Top-three 2024 draft picks, New England's Drake Maye and Chicago's Caleb Williams
A longstanding powerhouse has fallen, big names have faltered, and longshots have transformed into legitimate title threats.
As noted by experienced analyst Cris Collinsworth, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."
Now, 14 teams are poised to compete in the playoffs, and for the first time in 11 seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are absent.
Philadelphia, the reigning titleholders, have looked more vulnerable, and clubs such as Buffalo, considered favorites before the season, have underwhelmed.
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.
"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?
A field of 14 clubs competes in the playoffs, comprising seven squads from the AFC and seven from the 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.
Superior seeds host their games, and the top-ranked teams, Denver and Seattle, skip the first playoff round, known as Wildcard Weekend.
These top seeds debut in the Divisional Round. The winners of the subsequent Conference Championships—the de facto Super Bowl semifinals—will clash in the title game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The possibility exists for a Seattle-Denver Super Bowl replay from 2014, despite Denver's subsequent victory in the last Super Bowl held at Levi's Stadium back in 2016.
An Unprecedentedly Open Path to the AFC Title
The postseason will proceed without Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, a playoff constant until now, marking a significant shift.
Moreover, the championship game will feature neither Mahomes nor the Bengals' Joe Burrow, a first for the Super Bowl in several years.
With recent MVPs Mahomes and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) also out, the AFC playoff field lacks its recent dominant forces, creating a void for new contenders.
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.
Since 2016, only three franchises have won the AFC Championship, and none of those teams' players from their last title remain.
The AFC's number one seed, Denver, has barely played in the postseason lately, and Pittsburgh joins them as the only current AFC playoff teams with Super Bowl experience in the last 30 years.
Yet, seasoned passers like Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen of Buffalo remain, possessing the know-how to potentially outduel the younger generation.
The Leading Contenders for the Championship and MVP Award
The NFC boasts more recent playoff pedigree, with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or San Francisco appearing in seven of the last eight Super Bowls.
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.
Maye has thrived under new head coach Mike Vrabel, helping New England dramatically improve from a 4-13 record last season to 14-3.
In Chicago, quarterback Caleb Williams has also prospered with a new head coach, Ben Johnson, transforming the Bears into an 11-win team and the NFC's second seed.
Schedule for Wildcard Weekend
All times are in GMT
Saturday, 10 January
The Rams travel to face the Carolina Panthers (21:30)
The Packers visit the Chicago Bears (01:00 Sunday)
Sunday, 11 January
Buffalo Bills @ 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.
Los Angeles must play away, but quarterback Matthew Stafford led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, with receiver Puka Nacua posting a career-high 1,715 receiving yards.
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.
Another NFC wildcard clash sees an injury-plagued San Francisco team visit the defending champion Eagles, who rested starters after clinching the NFC East.
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
