The path to a first-round bye in the AFC has a bunch of curves in it.Already in are NFC division winners Dallas (East) Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , New Orleans (South), Chicago (North) and the Los Angeles Rams (West). AFC divisions clinched belong to New England in the East and, well, nobody else. But there are clear leaders .Seattle owns an NFC wild card, and the LA Chargers have one in the AFC, though they can still win the AFC West.“You either believe in something or you don’t,” says coach Pete Carroll, whose 9-6 Seahawks made the postseason in what was considered a rebuilding year. “I think just staying the course and knowing we’re on to something. Believing in the history. We know what we’re capable of doing. We’ve shown it over a lot of years. You’re always adapting, but it’s staying what you’re true to. I think that’s what is happening. We look like a team that we have seen before, and that’s powerful.”Most powerful so far has been New Orleans, with the league’s best record at 13-2, and a dynamic offense led by Drew Brees. The Saints have home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.The Rams (12-3) get the other opening-round bye if they beat San Francisco on Sunday. If they lose and the Bears win at Minnesota, Chicago (11-4) earns the week off and Los Angeles drops to the third seed.A Bears win also could keep the Vikings (8-6-1) out of the postseason, providing defending champion Philadelphia (8-7) wins at Washington. Only the Vikings or Eagles can get the second NFC wild card.“We’ve got to empty the bucket http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-phil-haynes-jersey , and that’s the way we’ve got to play next week at home,” Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph says. “I’m really looking forward to that environment.”In the AFC, seeding is more muddled. Any of four teams could be the top or second seed.The simplest route is if Kansas City (11-4) and New England (10-5), currently the top two in the conference, both win Sunday. But if the Chiefs lose at home to Oakland and the Chargers (11-4) win at Denver, Los Angeles moves into the top spot.Houston (10-5) also could wind up No. 1 in the AFC with losses by the Chiefs, Patriots against the Jets, and Chargers. New England, the only unbeaten team at home this year, would get the first seed with a victory and losses by the Chiefs and Chargers.And get this: Houston doesn’t even own a division title. If the Texans fall at home to Jacksonville, the winner of the Colts at Titans game in Tennessee takes the AFC South, and the Texans become a wild card, joining either the Chiefs or Chargers.Texans coach Bill O’Brien, whose club began the season 0-3 Ugo Amadi Jersey , is intrigued by the division being so ensconced in the playoff picture this year.“I think that’s an interesting question because I can remember the question was, two years ago, ‘Why is the AFC South so bad?'” he says. “Now, ‘Why is it so good?’“…I’ve never thought it was bad. I think every year it’s been extremely difficult to win games in the division. I just think there’s a lot of great coaches. You’ve got Frank (Reich) in Indy, Mike (Vrabel) in Tennessee, Doug (Marrone) in Jacksonville. You’ve got a lot of great players, quarterbacks, so you’ve got a tough division.”The AFC division often looked at as the toughest has been the North, which, not surprisingly, has come down to Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh. Except the Ravens (9-6) host the Browns, while the Steelers (8-6-1) must beat visiting Cincinnati and hope their archenemies from Cleveland sidetrack Baltimore, either beating or tying the Ravens.Neither the Ravens nor the Steelers can be a wild card — except if Pittsburgh ties the Bengals, then Indianapolis and Tennessee also tie. Then the Steelers are in.Of course http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-drew-sample-jersey , Pittsburgh also can win the North with a draw and a loss by Baltimore.Your head spinning yet?
The New York Yankees are trying to make the most of a rare trip to Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to prove they can keep hanging with some of the best teams in baseball.

The Yankees, making their first trip to Philadelphia since the 2009 World Series, will go for their second straight win over the Phillies on Tuesday night. It could turn out to be a pitcher’s duel between Yankees ace Luis Severino against former Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta.

New York took the first game of the series 4-2 on Monday night and held Philadelphia to three hits. The Phillies (41-35) need to win the last two games in the set for their fifth consecutive series victory.

Three of those series wins have come against the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals — who are all above .500.

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said his team is embracing the tough stretch on the schedule.

“It shows we’re not scared of any situation. We don’t back down from any opponent,” Kapler told NBC Sports Philadelphia ahead of Monday’s series opener. “We’re resilient. When we have a loss like (Sunday) we bounce back the next day. We come prepared. We’re working in that clubhouse like animals, and we know this is not going to be an easy matchup by any stretch. But we’re prepared for it.”

The Yankees (51-25) have the best record in the majors, and they ended a season-worst three-game losing streak on Monday. The team did so with a healthy amount of New York fans among the 44,136 in attendance.

Severino (11-2, 2.24 ERA) will try to give Yankees fans more to cheer about Tuesday.

Severino tied a season high by allowing eight hits in his last start. The Seattle Mariners scored three runs against the 24-year-old righty, but the Yankees still picked up a 4-3 win last Thursday.

“Every time they give me the ball, I want to go out there and have a good game,” Severino told reporters after the game. “Today, I wasn’t the best. Wasn’t feeling that good, wasn’t feeling that comfortable. I was missing some pitches and getting deep in counts. But we got a great team and got some runs.”

Severino http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/trayvon-mullen-jersey , who has never faced the Phillies, has allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his 16 starts in 2018. The Yankees are 14-2 when he pitches.

The Phillies, on the other hand, are just 6-8 in Arrieta’s 14 starts this year.

Arrieta (5-5, 3.42) has a 6.97 ERA in four starts this month. Arrieta did have his best start of June in his last outing, however. He struck out five and gave up three runs and four hits in six innings against the Cardinals last Wednesday.

Arrieta, who spent parts of four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, has faced the Yankees eight times in his career. He is 3-1 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.213 WHIP in those games.

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and infielder Neil Walker are the Yankees with the most experience against Arrieta. Stanton is 2-for-11 with a solo home run, and Walker has a .243 average in 37 at-bats.