The Buffalo Bills took care of business, as they had the previous three seasons. This Bills team just has a way of getting things rolling down the stretch and closing out the regular season with a winning streak. This was no different, winning five straight and climbing from the 11th seed five weeks ago, to the AFC's number two seed and the AFC East division title.
The Bills punched their ticket to the NFL postseason for the fourth consecutive season and fifth of the last six seasons. But both conferences are welcoming newcomers, such as the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns in the AFC and the Detroit Lions on the NFC side. If I get my way, the Super Bowl teams would be the Bills and Lions. The storylines within that matchup of two teams that have never won a Super Bowl would be a lot of fun.
The usual suspects are present as well, such as the returning Super Bowl champion Kansas City and the team that represented the NFC last season, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Dallas Cowboys are division champs and will host a wildcard team this weekend. The San Francisco 49ers are back in the postseason and looking for some revenge after what happened to them last season in the NFC Championship game.
The NFL playoffs consists of 14 teams, eight division champions, and six wildcard teams. How do they all stack up against one another? Are the 49ers the best team in the league or maybe the Baltimore Ravens, who already dominated the 49ers a couple of weeks ago? With that, let's get into our NFL playoff power rankings.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9 - 8)
Tampa Bay finished the season with a 9 - 8 record and NFC South champions. The South division isn't exactly loaded but at least the worst record in the NFL playoffs is a winning record, unlike last season when the Bucs snuck into the playoffs with an 8 - 9 record. Can the Bucs make it out of the first round? They host the Philadelphia Eagles who come in stumbling, losers of five of their last six.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (10 - 7)
The Steelers needed some help in Week 18 to get in and they got what they needed. It helped them that the Ravens had the division and number one seed locked up, so Lamar Jackson didn't play, as well as other Ravens starters. Pittsburgh travels to High Mark stadium to take on a Bills team that has won five straight and is as hot as any team coming into the playoffs.
12. Green Bay Packers (9 - 8)
The Packers started the season winning just two games of their first seven but over the last ten games, they've been rolling, going 7 - 3 over that stretch. They won their final three games and found a way into the NFL playoffs. Jordan Love is playing the best football of his young career. This is a team that I wouldn't sleep on either. Even though I'm ranking them number 12, I wouldn't be shocked if they pull off an upset in these playoffs.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (11 - 6)
Early in the season, the Eagles were sitting at 5 - 1 and faced the Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Bills in four of their next five games. Philadelphia won all four of those games, pushing their record out to 10 -1, and looked like the league's best team. Since then, the Eagles have dropped five of their last six and limped into the playoffs. Don't be surprised if they are a one-and-done but this is a talented team and could get hot and make a run too.
10. Los Angeles Rams (10 - 7)
The Rams are another team that started slow but caught fire in the second part of the season. The Rams were 3 - 6 heading into their bye in Week ten. Since then, they have gone 7 - 1 and earned the sixth seed in the NFC and a trip to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Rams bring an excellent offense under head coach Sean McVay with Matthew Stafford behind center and one of the best wide receiver duos in the league, Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua.
9. Dallas Cowboys (12 - 5)
Fortunately for the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles collapsed late in the season, handing the division title to the Cowboys and a home playoff game to start. Dallas earned the number two seed, which was huge for them. They are one of the top teams when playing at home, so they will be tough to beat but it's a completely different story when they are on the road.
8. Miami Dolphins (11 - 6)
I had a hard time putting the Dolphins ahead of the Cowboys but it's a hard sell when they did beat Dallas just a few weeks ago. Would they beat them on Dallas' turf, probably not but the game was in Miami, so similar to the Cowboys, Miami is a different team at home. After losing to the Bills, the Dolphins now find themselves traveling to Kansas City to open their postseason play.
7. Houston Texans (10 - 7)
C.J. Stroud has been fantastic this season and should be the NFL Rookie of the Year but how far will he take the Texans in the playoffs? Without fellow rookie Tank Dell, their passing game takes a hit, but Stroud still has some weapons, particularly Nico Collins. Their run game is solid with Devin Singletary taking over the lead role and the Texans defense is solid too.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (11 - 6)
The Kansas City Chiefs haven't been the same all season and it'll be interesting to see how far the Chiefs can go this season. They led the league in dropped passes and that has plagued them all year. However, it's still Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid running the show. You can't discount all that playoff experience and talent. It wouldn't shock me to see the Chiefs make a push again.
5. Detroit Lions (12 - 5)
Losing Sam LaPorta to start the playoffs would be a significant blow to the Lions offense but reports say he has an outside shot of playing. The Lions still have a good group of skill position players with Amon Ra St. Brown and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Jared Goff is a seasoned vet with a ton of playoff experience as well. This matchup of Goff versus his old team, the LA Rams will be a fun one to watch.
4. Cleveland Browns (11 - 5)
There are really three teams in the AFC that I'm keeping an eye on to make the conference title game and the Browns are one of them. Joe Flacco has as much playoff experience as anyone in the postseason and he's playing like he's in prime. The Browns also bring the league's best defense to the field. They are also one of the few teams that were able to beat the Ravens, defeating them 33 - 31 back in November.
3. Buffalo Bills (11 - 6)
Just five weeks ago, the Bills were 6 - 6, sitting as the 11th seed in the AFC and three games behind the Dolphins in the AFC East. Five straight wins later, the Bills were crowned division champs and awarded the conference's number two seed. They'll host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and begin their trek towards a potential Super Bowl.
2. San Francisco 49ers (12 - 5)
The 49ers started the season on fire, winning their first five games by wide margins, outside a seven-point win against the Rams. Then they hit a three-game stretch where they scored only 17 points in each game, dropping all three. Then they got rolling again, winning six in a row and considered by many as the best team in the NFL. Then the Ravens hosted the 49ers and proceeded to rough up San Francisco. Regardless, the 49ers are the team to beat in the NFC.
1. Baltimore Ravens (13 - 4)
The Ravens are the league's only 13-win team and three of their four losses were against current playoff teams. The lone non-playoff team was an overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts who were right there all the way to Week 18. This team is solid, ranking sixth in both offense and defense and is led by likely this year's league MVP, Lamar Jackson. The one question is going to be, can Jackson win in the playoffs? The Ravens have only one playoff win since Jackson became the starting quarterback. This will be the narrative until Jackson and the Ravens prove differently.