interception – to restrict the Vikings to a 39-yard Dan Bailey field goal.

The 49ers extended their lead in the third quarter thanks to Robbie Gould's field goal and another rushing TD from Coleman with less than five minutes remaining.

Gould nailed a 21-yard field goal in the final quarter to seal the 49ers' passage through to the next round of the postseason.

The quarterback completed 31 of 39 pass attempts, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for another, but it was his final play of the game that will be remembered most.

With 1:44 left in the fourth quarter and Minnesota fourth and eight on their own 48-yard line, Cousins threw to T.J. Hockenson, who was still five yards or so short of first-down sticks.

The alert Xavier McKinney ensured Hockenson only went backwards from there and closed the game out as the Vikings saw their last chance evaporate.

After the game, Cousins explained the thinking that went into the play, saying: "I tried to work Justin [Jefferson], but didn't feel good about putting it up to Justin and then when I went to progress I just felt like I was about to get sacked. I felt like I had to put the ball in play and cant go down with a sack. I felt I'd kick it out to T.J.

"I'd thrown short of the sticks on a few occasions in the game and even going back a few weeks, and felt throwing short of the sticks isn't the end of the world. It was obviously tight coverage so didn't have the chance to pull away.

"It's probably the toughest loss I've had in my career, so it hurts."

Coach Kevin O'Connell backed his quarterback, adding: "Looking back on it, maybe he could've been a little bit more, 'Hey, this is where you want the ball to go', but I want Kirk to play, I want him to be free out there to make good decisions.

"In the end, I look at that as much as anything that it's on me with that play call, even if we had eligibles with a chance down the field. Maybe that's always a play that could be better. That one will always stick with me."

Cousin's opposite number Daniel Jones also threw two touchdowns, completing 24 of 35 passes in the game, and was described as an "elite quarterback" by team-mate Saquon Barkley after the win.

Jones said the Giants just had to overcome early nerves, and they were able to hold out after Barkley's touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter gave them a precious lead.

"I think there were definitely some nerves going into it," he said. "We were excited. There was a lot of anticipating going into it.

"Once we settled in and started playing, it felt the same. It was just about execution and doing our job play after play. I thought as a group we did that well."

Quarterback Cousins engineered a game-winning drive at the start of overtime in the Wild Card clash, capping it off with a four-yard pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph at the back of the end zone.

The successful throw clinched an upset 26-20 triumph for the Vikings on the road, meaning they move on in the postseason to face the San Francisco 49ers next.

Cousins' career has been blighted by suggestions he struggles in big games, yet Zimmer felt his starter showed he can thrive under pressure, keeping Minnesota's season alive in the process.

"They said he can't win a playoff game. He's only been in two, so he's 50 per cent – that's better than most people," Zimmer told the media.

"I thought he took care of the ball really well today and made good decisions. They had some heat on us, so he had to make some great decisions. He has to go out and prove it again next week, just like we all do.

"Kirk's a good player. The team rallied around him, they're happy for him."

Cousins rejected the opportunity to hit back at the doubters during his news conference, saying: "I'm just thrilled we won a playoff game."

The Vikings had let slip a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, Will Lutz's field goal with two seconds remaining levelling the contest.

However, once in overtime, Zimmer was determined to make sure his team capitalised on having the ball first, knowing a touchdown would send them through to the next round.

"We didn't want to leave anything in the bag. We had a chance to go down and score and win, and that's what we were trying to do," he said.

On the throw to Adam Thielen that set up the touchdown, Zimmer added: "It's a play we've used before – it's a great throw by Kirk and a great catch by Adam. You've got to take your shots when you're trying to win a playoff game."

The Vikings trailed 33-0 at the break but rallied in the second half, registering 29 unanswered points to send the game to overtime with the score tied at 36-a-piece.

A 40-yard field goal in the final moments secured the win and the biggest comeback win in NFL history, beating the previous record set by the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Oilers in January 1993.

The win also secured the Vikings the NFC North title for the first time since 2017 and books a return to the playoffs following a two-year absence, but Cousins made it clear there is work to be done.

"The goal every year when the season starts is to win your division, get a playoff game, then sort it out from there," he said on the field to the NFL Network.

"That's the first goal, we were able to secure that, but we've got to play a lot better. You've got to play better football to win in the playoffs.

"Obviously, there's still a lot to play for with our seeding."

Despite the first-half blowout, and a deficit that looked unassailable, Cousins says there was still belief in the locker room.

"It was an ugly first half but we found a way back with complimentary football, a lot of plays, a lot we'd like to have back as well, but we'll take it," he added.

"There was belief at half-time. Patrick Peterson said all we needed was five touchdowns; I thought he was being sarcastic. Obviously, there is some yelling, there is some frustration.

"That [comeback] doesn't just happen. Basic people don't do what we just did."

The Vikings host the New York Giants on Christmas Eve for their final home game of the regular season, followed by back-to-back road trips against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

Kirk Cousins threw a pair of touchdown passes for Minnesota but finished with just 87 yards passing, the lowest total in his 118 career NFL starts. 

Ugly as it was at times, that proved to be enough for the Vikings (7-7) as the Bears, who lost for the eighth time in nine games, could not find a way into the end zone until the closing seconds. 

Though Chicago out-gained Minnesota 370 to 193, the Bears (4-10) fumbled the ball away three times and came up empty on four of their five red-zone opportunities. 

Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields was more efficient than Cousins, completing 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards, but he repeatedly proved unable to complete the big pass when Chicago needed it. 

The Bears made it past the Vikings' 25-yard line on three consecutive second-half drives but saw each of them end with a failed fourth-down conversion. They finally tacked on a Fields-to-Jesper Horsted touchdown on the final play of the game, but by then it was too late. 

That otherwise-meaningless touchdown also emphasised the tightrope the Vikings have walked all year, as it was their 11th consecutive game decided by eight points or fewer, one shy of the NFL record.

The victory kept the Vikings in the NFC wild-card picture but they face an uphill climb, with games against the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers the next two weeks before a home rematch with the Bears to close the regular season. 

The Vikings wide receiver, who scored one touchdown from nine receptions for 139 yards along with throwing a first-quarter 11-yard pass, surpassed Randy Moss for most receiving yards through any player's first three seasons in NFL history.

In a thrilling Thanksgiving game full of lead changes at US Bank Stadium, Minnesota scored the final 10 points to improve to 9-2, with Jefferson's contested catch for a 36-yard gain leading to Adam Thielen's game-winning TD from Kirk Cousins' 15-yard pass with 9:34 remaining.

Mac Jones was sacked by Ross Blacklock on a final-minute drive, before the clock elapsed with no timeouts remaining despite regaining 40 yards on passes for Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers.

Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns with one interception for 299 yards on 30-of-37 passing for the game, while Kene Nwangwu provided a major highlight with his third-career kick return for a TD to tie the game at 23-23 in the third quarter.

Jones threw a career-high 382 yards, completing 28-of-39 attempts for two touchdowns, linking up with wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Hunter Henry.

Henry thought he had a second TD late in the third quarter, but the Jones' pass was ruled incomplete with the catch not controlled on landing, meaning the Pats had to settle for a field goal and a 26-23 lead, before the Vikings final-quarter rally.

Vikings receivers Jefferson, Thielen and T.J. Hockenson all scored TDs as they responded to Sunday's 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Hockenson has the most catches by a tight end (26) in their first four games for a team in NFL history, having joined the Vikings from the Detroit Lions earlier this month.

Jefferson was named second-team All-Pro last year in his second season in the league, and he showed against the Packers why many feel he could be the top wide receiver in the entire league.

He had three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown on the first drive alone, before going on to finish with gaudy figures of nine catches for 184 yards and two scores.

While Jefferson was the offensive star, the Vikings' defense was the reason they won the game, holding the Packers scoreless in the first half to head into the long break leading 17-0.

With Aaron Rodgers' former top target Davante Adams traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason, he struggled to move the ball downfield. While Adams racked up 10 catches and 141 yards from 17 targets in his Raiders debut, no Green Bay receiver finished with more than Romeo Doubs' four catches for 37 yards from five targets, although running back A.J. Dillon did reach 46 receiving yards after some garbage-time action.

Coming off back-to-back league MVP awards, Rodgers finished a disappointing 22-of-34 for 195 yards, throwing one interception and no touchdowns. He was also sacked four times by the impressive Vikings pass rush, including one by former Packers edge rusher Za'Darius Smith.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins enjoyed a clean start to the season, going 23-of-32 for 277 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, while top running back Dalvin Cook was strong with 20 carries for 90 yards.

Barkley announces return to form in Giants win

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley had not scored a touchdown since Week 4 of last season, but he found form again in style as he carried his side to a 21-20 win on the road against the Tennessee Titans.

Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, had been questioned about if he would ever return to his best, but he looked like the old Barkley against the Titans as he piled up 164 yards and a touchdown from 18 carries, while adding six catches for 30 yards through the air.

As well as dominating through the middle stages of the contest, he also delivered in a big spot to decide the game, converting a two-point conversion after Daniel Jones threw what ended up being the game-winning touchdown with one minute to play.

The Titans got the ball back and worked their way into field goal range, but with a chance to hit a walk-off game winner, Randy Bullock pulled the 47-yard kick left to gift the win to the Giants.

The former Washington Redskins quarterback was entering the final season of the fully guaranteed three-year, $84million deal he signed ahead of the 2018 campaign.

But his agent Mike McCartney confirmed the 31-year-old has added another two seasons to his deal for an additional $66m on Monday, meaning he is under contract for the next three years for $96m.

Minnesota clear $10m of cap space in 2020 with the deal, which will boost their flexibility in free agency as the legal tampering period begins.

While he is yet to secure a division title, Cousins has led the Vikings to consecutive winning seasons.

They missed the playoffs after going 8-7-1 in his first campaign and then improved to 10-6 in 2019, as Cousins threw for 26 touchdowns and just six picks.

After beating the New Orleans Saints in the postseason, the Vikings lost in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Vikings still have hope Cousins can take them further than the NFC Championship berth they earned before his arrival when Case Keenum was under center.

Cousins’ new pact comes after cornerback Xavier Rhodes, defensive tackle Linval Joseph and tight end David Morgan were released earlier this week.

The Vikings have also handed a new three-year extension to fullback C.J. Ham.

Things kicked off on Thursday with the Buffalo Bills beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-10 thanks to a starring role from quarterback Josh Allen, who threw three touchdowns against the defending champions.

There are even more enticing games to look forward to over the weekend, with last season's Super Bowl runners up the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, Patrick Mahomes and the much-fancied Kansas City Chiefs facing Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, and it will be Aaron Rodgers v Kirk Cousins as the Green Bay Packers go to the Minnesota Vikings.

Stats Perform dives head first into Opta data to preview those games and more of the opening weekend of NFL action.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have won their last three games against the Steelers (27-17 in December 2020, 24-10 and 41-10 last season). It is the Bengals' longest winning streak versus the Steelers since they won six consecutive games from 1988 through 1990.

Mitch Trubisky will be the first quarterback other than Ben Roethlisberger to start a season opener for the Steelers since Dennis Dixon in 2010 (Roethlisberger was suspended). Trubisky is 1-2 in season openers, losing to the Packers twice and beating the Detroit Lions (all when he was with the Chicago Bears).

The Bengals played a league-high seven games decided by exactly three points during the 2021 regular season (won three, lost four), the highest single-season total by an NFL team since the 2012 Steelers (seven). Three of Cincinnati's four postseason games were also decided by exactly three points, including the 23-20 Super Bowl loss to the Rams.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed 67 of 85 passes for 971 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions over his final two games in the 2021 regular season (Week 16 against the Ravens, Week 17 against the Chiefs). Burrow's passing yardage is the second-highest two-game total by one player in NFL history, trailing only Dak Prescott's 974 passing yards over a two-game span in 2020.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Arizona Cardinals

The Chiefs have won their division in six consecutive seasons, which is three more than the next longest active streak (Green Bay). Only two teams in NFL history have had longer streaks (New England - 11, 2009-2019 and LA Rams - seven, 1973-1979).

Patrick Mahomes has won 50 of his 63 career starts as Kansas City's quarterback. The only QB in the Super Bowl era to reach 50 wins in fewer career starts than Mahomes was Kenny Stabler, who earned his 50th win in his 62nd start.

Arizona scored 30 or more points in nine different games in 2022, tied for the most in a single season in team history. Since a 56-14 win over the Vikings in Week 4 of 1963, the Cardinals have gone 903 games without scoring 50 points, which is the longest streak in NFL history (Broncos, 761 straight games from 1963-2013).

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will not want to be upstaged by Mahomes, and is the only player in NFL history to have at least 70 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in the first three seasons of his NFL career.

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

In their 22 road games against the Vikings this century, Green Bay has scored 30 or more points in 10 of them. That is tied for most 30-point games by an NFL team at a single opponent in that time with the Patriots at the Bills.

No NFL head coach has won more games over his first three NFL seasons than Matt LaFleur (39; George Seifert had 38). A win Sunday would make LaFleur the third coach in NFL history with 40 wins through 50 career games as head coach, joining Paul Brown (41) and Chuck Knox (40).

Kirk Cousins has thrown for at least 3500 yards and 25 TDs in seven consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL. He is the fifth QB in NFL history to have more than five straight, joining Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady.

Since becoming Green Bay's starter in 2008, Aaron Rodgers has thrown 169 TDs against division opponents, compared to 25 interceptions. The Vikings have a total of 121 passing touchdowns and 73 interceptions against the NFC North in that span.

Elsewhere...

When Carolina host Cleveland, with Baker Mayfield starting for the Panthers and Myles Garrett starting for the Browns, they will become the second pair of number one overall draft picks for the same team to go on to play against one another. The others were Jeff George and Steve Emtman in 1995.

The Eagles head to the Lions, with no team targeting their receivers less frequently than Philadelphia last season (239 targets), which led to the acquisition of A.J. Brown. The fourth-year WR has scored a TD on 13.0 percent of his career catches, third-highest rate among active players (min. 150 receptions).

The New Orleans Saints will need to beware of Foye Oluokun, who led the NFL last season with 192 total tackles, becoming the first Atlanta Falcon to lead the league in that category since Jessie Tuggle in 1995 (152). Oluokun's 192 total tackles were the most in a season by an NFL player since Chris Spielman had 195 in 1994 for the Lions.

Tom Brady is back for Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a very brief retirement as they travel to the Dallas Cowboys. The 45-year-old's last two seasons mark the first time in NFL history a QB has had 40 or more TD passes and a passer rating of 100.0 or better in back-to-back seasons.

A team that had gone 10-6 in 2019 was looking to return to the playoffs for a second straight year, led by an impressive array of offensive talent.

Those stars certainly were not the issue.

"I do believe, offensively, we've got to the point where we have a chance to be a really, really good football team," head coach Mike Zimmer said at the end of last season.

"For the first time in my seven years, I thought we had a very, very explosive offense."

Unfortunately, as Stats Perform data shows, an awful defensive unit left Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Co. high and dry.

There is work to do to ensure the coming campaign is not another wasted year.

Offense

The numbers back up Zimmer's comments, making it all the more frustrating for the Vikings' offensive players that they limped to a 7-9 record.

Minnesota ranked fourth for yards per game (393.3) and fifth for yards per play (6.15). Only the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans were ahead of them in both categories.

Quarterback Cousins showed signs of progress as he produced a career-high 35 passing touchdowns and increased his passing yards per attempt to 8.3 from 8.1, albeit while throwing 13 interceptions, as many as in his final year in Washington.

Cousins was aided by the success of rookie Justin Jefferson, who provided an effective deep passing option. Four of the wide receiver's seven touchdowns came on passes of 20 yards or more, as he tied Travis Kelce and Calvin Ridley for the most 20-yard catches in the league (23) and led the way in 25-yard receptions (16). Jefferson's receiving average of 15.9 yards ranked eighth.

The ever-consistent Adam Thielen provided substantial support to Cousins and his less-experienced team-mate, posting 74 catches for 925 yards and 14 TDs.

And yet Cousins looked for wide receivers with just 55.2 per cent of his passes. Although Kyle Rudolph's final season with the team was surely his most forgetful - recording just 28 receptions before a foot injury - second-year tight end Irv Smith Jr. chipped in with five receiving touchdowns, while there was a single score through the air for Cook.

Of course, the running back's best work came on the ground, where he trailed only Derrick Henry for carries (312), total rushing yards (1,557) and rushing TDs (16), almost singlehandedly giving the Vikings the fifth-best running game in football.

Defense

So how did that offense finish the year with only seven wins?

Unfortunately, the defense gave up 433 offensive points to finish 2020 with the sixth-worst such record.

It was a unit hamstrung by departures and then injuries, with a host of young prospects left to hold the fort.

Minnesota certainly could not have planned for an entire year without Danielle Hunter and Michael Pierce. Hunter, who had 14.5 sacks and 22 QB hits in 2019, was placed on injured reserve going into Week 1, while new signing Pierce opted out of the year due to COVID-19.

They were always likely to be short at cornerback after losing Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, but Mike Hughes and Holton Hill each played just four games to exacerbate the issue.

Even star linebacker pairing Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr played together for only two weeks before the latter suffered a shoulder injury.

Simply getting these players back on the field again will go a long way to improving the Vikings' hopes.

It will also come as welcome relief to Cousins and his offensive colleagues, as the quarterback should expect to have the ball in his hands more often, having seen the defensive class of 2020 struggle to get stoppages.

Minnesota's opponents converted 70.8 per cent of their fourth downs and 86.7 per cent from fourth and short (four yards or less).

Offseason

Scarred by 2020, the Vikings have focused their efforts on defensive stars in free agency, boosting their depth even further as a host of injured stars prepare to return.

Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson has arrived on a two-year, $21million contract having posted 3.5 sacks for the New York Giants last year, as many as any Minnesota player besides Yannick Ngakoue (5.0), who left less than halfway through the season.

Patrick Peterson boosts the cornerback ranks, meanwhile, after his three interceptions and eight passes defensed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.

The need to recruit a pass rusher was outlined by Zimmer and the first move on that front brought Stephen Weatherly back to Minnesota following a single season in Carolina.

But considering this team missed the playoffs, other areas of need are relatively scarce, although free safety Anthony Harris has left for the Philadelphia Eagles and will be a miss.

They have just over $3million in cap space and the 14th pick in the draft, but the Vikings look to be in a solid position to contend for the postseason – so long as that injury curse does not strike again.

That means if you have already booked your place in the playoffs, then the pressure is off somewhat and you don't have to worry about getting the line-up balance exactly right. 

However, if you are still fighting to get into the postseason, it is all or nothing and having the perfect line-up is imperative. 

Here we try to offer guidance as to who should be starting in this most important of weeks, highlighting four players and one defensive unit that are worthy of being trusted in the regular-season finale.

QB Kirk Cousins - Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings' offense is rolling and Cousins has posted back-to-back 300-yard games in which he has thrown for three touchdowns, though he has lost a fumble in each. 

There is a strong chance that run continues against the one-win Jacksonville Jaguars, who are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Look for Cousins to take full advantage of an extremely favourable matchup and further boost Minnesota's playoff hopes.

RB: Raheem Mostert - San Francisco 49ers

Like the Vikings, the 49ers kept their season alive with a win in Week 12, with Mostert marking his return from an ankle injury with a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. 

It was otherwise tough sledding for Mostert, who finished with 43 yards against a stingy Rams run defense. 

The Buffalo Bills should present a less daunting challenge in that regard. They are 25th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game and only seven teams have conceded more fantasy points to opposing running backs. 

This is a matchup in which Mostert should return to top form.

WR: DeVante Parker - Miami Dolphins

Parker is coming off an eight-catch, 119-yard game against the lowly New York Jets and faces another accommodating defense in Week 13.

The Bengals are allowing 25.1 fantasy points per game to opposing receivers and, after being targeted 14 times in the win over the Jets, Parker is likely to have plenty of opportunities to exploit the Cincinnati defense.

TE: Trey Burton - Indianapolis Colts

For fantasy managers in the unfortunate position of having to consistently stream tight ends, Burton stands out as an excellent option this week.

He has a touchdown in each of his past two games and gets the chance to go against a vulnerable Houston Texans defense that is 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed per game.

D/ST: Pittsburgh Steelers

If you have the Steelers' defense in fantasy, you are starting them. However, it is worth highlighting the extent of the appeal of their Week 13 matchup with the Washington Football Team. 

Washington quarterback Alex Smith has started three games and has been pressured on 29.5 per cent of his dropbacks this season, the second-highest rate in the NFL. He has also been intercepted five times in as many appearances in 2020. 

Pittsburgh lead the NFL with a pressure rate of 33.3 per cent and have the most takeaways in the NFL with 23. The Steelers' defense should feast en route to another victory in a campaign many expect to end in a Super Bowl appearance.

The playoffs are a time when you need your star players to deliver, but that is not always possible.

Injuries or bad matchups can put stars in disadvantageous situations, and often fantasy managers are left needing to rely on lesser lights to help them secure glory.

Ahead of the start of a week in which several NFL teams will look to punch their postseason ticket, Stats Perform has picked out four somewhat under-the-radar players, and a defense, who are in a position to help fantasy managers enjoy playoff success.

Quarterback: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Vikings aren't exactly a sleeper team at 10-3, but as they lost to the Detroit Lions last week, you may have missed that their quarterback had an exceptional statistical game.

Cousins completed 75.6 per cent of his passes (31 of 41) for 425 yards and two touchdowns.

Indianapolis possess a stout defense, but the Colts will provide opposing offenses with opportunities. The Colts' opponents have had 148 drives, tied for the fifth-most in the league. Cousins might have to work harder this week, but the chances for him to have a decisive impact in the fantasy playoffs will certainly come. 

Running Back: Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

Yes, it's very much Christian McCaffrey's backfield in San Francisco, but on a short week having already lost Deebo Samuel for much of the stretch run due to a high-ankle sprain and an MCL sprain, the 49ers are likely to share the load a little more as they seek to clinch the NFC West title.

Mason will be the man to get the lion's share of carries that are not given to McCaffrey. He had 56 yards on 11 carries in San Francisco's dominant win over Tampa Bay in Week 14 and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry over the last three games, including five rushes of at least 10 yards.

If you are in the playoffs but in a bind at running back, Mason is an intriguing option against a Seahawks defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.

Wide Receiver: Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Jaguars remain in with a shot, albeit a small one, of reaching the postseason, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence showing continued signs of developing into the quarterback many have believed he could become since high school.

Eyebrows were raised in the offseason when the Jaguars handed a lucrative contract to Jones, but he has become a favourite target of Lawrence in recent weeks.

Over his last four games, Jones has 43 targets, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL since Week 10. In that span, he has two eight-catch games and an 11-reception performance. He went for 77 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, two weeks on from a 145-yard effort against the Baltimore Ravens. Against a Dallas defense that struggled to contain the Houston Texans last week, Jones is an extremely strong points per reception play.

Tight End: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers

Finding a reliable fantasy tight end can be difficult at any point of the year, but it is key for fantasy managers hoping to prevail in the playoffs.

Okonkwo is enjoying an increasingly prominent role in the Titans' passing attack and has 10 receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown over his last two games.

The Chargers kept the Miami Dolphins in check last week, but they are still very susceptible to the pass, and Okonkwo is likely to be a weapon the Titans look to as they aim to exploit that vulnerability.

Defense/Special Teams: Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants

The Commanders have flown under most people's radars this season but are in position to sneak into the playoffs in part thanks to an impressive defense.

Washington's defense ranks tied third in the NFL by success rate allowed and, in a critical matchup with their NFC East rivals in primetime, faces a New York offense that over the last three weeks has averaged just 5.6 yards per pass play (sixth-worst) and 3.8 yards per rush (ninth-worst). If you have the Commanders' defense or are in a position to acquire it, do so.

It was a tough night for Foles, who had a season-low 106 yards and was sacked twice, while there were 11 hits in total on the quarterback.

The Bears still had a chance of victory going into the final minute but Foles landed hard on his right hip after being hit by defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo and was taken away following medical treatment.

Providing an update on Foles, Nagy said: "When I got out there right away, I wasn't sure what it was.

"I didn't know if it was like his ribs or shoulder or what. And then, when I saw, the amount of pain that he was in on the ground. You know, I hope he's okay, but he was in a lot of pain and he's a tough dude.

"When you see that, you're down there with him, you feel for him just because you don't know how good or bad it is. So, that part's hard."

Foles completed 15 of 26 passes, threw for no touchdowns and was intercepted once as the Bears offence struggled again.

The Bears have some respite in the form of a bye week but Nagy said his starting QB is disappointed at potentially being unable to help the team out of its malaise.

"I know he's upset," Nagy said of Foles. "It's been frustrating, it's been hard and that's the part that's difficult through all of this because no one wants it more than him to be out there to fight with his team-mates.

"So, we'll keep an eye on that. This bye is coming at a good time for us. We're a little bit beat up right now, so we need to be able to get some guys back and get healthy."

The inexperienced Tyler Bray came on as back-up to Foles. His first pass earned a gain of 18 yards but a spike and three incompletions followed as the Bears fell short.

Bray entered the fray in part because Mitchell Trubisky remains out with a shoulder issue sustained in Week 8 and Nagy is unsure if the former first-round pick will return next time out.

"I don't know yet about Mitch. I think there's a possibility, but I don't know that for sure," he said.

"I think it's going to be day-by-day. I don't know if he knows that. So, we'll just keep an eye on that. Obviously with Nick's status, we'll have to see where that's at as we go."

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins had double cause for celebration after winning for the first time in Monday Night Football in his 10th career start in such games.

In total, Cousins completed 25 of 36 passes for 292 yards, threw for two touchdowns and was intercepted once.

"It's great to get a win," Cousins said.

"We'll try to keep building on it now, and it'll be so important to keep stringing these together if we can. That's really what the rest of the season will be all about."

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams spearheaded the Packers victory, connecting 11 times for 136 yards including one touchdown as Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to win 13 games in three consecutive seasons.

Adams brought up 118 yards in the first half which was his most yards in a half since 2019, as the Packers raced to a 20-3 half-time lead.

Rodgers threw 29 of 38 passes for 288 yards with two touchdowns, while running back AJ Dillon had 14 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings struggled without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins who entered COVID-19 protocols late in the week, managing only 70 total yards in the first half which was their fewest in a first half since 2019.

Back-up Vikings QB Sean Mannion, making only his third NFL start in his seventh season, threw his first career touchdown to KJ Osborn in a rare bright spot for the visitors. Mannion completed 22 of 36 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions.

The win means the Packers have secured a first-round bye in the postseason and home ground advantage from the divisional playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams spearheaded the Packers victory, connecting 11 times for 136 yards including one touchdown as Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to win 13 games in three consecutive seasons.

Adams brought up 118 yards in the first half which was his most yards in a half since 2019, as the Packers raced to a 20-3 half-time lead.

Rodgers threw 29 of 38 passes for 288 yards with two touchdowns, while running back AJ Dillon had 14 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings struggled without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins who entered COVID-19 protocols late in the week, managing only 70 total yards in the first half which was their fewest in a first half since 2019.

Back-up Vikings QB Sean Mannion, making only his third NFL start in his seventh season, threw his first career touchdown to KJ Osborn in a rare bright spot for the visitors. Mannion completed 22 of 36 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions.

The win means the Packers have secured a first-round bye in the postseason and home ground advantage from the divisional playoffs.

Tight end Rudolph secured a four-yard pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to cap a game-winning drive to open the additional period, silencing the majority of the crowd inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The victory means the Vikings – the sixth seeds in the NFC – will travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers next, aiming to cause a second shock result on their travels.

Once again in a postseason meeting between the teams, the Vikings found a way to get over the line despite squandering a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Stefon Diggs scored on a 61-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to stun the Saints on the final play in January 2018, with the game later renamed the 'Minneapolis Miracle' due to the stunning finish.

This time Rudolph was the hero for Minnesota, though only after Cousins had set up the touchdown with a glorious 43-yard pass to Adam Thielen that moved the ball into the red zone.

Having also suffered a controversial exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams last year in the NFC Championship Game, New Orleans are left to come to terms with another heartbreaking play-off exit.

They had led 10-3 heading towards half-time, only to concede 10 points inside the final three minutes of the second quarter. Dan Bailey slotted over a field goal before the Vikings capitalised on a Drew Brees interception, Dalvin Cook going in from five yards out on the ground to make it 13-10.

The gap was extended further when the running back scored again in the third quarter, yet the Saints rallied. Brees connected with Taysom Hill for a 20-yard touchdown before Will Lutz levelled the score at 20-20, landing a 49-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, that would be the last time the home team had the ball.

After Thielen's catch, Cook failed twice to score on the ground from close range before Cousins went to the air again, picking out Rudolph in the back corner of the end zone.

Things kick-off on Saturday when the in-form San Francisco 49ers welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Levi's Stadium, while the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A trio of games on Sunday see the Buffalo Bills host the Miami Dolphins, the Minnesota Vikings facing the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals going up against the Baltimore Ravens, before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys bring the round to a close on Monday.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the more pertinent stats heading into what should be another exciting three days of NFL action as the playoffs begin.

Seattle Seahawks (9-8) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

This will be just the second playoff game ever between the Seahawks and 49ers (Seattle won the other in the 2013 NFC Championship Game).

The 49ers are on a 10-game winning streak, the 13th team in the Super Bowl era to enter the postseason on a double-digit winning streak. The previous 12 teams to do so were 7-5 in their first playoff game that season.

San Francisco won both regular season meetings but have never beaten a single team three times in one campaign (including playoffs).

Geno Smith led the NFL in completion percentage this season, becoming just the second Seahawk ever do so after Dave Krieg in 1991. With 30 touchdown passes, Smith became the third Seahawk to lead the NFC in that category, joining Matt Hasselbeck (2005) and Russell Wilson (2017 and 2018).

Christian McCaffrey has scored an offensive touchdown in each of his last six games, tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL this season. The last Niner to have a longer streak (including the playoffs) was Terrell Owens in 1998 (nine).

Miami Dolphins (9-8) @ Buffalo Bills (13-3)

The Dolphins have lost their last four games in the postseason, scoring just 24 points over those games. Only one team has scored fewer points over a four-game span in the playoffs in postseason history, the Giants from 1939 to 1944 (16 points).

Miami's hopes of improving on that poor record were reduced when starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) was ruled out of this playoff contest.

But they still have Tyreek Hill, who caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards this season – both career highs. No Dolphin had ever had more than 1,400 receiving yards in one season, with the next closest being Mark Clayton in 1984 with 1,389 receiving yards.

For the Bills, Josh Allen has thrown one interception in 228 career passing attempts in the postseason, the lowest rate in NFL playoff history.

This season, the Dolphins' offense led the league, averaging 6.85 yards on first down plays, while the Bills were third (6.13). The teams were close on defense on first down plays as well, with the Dolphins 14th (5.27 yards allowed per play) and the Bills 15th (5.39).

New York Giants (9-7-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (13-4)

This is the Vikings' 31st playoff appearance, currently tied with the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz for the most by any MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL team that has never won a championship.

Kirk Cousins finished with 25 or more TD passes and fewer than 15 interceptions for the eighth straight season. The only other QB in NFL history to have a streak as long is Tom Brady (10 straight, 2009-18).

The Giants are 8-2 in playoff games since the start of the 2007 season, the best record by any NFL team in that time. Four of the Giants' 16 previous playoff appearances in the Super Bowl era have ended in a Super Bowl victory (25.0 per cent), the highest percentage for any team.

Earlier this season, Daniel Jones became the second QB in NFL history to have 3000+ passing yards, 500+ rushing yards and no more than five interceptions in a season, along with Robert Griffin III in his 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

Elsewhere...

This will be the Chargers' first playoff appearance since 2018, when they beat Baltimore before falling to New England. The Chargers have won at least one playoff game in four of their last five appearances. They are also 3-0 against AFC South teams in the playoffs since the division was created in 2002.

The Bengals have won eight consecutive games, which is tied for the longest win streak in team history. The Bengals are the only current NFL team without at least one winning streak of at least nine games in their franchise history (regular season and playoffs).

Buccaneers star Tom Brady has thrown for 13,049 yards in his playoff career, nearly 4,000 more than the combined career total for the other 13 projected playoff starting quarterbacks this season (9,184 combined passing yards).

In a new format, the NFL decided to scrap the traditional Pro Bowl game as the injury risk of a real football game led to a mediocre product in recent years, with players only going at half-speed.

Instead, they replaced it with a series of mini-games – including dodgeball, and a best catch contest utilising a trampoline – spread over multiple days.

The two teams competed in four events on Thursday, with the NFC only securing victory in the dodgeball event. For the AFC, Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer's 320-yard bomb won the long drive competition, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr guided them to victory in the precision passing, and the team combined to win the three-event lightning round.

That gave the AFC the lead heading into Sunday's finale, although the NFC trimmed into the margin when Detroit Lions receiver Amon Ra St. Brown won the best catch contest.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith delivered the winning touchdown pass to Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb with 12 seconds remaining to take the first of the three flag football games for the NFC, before the AFC won the next to force a decider.

In the second, Bills receiver Stefon Diggs caught the game-winning touchdown, but not before he accidentally threw an earlier interception to his brother, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was the hero in the final game, throwing passing touchdowns to team-mate Justin Jefferson as well as San Francisco 49ers pair George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk to secure the victory.

NFC players received $84,000 each for taking part and coming away with the win, while AFC players earned $42,000.

In a new format, the NFL decided to scrap the traditional Pro Bowl game as the injury risk of a real football game led to a mediocre product in recent years, with players only going at half-speed.

Instead, they replaced it with a series of mini-games – including dodgeball, and a best catch contest utilising a trampoline – spread over multiple days.

The two teams competed in four events on Thursday, with the NFC only securing victory in the dodgeball event. For the AFC, Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer's 320-yard bomb won the long drive competition, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr guided them to victory in the precision passing, and the team combined to win the three-event lightning round.

That gave the AFC the lead heading into Sunday's finale, although the NFC trimmed into the margin when Detroit Lions receiver Amon Ra St. Brown won the best catch contest.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith delivered the winning touchdown pass to Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb with 12 seconds remaining to take the first of the three flag football games for the NFC, before the AFC won the next to force a decider.

In the second, Bills receiver Stefon Diggs caught the game-winning touchdown, but not before he accidentally threw an earlier interception to his brother, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was the hero in the final game, throwing passing touchdowns to team-mate Justin Jefferson as well as San Francisco 49ers pair George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk to secure the victory.

NFC players received $84,000 each for taking part and coming away with the win, while AFC players earned $42,000.

Back-to-back defeats against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers have left the Saints looking for a response in their trip across the pond, with those losses coming despite impressive defensive performances. The Saints have held their opponents to fewer than 250 net passing yards and no more than one TD pass in nine straight games.

This season, the Saints have allowed a total of 551 passing yards (183.7 per game), which stands as the fifth-best record in the NFL. On the ground though, the story is far different – allowing 418 yards total (139.3 per game), the seventh-most.

Offensively, no team has lost more fumbles (4) than the Saints this season or thrown more interceptions (5), resulting in a turnover differential of minus 6 – again more than anyone else.

On the opposing side, the Vikings have allowed a total of 413.3 total yards per game, sitting behind only the Ravens (458) for the highest total of yards allowed per game. However, the Ravens have only allowed 18.3 points per game this season – enough to slot them into the top 10 for the fewest conceded this term.

Kirk Cousins will fancy his chances against the Saints, as he boasts a career passer rating of 126.7 against New Orleans in the regular season; the highest of any quarterback against a single opponent in the Super Bowl era (minimum 125 attempts).

In his four career matches against the Saints, Cousins has thrown 12 TD passes and just one interception, though he has lost each of his last three matchups against New Orleans.