After which there have been 14.
The gauntlet that’s the NFL common season is over, and the seven groups in every convention that managed to separate themselves over that 17-game marathon are the one ones who stay standing.
However the NFL’s playoff groups weren’t created equally.
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs hope to turn out to be the primary crew in league historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.
The Detroit Lions, Buffalo Payments and Minnesota Vikings all search their long-awaited first Tremendous Bowl crown, whereas the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles intention to return to prosperity.
Different contenders should show they belong.
14. HOUSTON TEXANS
Nobody is denying the excellence of second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, however his Texans did little to encourage confidence going into the postseason.
Season-ending accidents to playmaking broad receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell capped the potential of their offense.
They beat the Payments in Week 5, however that was earlier than these accidents. They went 0-5 in opposition to the Vikings, Lions, Chiefs, Ravens and Inexperienced Bay Packers.
Their 31-2 loss at residence to the Ravens on Christmas Day — with Houston native Beyoncé within the constructing! — was notably disconcerting.
Houston gained the AFC South at 10-7, with 5 of these wins coming in opposition to opponents inside that lowly division.
13. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The clock struck midnight on the Cinderella Steelers.
After Pittsburgh surprised the NFL with a 10-3 begin, the Steelers become a pumpkin with losses of their ultimate 4 video games.
Individually, none of these losses — which got here in opposition to the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals — had been something to panic about, however cumulatively, they confirmed the Russell Wilson-led Steelers are outclassed in opposition to the NFL’s excellent and nice groups.
12. DENVER BRONCOS
Coming into the season, the Broncos had been anticipated to be among the many NFL’s weakest groups.
However that was earlier than rookie quarterback Bo Nix thrived as a passer and runner in Sean Payton’s system, and earlier than the Denver protection anchored by shutdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II emerged as one of many NFL’s finest.
The AFC’s No. 7 seed is forward of schedule, which suggests making the playoffs was a hit alone. Anything will likely be a bonus for this 10-7 bunch.
11. LOS ANGELES RAMS
A crew led by Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and head coach Sean McVay ought to by no means be dominated out, and so they did go 9-3 of their ultimate 12 video games to win the NFC West at 10-7.
However the sometimes high-powered Rams truly allowed extra factors per recreation (22.7) than they scored (21.6) this season.
Large receiver Puca Nacua and working again Kyren Williams are glorious, and rookie move rushers Jared Verse and Braden Fiske each flashed, however the 31-year-old Kupp is coming off of a down season by his lofty requirements, and the retired Aaron Donald isn’t strolling via the door.
It is a a lot totally different — and fewer deep — crew than the one which gained the Tremendous Bowl three years in the past.
10. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Powered by the gun-slinging Baker Mayfield, this Bucs offense might be downright scary.
One other 1,000-yard season from Mike Evans, together with second-half surges by rookies Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan, helped Tampa take in the season-ending lack of Chris Godwin and win the NFC South at 10-7.
However the Bucs secondary is susceptible, and counting on profitable shootouts is usually not a profitable method within the NFL playoffs.
9. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Maybe a good greater shock than the Broncos had been the Jayden Daniels-led Commanders.
Daniels, the No. 2 decide in final yr’s draft, instantly seemed the a part of a franchise quarterback, and his huge arm and elite working make the Commanders a risk in opposition to anyone.
Washington’s protection, too, carried out higher than anticipated, serving to the Commanders enhance from 4-13 final season to 12-5 this yr.
Jayden Daniels of the Commanders was a revelation as a rookie. (Picture by Sam Hodde/Getty Photos)8. GREEN BAY PACKERS
The Packers didn’t fairly skyrocket of their second season below Jordan Love like some anticipated after final yr’s playoff run, however they nonetheless completed 11-6 in soccer’s hardest division.
Inexperienced Bay boasts steadiness few different groups can rival, with an influence run recreation fueled by Josh Jacobs; a big-play protection that delivered 31 takeaways; and a Love-led passing assault that’s three deep at broad receiver even after Christian Watson suffered an ACL tear within the season finale.
Certainly, the Cheeseheads root for a crew with none holes.
7. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
It might sound cliché, however working the soccer and enjoying good protection are nonetheless vital elements in in the present day’s NFL.
And that’s the DNA of Jim Harbaugh’s soccer crew.
The Chargers authored the league’s stingiest protection by way of factors allowed (17.7 per recreation), and the latest return of J.Ok. Dobbins from a knee harm offers them an explosive possibility in a backfield that may additionally grind out powerful yardage behind a stout offensive line.
That’s to not point out the Chargers make use of one of many NFL’s finest quarterbacks in Justin Herbert, who discovered a dependable goal in rookie broad receiver Ladd McConkey.
6. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
It’s not typical {that a} 14-win crew would place this low within the rankings.
Nonetheless, underwhelming performances by quarterback Sam Darnold and his offensive line in Sunday evening’s 31-9 loss to the Lions give some pause heading into the postseason.
Nonetheless, the Vikings had gained 9 video games in a row earlier than then, and Darnold largely thrived this season with weapons Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.
Ending because the No. 5 seed means the Vikings could not get a house recreation even when they go on a run.
5. BALTIMORE RAVENS
Lamar Jackson could have simply delivered the best season ever by a quarterback.
He’s the primary QB in NFL historical past to throw greater than 40 landing passes and fewer than 5 interceptions.
He’s the primary QB in NFL historical past to eclipse 4,000 passing yards and 900 speeding yards.
However this can be a Tremendous-Bowl-or-bust season for Jackson, who’s 2-4 in his playoff profession and struggled final postseason in an AFC Championship Recreation loss to the Chiefs.
This yr’s addition of working again Derrick Henry — who rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns regardless of turning 31 final week — made Baltimore much more harmful en path to a 12-5 report and an AFC North title.
However the Ravens allowed 244.1 passing yards per recreation — the second-worst charge within the NFL — making them extra depending on their offense than others on this listing.
Derrick Henry delivered one other big season in his first yr with the Ravens. (Picture by Greg Fiume/Getty Photos)4. DETROIT LIONS
The Lions completely ooze confidence below head coach Dan Campbell, and so they again it up on the sphere, too.
Their 33.2 factors per recreation on offense led the NFL. The 20.1 factors per recreation they allowed defensively had been the seventh fewest.
They went 15-2 and had been clearly the superior crew of their Week 18 win over Minnesota to lock up the NFC North and the convention’s No. 1 seed.
The one actual knock in opposition to Detroit is well being. Star defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill suffered season-ending accidents. No. 1 cornerback Carlton Davis III just isn’t anticipated again, both, after fracturing his jaw.
Operating again David Montgomery is predicted again after the first-round bye, however it’s unclear how near 100% he’ll be a month after struggling an MCL harm that originally appeared destined for season-ending surgical procedure.
It might be tough to place the Lions over the Payments after the latter gained in Detroit, 48-42, in a Week 15 assembly that wasn’t as shut as the ultimate rating suggests.
3. BUFFALO BILLS
For all of Jackson’s aforementioned excellence, it’s nonetheless Payments quarterback Josh Allen whom most bookmakers contemplate the favourite to win NFL MVP.
That’s as a result of Allen totaled 40 touchdowns, in opposition to six interceptions, regardless of being largely devoid of playmakers round him.
He took solely 14 sacks in a credit score to his escapability and the Payments’ overpowering offensive line.
An early-season 35-10 loss at Baltimore raised issues, however Allen and the Payments surged down the stretch, dealing the Chiefs their solely loss in a recreation began by Patrick Mahomes and giving the Lions certainly one of their two losses, too.
They gained the AFC East at 13-4, together with going 8-0 at residence, and would host the Ravens ought to they meet within the playoffs.
Allen is 5-5 in his playoff profession — together with 0-3 in opposition to the Chiefs — and faces related strain to win as Jackson.
Josh Allen and the Payments went 13-4 this season. (Picture by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Photos)2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
It virtually went below the radar how dominant the Eagles had been this season.
Saquon Barkley’s 2,005 yards led a speeding assault that was simply the NFC’s finest. The Eagles’ protection was the convention’s finest, too, in surrendering solely 17.8 factors per recreation.
And for all the overblown scrutiny the Eagles’ passing recreation garnered at instances this season, Philly nonetheless boasts a battle-tested quarterback in Jalen Hurts and a dynamic broad receiver duo in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
The Eagles went 14-3. They gained 12 of their ultimate 13 video games, with the lone loss being final month’s 36-33 defeat by the Commanders after Hurts left within the first quarter with a concussion.
Assuming Hurts clears concussion protocol earlier than the weekend, this might very effectively be the crew to beat.
1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Who else?
The Chiefs went 15-1 in video games began by Mahomes this season, and whereas there have been actually some fortunate finishes alongside the best way, Kansas Metropolis’s observe report is unattainable to disregard.
Mahomes is 12-2 in residence playoff video games, and the AFC as soon as once more runs via Kansas Metropolis.
Travis Kelce delivered his second consecutive underwhelming common season, however he delivered three sturdy performances final postseason and was presumably simply preserving himself this yr for one more playoff run.
Kansas Metropolis runs the ball effectively, performs good protection, has a mastermind at head coach in Andy Reid and, if all else fails, employs a three-time Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback who seemingly all the time makes the required performs to win.
And whereas Beyoncé couldn’t will the Texans to victory, the Taylor Swift impact appears to serve the Chiefs simply effective.
Initially Printed: January 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM EST
