What Makes This Year's NFL Playoffs the 'Most Unusual'

One dominant era has ended, veteran leaders have struggled, and unexpected teams have risen to become championship contenders.

Even seasoned analyst Cris Collinsworth has remarked, "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.

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.

However, in a rare statistical twist, 11 of the 14 playoff teams secured at least 11 victories during the regular season, a feat achieved only twice in the past 35 years.

Setting a new mark, five franchises made the postseason after dreadful prior campaigns, featuring New England and Chicago's remarkable jumps from the basement to division champions.

"If you ask me to pick a favourite, I don't know, because you can put something on all of them," Collinsworth added.

"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."

Understanding the NFL Playoff Structure

The NFL playoffs consist of 14 total teams—seven 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.

Superior seeds host their games, and the top-ranked teams, Denver and Seattle, skip the first playoff round, known as 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.

The AFC Championship Picture: A Field of Opportunity

With Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes absent from the playoffs for the first time in his career, a major postseason fixture is missing.

Moreover, the championship game will feature neither Mahomes nor the Bengals' Joe Burrow, a first for the Super Bowl in several years.

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.

The AFC champion has come from a very small group since 2016, and the players from those winning teams have all since moved on.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 37-year-old Stafford, a Super Bowl winner with the Rams in 2022, seeks his first MVP award and is currently favored over New England's promising second-year QB, Drake Maye.

Maye has thrived under new head coach Mike Vrabel, helping New England dramatically improve from a 4-13 record last season to 14-3.

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.

Wildcard Weekend: The Complete Fixture List

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

Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills (18:00)

San Francisco 49ers @ 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

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.

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.

The Packers, slowed by key injuries, get quarterback Jordan Love back from concussion for a rare playoff meeting in football's longest-standing rivalry.

Winning the NFC North was an achievement for Chicago, but the Bears now aim to prevent a three-game losing streak from ending their playoff run abruptly.

San Francisco, dealing with numerous injuries, must challenge the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia, a team that enters well-rested.

Josh Allen and the Bills, often thwarted in recent playoffs, must go on the road to confront a surging Jacksonville squad that has won eight straight.

{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