With week ten of the NFL finished up, the playoffs are being talked about more and more, such as what teams will make the playoffs, which teams will fight for their division, or who will win the whole Super Bowl. I want to share my predictions on what teams I believe will win each seed that enters them into the playoffs.
The NFC:
With the NFC being a much stronger conference than it was last year, there is plenty of competition for playoff spots. Even though there are probably some clear locks in certain divisions, the fifth, sixth, and seventh seeds are still going to be a big dogfight for the rest of the teams to achieve.
To start, the Philadelphia Eagles have been boasting an amazing season as they did last year. While they weren’t able to maintain the same undefeated beginning, they still were able to put up an 8-1 record so far this season. As they have a fantastic defense and an amazing offense, this team looks pretty secure to be the #1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket. As long as their season doesn’t involve many more injuries, this team seems to be doing fine even with a strong remaining schedule.
Even though the Eagles seem to be safe when it comes to securing the first seed, I think the competition for the second seed is pretty intense: the Lions versus the 49ers. They are both strong teams so far this year. The Lions have an incredible start, being 7-2, while the 49ers are 6-3. My prediction is that we will see the San Francisco 49ers with the second seed since this team just looks way too strong for it not to work out in their favor.
Now, if it isn’t obvious enough, my prediction for the third seed will be the Detroit Lions. Having been the best they ever have been since 2014, this team looks like a legitimate Super Bowl team. With a very easy record upcoming, this team seems to be impressing everybody around.
When it comes to the fourth seed of the NFC playoffs, the NFC South seems to be a rough contest. The Saints, Buccaneers, and Falcons all seem to have a legitimate chance to enter the playoffs this year, but it’s pretty safe to say that we will only see one of these teams, seeing how the best record in the division is the Saints with a 5-5 record.
Having finished those teams, we now get to the question, who will the other three teams be in the playoffs? And when it comes to the fifth seed, there is quite a bit of competition still, with a strong Seattle Seahawks and a similar Dallas Cowboys. Both teams have decent rosters all around, and both seem to have a good chance of winning that fifth seed. My prediction, however, is that the Dallas Cowboys will win the fifth seed, with the Seahawks getting the sixth seed.
Finally, the seventh seed will probably come down to the Minnesota Vikings or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are decent. I’m not going to make much of an argument for the Buccaneers since I believe the Vikings will be winning the seed. The team with Joshua Dobbs just seems too good not to make the playoffs. After his first two games on the Vikings, he’s shown out. And he not only performed well, but he did it without star receiver Justin Jefferson.
The AFC:
The AFC has taken a turn in the competition as of the 2023-24 season. The Texans are 5-4—a decent improvement from their previous 3-14 season. The Buffalo Bills are 5-5. The playoff bracket looks much different than what people expected coming into the season.
For my prediction of the number one seed, I believe that the Kansas City Chiefs will, yet again, be the first seed. They just haven’t slowed down much from last year’s performance, and they seem pretty safe to make it far into the playoffs and perhaps even another Superbowl win.
The second seed, I believe, will be the Baltimore Ravens. They have been far too good this season not to get this. Blowing out teams like the Lions and the Seahawks, which I both predict to go into the playoffs.
With the third seed, the Miami Dolphins will be taking this. The team has been great and has many offensive and defensive weapons to use. Seeing as to how their secondary is one of the best in the league while the receiving core is as well.
Next, the Jacksonville Jaguars will take the fourth seed, even though the Houston Texans look like an amazing team. The Jaguars just have a decent roster, and I believe that they will continue to stay the number one team in the AFC South.
I believe the Buffalo Bills will take this title for the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs. The team may not be as good as the Dolphins this year, but I do think they are good enough to be the fifth seed, having a decent defense alongside their seemingly efficient offense.
For the sixth seed, I can confidently say that the Cincinnati Bengals will be here. The team is very strong and is showing that they weren’t a bust this year after their disappointing 1-3 start to the season.
Finally, to finish the AFC playoffs, I believe that the Cleveland Browns will be the seventh seed. The offense and defense are very strong, but I don’t believe they’re as good as the other teams ahead of them.
