The NFL Playoffs begin on January 14, 2023. Out of the fourteen teams in the playoffs, seven did not make it last year. There are exciting storylines surrounding each team in this year’s playoffs. 

Starting in the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs are the number one seed with a 14-3 record and the favorite to win the Super Bowl according to DraftKings, with +350 odds. The Chiefs are led by MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes and are searching for their second Super Bowl within the past five years. Tight end Travis Kelce finished with his seventh consecutive 1,000-receiving-yard season. There are questions about the defense, but there is no doubt the team led by Coach Andy Reid is one of the biggest favorites. 

The Chiefs’ last Super Bowl win was a 31-20 victory over the 49ers on February 2, 2020. Patrick Mahomes won Super Bowl MVP. 

The second seed in the AFC is the Buffalo Bills, who finished 13-3 after they had a game suspended due to a brutal injury to safety Damar Hamlin. Hamlin has made a remarkable recovery, and the Bills are expected to be extremely motivated to win it all for their teammate. Receiver Stefon Diggs finished a great season with 1,429 receiving yards, the fifth-best in the NFL. The Bills are the secondary favorites with +400 odds and are expected to make a deep run with a solid defense and sensational quarterback Josh Allen leading the way on offense. 

The Bills will be looking to improve upon their 0-4 Super Bowl record, all of which came in consecutive seasons during the ’90s. 

The second seed in the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers, who ended the regular season at 13-4 and come in with odds of +500. The 49ers have had an unbelievable season with the top-scoring defense in the NFL, allowing a minimal 16.3 points per game to opponents. Rookie starting quarterback Brock Purdy was the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft and was crowned the “Mr Irrelevant” award. However, due to injuries, Purdy has had to start and has led the 49ers to a 5-0 record in his starts. The team has won nine in a row going into the playoffs and looks primed to make a deep run as long as Purdy can handle the pressure as a rookie.

“I think the 49ers will win it all because as of recently, they seem to be on a roll and they have too much talent on that team for the momentum to halt,” Patrick Cagney said.

The first seed in the NFC is the Philadelphia Eagles, who finished the regular season at 14-3 and entered the playoffs with +550 odds. The Eagles are led by former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts who got banged up near the end of the regular season but still finished with a remarkable 35 total touchdowns compared to 8 turnovers. The Eagles come in having not won a playoff game since 2018, but with major expectations due to a swarming defense and talented quarterback. 

“I think the Eagles will win it all because they have a well rounded defense with a great secondary. They have one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL, which is a huge benefit because the NFC has such great receivers. Their offense has two great receivers who each had over 1,000 receiving yards, along with a MVP candidate quarterback,” Rishin Shah said. 

The third seed in the AFC is the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, who finished 12-4 due to the suspended game they played against Buffalo. The Bengals come in with +850 odds to win the Super Bowl. They have been on a roll, with their last loss coming way back on October 31. Quarterback Joe Burrow continues to play like a top 10 player, while receiver Ja’Marr Chase finished with nine touchdowns in only 12 games played. Their winning streak, combined with their playoff success last year, makes the Bengals a team that no one wants to play in the 2022 playoffs. 

The Bengals lost in last year’s Super Bowl to the Rams. The final score was 23-20, and the game came down to the final minutes. 

America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys, came in with +1200 odds after a strong 12-5 regular season that led them to the fifth seed. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw 15 interceptions in only 12 games in what was an up-and-down regular season. Running back Tony Pollard had a sensational contract year with 1,378 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns. There is major pressure on the Cowboys because of their recent playoff failures, and it remains to be seen if the defense and quarterback will be up to the challenge of the bright lights. 

“I think the Cowboys will beat the Buccaneers by double digits because their defense is well rounded and they’re facing a poor running offense. The Cowboys offense will play better with both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard healthy and rested,” Shah said.

The fifth seed in the AFC is the Los Angeles Chargers, who come in with +2000 odds after a solid 10-7 season. The Chargers are led by the ultra-talented quarterback Justin Herbert, who finished his junior season with 25 touchdowns. Running back Austin Ekeler had a monster year with 18 total touchdowns to lead the NFL. The Chargers head into the playoffs for the first time since 2018 with real expectations, thanks to their young quarterback. 

“With Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen at their best together, don’t be surprised to see Allen have a lot of targets and plays towards him,” Cagney said.

The fourth seed in the NFC is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won their division with a losing record at 8-9 and come in with +2800 odds. Despite struggles for much of the year, the Buccaneers are in the playoffs and have the seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, at the helm. Receiver Chris Godwin had an awesome year with 104 catches in just 15 games played. Tampa Bay has a historically poor run game, and it will be very interesting to see if Brady can guide this team to any playoff success, given all the issues. 

The last team to win their division with a losing record was the Washington Commanders at 7-9 in the 2020 season. 

The Baltimore Ravens are the sixth seed in the AFC and come in with +3500 odds after a 10-7 season. The major question surrounding Baltimore is the health of star quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens will need the former most valuable player to play if they want to make the long run that they have been searching for the past few years. Sensational kicker Justin Tucker finished with 37 field goals made, good for first in the NFL. The health of Jackson is at the forefront for the two-time Super Bowl champs. 

In 2013, the Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII to win their second Super Bowl.

The Minnesota Vikings finished at 13-4 and got the third seed in the NFC. They come in with +3500 odds in large part thanks to a negative three-point regular season differential. The story for this team was winning close games, as they finished with 11 one-score wins. Four double-digit losses add a level of uncertainty to this squad, especially after a 37-point loss to the Cowboys in Minnesota. Receiver Justin Jefferson finished with an NFL-leading 1,809 receiving yards, solidifying himself as one of the best receivers. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is under a lot of pressure, considering he has just one playoff win throughout his career.

“Justin Jefferson will have a monster game against the Giants with multiple touchdowns and two hundred yards,” Shah said. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars come in with +5000 odds after finishing 9-8 and earning the fourth seed in the AFC. The Jaguars are led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who finished with 30 total touchdowns and led the team to a division title and first playoff appearance since 2017. Newly signed receiver Christian Kirk finished with 1,108 yards in a strong first season in Jacksonville. Head coach Doug Pederson, who led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl win in 2018, led the Jaguars to the playoffs after they were the worst team in the NFL last season. There is real excitement around what their young quarterback can do in the playoffs. 

The Jaguars are yet to play in a Super Bowl, something they are looking to change under Trevor Lawrence. 

The New York Giants earned their first playoff berth since 2016, led by a strong fourth season from quarterback Daniel Jones. They head into the playoffs with +5500 odds after finishing 9-7-1, good for the sixth seed in the NFC. Running back Saqoun Barkley had a solid contract year, rushing for 1,312 yards, good for fourth in the NFL. The Giants have had an incredible turnaround this season under first-time head coach Brian Daboll. The Giants will be searching for their first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. 

“My bold prediction is the Giants will ride the wave of their strong defense all the way to the NFC championship. They will win each game by double digits,” Cagney said.

The seventh seed in the AFC is the Miami Dolphins, who made the playoffs despite losing five of their last six games. They come in with +6000 odds after finishing 9-8. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for their first game against Buffalo, so it falls on rookie Skylar Thompson to lead Miami to the second round. Second-year receiver Jaylen Waddle had a fantastic year with 1,356 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. Miami is in search of its first playoff win since way back in 2000. 

The Dolphins’ last playoff victory came against the Colts in overtime in 2000, when they won 23-17. 

The Seattle Seahawks come in with +7000 odds after finishing 9-8 and getting the seventh seed in the NFC. Seattle struggled down the stretch of the season, but it was an overall solid season with veteran quarterback Geno Smith leading the way. Rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen finished with six interceptions in a very strong season. Seattle will look to rely on rookie running back Kenneth Walker III, along with a strong defense, to lead them on an unlikely playoff run. Seattle’s last playoff win came in 2019, with quarterback Russell Wilson on the team. 

The Seahawks are 1-2 in Super Bowls, with a win against Peyton Manning’s Broncos and a loss against Tom Brady’s Patriots. Overall, every team in the playoffs has reason to be excited for what is to come.