The NFL is entering its decisive phase – and in this, as in the entire season, nothing is predictable. After the eras of previous years, there is no classic favorite.
For many neutral fans of American football, the current season is likely to be a celebration. In this sport, too, they have been longing for less dominance in the NFL for years, because from the beginning of the 2000s Tom Brady dominated the league with the New England Patriots, and from 2020 his heir to the throne was the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes. The two teams didn’t win the Super Bowl every time, but they were always at the top of the favorites list.
This season, such a situation cannot realistically be achieved among the remaining eight teams in the Divisional Round. Mahomes missed the playoffs entirely with the Chiefs and defending champion Philadelphia Eagles were eliminated in the wildcard round. The Buffalo Bills, who have been in the top 3 in recent years, are still there, but no longer as good as in their previous attempts to win the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history under star quarterback Josh Allen.
Stafford did what all other quarterbacks want to do
If experience plays a crucial role, the Bills would be a major contender for the Finals victory on February 8th in Santa Clara, California. And in addition to Buffalo, the Los Angeles Rams would be the second candidate. They won the Super Bowl for the last time under coach Sean McVay in 2022 and their quarterback Matthew Stafford is the only one of the remaining eight starting playmakers in the playoffs who have already won the NFL title.
Stafford is having an MVP season and showed he has class and nerves of steel in the dramatic 34:31 loss to the Carolina Panthers as he led his team to victory on the final drive. “I’ve been at this point so many times in my life – and I love it. You can stress yourself out or you can take it easy, we did the latter”said Stafford. The quarterback is the title trump card of the Rams, who are now facing the Chicago Bears. Their playmaker Caleb Williams is one of the many “young, wild ones” who have their eyes on the title.
Drake Maye makes the Patriots dream
One of them is Drake Maye, probably the biggest surprise of the season and Stafford’s only competitor in the fight for the MVP award. The 23-year-old makes the Patriots believe that they have found a successor to Brady who can shape a new era. However, he played his first playoff game in the Wild Card Game against the Los Angeles Chargers and it turned out that it was a completely different story. Maye wobbled, but the Patriots won 16-3 thanks to their outstanding defense.
The quarterback or the defense – one of these two parts of the team usually decides which players get to wear the Super Bowl ring at the end and who goes away empty-handed in the final spurt of a season. When it comes to defense, the Houston Texans (30:6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers) and San Francisco 49ers (23:19 against Philadelphia) also made real statements, but the two top-seeded teams probably have the best overall package.
Brady does Broncos triumph dependent on Bo Nix
The Seattle Seahawks (vs. San Francisco) and Denver Broncos (vs. Buffalo) had the best records in the NFL with 14-3 victories (like New England) and deserved a breather before the crunch time of the season. Both have top-10 offenses with 351.4 (Seattle) and 342.6 yards per game (Denver) and outstanding defense. The Broncos allow their opponents the second-fewest gain of space (278.2 yards), the Seahawks the seventh-fewest (285.9).
But the question is also how much they can carry their strength into the playoffs. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is only playing in his second season, his first knockout game last season was a complete failure. Now he and his team are aiming for the title with 13 wins from the last 14 games. “This team has all the tools to win in the playoffs if Bo Nix can improve his game over the next few weeks”said Brady about the 25-year-old and his team.
Is Darnold too error-prone for the title?
The Seahawks team could have impressed the “Goat” a little more, with a point difference of +191 they were number one in the league, it was the best record in the club’s history. The “New York Times” describes their leader Sam Darnold as “Biggest Wild Card of the Playoffs” and writes about Seattle: “The only question mark is the quarterback’s performance.” Darnold has the third-most throws into opposing hands with 14 interceptions.
And so there are a few things going for every team, but also a few things against every team. A favorite? Not noticeable, although there are nuances that could represent advantages. The Wild Card Games have shown how unpredictable and tight this season is and how much this will obviously get worse in the playoffs. The fitting finale to this surprise season is looming.