NFL Playoffs: Contenders and Pretenders

Another NFL season is in the books and we put our focus to the playoffs. It all came down to the final game on Sunday night to decide the last playoff spot which went to the Seattle Seahawks. First up, Wildcard Weekend one of the best weekends if you’re a football fan.

The playoffs will feature some familiar faces, looking at you Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, but many new ones as well including Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy and whoever will start at quarterback for the Ravens and Dolphins. Here is a look at this year’s playoff contenders and pretenders.

Contenders

Buffalo Bills

It’s really hard not to cheer for Buffalo after what they’ve been through the last two weeks. It was a moment that brought the fiercest foes together because it was about something much bigger. We are so happy to see the miraculous progress Damar Hamlin has made since suffering cardiac arrest in a game against the Bengals. Nobody was sure what to expect when Buffalo took the field on Sunday, but it’s safe to say watching that game made everyone believe in a higher power. On the first play of the game, Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff for a 96-yard touchdown. The team had three interceptions, Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, and the entire day seemed to be a celebration in honor of number three who was tweeting and watching the game from his hospital room.

The Bills have been one of the top tier teams all season and are still looking to avenge an overtime loss in last year’s playoffs. This is not a team to bet against. If your team was already eliminated this could be your team to cheer on.

San Francisco 49ers

The trade for running back Christian McCaffrey might be the trade of the season. After acquiring the Stanford alumni prior to week eight, San Francisco won ten straight to finish the regular season; their last loss coming on October 23rd against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s actual historic just how good the running back has been since joining the team. McCaffrey’s 1,210 yards from scrimmage are the most in NFL history by a midseason acquisition. Last week the team welcomed back All Pro weapon Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell in the regular season finale. With San Francisco healthy and firing on all cylinders it’s going to be tough to bet against them.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati finished the season on an eight-game winning streak and a second consecutive AFC North title.  During that time, Joe Burrow played like the league’s MVP while their defense stepped up to make big plays and contain opposing quarterbacks.  Burrow is the first Cincinnati quarterback to win back-to-back division titles. The Bengals get to face an injured division foe in Baltimore who they just beat 27-16 in the regular season finale. It was a physical game not unlike other AFC North matchups, but both teams seemingly walked off the field ready and inspired to meet once again just a few days later.

Despite winning the division, Cincinnati was able to avoid a dreaded coin flip to determine where the game would be played due to the cancellation of their game against Buffalo.

Pretenders

Minnesota Vikings

Despite having one of the most talented rosters in the league, we’ve seen this team falter. Kirk Cousins and company match up with a team they narrowly beat in the regular season, the New York Giants.  Most of the blame can be placed on Minnesota’s 31st-ranked defense.  Minnesota gave up 445 yards of offensive in their regular-season meeting with New York.

I said it after the trade deadline, do you trust Kirk Cousins in primetime? We’ve seen this team narrowly escape with the biggest comeback win in NFL history in week 15 against the dreadful Colts. They were blown out on the first day of 2023 by division rival Green Bay, losing 41-17 so Minnesota has looked very vulnerable in recent weeks.

Miami Dolphins

Easily the most disappointing team to make the playoffs, the Miami Dolphins limped their way in with an 11-6 victory over the New York Jets. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Miami. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has still not been cleared for practice ahead of the team’s game against Buffalo. Tagovailoa has been in concussion protocol since December 26th and missed the team’s final two games.  The team may also be without running back Raheem Mostert who suffered a broken thumb in last week’s game against the Jets.  The team could also be without their starting tackles, Terron Armstead and Brandon Shell.

The Dolphins will face division rival Buffalo who is riding an emotional high after their teammate Damar Hamlin’s miraculous recovery. Nothing seems to be in Miami’s favor, a team that went all in this season.

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson has missed Baltimore’s last five games with a knee injury and his status for the playoffs remains uncertain. Head coach John Harbaugh did not have any update about his quarterback after Monday’s practice. The team has lost three of those five games Jackson has missed. The Ravens will take on Joe Burrow and the red-hot Bengals who are clicking at the right time.  In the season finale against Cincinnati, the Ravens chose to rest key starters including JK Dobbins and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley. Neither Huntley nor third-string quarterback Anthony Brown have performed well in the five games Jackson has missed. There is still a chance Jackson returns this weekend, but who knows how he will perform even if he is deemed healthy. The Bengals are in a much better place as a team and with Jackson still not signed to a long term deal it could be very interesting to see what unfolds in the next few weeks.