With the 272 games of the NFL regular season complete, the NFL’s Playoffs are set to see who will be crowned the champion of Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans. The NFL’s playoffs consist of 14 teams in a four round single elimination tournament. The top seeds in both conferences, the NFC and the AFC received a bye into the next round, while the other twelve teams must play in the Wild Card Round. The AFC’s top seed is the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFC’s top seed is the Detroit Lions.
Tied for the best record in the NFL with a 15-2 record, the Kansas City Chiefs are seeking their third straight Super Bowl title. Led behind their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs lost only one of the sixteen games started during the course of the season. Similar to last season, the Kansas City offense has not been as potent, but instead saw success from their defense. Kansas City’s offense has lacked Rashee Rice most of the season due to injury and has not had starting running back Isiah Pacheco for a large part of the season. Despite their successful season, Kansas City has seen numerous wins come from what seems like lucky breaks. Some of those wins include: when the Chiefs beat the Broncos by a blocked field goal, when the Chiefs beat the Chargers on a barely made field goal and when the Chiefs beat the Ravens thanks to Ravens receiver Isiah Likely not getting feet in for a catch. The Chiefs enter the postseason with wins against the Ravens, Texans, Chargers, Steelers, Broncos and the Buccaneers. They play the lowest remaining AFC team in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The second seed in the AFC is the Buffalo Bills with a 13-4 record. Led by MVP candidate Josh Allen, the Bills have answered preseason questions on whether or not the Bills could still compete without Stefon Diggs. While the Bills have won the previous four AFC East championships prior to this year, the reputation of the Bills recently is that they cannot get by the Chiefs after losing to them three times in the playoffs over the last four years. Buffalo faced early season struggles with a big loss to Ravens, and barely beating the Jets. Since then, the Bills have found their stride and went on to easily win their division. Buffalo has significant wins over the Chiefs and the Lions. The Bills are given a 10.6% chance to win the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. They are the only team with wins over both the Lions and Chiefs. In the Wildcard Round the Bills will play the Denver Broncos.
The Denver Broncos are the seventh seed of the AFC with a 10-7 record. The Broncos have not made the playoffs since the 2015-2016 season when they won Super Bowl 50, but return this year. Led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix, it appears the Broncos have finally reached a conclusion to their long search for a quality quarterback. The Broncos defense was the third best in terms of points allowed, only allowing 18.3 points per game. Led by the former Saints coach Sean Payton, the Broncos hope they finally have the answer to their nearly decade long struggle. The Denver Broncos have significant wins over the Chiefs (benched their starters) and the Buccaneers. The Broncos are given a .9% chance to win the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. The Bills are given a 68% chance of winning against the Broncos.
The third seed of the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens who have a 12-5 record. After finishing with the best record in the NFL in 2023, the Ravens were unable to defeat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. After another successful season, the Ravens once again won the AFC North. Led by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and legendary running back Derrick Henry, the Ravens offense ranks among the best in the league. The Ravens hold significant wins over the Bills, Texans, Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Buccaneers and the Commanders. The Ravens have a 9.9% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. In the Wild Card Round, the Ravens play their rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the 6th seed of the AFC with a 10-7 record. Led by Super Bowl Champion quarterback Russell Wilson, the Steelers have long looked for a capable quarterback after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. While the Steelers found early season success with their offense, the Steelers offense has since stalled, they now are on a four game losing slump. The Steelers hold significant wins against the Ravens, Chargers, Broncos and Commanders. The Steelers have a .4% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. The Ravens are given a 72% chance of winning against the Steelers.
The fourth seed of the AFC is the Houston Texans, who hold a 10-7 record. The Texans won the AFC South, quite possibly the weakest division in the NFL. The Texans opened with a successful start, however they faced struggles later in the season. The Texans are missing two wide receivers to season ending injuries, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, which has hampered their offense. The Texans have bad losses to bad losses to the Jets and a loss against the three win Titans. Despite that, the Texans hold a significant early season win against the Bills. The Texans hold a 1.6% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. Their Wildcard opponent is the Los Angeles Chargers.
The fifth seed of the AFC is the Los Angeles Chargers, who hold a 11-6 record. Led by newly hired head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers offense has seen an explosion with their new leader. Quarterback Justin Herbert has shown again that he is amongst the best in the league, with another efficient season. Along with their explosive offense, the Chargers defense has allowed the fewest points of any team this season allowing 17.7 points per game. The Chargers hold two significant wins against the Broncos. The Chargers enter the playoffs with a 3.6% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. ESPN gives the Chargers a 53% chance of defeating the Texans.
Much like the Chiefs in the AFC, the Detroit Lions also have a 15-2 record and are the one seed of their conference. The Lions are led behind quarterback Jared Goff and his running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. After coming short in the NFC Championship last year against the 49ers, the Lions are seeking to make their first ever Super Bowl. The Lions have faced questions about their defensive injuries in the latter parts of the regular season, but they will receive a bye which might give the Lions a better chance to get their players healthy. The Lions have significant wins against the Rams, Vikings, Packers, and the Texans. The Lions play the lowest remaining NFC team in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Lions have a 22.4% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic.
The two seed of the NFC is the Philadelphia Eagles with a 14-3 record. After a disastrous ending of the 2023 season, the Eagles faced questions whether they were truly a legitimate team to win a title. After acquiring running back Saquon Barkley from the division rival Giants, he surpassed any expectations for him after collecting 2,000 yards throughout the season. In addition to their explosive run offense, the Eagles have the second best defense by points allowed, allowing 17.8 points per game. The Eagles hold significant wins against the Rams, Commanders, Packers, Ravens and Steelers. The Eagles have a 10.9% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. Their Wild Card opponent is the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers are the seventh seed in the NFC, holding a 11-6 record. The Packers opened the season against the Eagles in Brazil, and nearly faced a disaster after Jordan Love suffered an injury in the late fourth quarter. After acquiring free agent running back Josh Jacobs, the running game for the Packers has exploded. The Packers have played in arguably the best division in football, and collected a 1-5 record against division teams. The Packers have significant wins against the Rams and the Texans. The Packers have a 3% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. ESPN gives the Eagles a 51% chance of defeating the Packers.
The third seed in the NFC is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 10-7 record. The Buccaneers secured their 5th straight playoff appearance after winning the NFC South for the 4th straight year. Tampa Bay’s offense has been led by quarterback Baker Mayfield who has collected 4,500 yards throughout the course of the season. After an abysmal past few years of rushing for Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers have seen a resurgence in the rush along with rookie running back Bucky Irving. However, the Buccaneers defense has seen injuries to players like star safety Antoine Winfield. The Buccaneers have significant wins over the Lions, Eagles, Commanders and Chargers. The Buccaneers have a 4.7% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. Their opponent in the Wild Card round is the Commanders.
The sixth seed of the NFC is the Washington Commanders with a 12-5 record. After several abysmal seasons, Washington finally appears to have an answer to their struggles. The Commanders used the second pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on quarterback Jayden Daniels, and he has been everything they could have asked for. His explosive rookie season has led him to a spot on the Pro Bowl roster. In addition to a new quarterback, the Commanders also have a new coach in Dan Quinn. The Commanders have a significant win over their division rival, the Eagles. The Commanders have a 1.4% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. ESPN gives Tampa Bay a 58% chance of defeating the Commanders. Tampa Bay won their previous matchup in Week 1.
The fourth seed of the NFC is the Los Angeles Rams with a 10-7 record. The Rams got off to a dreadful start to 2024 with a 1-4 record. However, the Rams were able to get healthy and go on a later season run to secure the NFC West. The Rams faced significant changes with their defensive personnel, such as losing Aaron Donald, but they were able to draft several rookies that shored up gaps. The Rams have significant wins over the Vikings and the Bills. The Rams have a 2.8% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. It is worth noting that the Rams will not receive their home field advantage because of the fires that are currently in Southern California. The game will be held in Arizona instead of Los Angeles.
The fifth seed of the NFC is the Minnesota Vikings with a 14-3 record. The Vikings had initially planned on starting rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, however after he faced a season ending injury, the Vikings turned to former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold has surpassed expectations leading the Vikings to a fourteen win season. In addition to Darnold, the Vikings acquired free agent running back Aaron Jones. He, along with receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison have helped the Vikings offense get to new levels. The Vikings have two significant wins over their divisional rival, the Packers. The Vikings are given a 5.2% chance of winning the Super Bowl according to the Athletic. ESPN favors the Vikings, given them a 53% chance to defeat the Rams.
Super Bowl 59 will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 9th. This will be the 11th time New Orleans will hold the Super Bowl.
