The 'Most Unusual' NFL Playoffs in Recent Memory: Here's Why
New England's Drake Maye (left) and Chicago's Caleb Williams were top-three draft picks in 2024
A dynasty has crumbled, established stars have stumbled, and former also-rans have surged into Super Bowl contention.
As noted by experienced analyst Cris Collinsworth, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."
Fourteen teams will battle in the postseason, and notably, the Kansas City Chiefs are missing for the first time in eleven years.
The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles have not displayed the same dominance as last season, while preseason favorites like the Buffalo Bills have failed to meet lofty expectations.
Yet, showcasing the competitive balance, 11 playoff qualifiers won 11 or more games, a rarity seen just one other time in the last three-and-a-half decades.
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.
"Requesting a single favorite is difficult," Collinsworth continued, "as a case can be made for virtually every team."
"The clash of these young quarterbacks will be fascinating to observe, as their potential is unpredictable. This is the stage where legendary statuses are forged."
The Mechanics of the NFL Postseason
The NFL playoffs consist of 14 total teams—seven from the American Football Conference (AFC) and seven from the National Football Conference (NFC).
Over three weeks and twelve elimination games, the AFC and NFC are kept apart until their champions meet in Super Bowl 60 on February 8.
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.
The top seeds enter in the Divisional Round. Victors in the Conference Championships, which serve as Super Bowl semifinals, advance to the championship at Santa Clara's 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.
Furthermore, this year's Super Bowl will be the first since 2019 not to include either Mahomes or Cincinnati's Joe Burrow.
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.
The path to the AFC title is therefore unobstructed, allowing rising talents including Bo Nix of Denver and New England's Drake Maye to pursue playoff immortality.
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.
The AFC does feature established quarterbacks such as Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Buffalo's Josh Allen, whose playoff experience might prove decisive against the influx of youth.
The Leading Contenders for the Championship and MVP Award
Recent Super Bowl history favors the NFC, where teams like Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Rams, or San Francisco have been represented in seven of the past eight championships.
The Rams and 49ers have felt postseason pressure for a while, competing intensely with Seattle in what is considered the NFL's toughest division, the 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.
Despite his Super Bowl ring from 2022, Stafford has yet to be named MVP and is positioned just ahead of New England's Drake Maye in the award race.
Under the guidance of new coach Mike Vrabel, Maye has flourished, instrumental in New England's stunning reversal from 4-13 a year ago to a 14-3 powerhouse.
Chicago's Caleb Williams is another second-year quarterback excelling under a new coach, with Ben Johnson guiding the Bears from 5-12 to 11-6 and the NFC's second seed.
Schedule for Wildcard Weekend
All times are in GMT
Saturday, 10 January
Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers (21:30)
The Packers visit the Chicago Bears (01:00 Sunday)
Sunday, 11 January
The Bills are on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars (18:00)
The 49ers take on the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles (21:30)
Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots (01:00 Monday)
Monday, 12 January
The Texans meet the Pittsburgh Steelers (01:00 Tuesday)
What to Watch For During the Playoff Openers
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.
Green Bay's momentum was stalled by late-season injuries, but they will have quarterback Jordan Love back for just the third playoff game in the NFL's oldest rivalry.
Despite exceeding expectations by winning the NFC North, Chicago faces pressure to avoid a third consecutive loss and an early playoff exit.
Another NFC wildcard clash sees an injury-plagued San Francisco team visit the defending champion Eagles, who rested starters after clinching the NFC East.
Reigning MVP Josh Allen of Buffalo dreams of his first Super Bowl, but the Bills face a difficult road test against a red-hot Jacksonville team on an eight-game win 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