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No. 8: Washington Commanders
The Commanders pulled off an impressive upset victory over the No.3 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, they will now travel to Detroit to face the top seed in the NFC.
During the regular season, the Lions averaged the second-most total yards per game and most points per game. If they were to march into another opponent’s venue and win, they would then likely face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Winning three straight road playoff victories is very difficult, but if there were one team that could do it, it would be the Jayden Daniels-led Commanders.
No. 7: Houston Texans
The Texans defense led them in their Wild Card victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. In this game, they held the Chargers to just 13 points and tallied four interceptions.
However, to reach the Super Bowl, they will have to travel to Kansas City to defeat the reigning champions, and then they will travel to either Buffalo or Baltimore in the AFC Championship. Defeating two of the top quarterbacks in the league to reach the Super Bowl is no easy task.
No. 6: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens took care of business in the wild-card round as they defeated the Piistbruh Steelers 28-14. Derrick Henry led the way in this game with 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
However, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo to face Josh Allen in the divisional round. They would then take a trip to Kansas City for the AFC Championship game, assuming they defeat the lower-seeded Houston Texans. While Lamar Jackson is more than capable of defeating both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, doing so in both of their home stadiums is a tall task.
No. 5: Los Angles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams dismantled the Minnesota Vikings in the final game of wild-card weekend. The Rams were in complete control in this contest as their defense again led the way. They held their opponents to nine points or less over the final three games of the regular season (excluding Week 18 as the starter rested).
They will continue their playoff journey in Philadelphia and will then travel to Detroit in the NFC title game, assuming they take care of business against the Washington Commanders. Despite their elite defense, traveling to Philadelphia and Detroit is challenging.
No. 4: Buffalo Bills
After falling behind in the first quarter of the wild-card game, Josh Allen and the Bills would go on to score 31 straight points en route to defeating the Denver Broncos. In this game, Allen went 20-for-26 with 272 passing yards, 46 rushing yards, and two passing scores.
The Bills will host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday evening in what should be a highly contested matchup. If they were to win, they would then likely travel to Kansas City, assuming they take of business against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs have been Buffalo’s kryptonite over the past five years, and they would have to flip the script on the road to reach the Super Bowl.
No. 3: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles defeated the No.7 seed Green Bay Packers during the wild-card round but did not look overly impressive. However, their quarterback, Jalen Hurts, missed the final weeks of the regular season with a concussion, which could have caused the lack of rhythm in the offense. However, the defense performed very well, as expected, as they held the Packers to just ten points.
In the divisional round they will host the Los Angeles Rams and would then likely travel to Detroit to face the Lions, assuming they defeat the lower-seeded Washington Commanders. They have the easiest path to the Super Bowl among the No.2 seeds, given their elite defense.
No. 2: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs will begin their playoff run by hosting the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon. While the Texans looked sharp in the wild-card round, they struggled on the offensive side of the ball throughout most of the regular season. Saturday’s wild-card game was the first time C.J. Stroud threw for over 280 yards since Week 8.
They would then host either the Buffalo Bills or Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship. While both of these matchups would be very contested, playing as the host will give the Chiefs a slight edge.
No. 1: Detroit Lions
The NFC’s top seed has the easiest path to the Super Bowl. The Lions will start their playoff run by hosting the Washington Commanders on Saturday night. While the Commanders are coming off an upset victory, they have several holes in their defense, especially in defending the run.
The Lions would then host the Eagles in the NFC Championship if they were to defeat the lower-seeded Los Angeles Rams. Given how potent the Detroit offense is and how well they defend the run (allowed the fifth-lowest rushing yards per game), they should be the favorites in every game in the NFC bracket.
