Week 18 play will tell the final tale of who’s in and out of the NFL playoffs.
The season has already brought many memorable moments that have left NFL fans even more hyped for the upcoming playoffs that begin in January. The top-seeded teams in the NFC and AFC will be automatically drawn into the playoff spot, with another three teams being in the Wildcard round to determine whether their respected club can pass through to the postseason games.
A wide array of teams have since established themselves as favorable contenders and other sides that have been sighted as potential underdogs that continue to slide under the radar when heading into the postseason action.
Which teams are expected to enjoy a deep playoff run?
It can often be very challenging to predict which teams are capable of mounting a deep run in the playoffs and the lively contenders to make a trip to the 56th iteration of the Superbowl game held in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium. The most common names that fans have sighted to be major contenders to claim the prestigious Vince Lombardi trophy include the NFC Champions and reigning Superbowl winners Tampa Bay Buccaneers, AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs as well as fellow mainstream favorites, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots.
Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady (photo, from the Boston Herald, AP Photo/John Bazemore)
As expected, all these teams are currently above the .500 percentage mark, with the Bucs and Packers both holding the best record in the NFL with the Chiefs also looking to make a third straight trip to the Superbowl after winning in 2020 and losing out to the Bucs at last year’s event. Other notable teams include the league’s most valuable franchise, the Dallas Cowboys, who are on course to make their first trip to the playoffs following a two-year absence. Fellow NFC rivals Arizona Cardinals are also looking to make a third straight trip to the playoffs after being eliminated in the Wildcard series two years in a row.
Back in the AFC, the Tennessee Titans are looking to make a second trip to the Superbowl after a 20-year absence following their narrow defeat to the Rams back in 1999. The Buffalo Bills are in contention, with the Bills franchise looking to finally give their incredibly loyal and passionate something memorable to cheer for after numerous years of mediocrity. Other teams that fail to reach the top four seeds in the American Football or National Football Conference will proceed to the Wildcard rounds. The first overall seeded teams in each conference earn a bye to the next round of the playoffs.
These teams are predicted to qualify for the Wildcard series from the NFC, including the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Football Team. Back in the AFC, the Wildcard seeded race remains just as palpable with the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins all looking to gain passage through to the Wildcard series and to the NFL postseason matchups.
NFL Playoffs also attract a number of eager betters to name their favourites for the likely teams to make it to the conference championship games and later the Superbowl. Given the traction that the league has gained, there is now a great variety of available bookmakers for fans to place their latest bets for any upcoming postseason games, with Gambling.com providing a range of new and reliable sportsbooks.
Which star names are expected to perform?
Murray on the run (photo, The Athletic)
Fans can already expect the likes of Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers to be the standout names ahead of the postseason as they look to bring another championship title to their franchises’ illustrious trophy cabinet. Alongside such superstar caliber names, several other Pro-Bowl stature players, including Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott, formed a formidable offensive partnership with RB Ezekiel Elliott, which has helped steer ‘America’s team’ back to playoff contention. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has emerged as an MVP candidate after a tremendous regular season at State Farm Stadium.
With the NFL playoffs being amongst some of sport’s most profusely watched and frequently discussed tournaments, fans will be keeping a watchful glance at the many names listed above, hoping that a potential trip to Superbowl 56 could be on the cards. As stated, the NFL playoffs remain as one of the sporting world’s most frequently watched and actively broadcasted events from all mainstream media outlets.
Given that a trip to the monumental Superbowl 56 will be up for grabs, this year’s postseason should be an unmissable event for all fans of football as the game’s best names are now on the verge of clashing in some of the year’s most eagerly anticipated encounters.
