Previewing Sunday's NFL divisional playoff games

Is this the year Philip Rivers finally gets past the New England Patriots? Is the speculation of the Patriots’ demise premature? Can Nick Foles continue his Cinderella story with the Philadelphia Eagles in their matchup at New Orleans?

Here’s a look at Sunday’s NFL divisional playoff games:

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (13-4) at NEW ENGLAND (11-5)

Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

OPENING LINE — Patriots by 5

LAST WEEK — Chargers beat Ravens, 23-17; Patriots had bye, beat Jets 38-3 on Dec. 30

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Just fourth playoff meeting between teams, with Patriots holding 2-1 edge. … New England’s victory in AFC championship game during 2007 season was its final victory before having perfect season blemished in Super Bowl loss to Giants. … Chargers QB Philip Rivers will be 37 years, 36 days old on Sunday and Patriots QB Tom Brady will be 41 years, 163 days old. The 28,688 days old are oldest combined age by opposing starting quarterbacks in playoff game in NFL history. … Chargers are coming off first playoff victory since 2013 season. … Los Angeles is 8-1 as road team this season. … Chargers ended regular season ranked third in yards per play (6.3) and tied for sixth in points per game (26.8). … Rivers enters Sunday’s game with 1-7 record against Patriots, including 0-4 in games in Foxborough and 0-2 in playoffs. … LA leading rusher Melvin Gordon (885 yards, 10 TDs during regular season) is dealing with knee injury sustained during wild-card win over Ravens. … Patriots coach Bill Belichick has most playoff experience (39 games) and postseason wins (28) among head coaches in NFL history. … Patriots ranked fourth in scoring offense (27.3 ppg) and tied for sixth in scoring defense (20.3 ppg allowed). … Brady has played against Chargers eight times in regular season and twice in postseason. He’s 2-0 in playoffs and 6-2 in regular-season meetings. … Brady has completed 67 percent of passes with 15 TDs and five INTs during regular-season meetings with Chargers. In playoff games against Chargers he’s completed 58 percent of throws with four TDs and six INTs. … DE Trey Flowers leads New England with 7 1/2 sacks. Safety Duron Harmon leads team with four INTs.

PHILADELPHIA (10-7) at NEW ORLEANS (13-3)

Sunday, 4:40 p.m., Fox

OPENING LINE — Saints by 10

LAST WEEK — Eagles beat Bears, 16-15; Saints had bye, lost to Panthers 33-14 on Dec. 30.

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Philadelphia’s 16-15 win at Chicago was closest margin of victory in team’s postseason history. … Pederson is 4-0 in playoffs. Only Andy Reid has more postseason wins (10) in team history. Pederson is 13-6 in December, January and February. … Eagles are 22-3 when scoring first under Pederson. … QB Nick Foles has led a winning drive in fourth quarter last two playoff games, including Super Bowl. … Foles has thrown multiple TDs in three consecutive playoff games. He is 38 of 46 (82.6 percent) for 431 yards, five TDs, one INT and 132.9 passer rating on third and fourth downs in last four games. … WR Alshon Jeffery has 18 catches for 301 yards and three TDs in four playoff games. … Leading rusher Josh Adams only played one snap vs. Bears. Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood combined for 21 carries and 40 yards. … DE Michael Bennett has sack in three straight playoff games. … DT Fletcher Cox has three sacks, two forced fumbles and fumble recovery in past two games vs. Saints. … K Jake Elliott has made eight consecutive field-goal attempts in playoffs, including four from 40-plus yards. … Foles, Sproles did not play in previous meeting. … TE Zach Ertz has 437 catches, most in NFL history during first six seasons of career. … Eagles’ 44 sacks tied for eighth in NFL. Saints’ 49 sacks tied for fifth. … Saints are 5-0 at home in playoffs since Payton became coach in 2006, when he won first playoff game as head coach vs. Eagles. … Saints QB Drew Brees had 74.4 completion percentage (364 of 489), highest single-season percentage in NFL history. Brees led league with 115.7 rating in 2018, ranks first in NFL history in career passing yards with 74,437, completions with 6,586, and ranks second in TD passes with 520. … In five home playoff games, Brees is 116 for 171 (67.8 percent) for 1,529 yards (305.8 per game) and 12 TDs. … Game is Brees’ last before turning 40 on Tuesday. … RB Alvin Kamara ranked second in NFL with 18 scrimmage TDs (14 rushing, 4 receiving) and seventh with 1,592 scrimmage yards in 2018. He has touchdown in each of previous two career playoff games. … RB Mark Ingram rushed for 97 yards, TD in only career postseason outing on Jan. 4, 2014. … Ingram played in 12 games after starting season on four-game suspension, rushed for 645 yards, six TDs this season. … WR Michael Thomas led NFL with 125 catches and had franchise single-season record 1,405 yards receiving, surpassing Joe Horn’s 1,399 in 2004. Thomas has 15 receptions for 216 yards, two TDs in two career playoff games.