What Teams Are Still Left in the NFL Playoffs?
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It’s hard to believe that the NFL season is already coming to a close.
We’re down to the final four teams vying for a spot in the Super Bowl.
Who will come out on top?
AFC
As the NFL regular season comes to an end, the playoff picture is becoming clearer. In the AFC, the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Kansas City Chiefs have clinched playoff berths. The Patriots and Steelers have clinched division titles, while the Jaguars and Chiefs will be wild card teams.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston region. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Gillette Stadium in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is located 28 miles (45 km) southwest of downtown Boston.
The Patriots are also headquartered at Gillette Stadium. An original member of the American Football League (AFL), the Patriots joined the NFL in the 1970 merger of the two leagues. The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971. The Patriots played their home games at Foxboro Stadium from 1971 to 2001, then moved to Gillette Stadium at the start of the 2002 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional football franchise based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays its home games at TIAA Bank Field.
An original member of the World League of American Football (WLAF), the Jaguars initially played in that spring developmental league before joining the NFL in 1995 as an expansion team. Since their debut, the Jaguars have compiled a record of 132–156 (.459), qualified for seven playoff seasons and reached four AFC Championship Games, most recently in 2018. They have won only two playoff games in franchise history, both during their first four seasons – while still playing all of their home games at what is now EverBank Field – including one en route to appearing in that year’s AFC Championship Game.
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 and assumed their current name. The Chiefs joined the NFL as a result of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The team is valued at over $2 billion. Hunt’s son, Clark, serves as chairman and CEO. While Scott Pioli is the general manager and Matt Cassel is the starting quarterback.
NFC
As the regular season comes to an end, only four teams in the NFC have a chance at making it to the Super Bowl. The New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys are all looking to secure a spot in the big game. Who will come out on top?
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have won 14 NFL championships, the most of any team in the NFL. They have appeared in Super Bowls four times, losing in 1974, 1975, and 1977. The Vikings have played in over a thousand games since their founding in 1961, and have won more than 600 of them.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are the number one seed in the NFC and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They finished the season with a 13-3 record. The Eagles offense is lead by quarterback Carson Wentz. The defense is lead by defensive end Brandon Graham.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams play in the NFC West division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the NFL. They are currently first in their division with a record of 13-3. The Rams qualified for the playoffs and will play in the Wild Card round. Their first playoff game will be against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, January 12th at 8:15pm EST.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team was founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966. The Saints began play in Tulane Stadium in 1967.
The name “Saints” is an allusion to November 1 being All Saints Day in the Catholic faith, as well as to the team’s primary owner at the time, John W. Mecom Jr., whose middle name was Wellington after the Duke of Wellington, a pretender to the French throne after Napoleon’s downfall who never actually ruled France. Despite this supposed connection to royalty, many fans still refer to the team colloquially as “the Ain’ts”, a reference to their long-standing dismal record during much of their history. From 1987 to 1992, they were known as the “Official Bad News Bears of the NFL”.
