The 2024 NFL playoff season has arrived with all the pageantry of Apollo Creed entering the boxing ring on New Year’s Day. There are magnificent matchups and scintillating storylines across the postseason spectrum although all that glitters is not gold. Sparkles are intertwined with shadows, disguised as reasons for concern.
Everything will come to light this weekend starting on Saturday in the wild-card round. The two Super Bowl favorites — Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions — get to watch from the couch, but everyone else states their case for immortality. Let’s take a quick look at the 14-team field and make some bold predictions on how things might shake out in this round and beyond.
NFL Playoff AFC Game of the Week: Broncos at Bills (Jan. 12, 1 p.m.)
Quick slant: It’s hard to believe Denver will be taking their first playoff snaps in nine years when they trot out onto the frozen tundra in Buffalo. The Broncos have had five head coaches and 14 quarterbacks mix in and out since winning Super Bowl 50. It would be easy to discount them in this game, too; Josh Allen is the odds-on favorite for NFL MVP, leading a Bills’ team that looks hauntingly destined and eerily unbeatable.
Yet, Sean Payton has rookie Bo Nix on the Drew Brees’ 12-step program to being a franchise quarterback … backed by one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL. The Broncos registered a league-best 63 sacks, with two guys — Jonathon Cooper (10.5) and Nick Bonitto (13.5) — in double digits while watching stud cornerback Patrick Surtain II stick to elite receivers like static cling.
Key Player to Watch in NFL Playoffs: James Cook.
Why: You will never confuse him for Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry, but Cook quietly had a historic season of his own. He racked up 1,009 yards on only 207 total carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry which ranked fifth-best among running backs who went over 1,000 yards. Further, Cook tied for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns with 16. Considering the Bills ran the ball on a whopping 48% of their offensive plays, Cook is a key player to watch.
Prediction: I really can’t say enough about the turnaround in Denver. Sean Payton has to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year, especially since they did it in arguably the toughest division in football. The Broncos are a team on the rise. However, the Bills have been rising for six years and the resurrection is ready for climax. Bills win it in a closer-than-expected game: Buffalo 38, Denver 35.
NFL Playoff NFC Game of the Week: Packers at Eagles (Jan. 12, 4:30 p.m.)
Quick slant: Let’s throw out the Week 1 game between the Eagles and Packers as any kind of barometer. The turf in Brazil was worse than a skating rink, plus the refs turned it into a laundry room by throwing out 17 penalty flags. The only thing that rang true from that night was Saquon Barkley who churned out 104 yards and three total touchdowns while securing a fumble recovery to ice the game.
Fast forward to now: Barkley is a legit NFL MVP candidate, anchored by the best offensive line in football, silhouetted by an elite game manager in Jalen Hurts. It took the Eagles almost six weeks to find their identity — offensively and defensively — but they did it in the nick of time and stormed down the stretch, posting an 11-1 record and averaging 29.75 points per game. Meanwhile, the Packers went a combined 0-5 against the rest of the playoff teams in the NFC including the Eagles, Lions, and Vikings.
Key Player to Watch in NFL Playoffs: Saquon Barkley. Do we need to list the reasons? There are no adjectives left.
Key NFL Playoffs Situation to Watch: The Eagles might be getting some unsolicited help in this one after Jordan Love hurt his elbow in Week 18. The Packers’ starting quarterback was still experiencing numbness in his hand after the game but expects to play in the playoff opener.
Green Bay will likely be without speedy wideout Christian Watson, too. He was carted off the field due to a non-contact injury that decimated his right leg. Also: Philadelphia is waiting for Jalen Hurts to officially clear the concussion protocol after a cautionary two-week absence. If he can’t go, it might be Tanner McKee time. (Sorry, Kenny Pickett).
NFL Playoff Prediction: I had the Packers penciled in as my Super Bowl pick in the preseason. I thought the combination of Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs, protected by a top-tier defense under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, was going to be a special thing to watch. And, it mostly was … the Packers finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in total offense and total defense. However, injury concerns and a lack of meaningful wins jam the needle the other way. Saquon Barkley’s redemption tour picks up where it started. Eagles 28, Packers 24.
NFC Surprise Team to Watch in NFL Playoffs: Washington Commanders
Why They Win: Jayden Daniels. The Heisman Trophy winner from LSU was way better than advertised in his rookie year and — temporarily, at least in Washington, DC — shattered any lingering flashbacks of Robert Griffin III. Daniels has the clutch gene. He chucked 12 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime, including five touchdown tosses in the final 30 seconds. The latter is the most by any quarterback since the 1970 merger.
Why They Lose: The Commanders’ run defense is iffy. The Cowboys just gashed them for 150 yards, highlighted by 72 yards from glorified backup Rico Dowdle. Not ideal. Even if Washington survives Bucky Irving (1,122 yards) and Tampa Bay — a daunting task in itself — it won’t get any easier on the ground with the likes of Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kyren Williams, and Aaron Jones all lurking in the 14-team playoff field.
AFC Surprise Team to Watch: Baltimore Ravens
Why They Win: Because they have the most loaded offense in football. The dynamic duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are the poster boys on how to run an offense predicated on RPO. They shattered the running back-quarterback record for rushing yards in a single season in 2024. Their combined 2,836 yards crushed the 2012 record by 408 yards. Calling the Ravens a “surprise team” might be a stretch — Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP, after all — but Baltimore navigated multiple rough patches and injuries to secure the No. 3 seed. Most pundits expect them to choke again in the playoffs. Don’t count on it.
Why They Lose: Track record. Lamar Jackson has chucked six interceptions and lost three fumbles in six career postseason games. His record? 2-4. Maybe it’s not fair to cite someone’s past failures as a reason for future ones … but, this is the NFL and that’s what we do. What have you done for me lately? Meanwhile, the Ravens are the No. 3 seed in the AFC which means they would have to go to either Buffalo or Kansas City and win a game in one of the loudest, craziest, coldest stadiums in the league.
NFC Breakout Player to Watch: Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles
Quick slant: If you truly believe the Eagles are going to make a deep playoff run, someone you don’t expect will have to step up. Why not Cooper DeJean? The rookie defensive back has been a revelation since earning significant snaps — roughly 52 snaps per game since Week 5 — and he’s done it in coverage (79.3 grade) and against the run (90.8 grade). He’s sticky. He’s smooth. He’s tough. Oh, and he’s a pretty good punt returner — 21 returns for 211 yards. Watch him break one in the playoffs.
AFC Breakout Player to Watch: Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
Quick slant: You might be surprised to know that McConkey was No. 10 overall in NFL receiving yards (1,149) and one of four rookie receivers to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. McConkey, a second-round draft pick out of Georgia, has made his bones on third down where 14 of his 21 receptions have resulted in first downs. He is Justin Herbert’s top security blanket, and he knows how to pick up chunk yards over the middle. Keep an eye on McConkey in the fourth quarter.
NFL Playoff Predictions: AFC Edition
No. 2 Bills over No. 7 Broncos
No. 3 Ravens over No. 6 Steelers
No. 5 Chargers over No. 4 Texans
No. 1 Chiefs over No. 5 Chargers
No. 3 Ravens over No. 2 Bills
No. 3 Ravens over No. 1 Chiefs
Analysis: Gut feeling. Lamar Jackson is sick and tired of hearing the criticisms. He tops the eventual NFL MVP (Josh Allen) en route to the AFC Championship Game, then knocks off the reigning Super Bowl MVP (Patrick Mahomes) to finally get to the Promised Land. Derrick Henry motors for 200 yards to get them there.
NFL Playoff Predictions: NFC Edition
No. 2 Eagles over No. 7 Packers
No. 6 Commanders over No. 3 Buccaneers
No. 5 Vikings over No. 4 Rams
No. 1 Lions over No. 6 Commanders
No. 2 Eagles over No. 5 Vikings
No. 2 Eagles over No. 1 Lions
Analysis: Flip a coin. Split a cheesesteak. The Eagles and Lions have been the two best teams in the NFC all year so it’s only fitting it comes down to this. It’s not going to be easy to win in Detroit — home-field advantage will play a huge factor — but I think Jared Goff makes one more mistake than Jalen Hurts.
Super Bowl Prediction: Ravens over Eagles
Why: From a pure talent standpoint, the Eagles should win a matchup with the Ravens. (They already did it: 24-19 in Week 13). Their roster is deeper. Their defense is more suffocating. And they have experience on the biggest stage from 2022. Yet, I’m not ready to trust Nick Sirianni to make a championship-winning decision. I do trust John Harbaugh, though. Ravens 27, Eagles 24.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
