NFL Playoffs Preview

The NFL regular season has ended, and, in addition to knowing all the teams that have qualified for the playoffs, only one thing is clear: we will have a new league champion.

The Los Angeles Rams, reigning champions, had a season to forget, full of injuries, on their way to being the worst title defense in the league’s history.

The Rams are one of 18 teams that have not been able to achieve the goal of qualifying for the playoffs, so right now, they only have their eyes set on the upcoming Draft. However, there are still 14 other franchises that aspire to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Now that the NFL regular season is over, there is no doubt that all eyes are on the first round of the playoffs, a weekend full of emotions where we will enjoy the Wild Card games on January 14, 15, and 16.

Which teams qualified for the playoffs?

American Conference

• Chiefs (AFC West champion) – 1st seed
• Bills (AFC East champion)
• Bengals (AFC North champion)
• Jaguars (AFC South champion)
• Wild Card: Chargers, Ravens, and Dolphins.

National Conference

• Eagles (NFC East champion) – 1st seed
• 49ers (NFC West champion)
• Vikings (NFC North champion)
• Buccaneers (NFC South champion)
• Wild Card: Cowboys, Giants, and Seahawks.

Let’s remember that the 1st seeds of both conferences rest on the first day of the NFL playoffs.

The Kansas City Chiefs got the number one seed for the third time in the last five years and will enjoy the “bye week” in the first round of the playoffs. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles, with their victory over the New York Giants in Round 18, clinched the number one seed in their conference, so they will also rest this weekend.

Wild Card Matches

In the National Conference, we will have the following games:

• San Francisco 49ers (2) vs. Seattle Seahawks (7) – January 14
• Minnesota Vikings (3) vs. New York Giants (6) – January 15
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5) – January 16

In the American Conference, we will have the following games:

• Buffalo Bills (2) vs. Miami Dolphins (7) – January 15
• Cincinnati Bengals (3) vs. Baltimore Ravens (6) – January 15
• Jacksonville Jaguars (4) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (5) – January 14

The Buffalo Bills (13-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) won their last game after the Damar Hamlin situation last Monday night.

The only scenario in which the AFC championship game would be played at a neutral site is if the teams playing are the Chiefs and Bills.

The NFL regular season had some negative aspects. Besides the several cases of players with concussions and the cardiac arrest suffered by Bills player Damar Hamlin in week 17, the fact that the Rams had a lousy season with a 5-12 record to sign the worst season for a defending Super Bowl champion.

But, on the bright side, we will have seven new teams invited to the postseason party. We mean new teams that were not in the previous season.

These new playoff tenants are Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, NY Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks.

Favorite teams to win the Super Bowl

According to MyBookie.ag and its betting odds, the favorites to win the Super Bowl are:

• Chiefs +340
• Bills +400
• Eagles +520
• 49ers +520
• Bengals +800
• Cowboys +1250
• Chargers +2200
• Buccaneers +2600
• Vikings +3200
• Ravens +3700
• Jaguars +4500
• Giants +5500
• Dolphins +6800
• Seahawks +6400