What Makes This Year's NFL Playoffs the 'Most Unusual'
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.
Philadelphia, the reigning titleholders, have looked more vulnerable, and clubs such as Buffalo, considered favorites before the season, have underwhelmed.
Demonstrating the season's strength, an impressive 11 out of the 14 playoff entrants notched 11-plus wins, something that has happened merely twice since the late 1980s.
An unprecedented five clubs reached the playoffs following seasons with 11 or more defeats, including New England and Chicago, who each went from last place to first 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.
"It's going to be amazing to watch these young quarterbacks go at it because I don't know what they will do. This is when legends begin to be built."
Understanding the NFL Playoff Structure
The NFL playoffs consist of 14 total teamsâseven from the American Football Conference (AFC) and seven from the National Football Conference (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.
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.
Denver and Seattle start their playoff runs in the Divisional Round. The AFC and NFC champions, decided in the Conference Championship games, will play for the Lombardi Trophy at 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.
Adding to the change, Super Bowl 60 will lack both Mahomes and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati, breaking a streak dating back to 2019.
Powerhouse franchises like Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Baltimore all missed the playoffs, removing the AFC's customary frontrunners and clearing the stage.
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.
However, two veteran AFC quarterbacks with extensive pedigreesâAaron Rodgers of Pittsburgh and Buffalo's Josh Allenâcould use their experience to challenge the newcomers.
Identifying the Frontrunners for the Super Bowl and MVP
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.
Facing off against Seattle in the brutal NFC West, the Rams and 49ers have already been immersed in a playoff atmosphere for several weeks.
The Seahawks claimed the division crown with a 14-3 mark, riding a seven-game victory streak into the postseason after besting both the Rams and 49ers late.
Winning the NFC's number one seed makes Seattle marginal Super Bowl favorites, slightly edging the 12-5 Rams, whose passer Matthew Stafford leads the MVP conversation.
Stafford, who won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams in 2022, has never won the MVP but is rated just ahead of New England's second-year quarterback, Drake Maye.
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.
Similarly, Chicago's Caleb Williams has blossomed in his second year with new coach Ben Johnson, leading the Bears from five wins to eleven and securing the NFC's number two seed.
Schedule for Wildcard Weekend
All times are in GMT
Saturday, 10 January
Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams (21:30)
Green Bay Packers @ 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)
The Chargers visit the 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
The Rams begin Wildcard Weekend in Carolina, a team that made history by reaching the playoffs with a losing 8-9 record after stumbling to the NFC South title.
Although on the road, the Rams feature Matthew Stafford, the regular-season leader in passing yards and TDs, and receiver Puka Nacua, who amassed 1,715 receiving yards.
The Packers, slowed by key injuries, get quarterback Jordan Love back from concussion for a rare playoff meeting in football's longest-standing rivalry.
Despite exceeding expectations by winning the NFC North, Chicago faces pressure to avoid a third consecutive loss and an early playoff exit.
In the NFC's other wildcard game, a banged-up San Francisco squad travels to face Philadelphia, the defending champions who rested players after locking up 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