The NFL‘s Wild Card round is nearly complete. Four of the weekend’s six games have already been played, with a Monday doubleheader on tap to complete the Round 1 slate. Ten teams are still alive as the league starts to peek at the Divisional Round. Here’s how we power rank the remaining NFL playoff clubs.
NFL Playoff Power Rankings
10) Pittsburgh Steelers
A 4:30 p.m. Monday kickoff with Mason Rudolph under center? The Steelers’ Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills is giving off COVID-season vibes, but credit Mike Tomlin for getting his team back into the tournament. Whether Pittsburgh can actually compete with Buffalo is up for debate.
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Rudolph — who replaced backup Mitchell Trubisky in Week 16 and has played well enough to keep the Steelers’ starting QB job over a now-heathy Kenny Pickett — has a significant opportunity in front of him.
A win over the Bills could give Rudolph a realistic shot at Pittsbugh’s 2024 QB1 gig. Even a decent performance should get him a raise (with the Steelers or elsewhere) over the league minimum salary he earned in 2023.
9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are playing with house money. This wasn’t necessarily supposed to be a postseason campaign for Tampa Bay, which decided to absorb the entirety of Tom Brady’s $35+ million in dead money this year — but still managed to field an NFC South-winning roster.
While the Bucs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, Jalen Hurts and Co. were at full strength then. Count on Todd Bowles dialing up pressure packages to get after the Eagles’ QB.
Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield — if protected — might be able to carve up a Philadelphia secondary that can’t stop anyone.
8) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are the defending NFC champions, but they might not be able to get out of Round 1. Hurts has a finger injury, A.J. Brown (knee) won’t play, and fellow wideout DeVonta Smith is banged up.
MORE: Latest News on A.J. Brown’s Knee Injury
Losers of five of six to close the regular season, Philadelphia hardly inspires confidence entering Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay. While the Eagles may want to pound the rock with Brown sidelined, the Bucs’ defense ranks top 10 in yards per carry, rushing success state, and rushing DVOA.
7) Green Bay Packers
Few NFL coaches have done a better job during the 2023-24 season than the Packers’ Matt LaFleur, who helped first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love shine while developing a WR depth chart entirely comprised of rookies and second-year pass catchers.
Green Bay won’t be simply remembered as a feel-good story. After defeating the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Packers have a genuine chance to make a playoff run. Facing the San Francisco 49ers in Round 2 represents a tremendous challenge, but Love has seemingly transformed into an elite QB before our eyes and only needs to stay hot for three more games.
6) Houston Texans
The dismal end of the Bill O’Brien era, the directionless nature of the David Culley and Lovie Smith single-season head coaching stint — all of it was wiped away when the Texans followed up their AFC South-winning Week 18 with a dominant Wild Card performance against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
C.J. Stroud completed nearly three-quarters of his passes and threw three touchdowns against the NFL’s best defense, while Houston’s D scored two pick-sixes on Browns QB Joe Flacco. DeMeco Ryans’ squad plays with attitude and has the pieces in place to win another playoff game.
5) Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City’s defense put the clamps on the Miami Dolphins’ high-powered offense in the Wild Card round, holding Tua Tagovailoa and Co. to just 264 total yards and seven points. Frigid temperatures helped keep scoring down on Saturday, but the Chiefs’ defense is driving the club’s wins.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes’ connection with rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice continued to grow in Round 1, as the second-round pick hauled in eight catches for a career-high 130 yards and a touchdown against Miami.
The SMU product came on during the second half of the season, posting at least five catches and 50 yards in each of Kansas City’s final six games.
4) Detroit Lions
The Lions completed their miraculous turnaround on Sunday by winning their first playoff game in over 30 years. Detroit’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams ended up being the best contest of the weekend as the Lions held on for a tight 24-23 victory.
MORE: “The Building Was Humming” — Lions HC Dan Campbell Praises Detroit Fans
While the Lions can match points with anyone, the team’s defense is still an issue.
Detroit only gave up 23 points, but it allowed the Rams to post 425 total yards at 7.7 yards per clip. Fortunately, the Lions won’t have to face Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford next week. A Divisional Round game against either the Eagles or Bucs will offer a reprieve for Detroit’s defense.
3) Buffalo Bills
As 10-point home favorites, the Bills are widely expected to get past the Steelers on Monday afternoon. A Buffalo Wild Card win will set up a Round 2 showdown with the Chiefs, who dispatched Buffalo from the postseason in 2020 and 2021.
Sean McDermott probably doesn’t need to worry about his job unless the Bills lose to Pittsburgh. Still, another loss to Kansas City in the Divisional Round could certainly damage Buffalo’s psyche.
2) San Francisco 49ers
The beat rolls on in San Francisco, where the 49ers are preparing for the Packers to come to town on Saturday. Kyle Shanahan’s club is a behemoth and has already been installed as a 10-point Divisional Round favorite over Green Bay.
The Cowboys, viewed as the 49ers’ primary competition in the NFC, have already been eliminated.
Off the field, San Francisco lost former assistant general manager Adam Peters to the Washington Commanders, while defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is interviewing for head coaching jobs. Every team in the league is interested in what the 49ers have built.
1) Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore might also have to battle brain drain, as coordinators Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald, along with executives Joe Hortiz and Nick Matteo, are drawing interest during the NFL’s hiring cycle.
Head coach John Harbaugh and GM Eric DeCosta constructed one of the league’s best rosters, and it’s no surprise the NFL’s other clubs want to bring in their deputies.
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The Ravens will face either the Texans or the Steelers in the Divisional Round and should be a heavy favorite either way. Lamar Jackson already has the MVP award sewn up, while DeCosta is in the running for Executive of the Year.
With so much hardware on the horizon, can Baltimore add another Super Bowl trophy to its shelf?
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
