By Peyton Schultze

With potential to become the NFL’s next great quarterback rivalry, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson may be on a collision course toward fate to decide who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl (via Kansas City Chiefs).

After seventeen weeks of ridiculous highlights, big time moments, and extremely high stakes, the 2020 NFL Playoffs are upon us. 2019 was a season full of weekly overreactions and social media craze. 2019 was a season full of unmet expectations in markets such as Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Dallas. 2019 was a season where we learned just how great Lamar Jackson is. 2019 was a season where one team looked like the clear favorite one week, but then would quickly suffer a devastating fate. 2019 was a season of absurd quarterback play from some of the best to ever do it. But now, the regular season is over and the time has come. The playoffs are finally here.

This season, in the NFL’s 100th year of action, the race toward the Super Bowl in Miami looks as open as ever. Will Lamar Jackson and the Ravens finish off their great season by lifting the Lombardi Trophy? Will the Patriots defy the odds again and capture their seventh world title? Can the 49ers kick off a potential dynasty with a Super Bowl victory for the first time since Steve Young hoisted the trophy in 1995? Do Aaron Rodgers’ Packers have what it takes to get back on top? Can the Saints overcome the haunts of their past playoff failures? Will a surprise Wild Card team go on a miraculous run toward Miami? All these questions linger in the minds of NFL fans nationwide, and it will all soon unfold before our very eyes over Wild Card Weekend.

With that being said and without further ado, here’s our 2020 NFL Postseason Preview to all that the NFL playoffs have to offer up over the next month of high-profile matchups.

NFC

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers, led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, have been one of the surprise stories throughout the season on their way to the top seed in the NFC (via NBC Sports).

For a large portion of the season, the San Francisco 49ers looked like the team to beat in the NFL. Although they lack experience in the playoffs and faded away a bit toward the end of the season, this San Francisco team is extremely tested and have battled all season long against great competition. With home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and with a few marquee wins against some of the best teams in the conference such as New Orleans and Green Bay, the Niners look like a team that could be ready to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since their dramatic loss in the Superdome to the Ravens in 2013.

The 49ers may have slipped up a bit at the end of the season against the Falcons, Seahawks, and Ravens, but they are surely a team that is about as complete as any in the league. On offense, led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tight end George Kittle, and a high-powered ground game, the Niners have become a team that can get into any shootout with any team if necessary under head coach Kyle Shanahan’s creative scheme. However, with a defense that has as much potential to dominate as any with their monstrous pass rush, San Francisco should not have to be in a ton of high-scoring games and prefers to control the pace of the game according to their own needs. With that being said, what makes this 49ers team so great is not their superb roster or several big time wins. It is instead their variety of ways to win, which seemingly makes them the favorite to go to the Super Bowl in the NFC as teams are forced to travel to Northern California. This team is still young and still growing, however, and we are about to find out just how well the Niners will play when they are thrown into the fire against Super Bowl hopefuls in the NFC.

Green Bay Packers

Quickly bursting onto the scene for the Packers, Aaron Jones has been a marvel for the Green Bay offense in Matt LaFleur’s first season as heads coach (via DraftKings).

After a very up-and-down regular season, nobody knows how Green Bay finished 13-3 and found a way to become the two seed in the NFC. Nevertheless, the Packers have a great chance of advancing to the Super Bowl for as long as they can play in the freezing confines of Lambeau Field, which is as daunting of task as anything in the NFL. With a much improved defense and a resurgent ground game led by star running back Aaron Jones, Green Bay’s identity has taken a complete 180 and eased the pressure off Aaron Rodgers quite a bit. However, don’t be surprised if head coach Matt LaFleur finally decides to take the training wheels off Rodgers during the postseason after an unimpressive regular season outing and lets his quarterback loose against top competition.

Instead of relying on the football version of Clayton Kershaw, the Packers are hoping that they’ll get Madison Bumgarner in the form of a signature playoff run from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers, contrary to his usual numbers in the regular season, was surprisingly mediocre and unaggressive this year after a solid but questionable year a season ago. However, the former league MVP still took care of the football at an unmatched rate, which is a great sign heading into the playoffs against some elite defenses. With new help defensively from an elite pass rush, Green Bay also has the ability to rush the passer and create turnovers to set Rodgers’ offense up with great field position. If Rodgers can get some major help from his defense, in addition to Aaron Jones and wide receiver Devante Adams on offense, this is a team that could easily take home this year’s championship. Expect the unexpected when it comes to this year’s Packers, who are as hungry as ever to get Rodgers another chance at his second Super Bowl.

New Orleans Saints

Led by one of the best receiving seasons of all-time from Michael Thomas, the Saints once again look like one of the favorites in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl (via Coveringlines.com).

The Saints have been a mainstay in recent seasons’ playoff pictures, but they have been unable to reach their second Super Bowl in franchise history during that stretch. With the “Minnesota Miracle” and the missed pass interference call against the Rams consistently lingering around the organization, it is fair to question just how much more pain the Saints and their fans can take. Nevertheless, New Orleans may be the best team in the conference heading into the playoffs despite their three seed in the bracket, and there is still plenty of faith left among the fanbase that this group of players can get it done. With spectacular seasons again from Pro Bowlers such as Cameron Jordan, Drew Brees, and Michael Thomas, the Saints will be a tough out in the playoffs no matter who they end up facing off against with each round, which means that New Orleans should be as exciting of a team as any to watch in these 2020 playoffs.

Even with the recent heartbreak that Who Dat Nation has faced in the last two postseasons, this version of New Orleans looks as poised and battle-hardened as any of their squads in recent memory. Since Drew Brees returned from his hand injury that forced Teddy Bridgewater into action early on, the Saints have been immaculate on offense and have put up some huge points against quality opponents. A season ago, Brees had a great regular season, but started to fade away a bit during the playoffs. Now, with Brees having less games played on his belt during the regular season, the quarterback has looked as fresh and as sharp as he ever has in his career, which could play well if the Saints have to travel on the road into a hostile environment. With experience and destiny on their side for the newest postseason run by the bayou, New Orleans has an outstanding chance to reach this year’s Super Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles

Despite a flurry of injuries to their skill position players, quarterback Carson Wentz helped carry this Eagles team to the playoffs with a phenomenal performance in December (via NBC 10 Philadelphia).

Contrary to their Super Bowl roster from a couple of seasons ago, this Eagles team is nothing short of a ragtag group of guys who are in the midst of a shocking push back toward contention. For a large part of the season, the Eagles were one of the league’s most disappointing teams and Carson Wentz was struggling to prove himself again as an elite quarterback in the league. But after a miraculous month of December that saw Wentz rise into the discussion as a top 10 quarterback in football, the Eagles have somehow defied the odds and found a way to sneak into the playoffs as NFC East champions despite a lack of healthy players on offense. Nobody knows what to expect out of this Eagles’ team led by head coach Doug Pederson, but it should be a joy to watch one of the league’s best late-season stories attempt to make a run to get back into the Super Bowl for the first time since 2017.

Philadelphia is extremely limited in several areas of their roster, including their shallow receiving core and especially poor secondary. In addition, Fletcher Cox and Zach Ertz remain two of the best individual players in all of football when healthy, but even they have had somewhat limited production in supposed “down years”. So how did they actually get here? For one, it speaks to the poor play from Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys. But for another, it speaks to how great of a job Coach Pederson has done to construct this team and push them through adversity all season long. With Wentz playing at such a high level and the Eagles’ pass rush on defense causing chaos in the backfield for opposing offenses, this is a Philadelphia Eagles team that nobody will want to see during the course of the playoffs. With reborn confidence filling the room for the Eagles, this is certainly a group of players that has the ability to make a run toward the Super Bowl even despite their wacky regular season and abundance of injuries. It is anyone’s guess at this point to predict what will happen among Philly’s finest, but one can already bet that something entertaining will happen this postseason for the Eagles.

Seattle Seahawks

Every year, the Seahawks are doubted in the preseason and then continue to run the table over the course of the regular season in the wide-open NFC. This season has been no different for Seattle, and the Seahawks once again look like they have a great chance of advancing to the Super Bowl under the leadership of head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson. Outside of New England’s dynamic duo, no coach and quarterback combo remains as experienced and ready for the big moment that the postseason requires, which could be a major strength for the Seahawks even after they ended the season on a sour note with back-to-back divisional losses. Seattle will likely have to travel away from their diehard fanbase and play on the road each week if they want to get back to the Super Bowl, and it will be especially interesting to watch what Wilson and Co. are able to do considering their history of road success this season.

Even though Seattle struggled a little bit down the stretch, don’t take this team for granted. The Seahawks are still a team that was an inch away from stealing the NFC West crown away from the top ranked 49ers and being granted the third seed overall in the NFC, which should inspire plenty of confidence among the 12s. In addition, Russell Wilson has bloomed into a top three quarterback in the league by carrying this Seahawks’ offense on a week-to-week basis and has proven to be a postseason threat during his NFL career. As long as Seattle can limit big plays on defense and give Wilson and the offense a fighting chance to take over the game in the 4th quarter, the Seahawks have the ability to beat absolutely any team in the league. This makes the Pacific Northwest’s team one of the most interesting teams to watch this January, as they try to finally get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since their devastating loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota enters the postseason as a major underdog after a lackluster finish to the season, but they still posses some qualities of a team that could be very dangerous if they get hot (via USA Today).

Even though they made the NFC Championship Game just two seasons ago, the Vikings have often been labeled as a team that could not get it done on the biggest stage. Although certainly not perfect by any means, Minnesota helped to shed that label a bit this season with a few nice wins in primetime for a national audience. However, the postseason is not just any normal primetime game, and all eyes will be on the Vikings this weekend as they face off against a Saints’ squad that is out for revenge for what happened two years ago. Can Minnesota shock the world with a road win and send major waves throughout the NFC, or will they continue along their path of playoff disappointment?

One thing that could give Minnesota a major advantage over their possible postseason opponents could be running back Dalvin Cook, who is coming off an exceptional season. With Cook helping to ease the pressure off of Kirk Cousins and the passing game, the Vikings have become multi-dimensional on offense with the ability to physically dominate at the line of scrimmage. If Cook returns to the lineup this weekend healthy and ready to go, the Vikings will be tough to beat. Elsewhere, Kirk Cousins put together a very good year on offense in his second year up north, helping to settle down the naysayers of his major contract. Helping out Cousins on the other side of the ball has been a very good Minnesota defense that ranks near the top of the league. Complete in all phases of defense, the Vikings are a team that can throw a team off of their gameplan on offense and create turnovers to set up nice field position. The Vikings have a tall task of overcoming some dominant teams in the NFC, but never say never when it comes to a roster that is as talented as any in the entire league.

AFC

Baltimore Ravens

Only one word can describe how Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ season has gone so far: greatness (via Sporting News).

The 2019 regular season may go down in NFL history as “The Season of Lamar Jackson”. The superstar quarterback became a national icon this season, leading the Ravens to a 14-2 record with flashy runs, crisp throws, and some of the most insane highlights from the quarterback position in NFL history. However, Jackson also received some major help along the way, with a NFL-record 12 Pro Bowlers on the roster such as studs like Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Mark Ingram, and Justin Tucker. Baltimore is exceptional across the board in almost every aspect of their organization, which does put some added pressure on the Ravens as they search for their third title in franchise history. Can Jackson cap off his MVP year with a Super Bowl, or will they fold under massive expectations?

Baltimore deserves to be the Super Bowl favorite after a nearly flawless regular season, but they will certainly still face some tough competition in front of them if they want to cap off their run with a Lombardi Trophy. AFC teams such as the Patriots and Chiefs still have the ability to win on any given Sunday, with the Chiefs even happening to be one of the Ravens’ only two losses on the season. Teams will have to pressure Jackson in the pocket, create some turnovers, and get some big plays on offense if they want any shot at winning against this juggernaut, and there has not yet been a formula to slow down anything that the Ravens have shown all season long. It will still be an uphill battle toward the top for Baltimore, and it should be a pure delight to watch Jackson and the Ravens all postseason long.

Kansas City Chiefs

After an injury-riddled regular season including a lingering issue to the knee of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City looms as a legitimate threat to capture this year’s Lombardi Trophy after a first-round bye (via Everythinglubock.co… — After an injury-riddled regular season including a lingering issue to the knee of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City looms as a legitimate threat to capture this year’s Lombardi Trophy after a first-round bye (via Everythinglubock.com).

A season ago, the Kansas City Chiefs were this year’s version of the Baltimore Ravens: riding red-hot momentum into the postseason largely due to the phenomenal play of their unbelievably talented quarterback. Now, with other young players stealing headlines around the league and with an inconsistent regular season early on, the Chiefs quietly enter postseason play as perhaps the most dangerous team in the NFL. After key injuries piled up at the beginning of the schedule and the Chiefs’ defense struggled to find its identity in the first half of the season, Kansas City has now won six in a row and remains one of only two teams in the NFL to have slowed down Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

With Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce headlining the Chiefs’ offense, Kansas City is as well equipped as any team in the league on offense. With the ability to throw the ball over the top, consistently move the sticks behind an underrated offensive line, and create some big plays due to the right arm of Mahomes, Kansas City is flat out lethal on offense under head coach Andy Reid. However, what will make or break the Chiefs in the postseason will be the play of their defense, which has taken some significant steps forward over the course of the season. With talented players across the board and the ability to cause some fits for opposing quarterbacks in the pocket, the Chiefs’ defense can cause some pure terror if they healthy and clicking. Kansas City looms in the AFC, with pure explosiveness that is nearly unmatched by any team throughout the league.

New England Patriots

At one point this season, the New England Patriots were 8-0 and looked seemingly unbeatable. That was before a Week 9 Sunday Night Football matchup versus the Ravens, and the Patriots’ season has taken somewhat of a turn since then. With a 4-4 record since and all sorts of major concerns on offense, the Patriots’ eternal flame looks like it may have taken somewhat of a detour over the past two months. Now, after a devastating Week 17 loss to the feisty Miami Dolphins, the Patriots will be forced to give up their first-round bye to the Chiefs and face off at home against the Tennessee Titans over Wild Card Weekend. The Patriots still have the key ingredients of a Super Bowl winner: a great coach, quarterback, and defense. But other signs have shown New England spiraling almost beyond control during the regular season, which could be a cause for concern for this year’s postseason.

Every time the Patriots have been written off, they pull off the impossible and make it all the way back to the Super Bowl. Instead of writing them off this year, it is key to note that the Patriots still have arguably the league’s best defense and Tom Brady at the helm on offense. In addition, New England’s key experience will be quite beneficial this postseason, as they will face relatively young squads in the Chiefs and Ravens if they are able to beat the Titans on Saturday night. With Belichick still roaming and at least one guaranteed home game left, the Patriots are surely still one of the league’s scariest teams. Per usual, watch out in the playoffs; just don’t be shocked if this simply is not their year.

Houston Texans

Houston is wildly unpredictable, but they still have some big-time players such as Deshaun Watson that could serve them well as the moments get tighter (via Flipboard).

The Texans may not have the best roster in the league, but they have some of the best players at their respective positions in the NFL. Luckily, one of these players will make a triumphant return from injury this weekend for the Texans, as JJ Watt will look to add a spark to the Texans’ Super Bowl hopes in a crowded AFC. Even though Houston has once again proven to be an unpredictable team that struggles to always rise to the occasion, the Texans have two marquee wins against the Chiefs and Patriots. They also, however, have some bad losses against teams like the Ravens and Broncos. It is quite unclear which version of the Texans will show up during their postseason stretch, but it would be foolish to absolutely count out the potential this team has to make a run toward Miami.

One thing that the Texans have working in their favor is the talent of star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson, a former National Champion at Clemson, has a knack for stepping up in big games, which is a rare trait that teams starve to find in their franchise quarterback. With Watson leading an offense full of studs such as All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans have enough firepower to match up with the likes of the Ravens, Chiefs, and Patriots. Nevertheless, a shaky defense will need to turn around their fortunes quickly if Houston wants to make a real sprint at the Lombardi Trophy this year. Adding Watt back to the starting lineup has the potential to be one of the most crucial lineup moves of the playoffs, and the Texans will look to feed off his instant energy in the locker room and on the field. The Texans could wind up losing over Wild Card Weekend or making a deep run toward the Super Bowl, so watch for Houston to put together some must-watch football for better or for worse.

Buffalo Bills

Not many expected Buffalo to be a threat at the beginning of the season, but the Bills have shook off the naysayers and put together a remarkable season (via DraftKings).

It is hard to imagine there were that many people that inserted the Bills as a wild card team before the regular season, but Buffalo has been another surprise story in the league with a true commitment to physical football. The Bills’ defense is as nasty of a unit as anyone can find in the NFL, and they have caused trouble for nearly any offense they have matched up against all season. Led by superstar corner Tre’Davious White, the Bills’ defense could be a threat in this year’s playoffs against some of the league’s best offense. Young quarterback Josh Allen has also taken major leaps this season, and has proven to be a franchise signal caller with his talents in the locker room as a leader, in addition to his on-field production by throwing and running the football. With this type of immediate growth on both sides of the ball, the Bills could be a contender for years to come in the wide-open AFC.

Buffalo has an extremely bright future ahead of them based on the immense success of this season, but this does not seem like a team that is a serious contender in the conference this season. However, with a quarterback that is getting better by the week and maybe the best defense in all of football, the Bills should be a tough out for any team that they match up with along the way. Buffalo may make things interesting by beating Houston over the weekend, but that may be as far as they are able to get with some of the league’s best teams ahead of them on the playoff bracket. It’s not quite the Bills’ time to rise up and get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the mid-90’s, but look for them to fight hard and not go easy into the night.

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee has typically been predicted as a borderline playoff team over the past couple of seasons,, but few have ever labeled them as a legit threat in the AFC. That narrative may quickly be changing. Since quarterback Ryan Tannehill (formerly of the Miami Dolphins) took over for Marcus Mariota as the starting signal caller, the fortunes of the Titans have completely changed. Winning at a high level with a physical gameplan on both sides of the ball, the Titans have been one of the surprise stories of the league and look like a team that nobody wants to face in January. With superstar players taking over games such as former Heisman winner Derrick Henry and Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate AJ Brown, the Titans are a very complete team that is looking to make some real noise in the AFC under underrated head coach Mike Vrabel.

Watch out for this team, even with their notoriously poor playoff record. It seems very unlikely (and almost impossible when it comes to the Patriots nearly immaculate home record under Brady/Belichick) that Tennessee will be able to overcome the Patriots over Wild Card Weekend, but this is a team that nobody wants to play right now and could possibly pull off an upset with a perfect outing on Saturday night. With emerging weapons all around on offense, a stable quarterback, and one of the best running backs in the league running rampant against top ranked defenses, the Titans have all of the components of a Wild Card team making a deep postseason run this year.

Predictions

After several consecutive years of postseason heartbreak, the New Orleans Saints, arguably the NFL’s most complete team from top to bottom, will finally overcome the odds on their way to the second championship in franchise history (via USA Today).

Wild Card

(4) Houston over (5) Buffalo

(3) New England over (6) Tennessee

(5) Seattle over (4) Philadelphia

(3) New Orleans over (6) Minnesota

Divisional

(1) San Francisco over (5) Seattle

(1) Baltimore over (4) Houston

(2) Kansas City over (3) New England

(3) New Orleans over (2) Green Bay

Championship

(2) Kansas City over (1) Baltimore

(3) New Orleans over (1) San Francisco

Super Bowl

(3) New Orleans over (2) Kansas City