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Bulldogs ready for NFL's Divisional Round of the playoffs

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•about 10 hours•

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Darius Slay
Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

As the NFL playoff field narrows, former Mississippi State standouts are preparing to fight for a trip to a conference championship game.

Last week, five former players started their playoff journey with three surviving the Wild Card round. Four Bulldogs will be going to work beginning on Saturday afternoon as the Divisional Round begins. Two former Dawgs will advance this weekend while the other two go home as there will be two matchups pitting former players against each other.

Beginning on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. tilt on ESPN and ABC, the No. 4 seed Houston Texans travel to Kansas City to take on the top ranked Chiefs for a trip to the AFC Championship on the line. The Chiefs (15-2) are defending their Super Bowl championship for the second-straight season and defensive lineman Chris Jones is hoping for a fourth title this season.

Jones dealt with injuries late in the year but posted another All-Pro season as he started in 15 games and made 37 tackles with 9.0 TFL and 5.0 sacks this season on his way to his fifth-straight All-Pro season. It was the third-consecutive year that Jones has been listed on the first team as one of the top two defensive tackles in the league.

The six-time Pro-Bowler has built a Hall of Fame resume and he can add a third-consecutive Super Bowl to the trophy case with three more wins.

To get there, Jones and his team will have to go through the Texans (10-7) and veteran pass rusher Denico Autry. The former EMCC standout finished his State career prior to Jones arrival in Starkville and is in his 11th year in the NFL. Despite dealing with injuries this year, Autry has played in 10 games and made 3.0 sacks. Last week, he had a sack and helped his Texans team to a 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

On Sunday, two more Bulldogs will go head-to-head. The Philadelphia Eagles (15-3) have looked like a major contender in the NFC yet again and have won 13 of the last 14 games played this season.

The latest win was a convincing 22-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers last week in the Wild Card round. Former State cornerback Darius Slay had three tackles, a pass deflection and a beautiful interception in the victory but did deal with an injury. He is expected to play Sunday.

One player that could be inactive is the Los Angeles Rams’ corner Emmanuel Forbes. The former first round pick was cut by the Washington Commanders earlier this year and picked up by the Rams midseason. He played in his first game to close out the regular season but was inactive last week in the Rams’ 27-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Rams (11-7) have been up and down this season, but they’ve been relatively consistent in recent weeks with seven wins in the past nine games. They will go for the upset win over the No. 2 Eagles at 2 p.m. Sunday on NBC.

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