Well that’s it, folks. The NFL regular season is over. We know who’s going to the playoffs. Who’s in and who’s out. Twenty teams are done for the year. And the other 12 will have to keep on playing to see who makes it to Super Bowl 52.
So what happened this week to change things up?
Surprises in the AFC
Remember how we said that literally all the Ravens had to do was beat a struggling Bengals team to make it to the playoffs? Yeah, they couldn’t do that. So they’re out.
But that favored the Buffalo Bills. They are now in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, breaking one of the longest postseason droughts in American sports history. After beating Miami, they nabbed the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. Now they just have to take on the Jaguars in Jacksonville during the first round of the playoffs…
After surprising the Jags, the Titans are in too (their first time in 10 years). They’ll play the Chiefs next week in Kansas City.
Sports gurus aren’t totally psyched about these final two Wild Card teams locking down their spots, as it doesn’t quite look like the best teams in the running – arguably the Ravens and the Chargers – made it into the playoffs. But hey, at least things stayed interesting right up until the bitter end, right? This just means that there’ll be some big favorites (ie, not that much drama) as we enter the playoffs. Just don’t tell Buffalo that – they’re pretty pumped about this whole playoff thing, to say the least.
But if you don’t want to see an AFC Championship between the Patriots and the Steelers, your best bet is to take it up with the Jags and Chiefs.
The Rest of the AFC
Everyone’s fears were confirmed as the Patriots secured their number-one seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs by beating the Jets. And as expected, the Steelers beat the Browns, retaining that second spot.
The Jaguars lost. They’ve still got their third seed, but come on, guys. This doesn’t bode well for the playoffs.
The NFC
Not as many surprises here. The number-one seed Eagles had already secured home-field advantage by beating the Raiders in Week 16. So with nothing to play for, they lost to the Cowboys this week and it didn’t matter. Quarterback Nick Foles sat on the bench most of the game, and people are really down on the Eagles as a team right now. Either the Rams or the Saints could easily head to Philly as road favorites.
Luckily the Vikings didn’t screw around and took care of the Bears, ensuring their number-two spot, a bye in the playoffs, and games at home through the NFC Championship… if they can just keep winning.
Again, the 49ers didn’t seem to get the memo about not trying when you have nothing to play for. They beat the Rams – who rested most of their starters on Sunday – but the Rams still held onto their number-three seed because of some fun playoff logic in the form of the Panthers and Saints both losing.
The Saints blew it against the Bucs, but that didn’t matter because the Panthers also blew it in a big loss to the Falcons, missing out on a chance to grab the division title. Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense looked terrible, and that doesn’t feel good since they have to play the Saints – a team that’s already beaten them twice this season – again in the first round of the playoffs.
And well, all that uncertainty surrounding the Falcons has been resolved as the perfect mix of things happened to get them back into the playoffs. By beating the Panthers, they’ve secured their spot and they’ll be playing the Rams next week. Seems like after last year’s Super Bowl, it’d be a shame if they didn’t at least make it this far…
Here’s a look at the playoffs and next week’s matchups:
| AFC | NFC |
| 1. Patriots 2. Steelers (byes) | 1. Eagles 2. Vikings (byes) |
| 3. Jaguars vs. 6. Bills | 3. Rams vs. 6. Falcons |
| 4. Chiefs vs. 5. Titans | 4. Saints vs. 5. Panthers |
We’ll just have to stand by and see how all those Wild Card matchups pan out. But for now, we’ve got some updated odds on which teams Vegas thinks will make it to the big game…
Super Bowl Odds
Yep, the Patriots are still the big favorite with potential competitors having to go through them in bitterly cold Foxborough, Massachusetts. They’re playing well, and at the very least, everybody expects them to make it to the AFC Championship.
But look, the Vikings are sneaking in there as the second-favorites and host city heroes. They’re really looking like a playoff-ready team right now. And as we start doubting the ability of the Eagles, don’t sleep on the Rams. They’ve got the youth and the energy to sneak into an NFC Championship… and possibly a Super Bowl.
| Team | Odds to Win Super Bowl |
| New England Patriots | +240 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +375 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +475 |
| New Orleans Saints | +1,000 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +1,000 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1,000 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +1,400 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +1,800 |
| Carolina Panthers | +1,800 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +2,800 |
| Tennessee Titans | +7,500 |
| Buffalo Bills | +15,000 |
And still the Steelers are going to give it all they’ve got. After that terrible last-minute loss to the Patriots a few weeks ago, they’ll be out for revenge on the favored team, hoping to slip past last year’s Super Bowl champions. We’ll keep you updated.
As always, if you’re ready to buy tickets to the big game, we’ll be right here.
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