Local, Bears connections to watch in NFL playoffs this weekend

Here's a look at this weekend's NFL's divisional-round playoff games, and some local connections in each game.

Seattle Seahawks (11-5-1) at Atlanta Falcons (11-5)When: 3:35 Saturday on FOX

Line: Falcons by 4 ½

Series: Seahawks lead 10-6

Last meeting: Seahawks beat Falcons 26-24, Oct. 16

Last week: Seahawks beat Lions 26-6; Falcons had bye, beat Saints 38-32 in season finale

Seahawks familiar faces: RS Devin Hester was signed just before the postseason after being cut by the Ravens in December. Hester spent his first eight seasons (2006-13) with the Bears, where he had 19 return touchdowns. Last week, in his first game with the Seahawks, the 34-year-old Hester was unimpressive with 1 kickoff return for 20 yards and 1 punt return for 5 yards. Hester played two seasons (2014-15) for the Falcons just after leaving the Bears. Rookie third-round RB C.J. Prosise (Notre Dame) missed the previous seven weeks with a fractured scapula but was back at practice this week. He had 30 carries for 172 yards and 17 receptions for 208 yards during the regular season. Assistant defensive backs coach Ricky Manning played cornerback for the Bears (2006-07) and led the 2006 team with 5 interceptions.

Falcons familiar faces: Tinley Park RB Tevin Coleman attended south suburban Oak Forest H.S. and was a third-round pick in 2015 out of Indiana. He had 11 touchdowns in 2016, rushing 118 times for 520 yards (4.4-yard average) and 8 scores, while catching 31 passes for 421 yards (13.6-yard average) and 3 TDs. Ten-year veteran RS-WR Eric Weems is a special teams standout, who was with the Bears from 2013-14. Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong held the same post with the Bears for four years (1997-2000).

Houston Texans (10-7) at New England Patriots (14-2)When: 7:15 Saturday on CBS

Line: Patriots by 15 ½

Series: Patriots lead 7-1

Last meeting: Patriots beat Texans 27-0 on Sept. 23, 2016

Last week: Texans beat Raiders 27-14; Patriots had bye, beat Miami 35-14 in season finale

Texans familiar faces: TE C.J. Fiedorowicz attended Johnsburg H.S. and was the first pick of the third round (65th overall) in 2104 out of Iowa. He had 2 catches for 35 yards last week in the 27-14 wild-card-round victory over the Raiders. Fiedorowicz enjoyed a breakout season this year and was second on the team with 54 catches, third with 559 yards and tied for first with 4 touchdowns. Illinois OLB Whitney Mercilus, a 2012 first-round pick (26th overall), had 2 of the Texans' 3 sacks last week and 7 tackles after leading the team with 7 ½ sacks in the regular season. Starting ORG Jeff Allen is a Chicago native who played at King H.S. He started 47 consecutive games at Illinois before he was drafted in the second round (44th overall) by the Chiefs in 2012. Backup ILB Brian Peters played at Northwestern.

Patriots familiar faces: Backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo is an Arlington Heights native who attended Rolling Meadows H.S. He got the first two starts of his NFL career this season and has a 113.3 passer rating. LB Rob Ninkovich is a Blue Island native who also lived in New Lenox and attended Lincoln-Way East H.S., Joliet Junior College and Purdue. He had 4 sacks and 32 tackles in the regular season. TE Martellus Bennett, who played for the Bears from 2013-15, had 55 receptions for 701 yards (12.7-yard average) and 7 touchdowns. DE Chris Long, who had 4 sacks, is the older bother of Bears OL Kyle Long. LB Shea McClellin, who played his first 4 years with the Bears after they drafted him in the first round (19th overall) in 2012, had 41 tackles. Backup OL Ted Karras was a sixth-round draft pick out of Illinois last year. His grandfather, Ted, played on the Bears 1963 championship team.

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)When: 12:05 Sunday on NBC

Line: Chiefs by 1

Series: Steelers lead 21-11

Last meeting: Steelers beat Chiefs 43-14, Oct. 2, 2016

Last week: Steelers beat Dolphins 30-12; Chiefs had bye, beat Chargers 37-27 in season finale

Steelers familiar faces: DE Stephon Tuitt, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2014, had 4 tackles and recovered a fumble in last week's victory over the Dolphins. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley was the Bears' wide receivers coach from 2001-03.

Chiefs familiar faces: Backup TE James O'Shaughnessy, who attended Naperville North H.S., was a fifth-round pick in 2015 out of Illinois State. Co-offensive coordinator Brad Childress attended Marmion Academy in Aurora and then Illinois and Eastern Illinois, where he was a quarterback and wide receiver. ST coordinator Dave Toub held the same position with the Bears for nine years (2004-12). In his first eight years with the Bears, Toub's units were in the top 12 every year and were No. 1 in 2006 and 2007. His players made eight Pro Bowl appearances. OL coach Andy Heck was the Bears' starting OLT for five years (1994-98).

Green Bay Packers (11-6) at Dallas Cowboys (13-3)When: 3:40 Sunday on FOX

Line: Cowboys by 4 ½

Series: Tied 17-17

Last meeting: Cowboys beat Packers 30-16, Oct. 16

Last week: Packers beat Giants 38-13; Cowboys had bye, lost to Eagles 27-13 in season finale

Packers familiar faces: WR Geronimo Allison, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois, had 1 catch for 8 yards last week in the wild-card-round victory over the Giants. But he could play a much bigger role this week, with Jordy Nelson (two cracked ribs) iffy. Starting OT Bryan Bulaga, a first-round pick (23rd overall) out of Iowa in 2010, played at Marian Central Catholic H.S. in Woodstock. Rookie DE Dean Lowery, a fourth-round draft pick, is a product of Rockford Boylan H.S. and Northwestern. OLB Julius Peppers, a 15-year veteran who had 37 ½ sacks in four years (2010-13) with the Bears. Last week he had 3 tackles, a sack and 2 pass breakups.

Cowboys familiar faces: Second-year OL Emmett Cleary is from Arlington Heights and attended St. Viator H.S. He started in the regular-season finale at LT in place of Pro Bowler Tyron Smith (back). Cleary was undrafted out of Boston College in 2013. ORT Doug Free, a 10-year veteran, attended Northern Illinois, where he started 49 games for the Huskies. Backup QB Tony Romo, a three-time Pro Bowler, was undrafted out of Eastern Illinois, where he won the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS.

• Associated Press contributed