Monday 16 January 2017 13:34, UK
The NFL play-offs hot up this weekend with four mouthwatering games, all exclusively live on Sky Sports 2 HD.
From 9pm on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons, before the New England Patriots host the Houston Texans.
On Sunday, coverage begins at 5:30pm with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, followed by a showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
Join Dara, Neil, Jeff and Shaun for all the action, reaction and analysis, as well as Sky Sports News reporter Richard Graves who will be live from Arlington, Texas.
Opening this weekend's round of fixtures, the Falcons' top ranked offence will go up against Seattle's much-vaunted 'Legion of Boom' defence.
Quarterback Matt Ryan will lead the Falcons, with a range of weapons at his disposal. Wide receiver Julio Jones is healthy, while running back tandem Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman have emerged as one of the best rushing combinations in the league.
Ryan is 1-4 in the play-offs, but his only win came against the Seahawks in 2013. Averaging 30 points a game at home, the veteran QB is favourite for the regular MVP award, but now looks to make his mark in the post-season.
The Seahawks dominated their Wild Card match-up with a 26-6 win over the Detroit Lions, but the Falcons will pose a much bigger attacking threat. Seattle haven't recorded an interception since safety Earl Thomas broke his leg in week 13, but will need to find their defensive play-making form if they are to stop Ryan's deep-ball threat.
Thomas Rawls ran for a franchise best, post-season performance last week, recording 161 yards and a touchdown, and will once again be the Seahawks' primary offensive option. With the Falcons ranking 29th against the run, Rawls could be the secret to keeping Ryan off the field, and leading Seattle to a third NFC Championship in four years.
The Texans face a daunting task when they take on the Patriots in Foxborough, hoping to cause one of the biggest play-off upsets in history.
New England began the week as 16-point favourites, and it's hard to look beyond a team who have been victorious in the last five consecutive divisional rounds.
In week three, the Patriots beat the Texans in a 27-0 shutout win, even without quarterback Tom Brady. The four-time Super Bowl champion returned from suspension in week 5 and has been in contention for regular season MVP after leading New England to a 14-2 regular-season record.
Houston do have the No 1 ranked defence in the NFL, and will attempt to make Brady uncomfortable by rushing down the centre and pushing him out of the pocket. Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney impressed in the teams' Wild Card win against the Oakland Raiders, and both players will have to be at the top of their game if they are to succeed this weekend.
However, the Patriots' offensive line is one of the best in the NFL at protecting their quarterback, affording Brady time to pick out his choice of wide receivers. Combined with an extra week of rest, it will be a tough ask for Brock Osweiler and the Texans offence to keep pace with the home side.
Having beaten the Miami Dolphins last weekend, the Steelers now head to the loudest stadium in the NFL where they will meet the Chiefs for a place in the AFC Championship game.
Ben Roethlisberger left the stadium with a protective boot after sustaining an injury late on, but the Steelers do not anticipate his foot being an issue on Sunday. However, tight end Ladarius Green is still in concussion protocol, and is likely to miss his fourth consecutive game.
Head coach Mike Tomlin still has wide receiver Antonio Brown, as well as running back Le'Veon Bell, who both scored twice against the Dolphins. Pittsburgh's ability to utilise both players, especially Bell who is averaging 27 carries a game, will be key.
The Chiefs have weapons of their own, with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce selected as First-Team All Pros. Rookie wide receiver Hill has impressed with his play-making speed, scoring 12 touchdowns this year. Kelce has become a favourite target for quarterback Alex Smith, taking advantage to go more than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his four-year career.
Linebacker Justin Houston returned to full practice on Thursday, which provides a huge boost for the Chiefs' pass-rush. Two-time Super Bowl champion Kevin Boothe believes that Houston makes Kansas City a favourite for the Vince Lombardi trophy.
In terms of defending the Roethlisberger-Brown passing threat, the Chiefs have cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry available. On the 'Inside the Huddle' podcast, Sky Sports analyst Jeff Reinebold called the pair two of the best defensive backs in the NFL. They will need to be if the Chiefs are to topple an in-form Steelers team.
The final game of Divisional Weekend sees Aaron Rodgers and the Packers match up against the Dallas Cowboys.
In their previous meeting this year, Green Bay gave up four turnovers and the Cowboys dominated, but this is a different Packers team. Having won their last seven games, Rodgers has thrown 18 touchdowns without an interception, including a Hail Mary last week against the New York Giants.
Green Bay look likely to be without top wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who fractured two ribs in their Wild Card win against the Giants. Nelson won't practice until Saturday at the earliest, when head coach Mike McCarthy will make a decision.
Dallas haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1996, but the NFC's No 1 seed have the benefit of a bye week, home advantage and a fully healthy squad. Cornerback Mo Claiborne has missed the last nine weeks with a groin injury, but is back to full practice and likely to start on Sunday.
Rookie stars Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will get their first taste of play-off action, having led Dallas to 13-3 regular season record. Elliott's 1,631 rushing yards led all running backs, while fourth-round quarterback Prescott has impressed with his composed performances.
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