NFL Playoff Predictions

The National Football League (NFL) playoffs begin later today with the start of the Wildcard round games. In this article, I will be going through all the matchups from Wildcard Weekend to the Super Bowl, breaking down and predicting each matchup. Let’s get started with the first game of the playoffs:

Wild Card Round:

Los Angeles Chargers (#5 seed in the AFC) @ Houston Texans (#4 seed in the AFC)

The Los Angeles Chargers are back in the playoffs after a down season which saw them miss the playoffs in the 2023-2024 season and change coaches before this season. Jim Harbaugh coming off an NCAA Championship with the Michigan Wolverines brought his dynamic physical play style to the Chargers. In his time at Michigan, they were known for a bruising run game and imposing size on the offensive and defensive lines that provided matchup nightmares for teams at the line of scrimmage and wore down the opposing teams. Harbaugh instilled this mentality early on in his Chargers tenure building from the draft and free agency to build a team that would reminisce to his bruising run with the Wolverines. The Chargers took some chances on players recovering from injuries, taking a big risk with running back JK Dobbins who has been plagued by injuries throughout his NFL career but performed exceptionally for Harbaugh’s team giving him strong consideration for comeback player of the year honours. Dobbins is nursing an ankle injury but is deemed likely to play in this matchup. The Chargers have a deadly duo on their defensive line with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack wreaking havoc against opposing offensive linemen. The matchup of Bosa and Mack versus a weaker, banged up Houston offensive line will be a key to this game. If Bosa and Mack can cause CJ Stroud to rush through his progressions it could allow for a Chargers secondary to take advantage against an injury plagued Texans wide receiver room. The Chargers come into NRG Stadium on a three-game winning streak to close out the season including a tough win over fellow playoff team the Denver Broncos. The Chargers will look to forget their last playoff experience that saw them blow a 27-0 lead and lose 31-30 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022-2023 season.

The Houston Texans have had a down year after an incredible rookie season by quarterback CJ Stroud and first year coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans won their division and dominated the Cleveland Browns in the wildcard round before having their dream season come to an end at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round. Despite the sophomore struggles of Stroud and a plethora of offensive injuries on the offensive line and in the wide receiver room, the Texans once again won their division and secured a home playoff game in the Wildcard Round. The Texans defence and run game have really propelled them this season playing a key role in their division title. The off-season move to bring in Joe Mixon in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals has paid off immensely for the Texans. Mixon has provided a spark to the offence that was not present in their 2023-2024 playoff run. On the defensive end the Texans sport an extremely talented young core with cornerbacks Derek Stingley, Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. highlighting the young skill on this defence. Pitre will unfortunately miss this Wildcard game after suffering a pectoral injury earlier in the season. These young studs are accompanied by some savvy veterans including safety Jimmie Ward (also out with a foot injury) and defensive end Danielle Hunter who has tremendously replaced the production from departing defensive end Jonathan Greenard who swapped teams in free agency this past off-season and have both performed incredibly. The Texans will need to rely on Mixon and star wide receiver Nico Collins to put points on the board in a game that could be a defensive dogfight.

Prediction: The Texans at home squeak out a win in a game where Joe Mixon and Nico Collins have big days. 24-21 Texans.

Pittsburgh Steelers (#6 seed in the AFC) @ Baltimore Ravens (#3 seed in the AFC)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak and have not shown much offensive optimism in the latter half of the season. The Russell Wilson offence has been stagnant, and the offensive struggles have been on full display looking at top wide receiver George Pickens who has been visibly frustrated the past few games. The Steelers defence is their strongest asset and was a catalyst in their Week 11 victory over the Ravens. Led by star defensive end TJ Watt, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and former Raven linebacker Patrick Queen, the Steelers defence is loaded with talent on each level. The offence on the other hand lacks the elite weapons to go toe-to-toe with the Ravens. The offensive line has been an annual issue and despite bringing in new players over the off-season the unit has been in the bottom half of the league in both pass and run blocking this season. With a Ravens defensive line that has two players with over ten sacks on the season the offensive line will have to hold firm to give Najee Harris some holes to run through and give Russell Wilson some time to connect on big plays with George Pickens against a Ravens pass defence that has looked susceptible to the big play this season.

The Baltimore Ravens have a three-headed monster on offence with Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson, bruising running back Derrick Henry, and wide receiver Zay Flowers who topped 1000 yards receiving. Lamar’s favourite option, Flowers, will unfortunately miss Saturday’s game with a knee injury he picked up in the Ravens final regular season game against the Cleveland Browns. Jackson and Henry have the pedigree to be heralded as one of, if not, the best backfield duos in NFL history. Henry could be the missing piece for this Ravens offence that has struggled to produce a consistent run offence in the past few playoff runs. Henry finished the year 79 yards short of cracking 2000 yards rushing for the second time in his career. Jackson on the other hand was 85 yards away from cracking 1000 yards rushing for the third time in his career, passing Michael Vick in the process for most rushing yards by a quarterback. What Ravens fans will really be impressed with is Jackson’s growth as a thrower. Jackson had his best season throwing the ball this season racking up 4172 yards passing with 41 touchdown passes to only 4 interceptions. Lamar also tacked on 4 rushing touchdowns to round out his exceptional season. The Ravens’ defence has had issues this season stopping the pass attack but over their past four games, all wins, they have only allowed four touchdown passes and had dominant wins over playoff teams Houston and the very team they will be playing, Pittsburgh. Jackson’s other receiving options will have to step up in the absence of #1 wide receiver Zay Flowers with Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews being the two top options to replace the production of Flowers.

Prediction: The Ravens take the rubber match at home in convincing fashion as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry cause fits for an elite Steelers defence and the Steelers offensive woes continue. Ravens 38-13.

Denver Broncos (#7 seed in the AFC) @ Buffalo Bills (#2 seed in the AFC)

The Denver Broncos left it until the last game of the season to clinch the final playoff spot and took full advantage of a short-handed Kansas City Chiefs team in Week 18. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix carved up the Chiefs reserves and the Denver Broncos stout defence shutout the Chiefs B-team offence holding them under 100 yards for the game. Now it is hard to look at this game and say the Broncos are elite and should be a legitimate contender this season. This was a great game played against the Chiefs reserves that is impressive but should not warrant a huge boost in confidence in this Broncos team. Before the shelling of the Chiefs in Week 18 the Broncos had back-to-back close losses to a playoff team in the Los Angeles Chargers and a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals who went on a torrid run to end the season trying to cling on to their slim playoff hopes that eventually ended with the Broncos win against Kansas City. This is the Broncos first time in the playoffs in nine years and the first playoff matchup for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos will be in tough against the battle-tested Bills who have plenty of playoff experience under their belts. The Broncos will look to capitalize on a weaker Bills secondary and hope their top 10 defence can slow down MVP candidate Josh Allen. Wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims will look to build on their recent connections with Nix to make-up for a weaker run game. The defence is highlighted by star cornerback and favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain. With the lack of a true #1 wide receiver on the Bills it will be interesting to see how the Broncos utilize Surtain throughout this game to slow down a lethal Bills offence

The Buffalo Bills are led by MVP front-runner and quarterback Josh Allen. In an offence that has lacked a true #1 wide receiver since the departure of Stefon Diggs in the off-season, Allen has made it work with a committee approach along with a much improved rushing attack with him and James Cook producing 28 rushing touchdowns between the two. The Bills’ passing attack does not have a player with more than 5 receiving touchdowns further highlighting the committee approach in the passing game. The Bills’ defence has not shown much to be desired in recent games versus fellow playoff teams allowing 44 and 42 points in back-to-back weeks to the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. The Bills will look to their home crowd to provide a raucous environment to heighten the nerves of opposing quarterback Bo Nix who will be stepping into his first NFL playoff game.

Prediction: The typical Buffalo playoff weather looks to have held off for this game, potentially playing into Denver’s offensive agenda. Buffalo has one of the most raucous fanbases in the NFL and will surely have Highmark Stadium rocking on Sunday. Bills 24-17

Green Bay Packers (#7 seed in the NFC) @ Philadelphia Eagles (#2 seed in the NFC)

The Green Bay Packers are led by quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs. Love had some early struggles with interceptions but has yet to throw an interception since November 17th in Chicago. Josh Jacobs has picked up right where he left off in Las Vegas producing his second-best offensive output in yards and a career high in rushing touchdowns. The Packers sport a top 10 defence and offence and will look to avenge a Week 1 loss to the Eagles in their Brazil matchup to kick off their seasons. Cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Xavier McKinney lead a Packers secondary tasked with shutting down wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. The bigger burden may fall on the Packers rush defence who will have to handle the NFL’s leading rusher Saquon Barkley. The Packers will look to their own running back Josh Jacobs to provide an offensive kickstart to a team that lacks a true #1 wide receiver and will be tasked with going up against the best pass defence.

The Philadelphia Eagles have starting quarterback Jalen Hurts back from a two-week absence with a concussion and will look for him to limit mistakes against a Packers defence that boasts safety Xavier McKinney who is second in the NFL with 8 interceptions on the season. Hurts is paired in the Eagles backfield with the NFL’s leading rusher Saquon Barkley. Barkley is the catalyst in this offence leading the NFL’s best rushing offence behind a top 5 offensive line. The Eagles will look to Saquon to ease Hurts back from his absence before giving him a chance to target his elite wide receiver duo of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. The Eagles offence has had a tumultuous year with plenty of off-field issues stemming from diva wide receiver AJ Brown criticizing the team’s passing attack or lack there of. The Eagles have a dynamic secondary with Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Quinyon Mitchell drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame cornerback Darelle Revis and fellow rookie Cooper DeJean in the top five for the same honour. The two have been key contributors to a defence that ranks #1 in passing and total yards allowed per game this season.

Prediction: The Eagles at home rely on Saquon Barkley and their stellar offensive line to run the clock and pound the Packers defensive front, while their rookie cornerback duo eliminates Jordan Love’s receiving options and allows the Eagles pass rush to rack up the sacks and pressure. Eagles 27-17

Washington Commanders (#6 seed in the NFC) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#3 seed in the NFC)

The Washington Commanders surprised a lot of people, like the Houston Texans last year with a first-year quarterback and a coach in his first year with the team leading them to the playoffs after a disastrous previous season.  First-year quarterback Jayden Daniels is the favourite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and has brought his dynamic play style over from a Heisman season in college to a rookie season that had some analysts mentioning him as a dark horse for the MVP. Terry McLaurin has had one of his most productive seasons in the NFL finally getting some elite quarterback play. McLaurin leads the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, a career best in the latter with 13, 6 more than his previous best. The Commanders have a three-headed backfield with running backs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler joining dynamic dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels who led the team in rushing yards. This team lacks a lot of playoff experience, but off-season signing Bobby Wagner will look to bring his extensive playoff experience from many years on the Seattle Seahawks that saw him appear in 2 Super Bowls with a 1-1 record. Washington will also look to veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore who they acquired from the New Orleans Saints to dual it out with Buccaneers star wide receiver Mike Evans. Washington comes in on a five-game winning streak with a notable win over the Philadelphia Eagles and will be looking to avenge a Week 1 loss to these very Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back in the playoffs after winning the NFC South for another year. The Buccaneers are without star slot wide receiver Chris Godwin and will look to Mike Evans to carry the passing game with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Evans extending his streak of 1000 yard seasons continuing the streak from his freshman season in college. The Bucs have two young running backs that have led their rushing attack with rookie Bucky Irving taking over down the stretch. The Bucs will look to exploit a Commanders rush defence that ranks in the bottom of the league, while they will try to limit the Commanders pass attack that will attempt to feast on a bottom of the league pass defence.

Prediction: The Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will put on an offensive clinic in Tampa and come out on the right side of a shootout. Commanders 42-38

Minnesota Vikings (#5 seed in the NFC) @ Los Angeles Rams (#4 seed in the NFC)

The Vikings will feel hard done by after finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record and having to go on the road to play the 10-7 Rams in Los Angeles. After a humbling loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 the Vikings will be looking to bounce back in LA. The Vikings are led by star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and leader for Comeback Player of the Year Sam Darnold at quarterback. The Vikings offence was stagnant in Week 18 against a depleted Detroit defence and has thrown up some red flags regarding their chances of making a deep run in this year’s playoffs. The Brian Flores defensive scheme also got put on blast by the Lions who ran wild on the Vikings in a decisive 31-9 win on Sunday Night Football. Jonathan Greenard leads a Vikings defence that has struggled against the pass and up until Week 18 had been stout against the run. Going against the pass heavy offence of the Rams could spell disaster for the Vikings and end a season that had many pegging them as Super Bowl contenders.

The Los Angeles Rams were on a five-game winning streak before resting most of their starters in a Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams have had struggles on both sides of the ball throughout the season which can be documented in their Week 14 and Week 15 games where they allowed 42 points to the Bills in a Week 14 44-42 win, then the next week scored just 12 points, all field goals, in a 12-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams matchup tremendously with the Vikings as they have two top wide receivers in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua paired with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. If the passing attack struggles the Rams also have a rushing attack led by Kyren Williams who rushed for 1299 yards and 14 touchdowns in 16 games. The Vikings will have to look out for the Rams front seven that will look to take every opportunity to get to quarterback Sam Darnold.

Prediction: In a game that could be moved away from LA due to the wildfires I see the Rams balanced offence taking advantage of a dejected Vikings team that had their weaknesses put on display on national television in Week 18. Rams 28-20

Divisional Round:

Houston Texans (#4 seed in the AFC) @ Kansas City Chiefs (#1 seed in the AFC)

The Kansas City Chiefs despite the #1 seed and a stunning 15-2 record have looked beatable. Plenty of close games this season have shown the Chiefs can be beaten and may be the most vulnerable they have been in the past three seasons. Then again this is the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, and they are led by elite quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Their offence has been less dynamic than past seasons, but they still have future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce, and they have added veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to help Mahomes. Kareem Hunt and Isaiah Pacheco operate as a two-headed monster in the Chiefs backfield and with one of the best play callers in Andy Reid coaching the Chiefs offence remains a threat to breakout. Steve Spagnuolo leads a defence that has been improving the past few weeks and will be sure to scheme up a defensive game that will frustrate whichever team they end up facing in the divisional round.

Prediction: The Chiefs at home are too much to handle for a short-handed Texans team who had to battle it out in the Wildcard Round. Chiefs 28-13

Washington Commanders (#6 seed in the NFC) @ Detroit Lions (#1 seed in the NFC)

The Detroit Lions will use the bye to rest up as they have a mountain of injuries on both sides of the ball, but primarily the defence. Despite all these injuries the Lions looked like the best team this season with a lethal running game and devasting passing attack to complement it. Jahmyr Gibbs will likely be without running mate David Montgomery for this game, but he has proved he can handle the full workload putting on a show against the Minnesota Vikings second ranked run defence in Week 18 rushing for 139 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also adding 31 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game. Jared Goff does just enough as the quarterback to lead this team and behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL Detroit is going to be a tough opponent for any team.

Prediction: Detroit ends the stellar rookie season of Jayden Daniels in a rout at Ford Field. Detroit 45-17

Baltimore Ravens (#3 seed in the AFC) @ Buffalo Bills (#2 seed in the AFC)

Prediction: In a battle of the top two MVP candidates the weapons Lamar Jackson has outplay the Bills and Josh Allen’s heroics. Ravens 34-28

Los Angeles Rams (#4 seed in the NFC) @ Philadelphia Eagles (#2 seed in the NFC)

Prediction: The Rams have been clicking down the stretch and look poised for another deep playoff run. On the other side the Eagles dysfunction in the locker room and inferior coaching cost them in a close game. Rams 24-20

Conference Championship:

Baltimore Ravens (#3 seed in the AFC) @ Kansas City Chiefs (#1 seed in the AFC)

Prediction: Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry propel the Ravens to a win at Arrowhead that sees the Chiefs dynasty stopped from winning a third straight Super Bowl. Ravens 28-27

Los Angeles Rams (#4 seed in the NFC) @ Detroit Lions (#1 seed in the NFC)

Prediction: Matthew Stafford finds himself back in Detroit for the second year in a row for the playoffs and the story is not any different for him and his Rams team. Detroit continues their inspiring season and takes a great game at Ford Field. Detroit 34-31

Super Bowl:

Baltimore Ravens (#3 seed in the AFC) vs Detroit Lions (#1 seed in the NFC)

Prediction: In a matchup that will pit two of the best rushing offences against each other look for a gutsy call to sway this game. Dan Campbell and his Lions convert a huge 4th down late in this game and the Lions cap off an incredible season beating Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in New Orleans. Detroit 42-41