We have to soak in every minute of football action we can. After 18 weeks, the NFL regular season is over, and most teams are left licking their wounds. However, the 14 teams left standing dial things up a notch, competing for glory and the chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Here’s what the playoff brackets would look like if the postseason started today.
NFC
| No. 1 – Philadelphia Eagles | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Detroit Lions | No. 7 – Minnesota Vikings |
| No. 3 – Seattle Seahawks | No. 6 – San Francisco 49ers |
| No. 4 – Atlanta Falcons | No. 5 – Dallas Cowboys |
No one is slowing down the Philadelphia Eagles on the NFC side of the bracket. The reigning NFC Champions are 7-1 to open the season but are entering the most challenging part of their schedule. Next up for the Eagles are the Dallas Cowboys (twice), Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and San Francisco 49ers, albeit interrupted with a bye in Week 10. Where Philadelphia lands in the bracket will have much to do with how it performs over the next month.
There will be no shortage of suitors looking to take up the Eagles’ reign atop the conference. First among them is the Detroit Lions. The absence of David Montgomery hasn’t slowed down the NFC North leaders, as they remain firmly entrenched in the second seed. That sets them up for a potential Wild Card Round clash with the Minnesota Vikings. Granted, an injury to quarterback Kirk Cousins could result in a shorter-than-anticipated stop in the playoff bracket.
A three-game losing streak has resulted in the Niners getting expelled from the NFC West lead. San Francisco was relegated to sixth in the NFC, now chasing the frontrunners, the Seattle Seahawks. These teams face each other twice before December 10, and how they perform will go a long way to determining who has home-field advantage in the first round.
Lastly, the Dallas Cowboys could be resigned to a road playoff game again in 2023. Unless the Eagles slip up over the next few weeks, the Cowboys don’t have the faculties to catch the NFC East leaders. Consequently, they will have to run a gauntlet of top teams, traveling for every playoff matchup, if they hope to make the Super Bowl. Considering what we’ve seen from them this season, that seems highly improbable.
AFC
| No. 1 – Kansas City Chiefs | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Miami Dolphins | No. 7 – Cleveland Browns |
| No. 3 – Jacksonville Jaguars | No. 6 – Pittsburgh Steelers |
| No. 4 – Baltimore Ravens | No. 5 – Buffalo Bills |
The AFC equivalent to the Philadelphia Eagles is the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending champs are leading the pack in this half of the bracket. However, the Chiefs left the door open following an uncharacteristic loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8. Now, sitting at 6-2, that puts KC on an even keel with the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Baltimore Ravens.
Heading into Week 9, the Dolphins occupy the second seed in the AFC. Whatever the outcome, Miami has done so convincingly. In six wins, the Dolphins have an average margin of victory of 18.2 points, winning by seven or more in all but one outing. Conversely, they lost by an average of 21.0 points across their two losses. If the Cleveland Browns are healthy, they may be able to give the Fins a run for their money in the opening round.
We saw what to expect from the Jaguars if they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Round 1. These teams were in a defensive struggle on Sunday, with the Jags prevailing 20-10. Not surprisingly, the Steelers couldn’t get anything going offensively, failing to keep pace with the Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars. That’s been a common thread across the campaign, which could prevent Pittsburgh from advancing far into the playoffs if they hold on to make it.
Another AFC North team is cemented into the final home playoff seed, as the Ravens have a comfortable perch atop the standings. That puts them on track to host their first playoff game since 2019, although it may come against an intimidating Buffalo Bills squad. The Bills are starting to find their footing. If they take off at the right time, Baltimore could be ripe for an upset at home. Remember, the Ravens haven’t won a home playoff game since 2012.
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