Тюремный бунт в Бразилии: погибли не менее 50 человек

January 2, 2017

КИЕВ, 2 янв — РИА Новости Украина. В тюрьме бразильского города Манаус в ходе бунта погибли по меньшей мере 50 человек. Об этом сообщает агентство Рейтер со ссылкой на местное ТВ.
Как сообщил представитель служб безопасности штата Амазонас Серхио Фонтес, вероятно, число погибших может увеличиться.
Тюремное восстание началось из-за драки между соперничающими бандами.

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Japan's Hideki Matsuyama could contend for No. 1 in 2017

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January 2, 2017

Since Tiger Woods abdicated his throne as No. 1 golfer in the world in 2013, that spot has been held by Adam Scott , Rory McIlroy , Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, who starts this year at the top.
Hideki Matsuyama might take his turn in the not-to-distant future.
The 24-year-old Japanese star begins 2017 this week in the SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapulua in Hawaii, where he tied for third last year, at No. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings after a torrid finish last year.
Matsuyama, who leads the FedExCup standings, won four of the last five tournaments he played in 2016, including the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, and the only time he didn’t win he was second in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
His run started at home in the Japan Open and he also claimed his eighth victory in his homeland by winning the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters for the second time.
To close out the year early last month, Matsuyama captured the Hero World Challenge for the 12th victory of his pro career and impressed tournament host Woods in the process.
” … It’s going to give him a boatload of confidence going into next year and he’s going to be one of the top guys to beat for a very long time,” Woods said after his event at Albany Resort in the Bahamas.
“Look at his swing, look at his game and look at the body that he has. It’s built to handle the test of time. ”
Matsuyama might not yet be a household name in the United States, but he had quite an amateur resume, winning the 2010 and 2011 Asian Amateur Championship, the 2011 and 2012 Japanese Collegiate Championship and the 2011 World University Games.
Those victories lifted him to No. 1 in the World Amateur Rankings in 2012, and when he came to the U. S. for the first time, he finished in a tie for 27th to earn low amateur honors at the Masters.
Despite his success, Matsuyama remains humble.
“I’m not even close to being mentioned in the same sentence as Tiger,” he said after winning the Hero. “But I am working hard, and hopefully, little by little, I’ll get better and better.
“I’m really speechless (about his recent surge), but I’m really happy and thrilled that the World Ranking is going to go up. I know there’s a lot of guys, great players ahead of me. It just gives me more incentive to work harder. ”
Matsuyama became the first Asian to claim a World Golf Championships title and did it by a whopping seven strokes over Daniel Berger and Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
It was his third PGA Tour victory after he beat Kevin Na with a par on the first playoff hole in the 2014 Memorial Tournament, and turned back Rickie Fowler with a par on the fourth extra hole in the 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
His third victory on the U. S. circuit tied Shigeki Marayama for the most by a Japanese player and he figures to join Y. E. Yang of South Korea, who outplayed Woods two win the 2009 PGA Championship and become the only Asian make to capture a major title.
” Shigeki Maruyama is a good friend of mine and he always said that I was going to pass his records,” said Matsuyama, who has finished in the top five in his last six tournaments, dating to a solo fifth in the Tour Championship in September. “But at least I’ve tied him now. That was a great honor, because I have great respect for him.
“Winning (the WGC-HSBC Champions) I feel has got me closer to being able to compete a lot better in the major tournaments, and so my next goal is, of course, to win a major. And I’m going to do all that I can to prepare well for that. ”
Matsuyama has shown he’s got what it takes in the majors by finishing in the top 10 five times in them since 2013.
And he has at least one high finish in each of the Big Four, including solo fifth in the 2015 Masters, a tie for 10th in the 2013 U. S. Open at Merion, a tie for sixth in the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield and a tie for fourth in the PGA Championship last year at Baltusrol.
“It’s awesome to see him tearing it up,” Spieth said when Matsuyama was on his run late last year. “… I think he’ll be a major champion within the next couple of years. ”
And Matsuyama doesn’t figure to stop at one.

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© Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/Golf/2017/01/02/Japans-Hideki-Matsuyama-could-contend-for-No-1-in-2017/7321483361334/
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Why Japanese people are wrapping themselves up in cloth

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January 2, 2017

If you don’t like tight spaces, you might want to look away now.
Otonamaki, which directly translates to “adult wrapping”, is a Japanese therapeutic method meant to alleviate posture problems and stiffness and it is gaining traction around the country.
The idea for Otonamaki comes from the practice of Ohinamaki, which sees babies wrapped up in cloth in a similar fashion. This is meant to help with their physical development.
Each session lasts around 20 minutes.
“The reason why Otonamaki was invented was because some people were worried about babies struggling or feeling claustrophobic while being wrapped up,” says Orie Matsuo of Kyoko Proportion, one of several companies that offer Otonamaki to its customers.
“We thought if adults were rolled up like them, they could experience how good it feels. ”
And if customer feedback is anything to go by, Otonamaki is certainly proving successful.
“It looks cramped but it doesn’t feel tight at all,” said a 40-year-old customer of Kyoko Proportion. “It’s the opposite of that. Afterwards I felt an improvement in my shoulders and back. ”
“It felt so good I almost fell asleep. My neck and lower back were relaxed, ” said another customer. “I want my husband to learn [how to do] it. ”
But not everyone is convinced.
“This looks so creepy,” said one user on Twitter. Another compared it to something out of a horror film.
Otonamaki was first invented by famous Japanese midwife Nobuko Watanabe, who also invented a popular maternity belt used commonly in Japan.
The massage is offered mainly to women, some of whom come to see it as an alternative to massage or physical therapy.
Ms Matsuo says Otonamaki allows users to make their hip, leg and shoulder muscles more flexible.
“By pushing your shoulders and legs together, your body gets straightened and removes the pain of your back, lower back and hip joint,” she tells the BBC. “Some of our clients come to treat their pelvis after childbirth, or others to fix bow legs. ”
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The company first introduced the practice in 2015, and so far, some 70 people have experienced Otonamaki with them.
But it might take a while for the practice to catch on, it’s certainly not mainstream yet.
“I’ve never heard of Otonamaki or tried it myself”, said Director of the Fukumoto Japanese Holistic Clinic, Shimpei Fukumoto. “I understand what they are trying to do but it’s not traditional physiotherapy. ”
As an anti-stress technique many of those who have experienced it, testify to its effectiveness. However, it still feels some way from being part of established physical therapy procedure.
“I totally disagree with the treatment method,” said Mr Visvanathan Ravi, Senior Physiotherapist at Hallmark Physiotherapy. “They way they were wrapped up may lead to muscle strains if not in the short term, but the long term.
“If a person stays in the position for 30 minutes, I’m sure there will be spine problems. It’s not advisable to do this treatment. ”
Reporting by Mariko Oi and Yvette Tan.

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Japanese Emperor greets New Year well-wishers

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January 2, 2017

Japan’s Emperor Akihito delivered his traditional New Year address Monday with tens of thousands of people flocking to the Imperial Palace for what could be his last such appearance after he expressed his desire to abdicate.
It was his first New Year message since he announced in August that his advancing age and weakening health mean he may no longer be able to carry out his duties, setting the stage for Japan to prepare for an historic abdication.
The Imperial Palace said some 58,600 people attended his address in fine weather, many waving small Japanese flags and shouting “Banzai” or “Long live”.
“At the start of this year, I wish for happiness and tranquillity of people in the world and our country,” the emperor said in a televised address from a glass-covered balcony at the palace, where he was flanked by other members of the royal family.
Deliberations over his retirement wish are under way in an advisory panel set up by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September to study a possible legal mechanism for a royal departure, which currently does not exist.
Any eventual move by Akihito to step down, which would see him replaced by his eldest son Crown Prince Naruhito, appears to have wide support, according to recent opinion polls.
Akihito has had surgery for prostate cancer and heart problems, both of which he alluded to in his August announcement, though he stressed that he currently enjoys good health.
Speculation about Akihito’s future emerged last year with reports he had told confidantes that he would like to step down in a few years, in what would be the first abdication from the Chrysanthemum Throne in two centuries.
Akihito has keenly embraced the role of symbol of the state imposed after World War II ended. Previous emperors including his father, Hirohito, had been treated as semi-divine.
Akihito is credited with seeking reconciliation both at home and abroad over the legacy of the war fought in his father’s name, venturing to a number of locales that saw intense fighting, including Okinawa in Japan and Saipan, Palau and the Philippines overseas, offering prayers for the souls of all the dead.

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© Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/japanese-emperor-greets-new-year-well-wishers/article/482792
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Japan's annual sticky New Year's mochi rice cake tradition claims lives again

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January 2, 2017

Every year, Japan’s national police and emergency response services issue public warnings to be careful when eating mochi rice cakes , the sticky, sweet traditional delicacy served to celebrate the new year. And every year people die anyway.
This year, according to Japan Today , at least two people have died and 12 more were hospitalized from eating mochi cakes, a glutinous speciality made from pounded steamed rice that Japanese eat specifically to mark the beginning of the new year.
Officials advise cutting the cakes into small pieces before chewing because of their density and stickiness, which is why their negative effects disproportionately affect the elderly. This year, Japan Today, citing the Tokyo Fire Department, reports “the two fatalities were a 60-year-old man from Kita Ward and an 81-year-old man from Itabashi Ward.”
In this Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014 photo, a boy eats a freshly pounded rice cake, or “mochi,” wrapped in a sheet of seasoned laver, or “nori,” at a park during a rice pounding gathering, part of the annual preparation for the New Year’s celebration at a park in Yokohama, near Tokyo.
The other injuries from the cakes were with people ranging in age from 28 to 90, the newspaper reported. All have since been discharged from the hospital.
Last year, a woman in her eighties died from choking on the cakes. In 2015, nine people were believed to have been killed taking part in the annual culinary tradition.

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© Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-new-years-mochi-rice-cake-tradition-claims-lives-again/
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Dakar 2017: All systems go for Toyota Gazoo Racing

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January 2, 2017

FEELING CONFIDENT: SA’s Toyota Gazoo Racing team is ready for the toughest race in the world which kicks off on Jan 2. Image: Quickpic>
Asuncion, Paraguay – The final day of 2016 saw Toyota Gazoo Racing SA complete the all-important administrative checks and pre-race scrutineering, the final hurdle to clear before the start of Dakar 2017.
The comprehensive administrative and safety checks had to be done by all team members, including the race crews. It also included the minute scrutineering of the Toyota Hilux race vehicles.
Ceremonial start
Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall, from the Paraguayan capital of Asunción said after the team completed their checks: “The good news is that the entire team cleared all the checks without any major problems.
“Essentially this is the final rubber stamp we needed before we could go racing. Now all that remains is the ceremonial start on January 1st – and then we’re off. ”
Toyota Gazoo South Africa came through the scrutineering process unscathed. The next milestone is today’s ceremonial start in Asunción Paraguay????. #Dakar2017 #ToyotaGazooSA
A photo posted by Wheels24 (@wheels24_sa) on Jan 1, 2017 at 3:30am PST
For 2017, Toyota Gazoo Racing SA has entered two Toyota Hilux race vehicles. And with the technical checks done, both cars number 301 and 302 are officially allowed to start Dakar 2017.
This year sees double former winner, Nasser Al-Attiyah and his navigator, Mathieu Baumel, join the team. They will be campaigning Toyota Hilux #301, while Toyota stalwarts Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz will be in #302.
The race gets under way with a ceremonial podium start in downtown Asunción on January 1, while Stage 1 – which takes the Dakar from Paraguay into Argentina – kicks off early on January 2.
“It has taken countless man-hours and immense effort to bring us this far,” concluded Hall. “Not only for Dakar 2017, but in the overall evolution of the team. Now we are nearing the start of one of the greatest races on the planet, and we are more motivated and excited than ever before. ”
WATCH: 2009 Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers puts his Toyota Gazoo South Africa Hilux through its paces during shakedown ahead of the 2017 Dakar. The South African driver said: “Roll out done for the day! Hilux feeling good and ready for Dakar2017”. #Motorsport #Dakar2017 #ToyotaGazooSA
A video posted by Wheels24 (@wheels24_sa) on Dec 31, 2016 at 11:59am PST

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© Source: http://www.wheels24.co.za/Motorsport/Dakar/dakar-2017-all-systems-go-for-toyota-gazoo-racing-20170101
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Gunman In Istanbul Club Slayings Still At Large

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January 2, 2017

Extremist violence has taken so many innocent lives for absolutely no benefit to those who ascribe to this inhumanly cruel form of political or religious action. Eventually they are brought to account one way or another. It’s said that those who live by the sword die by the sword. But it seems that this metaphorical sword is growing larger every day.

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© Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/01/01/istanbul-nightclub-shooting-manhunt/
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Protesters hang banner in rafters at Vikes game

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January 2, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Two protesters were charged with trespassing and burglary following the Minnesota Vikings – Chicago Bears game at U. S. Bank Stadium after they unfurled a banner from the stadium’s rafters protesting U. S. Bank’s involvement with the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Karl Mayo, 32, and Sen Holiday, 26, who had safety ropes and climbing gear, dangled from the rafters on the stadium’s east side throughout the Vikings’ 38-10 win .
Play was not interrupted, and Minneapolis police spokesman Corey Schmidt said a Hennepin County Medical Center doctor found both protesters to be medically sound after hanging from the rafters for most of the game. No one was harmed as a result of the incident, Schmidt said.
Mayo and Holiday were arrested and booked for misdemeanor trespass and burglary charges, police said in a statement. Both are being held without bail in the Hennepin County Jail.
A 27-year-old woman has also been accused of obstructing legal process. Police haven’t released details of her role in the incident.
The banner read “Divest #NoDAPL” with the U. S. Bank logo above. The two protesters were suspended in the air above Section 120 and one protester in a No. 4 Brett Favre Vikings jersey — Mayo — shimmied down the banner. Six rows of fans were cleared below the protesters.
Rescue workers used rappelling gear to navigate the truss above the stadium, where they eventually convinced the protesters to climb down a ladder connected to the truss. The protestors told police negotiators they wanted the media present as they descended from the rafters. They were not made available to reporters.
Mayo and Holiday climbed down to a round of boos from fans who remained in the stadium to see how the episode would play out.
Members of the media were sent a statement saying the action was a protest urging U. S. Bank (whose name is on the stadium) to withdraw a credit line from Energy Transfer Partners, the company that is responsible for the Dakota Access Pipeline. The project is an underground pipeline for oil that crosses through four states, but protesters argue that it could damage the environment and poison the water in neighboring areas.
Holiday, who was identified as one of the two climbers, said: “We are here in solidarity with water protectors from Standing Rock to urge U. S. Bank to divest from the Dakota Access Pipeline. ”
U. S. Bank had no comment.
A statement from SMG, which manages the stadium, said, “Two individuals appear to have climbed over a guardrail and across the ridge truss” to hang the banner. Schmidt referred questions to stadium security about how the protesters got a 40-by-10-foot banner and climbing gear into the stadium, which will host Super Bowl LII after the 2017 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Brazil prison riot more than 50 in Amazonas state

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January 2, 2017

More than 50 inmates have been killed in a prison riot in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, officials say.
The unrest, which started on Sunday, ended early on Monday, police said, when the inmates surrendered their weapons and freed unharmed the last of 12 guards they had taken hostage.
A prison chaplain said the riot began after a fight between rival gangs.
A number of inmates has reportedly escaped. Brazil has the world’s fourth largest prison population.
There are some 600,000 inmates and overcrowding is a serious problem.
When the riot began on Sunday afternoon, six headless bodies were thrown over the perimeter fence of the Anisio Jobim Penitentiary Centre, the biggest in Amazonas state.
The prison was built for 454 inmates, but it is thought to have held almost 600. Latest available figures dating back to October suggest there were 585 prisoners in the jail back then.
Fights between rival gangs often result in dozens of inmates being killed and sometimes dismembered.
The gang members behind the deadly riots are often from violent inner-city areas of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo who have been transferred to prisons in remote states in order to break up the gangs.
However, the number of deadly riots in these states would seem to indicate that this strategy has not worked out according to plan, correspondents say.
In October, at least 25 prisoners were killed in a jail in Boa Vista, in Roraima state, and seven youths also died in a riot in Caruaru in Pernambuco state.

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NFL Playoffs Primer: Schedules, Super Bowl paths and possibilities

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January 2, 2017

So your team made the playoffs. Congrats! Very exciting. And sometimes, a little confusing.
When do they play? Where do they go next if they win? What other games can impact their playoff schedule? How many home games might they play, if any?
We’ve got you covered. Whichever of the 12 NFL playoff teams you root for, keep it locked right here for the next few weeks to follow all of the implications and permutations as your team tries to hold off an early vacation. We give you, ESPN’s Playoff Primer.
Note: All times are Eastern.
First game: Divisional round, Jan. 15 (4:40 p.m., Fox)
Path to Super Bowl LI: If the Lions win their wild-card matchup in Seattle, the Cowboys would host Detroit in the divisional round. If the Seahawks win that game, Dallas would host the winner of the Giants-Packers game. Win one game and Dallas advances to the NFC Championship Game Jan. 22 in Dallas.
Reason for hope: They’ve been the best team in the NFC all year. They reach the playoffs healthy. And no team in the field is better equipped to win if it loses its starting quarterback to an injury. And if the Cowboys do see the Giants… well, they say it’s hard to beat a team three times in one year, right?
Reason for concern: The Cowboys could conceivably open the playoffs against the Giants, who are the only team to beat them this year when Dallas was at full strength — meaning, not including Sunday’s rest-the-starters game in Philadelphia. Dallas was 0-2 against the Giants this year, and the Cowboys would surely breathe a sigh of relief if Green Bay were to beat New York or if Detroit were to beat the Seahawks.
Home cooking: The Cowboys don’t have to leave the state of Texas again all postseason. Any playoff game they play will be at home, and the Super Bowl is in Houston.
First game: Divisional round, Jan. 14 (4:35 p.m., Fox)
Path to Super Bowl LI: If Seattle wins its first-round game, the Falcons would host the Seahawks in a divisional-round game. But if Detroit beats Seattle, then Atlanta would host the winner of the Giants-Packers game. Win one game, and the Falcons advance to the NFC Championship Game Jan 22, either in Dallas or at home against the Seahawks, Packers, Lions or Giants.
Reason for hope: Getting the Seahawks at home would be huge. Seattle was 3-4-1 on the road this year, outscored 156-127 in those games and failed to score a touchdown in three of them. The Falcons played the Seahawks tough in Seattle in Week 6, when Atlanta had a 24-17 lead late in the fourth quarter but lost 26-24. Two weeks later, the Falcons beat the Packers by a point at home.
Reason for concern: The Georgia Dome hasn’t been the same home-field advantage this year as it was for Falcons’ playoff teams of years past. Atlanta was 5-3 at home this year, which is fine. But when they went to the playoffs three straight years from 2010 to 2012, they were a combined 20-4 at home. Maybe the Georgia Dome’s swan song will provide a boost.
Home cooking: Atlanta will play its first game at home. If the Cowboys lose that weekend and the Falcons win, then the NFC Championship Game would also be in Atlanta. But if Dallas wins its first game, it would host the conference title game.
First game: vs. Detroit, Saturday (8:15 p.m., NBC)
Path to Super Bowl LI: To reach the Super Bowl, the Seahawks would have to beat Detroit at home, beat the Falcons in Atlanta, then win an NFC Championship Game either in Dallas or at home against either the Giants or the Packers.
Reason for hope: The Seahawks do get the one home game, which is big, since they’re 7-1 at home and only 3-4-1 on the road this year. And if they can find a way to get past Atlanta in the second round, there’s a reasonable chance they could host the conference title game. The Cowboys’ divisional-round matchup against either the Giants or the Packers would be about as tough a matchup as any bye team could draw.
Reason for concern: The road, the road, the road. Yeah, you’ll say they won in Foxborough, and they did. That shows they can win anywhere. But they were dreadful on the road the rest of the season, and they had Earl Thomas that day at Gillette Stadium. Falling out of the bye with their Week 15 (home!) loss to Arizona could end up being very costly for the Seahawks.
Home cooking: Seattle definitely plays at home on the first weekend, and if they win, they play at Atlanta the second weekend. In order for Seattle to host the NFC Championship Game, the Seahawks would have to win twice, and the Cowboys would have to lose to the Giants or the Packers in their first game.
First game: vs. New York Giants , Sunday (4:40 p.m., Fox)
Path to Super Bowl LI: Aaron Rodgers said the Packers could “run the table,” and they’ve since won six straight games and a division title. To finish off the table, they’ll need to beat the Giants at home next weekend — something they couldn’t do five years ago, when they were 15-1 — then travel to either Dallas or Atlanta for their second-round game. If Detroit beats Seattle and the Packers beat the Giants, the Packers would play the Falcons in the second round. If Seattle beats Detroit and the Packers beat the Giants, the Packers would play Dallas in the second round.
Reason for hope: The Giants’ defense is no joke, but neither is Rodgers, and the Packers beat the Giants 23-16 at Lambeau Field in Week 5. Overall, Green Bay was 4-2 against the NFC playoff field, and one of the losses was by one point in Atlanta.
Reason for concern: The other loss was by two touchdowns at home against Dallas, so the Packers might not match up well with the top seed if they see them in the divisional round. And while they beat Seattle the first time, if they see them again, it would be in Seattle.
Home cooking: The Packers will definitely play at home on the first weekend, and if they win, they would play at either Dallas or Atlanta in the second round. In order for Lambeau Field to host the NFC Championship Game, the Lions would have to beat Seattle and Dallas, and Green Bay would have to beat the Giants and Falcons. If all of that happens, the conference title game would be the third Lions-Packers matchup of the year, at Lambeau Jan. 22.
First game: at Green Bay, Sunday (4:40 p.m., Fox)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Giants’ path could feel very familiar to those who followed their two most recent Super Bowl runs. They start in Green Bay. If they win and Seattle beats Detroit, the Giants would go to Dallas for the second round. If they win and Detroit beats Seattle, the Giants would go to Atlanta for the second round. Then an NFC Championship Game in Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle or — just maybe — at home.
Reason for hope: The Giants were 2-0 this year against the Cowboys. The rest of the league was 1-13, with the Eagles beating the Dallas backups Sunday afternoon. New York is excellent at stopping the run and, therefore, a difficult matchup for the NFC’s top seed. And Eli Manning has gotten hot in the playoffs before.
Reason for concern: The Giants averaged 19.4 points per game this year. Houston is the only team in the playoffs that scored less. Could they score with the likes of the Packers, Cowboys and Falcons? And could they do it three weeks in a row?
Home cooking: The only way the Giants could host a playoff game is if both they and the Lions advance to the NFC title game. If that happens, that game would be in East Rutherford Jan. 22.
First game: at Seattle, Saturday (8:15 p.m., NBC)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Lions sat in the No. 2 seed only three weeks ago, but consecutive losses to the Giants, Cowboys and Packers dumped them here. They have to win in Seattle then in Dallas just to get to an NFC Championship Game at either Atlanta, Green Bay or New York.
Reason for hope: They’re never out of a game, these Lions. They trailed in the fourth quarter 15 times and won nine of those games. And while no one wants to go to Seattle, the Seahawks don’t look quite as scary, even there, as they have in years past.
Reason for concern: The Lions go in losing three games in a row. They’re 0-5 against teams that made the playoffs. Their first two games would be on the road against teams that were a combined 14-2 at home. The Lions would be a January miracle, but again, they do like making miracles.
Home cooking: There is no possible way the Lions could host a playoff game.
First game: Divisional round, Jan. 14 (8:15 p.m., CBS)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Patriots get the first week of the postseason off to rest. If Miami wins its first-round game, New England would host the Dolphins in the divisional round. If the Steelers beat the Dolphins, then the Patriots’ first opponent would be the winner of the Houston-Oakland wild-card game. One win would put the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, which they would host regardless of opponent.
Reason for hope: The only two scary quarterbacks in the AFC are Tom Brady , who plays for the Patriots, and Ben Roethlisberger , who the Patriots can’t face until the AFC title game at the earliest. New England’s first game is either going to be against a Dolphins team they’ve already beaten twice or against a Houston or Oakland team that has major questions at the most important position.
Reason for concern: It’s hard to find one. The Patriots just finished the regular season on a seven-game winning streak, during which their average margin of victory was 16.1 points per game. They were 8-0 on the road this year and “only” 6-2 at home, so if you want to make up a reason for concern, maybe that’s it: They don’t get to go on the road anymore!
Home cooking: The Patriots will play at home in the divisional round, and if they win, they will play at home the following Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.
First game: Divisional round, Jan. 15 (1:05 p.m., NBC)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Chiefs get a week off to rest as AFC West champions. If the Steelers win their first-round game against the Dolphins, Kansas City would host the Steelers in the divisional round. If the Chiefs win that game, they’ll play in the AFC Championship Game Jan. 22, either at home or in Foxborough.
Reason for hope: Getting the bye week — which the Chiefs accomplished with their win and Oakland’s loss on Sunday — is huge for a team whose best player still isn’t 100 percent healthy. Pass-rusher Justin Houston sat out the last two games, and while he’s expected to be ready for the playoffs, getting an extra week to rest will have to benefit his chances of being at his best when the games matter most.
Reason for concern: The Chiefs are 10-21 all time against their potential second-round opponent: the Steelers. They’ve lost four of their last five against Pittsburgh, including a 43-14 loss at Heinz Field in Week 4. The Chiefs would love it if the Dolphins were to knock the Steelers off for them.
Home cooking: The Chiefs will open the playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium. The only way they play another home game is if they win their first game and the Patriots lose theirs. In that case, the AFC Championship Game would be at Arrowhead Jan. 22.
First game: vs. Miami, Sunday (1:05 p.m., CBS)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Steelers host the Dolphins. If they win, they’ll travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in the divisional round. Win that, and they advance to the AFC Championship Game, either in New England or at home against the Texans or Raiders.
Reason for hope: Not having to see Tom Brady and the Patriots until the AFC title game is a nice benefit that comes with being the No. 3 seed instead of the No. 4. It leaves open the possibility that someone else can take out the top seed for them and allow them to play a home game to go to the Super Bowl.
Reason for concern: You could make the case that the sixth-seeded Dolphins are a tougher draw right now than the fifth-seeded Raiders and all of their quarterback questions. The Steelers hit the playoffs on a seven-game win streak, but they’re just 1-2 against fellow AFC playoff teams this year. They beat the Chiefs and lost to the Dolphins and Patriots.
Home cooking: The Steelers will definitely play their first game at home, then the division round on the road. But there remains a chance that they could host an AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh Jan. 22. That would require them to win twice (obviously) and for the Patriots to lose their first game.
First game: vs. Oakland, Saturday (4:35 p.m., ESPN)
Path to Super Bowl LI: As AFC South champions, the 9-7 Texans will host a first-round playoff game against 12-4 wild-card Oakland. If the Texans win that game, their second-round opponent depends on the result of the Steelers-Dolphins game. If Miami wins, that would send the Texans to Kansas City for the divisional round. If the Steelers win, then the Texans’ prospective second-round game would be in Foxborough against the top-seeded Patriots.
Reason for hope: The only team in the playoff field with a more unsettled quarterback situation than Houston is Oakland, which is the Texans’ first-round opponent. Facing Connor Cook or Matt McGloin is preferable to facing Alex Smith and red-hot Kansas City, which would have been Houston’s task had the Chiefs lost or the Raiders won on Sunday.
Reason for concern: Four-seed life isn’t a lot of fun. To get to the Super Bowl, the Texans would most likely have to beat the Raiders, Patriots and Steelers or the Raiders, Chiefs and Steelers. Only five No. 4 seeds have ever won the Super Bowl: the 1980 Raiders, the 1997 Broncos, the 2000 Ravens, the 2011 Giants and the 2012 Ravens.
Home cooking: The Texans will definitely play their first game at home, then their second game on the road. The only chance they have to play the AFC Championship Game at home is to win twice (obviously) and have the Dolphins beat the Steelers and Patriots. In that case, the Texans would host Miami in a conference title game Jan. 22.
First game: at Houston, Saturday (4:35 p.m., ESPN)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Raiders’ loss Sunday, combined with the Chiefs’ win, made Kansas City the AFC West champion and relegated Oakland to a wild-card spot. That means the Raiders have to play on the road to start in Houston, then at either New England or Kansas City in the second round if they win. The Raiders would play at New England if the Steelers win their game with the Dolphins. They’d play at Kansas City if Miami wins that game.
Reason for hope: They were three full games better in the regular season than their first-round opponent, which won the league’s weakest division. Their run game could help them win a low-scoring affair against another team with question marks at the quarterback position.
Reason for concern: Two of Oakland’s four losses were to division-rival Kansas City, which is why the Raiders find themselves here and is obviously a major cause for concern should they run up against the Chiefs in the second round. Plus, the history of 12-4 wild-card teams isn’t great. There have been four in the past 10 years. Only one, the 2013 49ers, reached the conference championship game. Two of the four, the 2008 Colts and 2011 Steelers, lost wild-card round games to 8-8 division champions (San Diego and Denver). The other, the 2010 Ravens, lost to division-rival Pittsburgh in the second round.
Home cooking: The only way the Raiders can play a home playoff game is if they and the Dolphins both reach the AFC Championship Game. In that case, the game would be in Oakland.
First game: at Pittsburgh, Sunday (1:05 p.m., CBS)
Path to Super Bowl LI: The Dolphins open in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, a team they beat 30-15 in Jay Ajayi ‘s breakout game in Miami in October. A win would land them a second-round trip to Foxborough to see the Patriots, against whom they went 0-2 this season. If they win that, the Dolphins would have to go to Oakland, Houston or Kansas City for an AFC title game to reach the Super Bowl.
Reason for hope: The Week 6 victory over the Steelers was Miami’s most impressive of the season, and it was the one that sparked the Dolphins’ run. They were 1-4 going into that game, and starting that day they won six in a row and 9 of 10 to get into the postseason. There should be good vibes lingering from that game and plenty of ways for the Dolphins to convince themselves they can handle Pittsburgh.
Reason for concern: The Dolphins won’t get a lot of outside help. No one’s going to eliminate Ben Roethlisberger or Tom Brady for them. The soft spots in the AFC field might be the Oakland, Kansas City and Houston quarterback situations, but Miami would have to get to the AFC Championship Game in order to have a chance to take advantage.
Home cooking: As the No. 6 seed, there is no chance the Dolphins can play a home playoff game.