Who’s Left in the NFL Playoffs?
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Wondering who’s left in the NFL playoffs? Check out our latest blog post to find out!
The NFC
The NFL playoffs are down to the final four teams in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy. In the NFC, the top-seeded Saints will take on the Rams in the Divisional Round. The Saints are coming off a first-round bye and will look to take advantage of home-field advantage. The Rams, on the other hand, are coming off an upset victory over the Seahawks in Seattle.
The Green Bay Packers
The Packers have the NFC’s best record and they have won eight in a row. They clinched the NFC North title with a come-from-behind home win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Packers are led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is having one of the best seasons of his career. He has thrown for 3,921 yards and 40 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. The Packers’ passing attack is helped by a talented group of receivers, led by Jordy Nelson, who has caught 60 passes for 1,206 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Packers also have a solid running game, led by rookie Eddie Lacy, who has rushed for 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Packers’ defense has been very good this season. They are ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed per game. The defense is led by linebacker Clay Matthews, who has recorded 10 sacks this season.The Packers will have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs and they will be a tough team to beat.
The Seattle Seahawks
After an eventful Wild Card Round that saw all four away teams advance, the NFL playoffs are now down to just eight teams. In the AFC, the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Cleveland Browns, while the second-seeded Buffalo Bills will face off against the Baltimore Ravens. In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers will take on the Los Angeles Rams, and the Seattle Seahawks will face off against the New Orleans Saints.
The Seahawks are led by quarterback Russell Wilson, who is having yet another MVP-caliber season. Wilson has thrown for 4,110 yards and 36 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions, and he has also rushed for 513 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks also have one of the best defenses in the league, led by linebacker Bobby Wagner. Wagner has recorded 138 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and one touchdown this season.
The Seahawks are coming off a wildcard round victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Wilson was excellent in that game, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks’ defense was equally impressive, holding the Eagles to just nine points.
The Seahawks will now face a stiff test in the form of the Saints, who are coming off a bye week. The Saints are led by quarterback Drew Brees, who has thrown for 2,942 yards and 22 touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season. The Saints also have a great defense, led by defensive end Cam Jordan. Jordan has recorded 15 sacks this season.
The Seahawks and Saints met earlier this season in Week 3, with the Saints winning 33-27. In that game, Wilson threw for 406 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Brees also threw for 406 yards and two touchdowns in that game. It should be another great matchup between these two teams in the divisional round of the playoffs
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Buccaneers joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team and played their first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division as part of an NFL realignment plan that created the AFC Central.
The AFC
The AFC playoff picture is wide open heading into the final week of the season. There are still six teams alive for the four spots, and the seeding will be decided by the outcome of just a handful of games. Let’s take a look at the teams still in the hunt and what they need to do to make the playoffs.
The Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are members of the American Football Conference (AFC) North Division. The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise to Baltimore. In 1999, they won their first Super Bowl championship against the New York Giants.
The Ravens have appeared in the playoffs 11 times since their founding (including their Super Bowl victory), and have won two AFC Championship titles (2000 and 2012). They have also qualified for the Wild Card four times (2003, 2006, 2010, 2014), but lost each game. Currently, they hold the longest active playoff streak in the NFL with seven consecutive appearances (2011–2017).
The Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays their home games at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills are the only NFL team that plays its home games in the state of New York. The Bills conduct summer training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, New York, an eastern suburb of Rochester.
The Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team was founded in 1960 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt and was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). In 1963, the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and assumed their current name. The Chiefs joined the NFL as a result of the merger in 1970. The team is valued at over $1 billion. Hunt’s son, Clark, serves as chairman and CEO.
