Irish In The NFL: Divisional Round

Don’t miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Click here to get your 30-day free trial!

• Seattle: RB C.J. Prosise

Prosise, the do-everything rookie running back, was inactive for six straight weeks to end the regular season due to a shoulder injury. Seattle, which beat Detroit in the wild card round last week, elected not put the rookie on injured reserve, holding out hope he could return during the playoffs. That now appears to be a good possibility.

Seattle’s third-round pick was a full participant in practice Thursday and has a good shot at playing against the Falcons on Saturday afternoon. Prosise — who had 30 rushes for 172 yards and and a touchdown, plus 17 catches for 208 yards, in six games played — would be a big addition to Seattle’s offense.

• Houston: WR Will Fuller and OL Nick Martin

• New England Patriots: WR Michael Floyd

Fuller, the Texans first-round draft pick in 2016, had an up-and-down rookie season, but he’ll be a crucial player for the underdog Saturday night.

With New England keying on star DeAndre Hopkins while applying pressure to quarterback Brock Osweiler, Fuller will likely get single coverage against either Eric Rowe or Malcolm Butler on the boundary. Hitting Fuller on deep passes could open up the running game.

Martin did not appear this season due to a preseason ankle injury.

For New England, Floyd — who came over from Arizona after a late-season DUI arrest — could be the X-factor in its playoff run. He filled in for the injured Danny Amendola late in the season (Amendola practiced this week and is expected back), and is probably the team’s fifth receiver entering Saturday night.

• Pittsburgh: OT Ryan Harris and DE Stephon Tuitt

Tuitt dealt with a knee sprain near the end of the regular season and reportedly suffered a hand injury in the Steelers’ wild card victory over Miami. Tuitt was important in the blowout win over the Dolphins, finishing with four tackles and a fumble recovery at the end of the first half.

Harris was put on injured reserve in week four with a leg injury.

• Dallas: WR Chris Brown, OL Zack Martin and LB Jaylon Smith

Martin, the Pro Bowl right guard for Dallas, had the week off to rest. Dallas will be ready to go when it faces the Packers on Sunday afternoon for spot in the NFC title game.

The fourth-year guard has been a major part of the Cowboys success. They will look to avenge the 2014 playoff loss in Green Bay. Martin and the offensive line will have its hands full because the Packers defense is ranked sixth in defensive adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

Brown and Smith both did not appear this season due to injuries. Both are inactive for the duration of the playoffs.

----

• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.

• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD,

@BGI_MattJones, @BGI_DMcKinney and @BGI_CoreyBodden.

• Like us on Facebook.