🔗 Share this article

One dominant era has ended, veteran leaders have struggled, and unexpected teams have risen to become championship contenders.

Even seasoned analyst Cris Collinsworth has remarked, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."

The playoff field is set with 14 teams, marking the first time in over a decade that the Kansas City Chiefs are not participating.

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.

However, in a rare statistical twist, 11 of the 14 playoff teams secured at least 11 victories during the regular season, a feat achieved only twice in the past 35 years.

A record five teams qualified after suffering 11 or more losses the previous year, with two—New England and Chicago—completing a "worst-to-first" turnaround 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."

How Do the NFL Playoffs Function?

The NFL playoffs consist of 14 total teams—seven from the American Football Conference (AFC) and seven from the National Football Conference (NFC).

A twelve-game, single-elimination bracket over three weeks keeps AFC and NFC teams apart, culminating in the conference champions facing off in Super Bowl 60.

Home-field benefit goes to the better seed each round, and the number one seeds, Denver and Seattle, automatically advance past the initial Wildcard Weekend.

Denver and Seattle start their playoff runs in the Divisional Round. The AFC and NFC champions, decided in the Conference Championship games, will play for the Lombardi Trophy at Levi's Stadium.

A rematch of the 2014 Super Bowl between Seattle and Denver is possible, though Denver later rebounded to win Super Bowl 50 at the same venue in 2016.

An Unprecedentedly Open Path to the AFC Title

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.

The absence of recent Most Valuable Players like Mahomes and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson leaves the AFC postseason without its usual headliners, opening the door wide.

This scenario creates a wide-open AFC Championship race, offering a chance for emerging stars like Denver's Bo Nix and New England's Drake Maye to etch their names in playoff lore.

The AFC champion has come from a very small group since 2016, and the players from those winning teams have all since moved on.

Top seed Denver has minimal recent playoff experience, and besides the Broncos and Patriots, Pittsburgh is the only other AFC playoff team with a Super Bowl appearance since 1995.

However, two veteran AFC quarterbacks with extensive pedigrees—Aaron Rodgers of Pittsburgh and Buffalo's Josh Allen—could use their experience to challenge the newcomers.

Who Are the Super Bowl and MVP Favorites?

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 Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have essentially been in playoff mode for weeks, battling Seattle in the fiercely competitive NFC West.

Seattle won the NFC West with 14 victories, carrying a seven-game win streak into the playoffs following critical late-season wins over its division foes.

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.

Maye has thrived under new head coach Mike Vrabel, helping New England dramatically improve from a 4-13 record last season to 14-3.

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

Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers (21:30)

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

Sunday, 11 January

The Bills are on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars (18:00)

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

The Chargers visit the New England Patriots (01:00 Monday)

Monday, 12 January

The Texans meet the Pittsburgh Steelers (01:00 Tuesday)

Major Plotlines Heading into Wildcard Weekend

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.

Injuries late in the year halted Green Bay's surge, but the return of quarterback Jordan Love is timely for the latest chapter of the league's most historic rivalry.

Despite exceeding expectations by winning the NFC North, Chicago faces pressure to avoid a third consecutive loss and an early playoff exit.

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

Buffalo's Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, hopes to finally reach the Super Bowl, but the Bills must travel to Jacksonville, a team riding an eight-game winning 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