Which Teams Are In the NFL Playoffs?
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The NFL playoffs are upon us. Here’s a look at the teams that are in and the matchups we’re most looking forward to.
AFC teams
There are four teams left in the AFC playoffs: the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs and Patriots have both clinched a first-round bye, and the Chargers will take on the Colts in the first round.
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; his grandson, David, is president.
The Chiefs have won three AFL championships, in 1962, 1966, and 1969. They became the second AFL team (after the New York Jets) to defeat an NFL team in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The team’s victory on February 2, 2020 resulted in their first Super Bowl championship in 50 years.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The Ravens organization was established in 1996, and played its first game in 1998 after relocating from Cleveland, Ohio.
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 AFL–NFL merger in 1970. 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. The Patriots’ rivalry with the New York Jets is considered one of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference South division. The team plays its home games at NRG Stadium, an outdoor stadium in Houston; Reliant Stadium hosted the majority of the Texans’ home games during their first 14 seasons.
The franchise was founded in 2002 as an expansion team and began play in the 2002 NFL season. The team’s majority owner is Bob McNair; Joel Glazer, Andres Rodriguez and John Moores also hold minority stakes in the club. The head coach is Bill O’Brien, and the team’s current starting quarterback is Deshaun Watson.
NFC teams
There are six teams remaining in the hunt for the NFC championship. The New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings all have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl. Who will come out on top?
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team located in the San Francisco Bay Area. They compete in the National Football League as a member of the league’s National Football Conference West division.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957.
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, or, more specifically, to the sports teams of St. Joseph’s College and St. Mary’s College—now both defunct institutions—which were known as the Saints before they merged into one university under the auspices of the Christian Brothers.Quarterback Drew Brees has led the club to ten division titles(first in NFL history), including five straight from 2009 to 2013(no other team has done so more than once), as well as their first ever NFC Championship appearance in 2006 and their first ever Super Bowl victory in 2010 when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 en route to a 13–3 season record.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football franchise based in Seattle, Washington. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Seahawks joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
