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 D.J. Fluker Color Rush Jersey , 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, 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 Barkevious Mingo Color Rush Jersey , 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 Any hope of recalcitrant running back Le’Veon Bell returning to the football field in the black and gold — or any other team’s colors — any time soon took a major hit when Seattle star safety Earl Thomas broke his lower left leg, illustrating the dangers of playing without the security of a long-term deal.Thomas and Bell each held out this summer, but while Bell continued to work out on his own, Thomas returned to the Seahawks in time for the season opener without a trade or a new contract in hand.,That move didn’t pay off financially or otherwise.He got hurt in a game at Arizona, and when he was carted off the field at State Farm Stadium, he raised his middle finger toward the Seahawks’ sideline.“Earl wanted an extension and at the end of the day he didn’t get that,” Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark said. “It sucks to see a guy who puts his heart into something, put his all into his team and he doesn’t get what he deserves.”Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said in an Instagram post, “If he doesn’t come then he’s not a team player. If he does come and gets hurt, then it’s ‘he shouldn’t have came.’ If I was him, I’d be (ticked) off.”ESPN posted the quote and a photo of Thomas’ obscene gesture, and that’s when Bell chimed in , suggesting he wouldn’t be back on the field anytime soon.“Smh, exactly …” wrote Bell. “Get right bro bro (Earl Thomas)! I’ll continue to be the ‘bad guy’ for ALL of us.”Bell has refused to sign his $14.54 million one-year tender, concerned that he’d get overused in a contract year, either subjecting him to the risk of injury or to a devaluation of his talents.NFL Network reported earlier Sunday that the Steelers were shopping Bell.Trading him is a tricky proposition because Bell would have to first sign his tender. Because he can’t negotiate a long-term deal until after this season, he’d still be taking on the injury risk with a new team.Bell can return in Week 10 and still accrue a full season to become a free agent in March.Other takeaways from Week 4 include a fourth-down gamble that backfired on Colts coach Frank Reich Ed Dickson Color Rush Jersey , the “Big Four” rookie QBs going 0-4 Sunday after the hype meter cranked up to high last week and the Ravens tricking the Steelers and the officials on a trick play in their 26-14 win over Pittsburgh.FIT TO BE TIEDReich earned kudos from both his players and the Texans for his decision to go for it on fourth-and-4 from his 43 with 27 seconds left in overtime rather than punt, bury Houston deep and settle for the NFL’s third tie game.“We’re not playing to tie,” Reich insisted after his decision led to a 37-34 overtime loss instead. “We’re going for that 10 times out of 10. That (play) has just got to work.”It didn’t.With his favorite target, T.Y. Hilton, on the sideline with a hamstring injury and a short week ahead with the New England Patriots on tap Thursday night, Andrew Luck bounced his pass to Chester Rogers.The Texans took over and Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 37-yard field goal as overtime expired. But wait! In yet another call that backfired, Reich had called timeout.Fairbairn nailed the do-over to end the league’s longest losing streak at nine.Reich’s only regret was calling timeout before the fourth-and-4 play after the Texans didn’t jump offside, he said.Luck’s only lament was misfiring the pass, but he loved the bold call.“It had my stamp of approval,” Luck said. “We did not execute well enough.”COOL YOUR JETSAfter a dominant debut against Detroit in the Jets’ opener, Sam Darnold has cooled off in three straight defeats, including a listless loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.A week after being hailed as a hero for leading Cleveland to its first win since 2016 by rallying the Browns over the Jets in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield had four turnovers in his first NFL start, a 45-42 overtime loss to the Raiders.Mayfield threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns but suffered a pick-6, got strip sacked, fumbled a snap and threw an interception in the final seconds of regulation.“You don’t want to rein him in,” coach Hue Jackson said, “because I like the things he’s doing.”Josh Rosen had a strong debut in his first start for Arizona but it wasn’t enough to keep the Cardinals from falling to 0-4 for the first time since 1986.Josh Allen accounted for three turnovers in the Bills’ 22-0 loss at Green Bay a week after a stunning win at heavily favored Minnesota in his starting debut.“I take this one on my shoulders,” Allen said. “We can only go as far as the quarterback goes.”TRICK OR TREATBaltimore coach John Harbaugh was furious when the Patriots fooled the Ravens in the playoffs a few years ago with a trick play to an eligible receiver who looked like he was lined up as an offensive lineman.The Ravens stole that idea from New England eight months later and unwrapped it again Sunday to fool the Steelers.Tight end Maxx Williams lined up next to the center as the left guard but just far enough off the line of scrimmage to make himself an eligible receiver. He was wide open for a 22-yard gain that set up a field goal for a 23-14 lead.Retired referee Terry McAulay, now an NBC Sports rules analyst, said Williams probably shouldn’t have been an eligible receiver on the play, but no flag was thrown.