The playoff brackets are set and the road to Super Bowl LII starts this weekend
After 17 weeks and 256 games, the playoff schedule is set. Some teams, like the Patriots, Steelers, Eagles and Vikings, qualified weeks ago. Others, like the Titans and Bills, didn’t know their fates until the final seconds of the final regular-season games.
January football starts next weekend.
And here’s the entire NFL playoff bracket, from the wild-card round to the Super Bowl. For now, however, a quick preview of this weekend’s matchups:
AFC
Who: Titans vs. Chiefs
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
When: Saturday, Jan. 6, 4:35 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN/ABC
The Titans had lost three straight coming into Week 17 and needed a victory to guarantee a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2008. The win also reportedly saved coach Mike Mularkey’s job for another week. Tennessee’s offense is built around the run game, which features quarterback Marcus Mariota and running back Derrick Henry.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, reeled off four straight wins to take the AFC West. After a 5-0 start, finishing atop the division seemed to be a foregone conclusion but Kansas City went 1-6 during a two-month stretch during the middle of the season. But the offense found its footing over the final weeks, and that will have to continue if the Chiefs have designs on a deep playoff run.
Who: Bills vs. Jaguars
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
When: Sunday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
The Ravens came into Week 17 with a 97.3 percent chance of making the playoffs. All they needed to do was beat the Bengals and they were in. The Bills, meanwhile, needed a lot of help to get into the postseason for the first time since 1999. Specifically, they had just a 14.8 percent chance of breaking the drought. Buffalo took care of business in Miami, and for 59 minutes, the Ravens had done the same against Cincinnati … until this happened:
THE @BENGALS!
TOUCHDOWNNNN!
WOW. #Bengals50 pic.twitter.com/NB78jk9U2a
— NFL (@NFL) January 1, 2018
Needless to say, the Bills and their fans were ecstatic. And now Buffalo will look to do something it hasn’t done since the 1995 season: win a playoff game.
The Jaguars won 10 games for the first time since 2007, which is also the last time they made the playoffs. But the Jags were outmatched in their final two regular-season games, losses to the 49ers and Titans, and they’ll need to regroup for Sunday’s matchup. Jacksonville’s defense remains one of the league’s best, but the offense — which has to work around Blake Bortles — continues to be the team’s weak link.
NFC
Who: Falcons vs. Rams
Where: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
When: Saturday, Jan. 6, 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Eleven months ago the Falcons were minutes away from their first Super Bowl title. We all know how that ended. And while the team hasn’t been nearly as explosive this season — in part because offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left for San Francisco — they went 10-6 and won three of four to return to the postseason. They’ll need Matt Ryan to continue to carry the offense but the defense, which ranks 23rd in the league, will have to be much better if they’re going to have a chance in Los Angeles.
A year ago the Rams had just fired embattled coach Jeff Fisher, who failed to lead the team to a winning record in five seasons. Enter Sean McVay, who has not only turned things around in a few months, but has made Todd Gurley a legit MVP candidate and fashioned Jared Goff into a franchise quarterback. Added bonus: defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has the Rams playing like a top-five unit. The last time the Rams won a playoff game, in 2004, they were still in St. Louis, Mike Martz was the coach and Marc Bulger was under center.
Who: Panthers vs. Saints
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
When: Sunday, Jan. 7, 4:40 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
The Panthers lost twice to the Saints during the regular season, twice allowing New Orleans to score at least 30 points. That will have to change if Carolina is to have a chance in Round 3. The good news: They have a top-10 defense. The bad news: The Panthers’ offense was out of sorts in the Week 17 loss to the Falcons, managing just 10 points in a game that saw Cam Newton go 14 of 34 for 180 yards and three interceptions. The Saints feature the league’s No. 2 offense and more importantly, the No. 7 defense. And it’s been the defensive resurgence that has played a big role in their success this season and a return to the postseason for the first time since 2013. (Ryan Wilson)
