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The Philadelphia Eagles are a hot team entering the playoffs.
Sound familiar?
Of course, circumstances are quite a bit different this time around. Nick Foles is not walking through that door, and the Eagles have been ravaged by injuries on both sides of the ball.
Can Philadelphia once again overcome the odds and go on a Super Bowl run?
Here are three burning questions for the Eagles as they get set to host the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round next Sunday.
3. Can the Eagles' secondary hold up?
Philadelphia's secondary has been much maligned this season, and for good reason: it has stunk.
Whether it has been the result of injuries or players simply not living up to expectations (or sometimes both), the Eagles' defensive backfield has gotten shredded too many times in 2019, leading to Philly owning the 19th-ranked passing defense in the NFL.
Now, to be fair, the Eagles' secondary has played significantly better over the last four weeks, which is why Philadelphia has jumped in the pass defense rankings.
However, three of its last four wins came against the New York Giants (twice) and Washington Redskins, and the other came at the expense of a Dallas Cowboys team that had a banged-up Dak Prescott under center.
Can we really trust Philly's defensive backs against aerial attacks led by quarterbacks like Russell Wilson?
2. Is Greg Ward ready to be a No. 1 receiver on the big stage?
Greg Ward's story is certainly an interesting one.
The wide receiver has been cut countless times, but is now getting an opportunity because the Eagles' receiving corps has been leveled by injuries.
Whether it has been DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery or Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia's receivers have been out of commission most of the year.
Not only that, but tight end Zach Ertz is battling cracked ribs and did not play in Week 17.
As a result, Ward has emerged as the club's No. 1 wideout and has logged 21 catches during the Eagles' current four-game winning streak that dates back to Week 14.
But is Ward capable of doing this against better defenses in the playoffs?
It remains to be seen, but something tells me Philadelphia is desperately going to miss its top receivers.
1. What should we expect from Carson Wentz under pressure?
Believe it or not, Carson Wentz has never played in a playoff game.
When the Eagles won their Super Bowl two years ago, it came with Foles under center, as Wentz had suffered a torn ACL in Week 14. Last season, when Philadelphia upset the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round, Foles was once again at the helm, as Wentz was out with a back injury.
This time, Wentz has the reins, and based on how heavily he has been criticized throughout the season, it will certainly be interesting to monitor his performance.
Wentz was only so-so in the NFC East-clinching win over the New York Giants this past Sunday, but he was terrific from Weeks 14 through 16 and has been playing quite a bit better than he was early on in 2019.
But playoff football is a different animal. It remains to be seen how he handles it.
