The 'Most Unusual' NFL Playoffs in Recent Memory: Here's Why

A dynasty has crumbled, established stars have stumbled, and former also-rans have surged into Super Bowl contention.

Veteran NFL commentator Cris Collinsworth stated, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."

The playoff field is set with 14 teams, marking the first time in over a decade that the Kansas City Chiefs are not participating.

Last year's champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, have been less formidable, and teams like the Buffalo Bills, tipped for success early on, have not delivered.

Yet, showcasing the competitive balance, 11 playoff qualifiers won 11 or more games, a rarity seen just one other time in the last three-and-a-half decades.

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.

"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."

How Do the NFL Playoffs Function?

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.

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.

The top seeds enter in the Divisional Round. Victors in the Conference Championships, which serve as Super Bowl semifinals, advance to the championship at Santa Clara's 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.

Why the AFC Championship Race Is Completely Open

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

Furthermore, this year's Super Bowl will be the first since 2019 not to include either Mahomes or Cincinnati's Joe Burrow.

The absence of recent Most Valuable Players like Mahomes and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson leaves the AFC postseason without its usual headliners, opening the door wide.

Consequently, the competition for the AFC crown is remarkably open, presenting a golden opportunity for new quarterbacks such as Denver's Bo Nix and New England's Drake Maye to achieve postseason fame.

Since 2016, only three franchises have won the AFC Championship, and none of those teams' players from their last title remain.

Denver, despite its high seed, is a playoff novice in recent years, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the sole other AFC qualifier to have reached a Super Bowl in the past three decades.

Yet, seasoned passers like Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen of Buffalo remain, possessing the know-how to potentially outduel the younger generation.

The Leading Contenders for the Championship and MVP Award

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.

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.

As the NFC's top seed, the Seahawks are now narrow favorites for the Super Bowl, while Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the player most likely to win MVP honors.

Despite his Super Bowl ring from 2022, Stafford has yet to be named MVP and is positioned just ahead of New England's Drake Maye in the award race.

The development of Maye, aided by head coach Mike Vrabel, has been central to the Patriots' remarkable turnaround from four wins to fourteen.

In Chicago, quarterback Caleb Williams has also prospered with a new head coach, Ben Johnson, transforming the Bears into an 11-win team and the NFC's second seed.

The NFL Playoff Kickoff: Wildcard Weekend Matchups

All times are in GMT

Saturday, 10 January

Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams (21:30)

Chicago Bears welcome the Green Bay Packers (01:00 Sunday)

Sunday, 11 January

The Bills are on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars (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)

Major Plotlines Heading into Wildcard Weekend

Carolina, having secured the NFC South with a poor 8-9 mark, hosts the Los Angeles Rams in the first playoff game, an unusual occurrence.

The Rams, playing as visitors, are powered by Matthew Stafford's league-leading passing numbers and a record year from wideout Puka Nacua.

Green Bay's momentum was stalled by late-season injuries, but they will have quarterback Jordan Love back for just the third playoff game in the NFL's oldest 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.

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