Top-three 2024 draft picks, New England's Drake Maye and Chicago's Caleb Williams
One dominant era has ended, veteran leaders have struggled, and unexpected teams have risen to become championship contenders.
As noted by experienced analyst Cris Collinsworth, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."
Fourteen teams will battle in the postseason, and notably, the Kansas City Chiefs are missing for the first time in eleven years.
Philadelphia, the reigning titleholders, have looked more vulnerable, and clubs such as Buffalo, considered favorites before the season, have underwhelmed.
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."
"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."
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.
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.
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.
Seattle and Denver could potentially recreate their 2014 Super Bowl meeting, a game Seattle won handily, though Denver triumphed at Levi's Stadium in the 2016 championship.
An Unprecedentedly Open Path to the AFC Title
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.
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.
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.
Identifying the Frontrunners for the Super Bowl and MVP
Teams from the NFC have dominated Super Bowl appearances lately, with the Eagles, Rams, or 49ers featuring in nearly every title game for eight years.
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.
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.
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
Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills (18:00)
The 49ers take on the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles (21:30)
New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers (01:00 Monday)
Monday, 12 January
Pittsburgh Steelers face the Houston Texans (01:00 Tuesday)
Major Plotlines Heading into Wildcard Weekend
Wildcard Weekend opens with the Rams at Carolina, a Panthers squad that historically qualified for the postseason despite a sub-.500 8-9 finish as division champions.
The Rams, playing as visitors, are powered by Matthew Stafford's league-leading passing numbers and a record year from wideout Puka Nacua.
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.
Another NFC wildcard clash sees an injury-plagued San Francisco team visit the defending champion Eagles, who rested starters after clinching the NFC East.
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
