#it’s less important to me there than it is at like. viking fest

[borom1r]

trying to talk myself down from buying more viking garb for the ren fest this fall even though there is no way in fuck I’m wearing 100% wool in September and all my original ren fest garb was uh. Dog Shit(tm)

also oscillating wildly back and forth between “keep the viking garb and ren fest garb separate” and just going “fuck it” and embracing full viking all the time

[galaxyofhair]

I feel like I cannot possibly be the only person who is tired of hearing “Can you change your fate???” as a tagline in films---is no one else sick of this? I’m not asking it like that to garner cheap post engagement I’m asking because I’ve had a bitch of a time getting my friends to care lol and I feel like I’m the only person who gets this turned up by it.

I don’t wanna get drawn into the who/what/when/where/why of how the ‘fate’ theme gets used in film because the long and short of it is this: With exception for stories for whom Fate is actually a central theme (such Across The Spiderverse), most of the time Fate as a theme is used as a cheap cop-out that overshadows some other more important theme so that the writers can close out the movie faster or whatever.

It bothers me because “Does fate exist” feels like a bit of a non-conversation for the film itself---like, maybe? But nothing that happened in the film really touched on that concept beyond your shitty opening monologue and the shitty ending monologue, so at the end of the day nothing really proved it does or doesn’t exist idk it’s fucking stupid.

I’ve happened upon one of those “two nickel” situations: Both Brave and X-Men: Dark Phoenix have this weird issue where the film is basically not at all about fate in any way, shape, or form---Brave is about Merida’s relationship to her family and her own sense of independence, and Dark Phoenix is about Jean’s trauma, and Professor X’s arrogance (It’s also about uh... aliens and genocide?)---but both films also have that weird “fate” tagline just artificially injecting into them via an opening and closing monologue. At no other time in the film does the concept really apply, it’s just a tagline for the opening and closing. It’s infuriatingly bland trash monologuing designed to elicit emotions as cheaply as possible and I hate it.

And in this case I want to head off some comments, because while fate might /feel/ relevant to Merida’s conversation about independence---I promise you it isn’t actually, because it doesn’t actually add anything to the conversation. We could have had a conversation in that film about independence, breaking cultural norms, and personal autonomy without reducing it down to fate.

Both films could be really quickly and easily recut to remove the monologues at the beginning and end and it would have vastly improved the watching experience---especially with Brave because that monologue pretty directly undercuts a much more important conversation being had. Dark Phoenix would be improved, but also that film has ISSUES.

If you separate “fate” away from ideas like “Is it ok to break societal norms?” and “Can I become more successful despite growing up disadvantaged?” and you boil it down to the pure ask of “Does predestination exist?” then the answer always becomes “We have no idea and there’s no way to prove it.”

It’s a big nothing theme that gets in the way of better ideas---stop fucking injecting it into every shitty fucking film.

Idk, I’m less angry suddenly, it’s worth saying that fate as a theme isn’t inherently shitty and I’m sorry for bitching about it so hard. There are ways to use fate as a good theme or plot element without making it crappy:

Vikings makes use of prophecy several times, and many of the prophecies that the old seer in Kattegat tells turn out to be true: Ragnar himself has a conversation with the see near the end of his time on the show---but more than a conversation about becoming personally successful, dodging death, or breaking societal norms, Ragnar’s big beef with fate underscores the loss of his faith in the gods themselves. Vikings is a show that tricks you into thinking it’s about a typical power struggle/betrayal fest Game of Thrones style when it’s actually a larger conversation about the totality of life and what it means to live and die---so a conversation about predestination fits as a side element to that larger complex theme.

Across The Spiderverse also hits that nail right on the head and it works pretty well for that film---but that’s all I will say since it came out pretty recently.

This post is long enough, just: I’m tired of seeing a movie that /could/ be good but all of it’s potential just feels wasted on tropey shit---and that extends to more than just the above issue.

[technicolorthoughts]

Man, I’m terrible at this whole updating a blog thing. You’d think with the way my brain never shuts off that I’d be way better with it, but I guess that doesn’t really matter. XD

It’s almost October. Fall is beginning its swing for the end of the year. 2021 is drawing to a close. I’m in the midst of wedding planning, doing a cardio challenge to end out the year, working full-time in my Operations Manager position, still picking up random shifts at the bar, trying to get some fall baking in, trying to learn recipes to make the food Phillip and I eat less boring, (still) trying to (finally) finish Gilmore Girls, and attempting to make time to craft. I am filling my plate full of so many things, I’m not sure my stomach will have the room for it all. I sure do hope so, though. In an ideal, perfect world, I’d get it all down and have that sense of fulfillment. I know that I won’t, but I’m also learning to accept that. I’ll get through what I get through, and the rest will fall into place. That’s how life always goes.

Sometimes I wonder if I have too many ideas, thoughts, and musings. I think of things for my office, for my house, for my crafts, and yet I feel like there’s so many that I’ll never organize them the way they need to be. Granted, some of these thoughts I’m sure will require some physical action on my part, and the time we have in a day never seems like enough to fulfill the requirements of all these thoughts and ideas. To prevent the rambling, I’ll just leave that as what it is.

We have engagement photos coming up here in about a week and a half and we’re still struggling on a location and outfits. It seems almost impossible to find something that suits us and feels comfortable, while making it something that will live on in photos forever. Not to mention the Save the Dates and the Invitations. It feels like an intense pressure, even though I know that it shouldn’t be whatsoever. We know who we are together and what feels right to us, and that’s what matters overall. Maybe it’s just my anxiety making it a bigger deal than it is (when is that ever not the case?). We’re going to be wearing our Ren Fest garb as one outfit and making it all cool and Viking-esque and badass, but for the second outfit, we got a whole lot of nothing. Go figure. Let me add that to the list of things I gotta figure out. Ain’t no thing, I got this.

Thankfully it’s not just us that’s looking at location, we have our photographer also looking into locations, but that’s not the most important part. I just overthink everything, so that’s where we’re stuck at.

This entry feels completely just like me rambling on and getting my thoughts out, no deep philosophical reasons. For those of you still reading, thank you.

In good news, I’ve been using my free time to do more of the fun things I enjoy. I attended the Sunflower Festival at a local cider mill, I went to Sad Summer Fest and let my emo heart enjoy live music in a sweaty mass of crowd surfers, and I enjoyed the Renaissance Festival twice this year. I went on vacation in the Upper Peninsula and saw so many waterfalls and hiked and enjoyed nature. I feel so grounded when I’m in nature or near the water, and being outside in that fresh air is the best form of therapy for me. The symbolism of a waterfall is just as beautiful to me as the actual view of it. The faster and harder the water flows, the faster and harder it crashes over the cliff. Over time, it can take away land and rock and show you other beautiful things hidden underneath. Calm waters don’t move as well as others, so the movement is necessary. Let the waters inside of you tumble around and erode the walls you have built, because the vulnerability can be even more beautiful.

Learning to be vulnerable is difficult. There’s always fear of judgment and poor reception. However, that shouldn’t deter any person from letting their vulnerability shine through. Vulnerability is so raw and open and honest and that should be revered and praised, because so many people are filtered and closed off and portray their best sides always. That openness can make you relatable to other humans, and that relatability is also a wonderful, beautiful thing. I guess that’s why some of these posts just feel like my brain rambling to get things out. Some days are hard, some days aren’t as hard, and some brains just never stop going a thousand miles a minute to portray the feelings and stresses that life brings. Not all feelings and stresses are bad, but they all take up space and brain power. That’s why I’ll suggest to find your thing that grounds you. Find that thing that makes you forget for even just a few moments and realize that there are more important things in life. Feel the world, see the world, embrace that it is there for you, always.

And try to remember that being busy isn’t always ideal. Take some time to slow down and enjoy your life for a minute or two. Promise, you won’t regret it. ☺

[matan4il]

Some Eurovision 2018 thoughts

Because I promised @isabellaofparma I would post these, that’s why. I should note, I wrote most of this before the rehearsals and saved it as draft, so there are only a few added touches before posting. Also, can’t believe it’s almost a year since ESC 2017. @beautifulhusbands, remember when we chatted about last year’s competition? Good times. OK, here are a few thoughts about some of the songs by country... Hungary - thing for me is, I love rock songs at the ESC, so a rock song has to work really hard for me not to like it in this competition. Still, this one feels particularly authentic, so major kudos, it’s my fave rock song this year (sorry, @i-want-messed-up-with-you-4-ever, though the Netherlands’ country rock entry is nice too. @letthebluerain we also have a cute light rock song from Romania, but I have to admit I’m always disappointed when I don’t get a song in Romanian from the country I was born in. But I actually adore that we have more than one rock song this year, I like this diversity). @isabellaofparma, I still love last year’s Hungarian entry more, but that’s because it became one of my fave ESC songs ever, not because this year’s offering isn’t good. FYR Macedonia - I saw some people saying this song is a mess of genres, but I don’t think that’s the issue. You can throw in five different musical genres and as an idea, it could still work well. For me the problem is every time I get into a particular portion and genre and I start enjoying myself, the song switches over. So I’m left unsatisfied by the whole thing. Greece - I like this song. I adore all songs that are in their country’s native language rather than in English, even though I get why so many choose to perform in the latter. So this song gets points for that, has an ethnic sound to it which I also like and generally, it seems like Israelis tend to like the Greek songs. So yeah, one of my faves this year. I think it has a real shot at being the winner. (isn’t @nvrtickleadragon Greek? I like relating songs and countries to people. So go you!) Belarus - this may be weird but the singer reminds me of the guy who played the (more) openly gay teenager on Witness (I miss that show so much). That does things to me. So I like this entry, but it may not be for the right reasons. I think how this will do will greatly depend on how it’s executed on stage. Italy - I have to say, I adore the Italian tendency to send songs in Italian as it’s one of my fave languages. This entry is nice musically, though I think one of the singers is not as good as the other one and the disparity takes away some of my enjoyment. Also, I’m not fond of the tendency to send 'from the headlines’ songs, though relatively to the genre, this one is nice. All in all, my feelings are it could have been better and it could have been worse. At least the hook is catchy. (I believe @robertjacobsugdens is Italian, right? Again, me with the relating stuff to people thing. I do believe you guys will do well this year even if this isn’t my fave entry this year, nor my fave Italian song to the ESC) Also, technically, I wanna rant over the fact that there actually ARE pacifist bombs. For example, there are bombs used specifically to destroy other bombs in a controlled manner that saves lives. So. I don’t know. I don’t like an oversimplified message is what I’m saying, I guess. Kinda makes you wonder why I listen to ESC then, right? ;p France - This is another one ‘from the headlines’, so once more, I’m a bit meh. It’s a nice, lovely tune, I adore that France always sing in French, but the song becomes too familiar too quickly in my opinion. I’m sorry, @iamarobronniffler, I think you guys will get a high score, but I don’t think it will win... I also think it was sort of hurt by being one of the first songs to be released, which means people had loads of time to get used to it... Personal pet peeve is that the singer pronounces ‘Mercy’ not like the English word the name derives from, but like the French word ‘merci’, which is a nice touch, but it starts bothering me towards the end of the song, when the name is repeated (and mispronounced) so much. Denmark - ok, so on first listen? It’s a really strong entry. The drums are epic, the staging is good, the production of the song is tight, the legend behind the song of Vikings who decided not to fight is cool, it is a catchy song, Rasmussen has stage experience so the odds of him faltering on the night are slim, thus this song has SO MUCH going for it. Usually, if you have a song like this and you come from one of the two blocks (the Soviet or the Scndinavian ones) I feel like you have it in the bag. That’s how I felt about Sweden’s Heroes and Denmark’s Only Teardrops and they both won. But I feel like one thing that works against the song is that it has something about it that’s almost too serious and in a year where a lot of things are less so, plus this year is very innovative while this song is classically epic, that may work against it. Also, I feel like years when the Scandinavian countries send more than one strong entry, that end up splitting the Nordic vote and negates the block advantage. This year, you have Finland with a strong entry too, plus Sweden being Sweden. Basically, I feel like this could have been the winner in a lot of years, but probably not this one. Portugal - feels like an attempt to send a song in the same genre of their winner last year and I think the odds of the same country winning twice in a row with the same type of song is slim to none. That being said, I think this year’s offering is lovely and way better in this genre than last year’s Portuguese song. Sorry, I still don’t think that guy should have won. Sweden - hmmm, this will do well, first of all because it’s Sweden (really, @stulot, it’s ridiculous what an empire you are in this sense) and because it has a nice, young Michael Jackson vibe. But I really don’t think it’s gonna win. It doesn’t stand out enough in my opinion. Plus, the Danish and Finnish contenders are stronger IMO, so my guess is a lot of Scandinavians votes are gonna go there rather than to Sweden. It’s a good song, it’s just not enough of a competition when even within Scandinavia, it’s only the third strongest song. Ireland - the song is sooooo sweet, it’s almost too much so. It gets a bit better once you realize it’s actually about a relationship that has ended, it gives the idea behind it a bit of a twist than if it were just a declaration of sickeningly sweet love, but the real gem for this entry is the clip. It’s openly showcasing a same-sex couple and I am SO happy about that! Despite its gay reputation, ESC is actually more heteronormative than you’d expect, so that clip made me really happy. I want it to do better than it might have otherwise for that alone. I'm glad they’re bringing it to the stage in Lisbon too. I’m annoyed (though not surprised) that Russia said it would cut this song out. Thing is, Russia is allowed to do that in the semi-final, but not in the final, so for that reason if nothing else, I want Ireland in the final. (person from fandom that this made me think of, @dannymiller-irish-fan. Promise I’m done with the tagging now... I think) Cyprus - this is a very typical ESC song, it’s fun and tightly produced so it will do well, but I’m not happy about the lack of originality, plus the pushing of the ‘sex sells’ angle is not something that I subscribe to. Bulgaria - this song feels very current, easily a pop hit you could hear on the radio rather than on the ESC stage. I enjoy it, I think a lot depends on the live performance, how the staging will go, how will their voices blend live, but I think it can be the winner. Estonia - it’s weird, I think her voice is stunning beyond measure, the song is perfect opera pop, I enjoy it whenever I hear it and yet it’s not a song I can see myself listening to outside of the competition. Maybe because it’s not exactly one you can sing along to. All the same, another possible winner IMO. Finland - So this is the strongest Scandinavian contender in my book (so @youslicetheginger, I think you guys have a shot). The song is classic ESC, it’s also well produced and performed, which is really important, so that takes a bit away from the fact that it’s not that original. However, you gotta add in two more advantages, both originating in Saara Aalto being the one performing it (beyond the fact that SHE CAN FUCKING BELT). One is that she was on singing reality shows in both Finland AND the UK before the contest, which probably makes her the most established artist of the whole lot before the competition. That matters because while the Scandinavian vote is split up this year, she can make up for it through fans of hers from outside Finland and Scandinavia. The other is her being open about her engagement to a woman. This, together with the possible LGBTQ reading of her song, I think can also get her a lot of votes. So basically, out of the Nordic countries, I believe she’s gonna place highest. And I’m definitely a fan. Iceland - the most interesting things about this clip and its video: the church you can see in the clip, the streets Ari (the singer) walks down in it, are ones I’ve seen and walked too, which was pretty cool to me. Ari means Eagle in the Scandinavian language, which is a cool coincidence with the fact that in Hebrew, the same name means lion. ‘But Alice, these interesting tidbits have nothing to do with the song!?’ you say? Exactly. Sorry, Ari, you look like a lovely guy, you damn well can sing, but this is the biggest bore fest this year. You deserved a better song. Norway - This is the definition of “don’t know when to call it quits���. What’s worst to me is Alexander tried to make it better by saying kids keep asking him how to write a song and this was his reply to them. Either he’s lying and just trying to get the audience to go all ‘awwww’ over his very banal song, an inferior version of the song he had won with in the past... or he’s honest, in which case, STOP LYING TO THE KIDS, Alexander. That is NOT how you write a song. Ukraine - I think this is such a cool, different song performed by a cool, different artist, it’s upbeat, it’s not preachy, it’s unique, it’s catchy, I love it. I don’t think it will win, but it’s another one of my faves. Spain - this love song made me think of @imre-gr, of course. It is sweet and lovely. It was the first song I heard that made me smile, so how could I not think of you? But then, I have to admit that it is very much the typical ESC love duet and while it’s a very good version of it, in a year full of unique and different songs, I don’t think it stands a chance to win. Sorry. :( Israel - honestly, my first reaction when the song was first released was, ‘ok, so we will not win this year either’. I still think it’s too divisive to win (I know the bookkeepers disagree, but I think they mainly rely on how many views the song clips get on YouTube and that is NOT a measure for which one will win the ESC), I think the song’s too original, too creative and TOO out there, not enough people get why the chicken bits were included, too many people started arguing about whether this is a feminist song or an anti-male one, but I was happy to see it was less divisive than I anticipated and that a lot of people have responded so positively to the song, to its message of self-empowerment and to Netta. I can’t think of anything better than so many people seeing a woman who is clearly nothing like the thin ideal of beauty in our society singing “I’m a beautiful creature”, getting that she means it and agreeing with her. Netta in simply who she is conveys a real message and spirit of change for the better. The song itself tries to tackle a serious issue but without being preachy or heavy about it, make it fun for people when they sing about feminism and embracing yourself and your strength as you are. I feel like this attempt sometimes means the lyrics aren’t clear enough (as the song is inspired by the #metoo movement, ‘stupid boy’ doesn’t feel like a harsh enough term for the sexual harassment the song refers to, plus it can too easily be used to make it seem like the song is anti-male, because people take it as if ‘stupid boy’ is referring to all men rather than to jerks who take advantage of women), but I still appreciate what it tries to do. And at the end of the day, I think Netta is fabulous, I think she got her message across, I think her song became popular way beyond the bounds of the competition, so in my eyes, even if she won’t win the contest, she’s a true winner and wonder woman. I’m proud of you and thank you for representing in such an amazing way a huge part of the beauty of my country on its 70th anniversary. <3

[junker-town]

12 bold predictions for the 2018 NFL playoffs

More picks for the Pats, kicker troubles, home-field advantage, and more can’t-miss predictions for the postseason.

No more Thursday Night Football (at least for a few months). No more 12 games crammed into a single time slot on Sunday afternoon. It’s January in the NFL. Games matter now, and we get the pleasure of focusing on one at a time. The playoffs are here.

The arrival of the postseason compels us to offer some predictions. Our panelists are picking the games every week, which you can find here. This space is reserved for bolder predictions — the kind of things that will tell us what to watch for in the weeks ahead.

To get the best predictions possible, we turned to the experts at SB Nation’s team sites. You can find all of those predictions here. These are a few of the big ones I pulled together to spotlight, because these are the kind of prognostications that in one way or another will go a long way toward explaining how the playoffs unfold this year.

Check back, because we’ll revisit these on the way to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs’ defense will be better than you think.

Joel Thorman from Arrowhead Pride cautions us against underrating the Chiefs defense:

We’ve talked about the pressure problems and the run defense problems. We’ve talked about the No. 2 cornerback and what’s been lost with Eric Berry’s injury and Derrick Johnson’s decline.

Here’s the thing though: The Chiefs defense is actually good right now. Here’s how many points they’ve allowed in recent games (not counting the backup-fest in Denver): 13, 13, 15, 38, 16 and 12.

The 38 points scored by the Jets is a clear outlier in the last two months. Look at those points allowed numbers and then come back and tell me the Chiefs are a bad defense. They’re not.

Those numbers don’t include their Week 17 win over the Broncos, with a number of starters resting that week. In three of those games, the Chiefs held opponents under 100 yards rushing. They’ll have to do that again every week for the rest of the month if they’re going to stay alive.

Blake Bortles needs to stop Blake Bortles-ing.

It always comes back to Bortles for the Jaguars. Ryan Day from Big Cat Country explains the way around it:

Bortles has not been good the past two weeks. His three interceptions against the 49ers was the most he’s had in a single game since Week 3 of the 2016 season and his 44.1 completion percentage against the Titans was the second-worst of the year.

He just has to take a deep breath and stop thinking he has to do it all on his own.

Bortles was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in December, right up until that 49ers game, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions in a 3-0 stretch. A lot of it is confidence. It should never come down to Bortles “putting the team on his shoulders and trying to win by himself.” So if they avoid that, the Jaguars could surprise some people.

Cam Newton plays better when people doubt him.

There’s never any shortage of that when it comes to Newton, fair or not. Bradley Smith from Cat Scratch Reader will take all the doubt you can throw Cam’s way:

It’s no secret that Cam Newton plays better in the face of adversity, and after his terrible, no-good performance last week against the Falcons he’s facing plenty of it. Somehow, when he sees everyone start throwing around words like “average” and “not as good as Blake Bortles” it flips a switch in his brain and he turns into the best football player on the planet.

Our panel is unanimous in picking the Saints to beat the Panthers in the NFC Wild Card Game, so we’ll know soon if this holds up.

The eventual Super Bowl champion might be playing in the NFC Wild Card.

Broncos fans know plenty about Wade Phillips, the team’s former defensive coordinator, and bad quarterbacks. The crew at Mile High Report channeled that knowledge into identifying a champ:

If the Rams can get past a strong Falcons squad, I think they charge all the way through to the Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings are probably the best team in the NFL, but at some point Case Keenum is going to become Case Keenum. Or Sam Bradford will be Sam Bradford.

Plus, Wade Phillips winning a Super Bowl after being run out of town in Denver would kind of be fitting for the type of decisions John Elway made this past offseason.

I wouldn’t rule out the Saints either. They have a great formula for winning big games in January.

Dion Lewis will make a lot of money from the playoffs.

The Patriots’ running backs never get much attention, but Lewis could be the exception to that rule in the playoffs. Pats Pulpit explains:

Did you know that Lewis finished the season No. 1 in Football Outsiders’ DYAR metric for rushes? No running back gained more yards over expectation than Lewis. Now when you add in value from receptions, Lewis falls behind Saints running back Alvin Kamara (532 yards over expectation) and Rams running back Todd Gurley (500 yards over expectation), but Lewis is still one of the best in the NFL with 361 yards over expectations.

Talk about timing, Lewis is a free agent after the season ends, so he could really cash in now that the market for running backs has seen some correction upward. But will it be with the Patriots?

Tom Brady will throw a surprising number of interceptions.

I hate to stick TWO Patriots-related predictions in here, but Brady throwing picks is something that most people will appreciate.

From Pats Pulpit:

Since winning three out of four Super Bowls to open his career, Brady’s interception rate has exceeded 2.0% in 10 of his next 11 trips to the playoffs. The lone exception was 2013, when he didn’t throw a single pick.

His interception rate from the last five regular seasons is just 1.3 percent. The only question is whether the Patriots can overcome those turnovers.

Minnesota’s defense will somehow get even better.

There’s not really a weakness at any level of the Vikings’ defense. They’ll get even better with home-field advantage, according to Daily Norseman:

The defense should also have the advantage of some of the most raucous home crowds in recent memory. Yes, regular season games at U.S. Bank Stadium have been loud, but that should serve as a baseline for what we see in the postseason when the other team has the football. Quarterbacks aren’t going to be able to change plays, tackles aren’t going to hear snap counts, and those things could give the Vikings an even greater advantage. In addition, I think we can assume that Mike Zimmer and George Edwards haven’t completely emptied the proverbial bag of tricks yet. This defense is going to hit teams from every conceivable direction in ways they haven’t even thought about yet.

Opponents are averaging just 15.8 points per game against the Vikings, the best mark in the NFL. Just imagine them playing better than that.

This is an important prediction because ...

The Minnesota Vikings are going to be the first team to play in the Super Bowl at their own stadium.

That’s what Seahawks fans over at Field Gulls are predicting. Now, imagine playing in the Super Bowl with home-field advantage:

Minnesota is the deserved favorite to win the NFC, and I believe that they will ride their excellent defense, raucous home field advantage, and the spirit of Prince to a Super Bowl appearance. They’ll first defeat the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, and then win a thriller against the New Orleans Saints (who will beat both the Carolina Panthers and Wentz-less Philadelphia Eagles) in the conference title game.

Do they even have a weakness at this point? Why, yes, they do ...

Kai Forbath will ruin the Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl run.

KICKERS!!! [Shakes fist.]

The good people at Pride of Detroit are here to remind Vikings fans about the Blair Walsh experience from a couple of years ago:

The Vikings have since rid themselves of Blair Walsh, but if Kai Forbath is their true savior at kicker, he sure hasn’t acted like it this season.

Forbath is just converting 84.2 percent of his field goals this year (16th), but even worse... he’s already missed some chip shots. Forbath has already missed two field goals from under 40 yards and he leads the league in missed extra points with five.

I can’t imagine anything worse than losing a playoff game because of a kick, except for maybe losing one because of the catch rule.

Eagles’ home-field defense will give them a fighting chance to make the Super Bowl.

It’s not as tough as you might think finding optimism among Eagles fans despite the loss of Carson Wentz. Bleeding Green Nation says the defense is key to winning with Nick Foles at quarterback:

I also think about how the Eagles led the NFL in pressure generated this season. The pass rush was expected to be a major strength of the team. It lived up to the hype, so far, and it’ll need to be strong moving forward. Fletcher Cox needs to be the absolute monster the Eagles are paying him to be. Same thing for Tim Jernigan. Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, and Derek Barnett have all proved to be forces off the edge this season. They need to keep that up.

The Eagles have been a top-three defense at home the last two seasons. If they can keep that up, they’re not the easy out everyone’s predicting.

Both six seeds will advance.

That’s good news for the Bills and Falcons, the final seed in both the AFC and NFC. Our Colts site, Stampede Blue, explains:

This scenario, where both six seeds move on through Wild Card Weekend is nothing new though. In the past 10 seasons, this very situation has come to fruition five times. These two teams are very different in their makeup and experience, and this is what will take the amazing season that the Rams have put together and unfortunately bring it to an early end despite their roster’s talent.

We’ll know soon enough if this happens again.

The Steelers and the Patriots will have a rematch in the AFC Championship Game, and it will be a classic.

I don’t think anyone doubts what the eventual AFC Championship Game will look like. The folks at Gang Green Nation, our Jets blog, are familiar with both teams, so we can take them at their word to expect an amazing game:

Even though the Patriots own the Steelers, this is not a vintage Pats defense. With Tom Brady, it still might be good enough to win a championship, but there is a path for the Steelers to win. We saw in December the difference between these teams is razor thin.

And just imagine if it’s decided by something resembling a catch.