With excitement in the air as the NFL playoffs approach and a ton of game-shaking events such as the Damar Hamlin on-field medical emergency to the Detroit Lions being eliminated from playoff contention by the Seattle Seahawks, everyone is eager to see what will happen next. With these current and future factors in mind, the question is which team will survive the playoff turmoil and make it to the Super Bowl next month?

When looking at predictions for the playoffs this year, you would have seen some of the typical teams ranked as the number one and two seeds such as the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs with a record of 14-3 and the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills with a record of 13-3. The Bengals managed to secure the third seed by becoming the AFC North champion with a record of 12-4, and  the Jacksonville Jaguars claimed the AFC South championship with a 9-8 record to claim the fourth seed. One thing is for certain in that some teams will be neck and neck compared to the teams that may get eaten alive in the coming weeks.

The NFC saw a few differences and surprises in contrast to their AFC counterpart. The Philadelphia Eagles leads this group in the top slot by becoming the NFC East champion with a 14-3 record to secure the first seed for the first time since they won their last Super Bowl in 2017. The San Francisco 49ers follow close behind with a 13-4 record as the NFC West champion, and although the Minnesota Vikings had the same record as the 49ers, the Vikings wrapped up the third seed as the NFC North champion. Behind them are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who snuck in with an 8-9 record to become only the sixth team in history to enter the playoffs with a losing record. 

Of course, there are wildcard teams [Chargers, Dolphins, Ravens, Cowboys, Giants and Seahawks] that could sneak in with a clutch win, but looking at the standings right now shows just how tight the competition is going to be and how difficult it is going to be to pull it off. Although it hurts me to say it, the Bears fan in me wants to see the NFC North thrive with the success of the Vikings. I know by the stats the Vikings are in front of the Giants in their record and after benching their starters in their final game against the Eagles due to already having a seed secured, I think this will come back to haunt them which will result in the first win that the Vikings will get to start their playoff run. They may not be ranked first in the NFC, but a 13-4 record speaks for itself in their capabilities. This is a team with immense talent and let me remind you they are the team with the biggest comeback in NFL history. I truly feel that this team could pull something off in this year’s Super Bowl run.

Within the powerhouse known as the AFC, I have a few ideas of where this could go. My gut says that the Chiefs can’t be beaten, and with a bye week, they will get extra practice in to watch everything unfold before going back out in week two to claim their next of many wins. However, my head is telling me for some reason that we shouldn’t dismiss the Bills. They have been surprising us all season, and even after the Damar situation that made everyone take a step back, the team came back with grit and power. I feel like the Bills have so much more to prove and show this season, and I personally hope they can pull it out and go to the big game. 

Although I am no sports scientist and I have no track record of success in guessing the winners for these types of games, I stand by my thoughts and opinions on which team is going to be all that this year and which team will be falling flat. No matter what happens this season, it is always going to be labeled as a memorable one, and no matter the eventual champion, after a season this strong we will know the team deserved it. All I can say is the team on top in the end better not have lost to the Lions.