Eagles could derive extra motivation from the widespread perception that New Orleans ran up the score on them when they met in November.“My question would be: We’re all playing hard in these divisional playoff games Kendall Sheffield Jersey , right?” Payton began, referring to Sunday’s rematch in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.“Are you going to play harder” because of a perceived slight?Still, Payton expects a more competitive affair than the Saints’ 48-7 blowout of the Eagles on Nov. 18, which gave Philadelphia the dubious distinction of becoming the first reigning Super Bowl champion to lose by that wide a margin in the following regular season.Article continues below ...The Eagles (10-7) appeared to be sinking fast when their loss in New Orleans dropped them to 4-6. But they’ve rallied to win six of seven since, including a road victory against the Los Angeles Rams that helped New Orleans (13-3) capture the conference’s top seed.“They’ve kind of been in a playoff role really going back to those games, needing to win to get in,” Payton noted. “So it’s impressive.”Now the Eagles, who opened as 10-point underdogs this week, can ruin the Saints’ Super Bowl dreams with a second straight road upset.“We’re looking forward to it,” Eagles tight end Zach Ertz said. “We’re a completely different team than we were seven weeks ago. I don’t think the team that showed up on that Sunday is even remotely close to the team that we are right now.”Such a lopsided loss in New Orleans could have resulted in finger-pointing and a fractured locker room, Ertz suggested. Instead, Ertz said, “It was a rallying point for our season.”The Eagles survived last week’s wild-card round with a 16-15 victory in which quarterback Nick Foles — who’s won four straight starts since taking over for injured starter Carson Wentz — engineered a late scoring drive capped by a fourth-down touchdown pass. And that only stood up after Chicago kicker Cody Parkey’s “double-doink” miss on a field-goal attempt that hit both the upright and crossbar in the final seconds.Philadelphia likely will need more offense in the Superdome, where the Saints averaged 37 points in Drew Brees’ seven home starts before the record-setting QB got a rest day during the club’s anti-climactic regular-season finale.“I assume they’ll come in as motivated as ever. Just like we’re going to come in as motivated as ever,” Brees said. “Just two really good teams about to play in a playoff game.”Some other story lines surrounding the third Eagles-Saints playoff clash since Payton and Brees joined forces in New Orleans in 2006.STARTING FASTThe Eagles have won 19 straight games when they score in the first quarter, including 7-0 this season. They scored on a field-goal drive last week in the first quarter. It’ll be even more important to score early against the high-powered Saints. New Orleans is 5-0 when leading after one quarter, 9-0 when leading at halftime and won eight times by double-digit margins.“We are starting the games better now over the last six, seven games,” Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh said. “Defense is doing a really good job getting off the field early in the game. We’re able to get the lead.”Coach Doug Pederson has deferred the kickoff to the second half whenever the Eagles have won the coin toss. Perhaps he’ll reconsider if he wins the toss this week.RESTED SAINTSSeveral prominent Saints players haven’t played in more than two weeks. Brees, who completed an NFL single-season record 74.4 percent of his passes http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-john-cominsky-jersey , and dynamic running back Alvin Kamara, who had 1,592 yards and 18 TDs from scrimmage, were both healthy scratches in Week 17.Meanwhile, two starting offensive linemen who’ve been nursing injuries — left tackle Terron Armstead (chest) and right guard Larry Warford (knee) — both sat out the regular-season finale.“Our O-line being healthy, back to pretty much 100 percent, guys are just excited, rejuvenated and ready to play,” Kamara said.Armstead has yet to confirm he’ll be ready, but he practiced this week and said with a smile, “I feel good about Sunday.”DUMP-OFFSBoth teams are adept at using running backs as receivers. Kamara (81 catches, 709 yards) is New Orleans’ second-leading receiver behind Michael Thomas. Mark Ingram also has been effective on screens for New Orleans.Meanwhile, the Saints anticipate the Eagles to look for former Saints running Darren Sproles, who, like Foles, did not play in the previous meeting.“Darren has got incredibly good instincts on setting up some of these screens,” said Payton, who employed Sproles similarly from 2011-13. “Quite honestly, we haven’t been as good this year as we have in other years in that area, but a lot of it depends on the opponent you’re playing.”PROVEN PROTECTIONAlthough All-Pro defensive linemen Aaron Donald (20½ sacks) Qadree Ollison Jersey , J.J. Watt (16) and Khalil Mack (12½) combined for 49 sacks this season, they were all held without a sack against Philadelphia.An offensive line featuring All-Pro center Jason Kelce, Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks and tackles Lane Johnson and Jason Peters has held up well against their best competition. Their latest challenge features Saints end Cameron Jordan (12 sacks) and tackle Sheldon Rankins (eight).“Any time that we hear a lot about our opponent, especially the guys up front, it just seems like our guys have really embraced that opportunity and embraced the challenge,” Pederson said.Having Peters and Johnson at the tackle spots allows Pederson to let those guys man-up against opponents’ premier pass-rushers instead of using tight ends on double teams.“As a play caller it makes it a little easier because they are playing well, and they are controlling the line of scrimmage,” Pederson said. “The more guys you can put into a route, obviously, more opportunities for completions.” CINCINNATI (AP) — The surprise isn’t that Marvin Lewis is gone, but that it took so long for the Bengals to make the change.Lewis arrived in 2003 and elevated one of the NFL’s most forlorn franchises to respectability, but couldn’t take it to the next level. He was fired Monday after his 16th season of failing to win a playoff game.Now, owner Mike Brown will decide whether to bring in an outsider who will shake things up, or stay the course with someone who is familiar.“I didn’t deliver what the No. 1 goal is, and that’s to be world champions, and we did not get that done,” Lewis said at a news conference. “A lot of positives, but that’s the one goal as a coach you look forward to doing. Mike and I both decided it’s time. I think it’s a tough moment for both of us, but we both realized.”Lewis’ departure ends the second-longest active coaching tenure in the NFL . New England’s Bill Belichick is wrapping up his 19th season with another postseason berth. He’s won five Super Bowls and made eight appearances in the title game, both NFL records.By contrast Marquise Brown Jersey , Lewis leaves Cincinnati with a postseason record of 0-7, the worst in NFL history. The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, tied with Washington for the fifth-longest futility in league history.A third straight losing season punctuated by plummeting attendance prompted the change-resistant owner to cut ties with Lewis.The Bengals (6-10) lost in Pittsburgh 16-13 on Sunday — their eighth straight defeat against their AFC North rival — and finished last in the division for only the second time under Lewis. Attendance at Paul Brown Stadium has fallen to second-lowest in the league, ahead of only the Los Angeles Chargers, who are playing in a small, temporary stadium.The empty seats were undoubtedly one of the factors. Cincinnati averaged 50,753 fans, the third straight year with a notable decline. Brown said before the start of training camp that he was keenly aware of fans’ growing animosity and indifference.Brown didn’t appear with Lewis on Monday. He said in a statement that he’s “very fond of Marvin.”“But it is time to turn the page and look toward the next chapter for our organization, and we are excited about what the future holds for the team and our fans,” Brown said.Lewis lobbied Monday for Hue Jackson to get an interview for the job. Lewis hired Jackson, a close friend, as a special assistant after he was fired by the Browns in October.“I think he’s more than qualified,” Lewis said. “I think he’s been in a couple of difficult situations (in Oakland and Cleveland) and that’s tough, and it hasn’t broke his way. But I think he’s an excellent football coach, he’s a great motivator, he’s detailed. So I think he deserves an opportunity, if not here somewhere else.”Jackson walked through the locker room on Monday on his way to the dining room and declined interviews.“I’m going to lunch,” he said.As Jackson ate with other staff members, a big-screen television on the wall was tuned to a station recapping the firings around the league. It was odd for players to think of someone else as the head coach.“Me growing up here, that’s all I knew since I was 10 years old http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jaylon-ferguson-jersey ,” said 26-year-old linebacker Preston Brown, a Cincinnati native. “It’s kind of a surreal moment to see right now that he’s not here anymore. I mean, he’s part of Cincinnati. To have him gone is a big shock to me.”Lewis has readily acknowledged he wouldn’t have lasted so long anywhere else. The owner’s well-known loyalty provided second, third, and ultimately a 16th chance in a what-have-you-done-this-year league. He leaves as the franchise’s leader in coaching tenure, wins and losses with a record of 131-129-3.Lewis was a rare hire from outside the organization when Brown brought him aboard in 2003, three years after he helped Baltimore win a Super Bowl. He made a glittery arrival, flashing his diamond-encrusted Ravens Super Bowl ring at his introductory news conference.He quickly turned the downtrodden Bengals into a competitive team, and then a playoff team. Lewis couldn’t win a playoff game, though.The Bengals made a club-record five straight playoff appearances from 2011-15, but lost in the first round every time, setting an NFL record for ineffectiveness. His best chance was frittered away by two players who were brought to Cincinnati in spite of their history of outbursts.Leading the Steelers in the closing minutes during the playoffs after the 2015 season, Lewis’ team had one of the worst meltdowns in NFL history. Jeremy Hill’s fumble gave the Steelers one last chance, and Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones got 15-yard penalties that set up the Steelers’ field goal with 14 seconds left for an 18-16 win.The Bengals sparked hope of a turnaround this season with a 4-1 start, but a historically bad defense undercut it. Lewis fired coordinator Teryl Austin at midseason, and Cincinnati finished the season by dropping nine of its last 11 games in what amounted to Lewis’ final chance.“It’s been a lot,” Lewis said. “This season’s been a lot.”