1. Detroit Lions
Most teams that earn a Bye already have the No. 1 seed wrapped up with games remaining in the regular season. The Lions had to compete until the finish line, beating down the Vikings to secure an NFC North title in Week 18. They shouldn’t have a problem ramping back up after watching Wild Card weekend from home. They have just one loss since Week 2 — a 48-42 shootout against a great Bills team.
2. Buffalo Bills
The Bills can keep up with any team offensively. The other side of the football is where Buffalo is susceptible. In those matchups against Los Angeles and Detroit, the defense allowed 86 total points. The Broncos aren’t exactly known as a high-powered offense, but they’re averaging 32.6 PPG over their last seven games. If Buffalo gets upset in their first-round matchup, it will be because of their leaky defense.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
The back-to-back defending champions had one of the weirder regular seasons in recent memory. They ranked 15th in scoring — behind the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers. It seemed like every week they needed multiple plays to go their way in the fourth quarter to squeak out wins. They barely got by against teams like the Panthers and Saints.
And, yet they were 15-1 heading into Week 18 with the No. 1 seed already locked up. Patrick Mahomes is coming off his worst regular season to date, but he’s always risen to the occasion in the playoffs. The same goes for Travis Kelce. Winning in Arrowhead in January has never been easy. With a third-straight Super Bowl in their sights, the Chiefs could be saving their best for last.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles finished the season with 12 wins in their last 13 games and are looking to make up for their early playoff exit a season ago. The one loss came to the Washington Commanders when Jalen Hurts exited in the first quarter with an injury. This group has won together before and has the talent to make another run. Adding Saquon Barkley into the mix gives them an entirely new dimension they didn’t have two years ago. Matching up with Philadelphia’s skill players won’t be easy for any team in the league.
5. Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are primed for a run. After dropping a Week 13 game to the Eagles, the Ravens went on a tear for the last month of the season en route to securing the AFC North title. Jackson has been sensational all year, and will likely earn a third MVP trophy. He has 1,900-yard rusher Derrick Henry in the backfield with him this time. Zay Flowers’ injury in Week 18 is something to monitor, but they shouldn’t need him to take care of the reeling Steelers in the Wild Card round.
6. Minnesota Vikings
Some may have soured on the Vikings after their performance against the Lions in the season finale. However, this is a team that hadn’t lost since Week 8 and was perfect through November and December. QB Sam Darnold will have to shake off his poor performance quickly as the Vikings prepare for a difficult Wild Card matchup. To make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1977, the Vikings will likely have to get through the only two teams that beat them during the regular season — the Rams and Lions.
7. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams battled through early injuries and a 1-4 start to make it to the postseason. Their regular season numbers aren’t overly impressive. Among the 14 playoff teams, the Rams scored the least amount of points and had the worst point differential. They won the NFC West despite finishing fourth in points scored in the division. However, this is a team capable of putting it together any given week. We saw Matthew Stafford and the offense dissect the Bills in an exciting Week 14 showdown that ended 44-42. Nobody wants to face that version of this Rams team.
8. Green Bay Packers
The Packers finished 1-5 against the NFC North, and 10-1 against every other team in the league. They simply couldn’t get the job done against the Vikings or Lions, but three of those four contests were decided by one score. RB Josh Jacobs has added some balance to the offense, but the team will be without speedy wideout Christian Watson for the rest of the postseason. Jordan Love got his first taste of the playoffs last year, can he lead this Packer group through a loaded NFC field?
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Teams that run hot and cold can be scary to face in the postseason. The Bucs are a team that can beat anybody, and also lose to anybody. They beat the top two seeds in the NFC (Lions and Eagles) earlier in the year and then suffered a four-game losing streak weeks later. They dominated the playoff-bound Chargers in Los Angeles and then lost to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys the next week.
In Week 18 with the playoffs on the line, they went into halftime down 10 points to Spencer Rattler and a decrepit Saints team. They eventually pulled out the win, and Baker Mayfield was excellent in the second half. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mayfield has a few big games in store for the playoffs.
10. Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh successfully turned around the Chargers in Year 1. Now, can he keep it going through the playoffs? The Chargers aren’t overly stacked from a roster perspective. But, what they do have is a franchise signal caller under center and a stingy defense that can get after opposing QBs. It also helps that their Wild Card matchup is a Texans team that has struggled as of late.
11. Denver Broncos
The Broncos sort of limped into the playoffs after defeating the Chiefs’ backups in Week 18. They had a chance to clinch a postseason berth before that but dropped games to the Chargers and Bengals. Still, this Denver team isn’t an easy out with a talented defense and Sean Payton at the helm. Rookie QB Bo Nix is coming off his best game as a pro against Kansas City. Given the way Nix has built confidence throughout the year, he won’t shy away from the spotlight in the Broncos’ Wild Card matchup against the Bills.
12. Washington Commanders
There was a nice response from this team after falling to a season-low 7-5. The Commander tallied five wins in a row to close the season and clinch a playoff spot. That includes a pivotal Week 17 victory in overtime over the Atlanta Falcons that essentially acted like a postseason eliminator. QB Jayden Daniels is on his way to winning Rookie of the Year and is the main catalyst for a dynamic Washington offense. His dual-threat ability gives them a chance in any potential matchup.
13. Houston Texans
It’s been a disastrous two months for the Texans. After a 6-2 start, Houston finished 4-5 over their last nine including losses to the lowly Jets and Titans, and a 31-2 thumping by the Baltimore Ravens. They’re without two of their top receivers — Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell — and boast arguably the worst offensive line in the entire playoff field. CJ Stroud regressed in Year 2. This remains a talented group, but it already feels like they might be ready for the offseason.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
Just a month ago, it seemed like the Steelers could be dark horses to make a Super Bowl run. They had improved their record to 10-3 after winning seven of eight. It’s been downhill ever since. They’re completely reeling as we enter postseason play having lost four in a row in ugly fashion. Russell Wilson seems to regress each week, and they don’t have a player offensively that they can trust to make a play in a big spot. The defense remains stout, but this doesn’t seem like a group that will threaten any of the top teams in the AFC.
