🔗 Share this article 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 One dominant era has ended, veteran leaders have struggled, and unexpected teams have risen to become championship contenders. Veteran NFL commentator Cris Collinsworth stated, "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. 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. 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. Collinsworth further explained, "Selecting a frontrunner is challenging because compelling arguments exist for each contender." "Witnessing these emerging quarterbacks compete will be incredible, given their unknown ceilings. These moments are where football legends start their journeys." The Mechanics of the NFL Postseason A field of 14 clubs competes in the playoffs, comprising seven squads from the AFC and seven from the NFC. The conferences remain separate throughout a three-week, 12-game knockout tournament that determines each conference's representative in Super Bowl 60 on February 8. Superior seeds host their games, and the top-ranked teams, Denver and Seattle, skip the first playoff round, known as Wildcard Weekend. These top seeds debut in the Divisional Round. The winners of the subsequent Conference Championships—the de facto Super Bowl semifinals—will clash in the title game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. 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 The postseason will proceed without Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, a playoff constant until now, marking a significant shift. 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. 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 pedigrees—Aaron Rodgers of Pittsburgh and Buffalo's Josh Allen—could use their experience to challenge the newcomers. The Leading Contenders for the Championship and MVP Award The NFC boasts more recent playoff pedigree, with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or San Francisco appearing in seven of the last eight Super Bowls. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have essentially been in playoff mode for weeks, battling Seattle in the fiercely competitive NFC West. Seattle ultimately secured the division with a 14-3 record, entering the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak after defeating both rivals in the final stretch. 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. Maye has thrived under new head coach Mike Vrabel, helping New England dramatically improve from a 4-13 record last season to 14-3. Chicago's Caleb Williams is another second-year quarterback excelling under a new coach, with Ben Johnson guiding the Bears from 5-12 to 11-6 and the NFC's second seed. Schedule for Wildcard Weekend All times are in GMT Saturday, 10 January The Rams travel to face the Carolina Panthers (21:30) The Packers visit the Chicago Bears (01:00 Sunday) Sunday, 11 January Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars (18:00) Philadelphia Eagles face the San Francisco 49ers (21:30) New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers (01:00 Monday) Monday, 12 January The Texans meet the Pittsburgh Steelers (01:00 Tuesday) Major Plotlines Heading into Wildcard Weekend 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. Chicago, which surpassed preseason forecasts to win the NFC North, is under pressure to avert a three-game skid and a quick postseason departure. Another NFC wildcard clash sees an injury-plagued San Francisco team visit the defending champion Eagles, who rested starters after clinching the NFC East. Buffalo's Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, hopes to finally reach the Super Bowl, but the Bills must travel to Jacksonville, a team riding an eight-game winning 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