The NFL Playoffs Are Here || Preview
Edition #212
First off, I extend my condolences to all the families that have lost homes, items, and more in the fires in the Los Angeles area. Please please stay safe. Let’s take a few line breaks, as a moment of silence, for the people who have lost their lives on this horrendous occasion.
Be sure to join the Sports Square bracket challenge!
It is FINALLY time for the NFL playoffs. This is what everyone has been waiting for. Will we see the Kansas City Chiefs 3-peat? Will we see Josh Allen finally win against Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs? Will we see the Denver Broncos advance past the Wild Card Round? There are so many storylines, and only time can tell us what’s really going to happen.
There are a lot of new teams in it to win it this year. The Chargers and Broncos in the AFC, and the Commanders and the Vikings in the NFC. The Vikings are a team with a real shot to win it all this year, with a QB that was a draft bust. His name is Sam Darnold.
So, let’s look into every team, identify their weaknesses and greatnesses (haha), and see where they’ll go in the playoffs this year. Give me your predictions for the playoffs in the comments below!
Also, as the NFL playoffs rage on, I may not be able to publish any basketball posts for the next month. Beginning all-star weekend, expect more NBA-exclusive posts from me.
Matchups for Wild Card weekend.
Saturday
5 - Chargers @ Texans - 4:30 p.m EST.
6 - Steelers @ Ravens - 8 p.m EST.
Sunday
7 - Broncos @ Bills - 1 p.m EST.
7 - Packers @ Eagles - 4:30 p.m EST.
6 - Commanders @ Buccaneers - 8 p.m EST.
Monday
5 - Vikings @ Rams - 8 p.m EST.
AFC:
Kansas City Chiefs (AFC #1 SEED):
The Kansas City Chiefs are increasingly becoming America’s Team of the 2000s. The Chiefs have endured a lot this season, including an okay Travis Kelce, a very bad rushing attack, and an okay Chris Jones (my opinion) this season. This is a team that ranks 22nd in rushing yards per game, 15th in points scored per game, 18th in passing yards against per game, and 18th in sacks.
The one good thing for Kansas City, though, would be that they’re all healthy and ready to go. Hollywood Brown is back, and the Chiefs really have found their virtue with Xavier Worthy. The defense is ready as well. Mahomes is the kind of guy who makes plays happen. He can extend plays. He can make long plays (although we haven’t seen much of it this year).
The question now only becomes, can they do it again? The Chiefs haven’t made any huge additions in the offseason, other than Hollywood Brown. All the teams around them that have made the playoffs have created this question. Mahomes can certainly make his status in the NFL legendary if he wins one more title.
Can the Chiefs take it to the peak?
Buffalo Bills (AFC #2 SEED):
Let’s just say the truth. The Buffalo Bills and their fans are hungry to beat Patrick Mahomes. They did it this year in the regular season, but that doesn’t matter, because beating Mahomes in the playoffs, at Arrowhead, with a Super Bowl berth on the line? That’s what matters.
Allen is 4-1 against Mahomes in the regular season, while Mahomes is 3-0 in the playoffs.
Allen has put up great numbers this season. He finishes with 3731 yards, with 28 TDs, and 6 interceptions. He had a passer rating of 101.4 this season and a QB rating of 77.2, finishing 2nd in the league. Looking at advanced stats like my friend
, he finished behind Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff for the EPA+CPOE composite ratings, at 0.171. Pretty solid numbers for MVP.The thing that makes it incredibly promising for the Buffalo Bills this season is the fact that Josh Allen has improved, the rushing attack has improved, and even the defense has improved this year with the team having 16 interceptions in total, 5th in the league!
Every year, they say that the Bills will be a threat to the Chiefs. Every year, I just shrug it off, thinking that no one wants the Chiefs to win, which is the only reason why (I don’t want the Chiefs to win either). This year, the Bills really have a legitimate shot at overthrowing the Chiefs and heading to the Super Bowl. For Tom Brady, it was Nick Foles. For Patrick Mahomes, will it be Josh Allen?
Can the Bills take it all the way?
Baltimore Ravens (AFC #3 SEED):
What a season Lamar had in 2024. He started normal, just like a real quarterback. Towards the end of the season, well, he not only became an alien, but his 2025 campaign seemed better than his 2024. How is that possible? I mean, come on, 45 touchdowns and 4 picks, even though you lost your whole offensive line during the season?
Next, Derrick Henry. He’s 31 years old. He’s a quality running back for sure, but many thought he was washed. Fast forward to now, and he just had a 1921-yard season, with 16 touchdowns and a running average of 5.9.
The Ravens’ defense was in the top 10 in almost every single category, and the offense was almost in the top 5! This Ravens offense is #1 in the NFL in YPG and YPP. They have a 74.24% Red Zone scoring percentage.
But, this year isn’t looking the best for Baltimore. For one, Justin Tucker is having his worst season ever. He’s 60/62 in extra points, and 22/30 on field goals, 73.3 percent! While he hasn’t missed any FGs from 20-39, he’s missed 3 from 40-49 yards, and 5 from 50+, numbers unheard of from Justin Tucker. This isn’t something that was before the bye week, but after, meaning that it is unknown if Tucker will do well in crunch time with the Ravens.
Another reason would be the fact that the Ravens just aren’t good in the playoffs. The Ravens had the bye last year and faced the Houston Texans in the divisional round. Well, the Houston Texans are the Texans, and they weren’t built ready for the playoffs stage. The Ravens were able to snag the win. Then you have the next round, the championship round. Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs. A classic and very good matchup on paper, and it was a very good matchup. The Ravens even had the advantage, because it wasn’t at Arrowhead. They had all the opportunities to take it away from the Chiefs, but in the end, Lamar isn’t good in the playoffs. He had 1 interception in that game and finished with 7 sacks in the 2023 playoffs. Not good.
Can the Ravens soar to new heights?
Houston Texans (AFC #4 SEED):
This team is fairly new at the playoff game, with a QB who’s in his sophomore season. C.J. Stroud hasn’t been very good this year, with 3 fewer touchdowns and 7 more interceptions than his rookie year, it seems as if he’s finally come down to Earth. The only real reason the Texans made the playoffs is because of how bad the AFC South was.
The Texans finished 10-7, with the 14th-best offense. The Colts finished 8-9, 2nd in the division, with the 26th best offense. Then comes the Jaguars, who finished 4-13, 3rd in the division, with the 30th-best offense. Finally, the Titans, the team that now has the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, finished with the 32nd-best offense, last in the league. That’s how bad the AFC South was.
While the offense was very bad, the defense was extraordinary this season for the Texans. The reason would really just be their pass rush, which finished 4th in the league in sacks, with 49. Usually, teams with the best pass rush finish well in the regular season and go deep in the playoffs, meaning that we could see something great here.
I don’t have much else to say about the Texans. If they want to win it all in this loaded AFC class, it’s going to depend on whether the offense can produce and if the Texans can continue rushing the QB well. If they can do this, they’ll have a legitimate shot of getting past the Wild Card round, but I don’t know if we can expect more than that from this team.
Can the offense do the offense?
Los Angeles Chargers (AFC #5 SEED):
The Chargers have a very miserable playoff record. This was the team that blew a 27-0 lead against the Jaguars and lost against them 31-30.
The moment Jim Harbaugh arrived, though, everything changed for the Chargers. From the worst record in the AFC West, the Chargers finished 11-6, along with the Chiefs finishing 15-2 and the Broncos finishing 10-7.
The AFC West was the most competitive division in the AFC, and the NFC North was the most competitive division in the NFC.
For some reason, I really can’t find a pro or a con for this team. Jim Harbaugh has been doing a heck of a job in Los Angeles. The Chargers have a takeaway-giveaway differential of +12, 4th in the league behind the Bills, Steelers, and Packers. I feel like the Chargers have a legitimate shot of going on a run here, and the experience of Harbaugh is going to make a huge difference.
Now, here’s the tiny tiny little problem, that could impact everything big time. Their performance against teams with a .500 or better winning percentage wasn’t good, getting only two wins out of seven games against such opponents. Their one loss against a non-.500 team were the Arizona Cardinals. Can they still make a run?
Will the Chargers charge their way?
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC #6 SEED):
This team should be scared about what’s going to happen in the playoffs. They’re coming into the playoffs on a 4-game losing streak, and we all know what happened last year when the Eagles came with that humongous losing streak.
That said, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a takeaway-giveaway differential of +16, which would rank second behind the Buffalo Bills.
But, everything is off for the Steelers right now. Just looking at this 4-game losing streak, you can see how Wilson has impacted the Steelers. Against the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, and Bengals (4 of the best teams in the NFL), he’s thrown 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, with his average completion percentage being 61.8%. Pretty bad.
Can Mike Tomlin finally perform in the playoffs? Or will the same story repeat, once again? He’s the winning-record king, and he has a better QB now. Can they do it?
Can Mike Tomline get a win?
Denver Broncos (AFC #7 SEED):
Finally, the Denver Broncos. This is a team, no one expected coming to the playoffs. But, while many are talking about Bo Nix, and his dominance (he truly has been dominating), we need to look at the defense, which has been superb, especially, the usual culprit, Patrick Surtain II.
We can see that the Denver defense has ranked #1 in sacks this season with 63, and their defense is ranked 7th in the league. That doesn’t show much, though, because going to advanced stats, they rank #1 in EPA/Play, 4th in rush EPA, 3rd in dropback SR, 1st in dropback EPA, and 2nd in success rate. While the Philadelphia Eagles are ranked as the #1 defense, what the Denver Broncos are doing is game-changing.
Bo Nix is a gunslinger. He threw for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season and finished with a 93.3 rating. The Denver offense is in the middle of the pack, mostly because they weren’t able to muster any yards on the ground. Nix finishes 20th in the league for EPA+CPOE composite, 17th for EPA/Play, and has a CPOE of 0.6.
We know though, that even though he doesn’t rank so high in advanced statistics, he can do magic. With 3775 yards on the season, and being top 3 in scoring, this team can do big things, and when it becomes a shootout, they can contest.
Best of all, they have Sean Payton running the club. Experience is experience, and every playoff experience is valuable.
This Broncos team is looking very special. They aren’t expected to go any further than the first round, especially with the gauntlet of matches they might have to face. But, this is a great start for co in Denver.
Can Denver win against Buffalo?
NFC:
Detroit Lions (NFC #1 SEED):
We all know about this team. Great QB. Explosive running back. Amazing receiver. Dan Campbell is probably angry that he isn’t playing in the wild card.
Instead of focusing on the pros for this team, let’s look at the cons. Injuries are something I’ve been talking about with this Lions team for a long time. Without their key studs on defense, and it being playoff time, can the Lions keep it up? At this point in the year, many teams are completely healthy, or completely deprived of health. While their offense hasn’t been affected much, their defense has, meaning that there’s going to be a lot of pressure put on the offense to score. Teams like the Eagles need to stop this explosive offense if they even want a chance at advancing.
Can the Lions overcome the injuries?
Philadelphia Eagles (NFC #2 SEED):
Jalen Hurts was a full participant in practice on Thursday, so things are looking up for the Eagles, but even if they don’t have him on, can Tanner McKee deliver something great in Philly?
Nick Foles was a backup, and Carson Wentz sustained an injury in Week 14 of the NFL season. Foles then went on and led the Eagles on an amazing run, becoming one of the only 2 QBs in NFL history to conquer Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. The other, Eli Manning, is considered one of the greatest QBs to ever exist.
This is all going to rely on Barkley. Can Barkley continue dominating just like he did in the regular season? Can the Vic Fangio defense continue playing amazingly like how it has in the last few weeks of the season? Can the passing game live up to the expectations? But, most of all, do the Eagles have a dual-threat QB in the pocket? Hurts is going to matter big time for this team, and not having this guy is going to hurt (pun intended) big time.
Another huge thing for the Eagles would be special teams. Jake Elliot has missed a lot of FGs and extra points this season. Elliot is the kind of guy who was considered the best kicker in the NFL along with Justin Tucker. Elliot will be the guy they depend on in the playoffs if there’s a case Hurts doesn’t play. Elliot needs to work on his stuff.
This is going to be a very exciting journey for the Eagles, and they have a legitimate shot to make it out of the NFC.
Can the Eagles make it back to the prized game?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC #3 SEED):
I’m sorry, but this team is looking way too good. Baker Mayfield is an alien at this point, throwing 6 300-yard games, and 10 games about 300 yards. He’s ranked 6th in EPA+CPOE, 5th in EPA/play, and 9th in CPOE.
Next, the running game. Glad I was able to pick up Bucky Irving in one of my fantasy leagues. This rookie is even crazier, with 1122, with 8 TDs, and an average of 5.2 per carry.
According to advanced statistics, Tampa Bay’s offense ranks 5th in the NFL. The real problem with this team is the defense, which ranks 17th. This is what’s bugging me. I love the Bucs offense, but if they can’t improve their defensive play, they’re screwed.
Can the Bucs improve on defense?
Los Angeles Rams (NFC #4 SEED):
Sean McVay has done it before. He won a Super Bowl versus the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, with some late-game heroics from Cooper Kupp.
The question is, does this team have it in them?
Puka Nacua has been amazing this season. So has been Cooper Kupp. The real storyline this season though, is the fact that Matthew Stafford isn’t able to use both of them in the same game. Either Puka has an amazing game and Kupp has no catches, or vice versa.
The problem is, the Rams defense isn’t good. They let Allen go for 424 yards and 6 touchdowns. Obviously because of the transition period without Aaron Donald. They’re 23rd ranked in EPA/Play. Positives on the defense, though, have to be rookies Braden Fiske and Jared Verse.
Going back to the offense, ever since that amazing game against the Bills, the Rams haven’t stepped up their game, but taken a huge step back. They got a rest in week 18. Can they use this toward the playoff game this week?
Can the Rams play football?
Minnesota Vikings (NFC #5 SEED):
First thing to set aside, no one expected this team to be here, with a 14-3 record, with Sam Darnold.
Sam Darnold is the perfect example of a QB outcast. He was labeled as a QB bust for the Jets. He went from New Jersey to Carolina and found himself as the backup for Brock Purdy in San Francisco, where he performed extremely well, landing him the backup job for rookie J.J. McCarthy for about 10 mil.
Now, that same guy is being talked about being paid for 50-60 million dollars. That’s a crazy amount of money. From QB bust, if he can take the Vikings to the Super Bowl in the first year outside of the Kirk Cousins era, I mean oh my gosh he will cement himself as a Vikings legend.
Brian Flores is one heck of a defensive coordinator for the Vikings. Along with Mike Vrabel and the Lions OC and DC, Brian Flores is one of those names that’s being thrown out there for every single team looking for a head coach. The Vikings are second in the NFL in EPA/play on defense and fifth in points the other team has scored. Not only that, but they’re also fifth in OPPG.
Heading to the offense, Sam Darnold's weapons, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, have had amazing seasons. Justin Jefferson finished with 1533 yards, and Jordan Addison finished with 875 yards. Sam Darnold finished with 4319 yards.
Now, the problem is, that their offense definitely has some holes. The Lions absolutely exposed the Vikings during their week 18, clinch the #1 seed game. Darnold finished with 166 yards, with 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
This happened for the Vikings team.
They lost by 22, even though Jared Goff threw 2 interceptions. More than this though, we just figured out that the Vikings’ rush defense needs some work, and if it comes to the point where they have to play the Eagles and Saquon Barkley, then they’re screwed.
Can the Vikings shore up their issues in time?
Washington Commanders (NFC #6 SEED):
Let me tell you something. Jayden Daniels could very well be the next Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. But, it’s not for the reason you would think. Actually, it’s pretty obvious, but no one’s digging deep into it.
Clutchness.
I plan to release a clutchness algorithm soon to show you guys who really is the most clutch QB in the NFL.
But, it’s very simple. He was born for those last-second moments. He literally doesn’t show up until the final 50 seconds of the game. His legs are such an important asset to the game. He finished with almost 900 yards on the ground, with 148 carries, and 6 touchdowns.
If I have to point out something about this, it would be the fact that he has 3 fumbles during his rushes. Yes, he’s a rookie and this stuff happens, but if you’re running the ball, you need to be super careful with how things fare, because if that ball comes out, they will convert a TD out of that.
Looking past Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin finished with his 5th straight 1000-yard season. Brian Robinson finished with 800 yards. Zach Ertz finished with 650 yards.
The Commanders had the 13th-ranked defense and came in 22nd in defensive EPA/play. They’ve beat the Eagles with a huge comeback. They’ve beat the Falcons. Can they beat the Buccaneers, a team they lost to in the first week of the season?
Green Bay Packers (NFC #7 SEED):
The Green Bay Packers streak of beating the Chicago Bears for 6 straight years, ended in Week 18, when the Packers lost by a Cairo Santos game-winning kick. If they had won that game and the Commanders lost, the Packers would be playing the Bucs, and the Commies would be playing the Eagles, but things turned right after Jordan Love got injured.
Love has an elbow injury, and is being limited in practice, and is now hopeful to play against the Eagles on Sunday. Putting Malik Willis at QB in the Wild Card round wasn't in the cards (pun intended) for the Green Bay Packers, but he's been okay and reliable for the Packers this season.
Josh Jacobs needs to get going against this defense. Yes, they're the #1 defense in the NFL, and very good against the rush, but if Jacobs doesn't get going and the Packers have Willis at QB, their fate is sealed.
I haven't been high on the Packers this entire season, and I'm not sure why anyone is. This team is too young and just not ready yet to play heavyweights like the Eagles or the Lions. Maybe next year LaFailiure (sorry my Packers bias kicking in on that one).
And I’ll leave you at that. That’s the NFL playoff preview that took me over 5 days to write. Officially comes in at 21,012 characters, 3851 words, 18 minutes of reading time, and 26 minutes of speaking time. Obviously these characters factor in this whole article.
I do expect the Broncos to win, the Ravens to win, and the Chargers to win in the AFC. In the NFC, it’s going to be the Eagles, Bucs, and Vikings.
Chiefs win against the Broncos, Chargers against the Ravens. The Vikings win against the Lions. Eagles win against the Bucs.
Chiefs win against the Chargers. The Vikings win against the Eagles.
Chiefs vs Vikings. The Chiefs win the Super Bowl.
What do you think? Put it down in the comments below! If you haven’t already, be sure to enter a bracket in my playoff bracket challenge!
THE VIKINGS AIN'T MAKING IT