🔗 Share this article

A longstanding powerhouse has fallen, big names have faltered, and longshots have transformed into legitimate title threats.

As noted by experienced analyst Cris Collinsworth, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."

Fourteen teams will battle in the postseason, and notably, the Kansas City Chiefs are missing for the first time in eleven years.

Last year's champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, have been less formidable, and teams like the Buffalo Bills, tipped for success early on, have not delivered.

Demonstrating the season's strength, an impressive 11 out of the 14 playoff entrants notched 11-plus wins, something that has happened merely twice since the late 1980s.

An unprecedented five clubs reached the playoffs following seasons with 11 or more defeats, including New England and Chicago, who each went from last place to first in their divisions.

"If you ask me to pick a favourite, I don't know, because you can put something on all of them," Collinsworth added.

"Witnessing these emerging quarterbacks compete will be incredible, given their unknown ceilings. These moments are where football legends start their journeys."

The Mechanics of the NFL Postseason

Fourteen teams enter the postseason, split evenly with seven representatives from both the AFC and NFC.

The conferences remain separate throughout a three-week, 12-game knockout tournament that determines each conference's representative in Super Bowl 60 on February 8.

The highest-seeded team in each matchup enjoys home-field advantage, with the top seeds—Denver and Seattle—receiving a first-round bye during Wildcard Weekend.

The top seeds enter in the Divisional Round. Victors in the Conference Championships, which serve as Super Bowl semifinals, advance to the championship at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium.

The possibility exists for a Seattle-Denver Super Bowl replay from 2014, despite Denver's subsequent victory in the last Super Bowl held at Levi's Stadium back in 2016.

The AFC Championship Picture: A Field of Opportunity

With Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes absent from the playoffs for the first time in his career, a major postseason fixture is missing.

Adding to the change, Super Bowl 60 will lack both Mahomes and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati, breaking a streak dating back to 2019.

Powerhouse franchises like Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Baltimore all missed the playoffs, removing the AFC's customary frontrunners and clearing the stage.

The path to the AFC title is therefore unobstructed, allowing rising talents including Bo Nix of Denver and New England's Drake Maye to pursue playoff immortality.

Since 2016, only three franchises have won the AFC Championship, and none of those teams' players from their last title remain.

The AFC's number one seed, Denver, has barely played in the postseason lately, and Pittsburgh joins them as the only current AFC playoff teams with Super Bowl experience in the last 30 years.

Yet, seasoned passers like Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen of Buffalo remain, possessing the know-how to potentially outduel the younger generation.

Identifying the Frontrunners for the Super Bowl and MVP

Teams from the NFC have dominated Super Bowl appearances lately, with the Eagles, Rams, or 49ers featuring in nearly every title game for eight years.

The Rams and 49ers have felt postseason pressure for a while, competing intensely with Seattle in what is considered the NFL's toughest division, the NFC West.

The Seahawks claimed the division crown with a 14-3 mark, riding a seven-game victory streak into the postseason after besting both the Rams and 49ers late.

This earned Seattle the NFC's top seed, making them slight Super Bowl favorites, just ahead of the 12-5 Rams, whose quarterback Matthew Stafford is the MVP frontrunner.

Stafford, who won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams in 2022, has never won the MVP but is rated just ahead of New England's second-year quarterback, Drake Maye.

Under the guidance of new coach Mike Vrabel, Maye has flourished, instrumental in New England's stunning reversal from 4-13 a year ago to a 14-3 powerhouse.

Similarly, Chicago's Caleb Williams has blossomed in his second year with new coach Ben Johnson, leading the Bears from five wins to eleven and securing the NFC's number two seed.

The NFL Playoff Kickoff: Wildcard Weekend Matchups

All times are in GMT

Saturday, 10 January

Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams (21:30)

Chicago Bears welcome the Green Bay Packers (01:00 Sunday)

Sunday, 11 January

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars (18:00)

Philadelphia Eagles face the San Francisco 49ers (21:30)

New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers (01:00 Monday)

Monday, 12 January

Pittsburgh Steelers face the Houston Texans (01:00 Tuesday)

What to Watch For During the Playoff Openers

Carolina, having secured the NFC South with a poor 8-9 mark, hosts the Los Angeles Rams in the first playoff game, an unusual occurrence.

The Rams, playing as visitors, are powered by Matthew Stafford's league-leading passing numbers and a record year from wideout Puka Nacua.

Green Bay's momentum was stalled by late-season injuries, but they will have quarterback Jordan Love back for just the third playoff game in the NFL's oldest rivalry.

Winning the NFC North was an achievement for Chicago, but the Bears now aim to prevent a three-game losing streak from ending their playoff run abruptly.

San Francisco, dealing with numerous injuries, must challenge the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia, a team that enters well-rested.

Reigning MVP Josh Allen of Buffalo dreams of his first Super Bowl, but the Bills face a difficult road test against a red-hot Jacksonville team on an eight-game win streak.

{New England aims to avoid an upset at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, whose quarterback Justin Herbert seeks his first playoff win in his sixth season.|The Patriots hope to defend their home field against the Chargers, as LA's quarterback Justin Herbert looks for his inaugural postseason victory in year six.|At home, New England tries to stave off the Chargers, with Justin Herbert attempting to secure his first career playoff