The competitive balance in NFL 2018 is such that it would be no surprise if any

— or all — of the visitors win on wild-card weekend to begin the 2019 calendar. Hey Seahawks Customized Color Rush Jerseys , the largest spread is a mere 6 1-2 points, Bears over Eagles.Maybe the most intriguing matchup is at Jerry World, which makes sense because the NFL scheduled Seahawks vs. Cowboys for Saturday night. Some cool stuff about this game between a pair of 10-6 teams:—Seattle was 0-2 when coach Pete Carroll placed a heavy emphasis on the running game and defense, and the Seahawks defeated Dallas 24-13.—QBs Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott are tied for most 100-plus passer rating games in their first three seasons at 24.—The Seahawks led the league with a plus-15 turnover margin, with 11 giveaways tied for third fewest in league history.—Dallas has won both wild-card games in its 10 seasons at AT&T Stadium, and is 7-1 at home this season.—The other playoff meeting was a 21-20 Seahawks home victoryduring the 2006 season when Tony Romo messed up the hold of a potential go-ahead field goal with 1:19 remaining.This figures to be a game built on rushing. Seattle topped the NFL and has a three-pronged running attack led by Chris Carson. Dallas rides Ezekiel Elliott, who is rested and ready after sitting out last week’s win over the Giants because the result had no bearing on Dallas’ postseason standing.Saturday’s game obviously does, and will be close. Seattle, ranked 10 in the AP Pro32, is a 2 1-2-point underdog at No. 11 Dallas.COWBOYS, 21-20No. 8 Indianapolis (plus 3) at No. 7 HoustonEach team won on the other’s field this season. Both have made turnarounds, Houston from an 0-3 start to the AFC South title, Indy from 1-5 to a wild card.The Colts have won four straight and nine of their last 10 when they couldn’t afford a stumble. The defense forced turnovers in 15 games, finished with 26 takeaways, and the team allowed 16.4 points over the final eight games. But it’s an offensive line that allowed a league-low 18 sacks on Andrew Luck after giving up a league-high 56 in 2017 that could be the difference.That number will be tested by the likes of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, and DeAndre Hopkins can be a game-changing receiver.Still …BEST BET and UPSET SPECIAL: COLTS, 24-20No. 5 (tie) Los Angeles Chargers (plus 2 1-2) at No. 9 BaltimoreTwo weeks ago, the Ravens traveled to that soccer stadium in California the Chargers call home and handed them a 22-10 defeat that propelled Baltimore to the top of the AFC North. It also pretty much meant the Chargers would be a wild card behind AFC West champion Kansas City.The Ravens’ top-ranked defense will need to again make Philip Rivers uncomfortable in the passing game, but Rivers didn’t have his No. 1 running threat, Melvin Gordon, for that Dec. 22 contest. Gordon is back Seattle Seahawks T-Shirts , which could be a key.Baltimore is 6-1 since rookie QB Lamar Jackson took over for Joe Flacco. And that defense, which allowed an NFL-low 292.2 yards per game and ranked second in fewest points allowed at 17.9 per contest, will swing this one to …RAVENS, 20-19No. 12 Philadelphia (plus 6 1-2) at No. 3 ChicagoSomehow, despite all the injuries — the secondary, other than safety Malcolm Jenkins, has resembled a preseason group — and some costly blown leads, the defending champion Eagles squeezed into the playoffs. They did so with help from the Bears, too, as Chicago knocked off the Vikings in Minnesota last Sunday.Will the Bears regret that come Sunday evening? Depends on whether Nick Foles has some more magic to work on that stingy and physical Chicago defense.It will be tight, like all the other wild-card games.BEARS, 19-17 Rather than hearing it through an intermediary, Bobby Wagner wanted to be told directly where he was viewed to have shortcomings.Why his employer valued him at only a certain number. What restrictions the Seattle Seahawks faced in fitting him into their long-term plans.None of that is easy to hear at times. But when the All-Pro middle linebacker of the Seahawks decided to handle his own contract negotiations, he knew sitting and listening — without getting emotional and upset — was going to be part of the job."My goal was to challenge myself and if anything I want players to leave wanting to educate themselves. Whether they want to do it themselves or have an agent, no matter what the situation is, you got to know the business and you got to educate yourself to what's in your contract, how they got there, how they got to those numbers," Wagner said on Sunday."I feel like there's two negotiations: there's one between the GM and the agent and there's the agent and the player, because you're not in that room. You might miss some things that's not being talked about. My thing is, how I looked at it https://www.theseahawksfanshop.com/hats , I didn't want them to say all the bad stuff to the agent, I wanted them to say it to my face. I could take it."Wagner was back fully practicing with the Seahawks on Sunday, two days after finishing up his $54 million, three-year extension with the Seahawks that on a yearly average basis makes him the highest-paid middle linebacker in the NFL.The $85 million, five-year deal C.J. Mosley signed with the New York Jets in the offseason reset the entire market and challenged the Seahawks to create a compensation package that rewarded one of the top players in the game at his positon.The sides finally hammered out the final details on Friday, ending a long and eye-opening education for Wagner in the process of how a deal gets done."Being the highest-paid was dope," Wagner said drawing laughter. "It was dope but my thing was to just make sure we got a deal done and that's kind of what I was really focused on was getting a deal done and just trying to do better than the last one. In everything in life you want to be better, so I wanted to do better than my last deal and I feel like I accomplished that."Wagner said his decision to represent himself wasn't meant to be a slight on agents and their role in contract negotiations. But entering his third deal with Seattle, Wagner sought the challenge of learning how the system works and figuring out for himself what he wanted and how to get it done. The personal education was more important than any statement he may have been making."This was me trying to educate myself before I get out there in the real world and actually have some real world experience," Wagner said."Not everybody's going to sugarcoat stuff, not everybody's going to tell you stuff that you want to hear and you've got to be able to handle that. So that's kind of what it was for me."One person thrilled with Wagner's contract situation being settled was coach Pete Carroll. The first two days of training camp seemed awkward with Wagner a spectator, especially the first day when he came to the practice field without his jersey. Carroll noted the distraction of the contract hanging over Wagner and said he would be eased into the start of camp."If a guy is going to get paid you want it to be a guy like this. He just stands for so much positive, so much good," Carroll said.NOTES: Seattle brought back former defensive back DeShawn Shead on a one-year deal. Shead played last year with Detroit after spending his first six seasons in the league with Seattle. Shead felt he was still recovering last year from a major knee injury suffered in the 2016 playoffs with Seattle. No longer in rehab mode and with the chance to get into football shape, Shead said he feels as if he's back to his pre-injury status. "I was telling everybody this, 'I'm back home,'" Shead said. Carroll said Shead will initially work at safety, but could be used at cornerback as well.