RADIO
No. 14: Denver Broncos
The team with the toughest path to win the Super Bowl is the Denver Broncos. As the No.7 seed in the AFC, they will open their playoff run traveling up to Buffalo to face MVP candidate Josh Allen.
If they were to pull off the upset (as 8.5-point underdogs), they would then be forced to travel to Kansas City to face the reigning champions. If they were to continue their Cinderella run, they would then face the Baltimore Ravens in the championship, assuming the other half of the conference goes chalk. They would have to knock down the top three quarterbacks in the league to reach the Super Bowl.
No. 13: Green Bay Packers
The other No.7 seed has a slightly easier path. Last season, the Packers marched into Dallas as the No.7 seed and dismantled the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys. This year, they will have to shut down 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley. However, quarterback Jalen Hurts sustained a concussion in Week 16 and could potentially see a drop in production.
Following this win, they would have to go to Detroit to take on the 15-win Lions and then potentially the No.3 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers if they take care of business.
No. 12: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers will open their playoff run by traveling to Baltimore to take on a familiar foe in a classic rivalry game on Saturday night. However, the Steelers offense has struggled mightily over the past month and could be in for a tough task against the Ravens. They have not scored 20 points in each of their past four games.
During this span, they lost to both the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City. The Steelers will have to face the Ravens this weekend and likely the Chiefs in the next round, assuming the Bills take care of business.
No. 11: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans will take an undermanned passing attack against the high-flying Los Angeles Chargers, who have scored at least 34 points in each of their past three games. C.J. Stroud will be without two of his top three wideouts due to injuries leaving Nico Collins as the lone proven option at wide receiver.
Over the past three games, they have only scored more than 20 points once and lost two of these games to two teams currently in the playoffs, the Ravens and Chiefs. They will likely face at least one of these teams if they can get past the Chargers, who are a 2.5-point underdog, too.
No. 10: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers will open their playoff run as the favorite despite being the No.5 seed against the No.4 seed Houston Texans. While the Chargers are the current favorite, they will have two very tough matchups ahead of them to make it out of the AFC.
If they can defeat the Houston Texans, they will travel to Kansas City (assuming the No.7 seed loses this weekend) and then travel to Buffalo or Baltimore in the AFC Championship to face one of the top MVP candidates. While Justin Herbert has performed very well this season, he will have to knock down the top quarterbacks in the sport before even making the Super Bowl.
No. 9: Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders proved many people wrong this season by posting their first 12-win season since 1991. Head coach Dan Quinn and rookie sensation Jayden Daniels led much of this success. However, this team enters the playoffs with many concerns and has a challenging route ahead of them.
They will open their postseason run in Tampa Bay. While their secondary has improved, they have struggled to contain the run. Saquon Barkley ran for 150 yards in Week 16, and Bijan Robinson ran for 90 yards and scored two points against Washington. They will face rookie Bucky Irving, who is enjoying an impressive second half. If they pull off the upset they will then travel to Detroit to face Jahmyr Gibbs and then Barkley and the Eagles in the NFC Championship.
No. 8 Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings took a tough loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 which pushed them down to the No.5 seed in the conference, which made their path to the Super Bowl much harder. They will open against the Los Angeles Rams who have a potent offense and a defense that is surging at the right time.
If they were to travel to LA and pick up a victory, they would get a rematch against the Lions, who defeated them twice this season and will not have it much easier in the NFC Championship as they would likely travel to Philadelphia.
No. 7: Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have a slightly easier path than the Vikings, given how well their defense has performed in the final month of the season. During Weeks 15 through 17, the Rams held their opponents to less than ten points in each contest.
From the offensive side of the ball, they have one of the best wide receivers in football in Puka Nacua and an experienced Matthew Stafford, who has won playoff games on the road during their 2021 Super Bowl run. As the No.4 seed, there is a path where they can host two playoff games.
No. 6: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers were able to move up to the No.3 seed in the NFC after a positive turn of events in Week 18. As a result, they will host in the Wild Card round and have a decent chance to host again in the NFC Championship if the top seeds fall out.
They have a favorable matchup against a rookie quarterback and a defense that has struggled at times this season, especially when stopping the run. They would then travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles and then the Lions in the championship game. However, they have defeated the Lions once this season and have a top-10 rushing defense which should matchup well against both of the top seeds in the conference.
No. 5: Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens will be led by Lamar Jackson, who is on track to win his second-straight MVP. He will open his postseason run by hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Jackson has struggled against this defense before, given how poorly the Steelers have played, the Ravens should be in a good position to take care of business.
After this victory, they will likely travel to Buffalo, who they defeated 35-10 back in September. In the AFC Championship, they would likely face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead. While Jackson will have to defeat two of the top quarterbacks in the sport, he has played at an elite level of all season and could even be the slight favorite in some of these games.
No. 4: Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have never been able to put it together in the playoffs, but this season may be different. They will open their Super Bowl journey as 8.5-point favorites over the Denver Broncos.
After they take care of business there, they will likely host the Baltimore Ravens and would then get a rematch in Kansas City in the AFC Championship. While Allen struggled in his first meeting against the Ravens in September, he performed very well against the Chiefs, suggesting this may be the year he can finally book his ticket to the Super Bowl.
No. 3: Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles will open their playoff run facing a Green Bay Packers (-4.5) team that will be without wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) and star defensive back Jaire Alexander (knee). Even though Jalen Hurts will see his first action since Week 16 due to a concussion, he will likely lean on Saquon Barkley to settle himself in.
Luckily, the Eagles will not have to face the 15-win Detroit Lions until the NFC Championship. In the second round, they will host another game in Philadelphia, in which they will be heavy favorites as well. With an elite rushing attack and defense, they should be in prime position to reach the Super Bowl.
No. 2: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions took care of business in Week 18 and secured a first-round bye. This makes their path much easier, as the entire NFC must run through Detroit.
In the second round, they will automatically face the lowest seed remaining. This could be an injured Green Bay team coming off a thrilling upset, a rookie quarterback from D.C., or a Minnesota Vikings team they defeated twice this season. In addition, power running back David Montgomery could be nearing a return to bolster an already elite offensive attack.
No. 1: Kansas City Chiefs
The reigning champions are the team with the easiest path to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs secured a first-round bye, meaning they will only have to win two games in the AFC bracket to advance to the Super Bowl. They will also play host throughout the AFC bracket.
In addition, they will only have to face one of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, as they will likely face each other in the second round. This would set the Chiefs for a second-round matchup against the Texans or Chargers, both of whom they defeated earlier this season and a championship game between either Allen or Jackson.
