Who’s Going to the NFL Playoffs?
Contents
It’s that time of year again! The NFL playoffs are just around the corner, and we’re here to help you make sense of it all.
AFC
The AFC playoff teams are set and it looks like the Patriots, Steelers, Jaguars, and Chiefs are in. The Patriots and Steelers haveByes in the first round, as the Jaguars will take on the Buffalo Bills, and the Chiefs will take on the Tennessee Titans.
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 were established in 1996, after Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1995. As part of a settlement between Modell and the city of Cleveland, the Browns’ intellectual property, including team name, logos, training facility, and history, were kept in trust and the franchise was regarded by the NFL as suspended; meanwhile, a new team would be established by 1999 either by expansion or relocation.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Bills franchise was founded in 1959 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), and they joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. 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 began play as an original franchise of the AFL in 1960. Under head coach Buster Ramsey and general manager Russ Thomas, the team won consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965, but lost to the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl I. After backup quarterback Frank Reich led a comeback from a 28–3 deficit against Houston Oilers, overtime was needed for a second straight season following Kelly’s season-ending injury versus Miami Dolphins; Scott Norwood’s field goal attempt for Buffalo went wide right as time expired, resulting in a Bills loss by one point and thus crushing their hopes for a second consecutive championship, which would’ve been an AFL-NFL World Championship Game record third title in four years had they been successful. Reich was named AFC Rookie of the Year due largely to his contribution to Buffalo’s comeback victories; he set then-rookie records with MVP honors and 403 passing yards en route to being named MVP of Comeback Player of the Year after leading five fourth quarter come-from-behind victories during his first season as starting quarterback; this total is still an NFL record for rookies, while his comebacks are tied with Andrew Luck for most by any quarterback over his first two seasons (5).
Out of football for nearly two decades, Kelly returned to lead Buffalo to four division championships and play in six AFC Championship Games during 11 seasons as starter from 1986–1996; he retired after suffering numerous injuries late in his career. However, Kelly & company only managed to win one playoff game during that entire stretch; this came against Miami on December 30, 1995 via a 16–14 scoreline which is regarded by many as one of greatest upsets in NFL history given that Miami were defending Super Bowl champions who were favored by 10 points going into that game and had only lost one game all season up until that point.
The drought between playoff wins (and playoff appearances) continued for 17 more seasons until another former AFC East division rival broke through: Tom Brady & Bill Belichick led New England Patriots defeated Buffalo 24–17 on December 28, 2014 at Gillette Stadium which clinched Patriots’ sixth consecutive AFC East title en route to their eighth consecutive playoff appearance and 16th overall since Belichick took over as head coach back in 2000; this gave Brady more playoff appearances than any quarterback ever had up until that point with 18 (one shy of matching Montana’s then-record total).
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional football team based in Houston, Texas. The Texans 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 NRG Stadium, an outdoor stadium in Houston; RELiant Stadium held the majority of the team’s home games until it was closed for repairs following Hurricane Ike in 2008. The Texans first played in 2002 as an expansion team after Houston’s previous franchise, the Houston Oilers, relocated to Nashville, Tennessee where they are now the Tennessee Titans. The Texans’ majority owner is Cal McNair; they are currently coached by Bill O’Brien.
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.[1] 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 merger in 1970. The team is valued at over $2 billion.[2][3]
The Chiefs began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL).[4] They were created during 1959–60 by AFL founder Lamar Hunt, who was also owner of the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Toronds—who served as the Texans’ cheerleaders.[5][6] Hunt had originally envisioned his new AFL team playing at either Municipal Stadium or Cotton Bowl Stadium,[7] but could not secure either facility. He tweaked his idea to move them to an empty lot he owned near Union Station, where Municipal Stadium stood until 1972.[8][9][10]
The Chiefs won three AFL championships, in 1962, 1966, and 1969. They appeared in two Super Bowls, I and IV,[11] losing both. In 1966 they beat the Green Bay Packers 51–10 in Super Bowl I; this remains one of only two teams ever to defeat the Packers in a Super Bowl (the New York Jets being the other). In 1969 they lost Super Bowl IV to Minnesota 24-7. Following Hunt’s death on December 13, 2006 at age 74,[12][13] Clark Hunt became chairman of H&S Ventures LLC (Hunt family investments),[14][15] which since then has been run by Dan Reichert who succeeded Carl Peterson as president on January 1, 2009.[16][17]
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. 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.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Assuming the Steelers win Sunday in Baltimore, they will clinch the AFC North for the third straight season. They also would improve to 11-5 and keep alive their hopes for a first-round bye. Pittsburgh controls its destiny in that scenario and would earn the bye with a victory at Cleveland on Jan. 3 if Kansas City (10-4) loses at Seattle on Sunday night.
NFC
The Dallas Cowboys have clinched the NFC East division title and are the number one seed in the conference. The Green Bay Packers have also clinched a playoff berth and are the number two seed. The Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals are fighting for the final wild card spot.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. They are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NFL, having appeared in 8 Super Bowls and winning 5 of them.
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.
The Packers are the last of the “small town teams” which were common in the NFL during the league’s early days of 1920–1949. Founded in 1919 by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, the franchise traces its lineage to other semi-professional teams in Green Bay dating back to 1896. Between 1919 and 1920, the Packers competed against other semi-pro clubs from around Wisconsin and Michigan. They joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA), the forerunner of today’s NFL, in 1921. Although Green Bay is by far the smallest major league professional sports market in North America, Forbes ranked the Packers as the world’s 26th most valuable sports franchise in 2016, with a value of $2.35 billion.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that compete in the National Football League (NFL). The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams, located in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rams joined the NFL in 1937 as a result of the NFL’s merger with the rival American Football League (AFL). In 1946, the franchise moved to Los Angeles. The Rams franchise remained in the metro area until 1994, when they moved to Anaheim. The Rams franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016.
The Rams won three NFL championships between 1945 and 1955. This included one title during their time in Cleveland (1945) and two titles after moving to Los Angeles (1951 and 1955). The team has appeared in Super Bowls XXXII (1998) and LIII (2018). However, they have yet to win a Super Bowl title.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field for the 1961 season. The team competes in the National Football Conference (NFC) North division.
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 Saints were founded by David Dixon and John W. Mecom Jr., the city’s original NFL franchise. They played their home games at Tulane Stadium from 1967 to 1974, and then moved to the new Louisiana Superdome (now Ernest N. Morial Convention Center) in 1975.
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 (NFL) as a member of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team plays its home games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, located 40 miles (64 km) south of San Francisco in the heart of Silicon Valley. Since 1988, the 49ers have been headquartered in Santa Clara.
The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and joined the NFL in 1949 when the leagues merged. The 49ers were the first major league professional sports franchise based in San Francisco. The name “49ers” comes from the prospectors who arrived in Northern California during the 1849 Gold Rush. The team is legally and corporately registered as the San Francisco Forty Niners.
