We’re in postseason football with likely no runaways or dominant teams. For those that are happy the Chiefs aren’t there, I think we all deserve to celebrate! (Sorry, not sorry Chiefs fans). As of right now, the public seems keen on the Seahawks and Broncos as Super Bowl contenders. But there’s also the Eagles fighting for back-to-back appearances. Otherwise, it could be about as wide-open as it gets for most teams. As for the Panthers and Steelers, I’m intrigued to see how they fare in the postseason. I don’t expect my Niners to go the distance, but I’ll be very surprised if they hobble that far🩼.

I’m not doing NFL predictions as I’m solely committed to posting college football playoff predictions, but the bracket of my picks will be down below. Also, here’s the 14 NFL teams that will enter the postseason fray to compete for the Super Bowl. However, they’re set in order based on MY power rankings over the 17-game season. Next month, I will be at Santa Clara for Super Bowl week and I might do at least one content while I’m there. Good luck to your favorite teams out there…unless you’re Seattle. Sorry, not sorry! Go Niners!

14) CAROLINA PANTHERS

Carolina rose to the occasion after starting out their season 1-3. Their win-loss pattern may have helped or hurt their situation, but their 3-game winning streak prior to the pattern (along with the Falcons’ assistance and Tampa’s downfall) helped Carolina make their first playoff appearance since 2017. A Super Bowl run is not likely, but their competitiveness will push their opponent.

13) PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Pittsburgh’s playoff appearance is as suspect as the NFC South’s division winner. We’re not sure how good they really are or if they deserved it. But by the hair of Baltimore’s missed field goal, Aaron Rodgers and company make the postseason and Mike Tomlin’s winning record streak continues. Can they get to the Super Bowl though? The offense must be as productive their Sunday Night 4th quarter performance, and their defense must play as well as they did against Cleveland. Otherwise, questions outweigh the answers.

12) GREEN BAY PACKERS

Green Bay enters the postseason with more questions than answers. When many thought adding Micah Parsons made them Super Bowl contenders turned into potential disappointments. There’s a possibility that they could surprise in the postseason, but it’s unlikely since Dallas isn’t there. Isn’t it also weird that Green Bay has 2 former Cowboy players in a season?

11) LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers are battle-tested and approved for the postseason. There’s plenty of flaws, but it all depends on who they match up with. They have one of the better defenses in the league and will do everything possible to give their offense a chance. The offense must find a way to respond because their fragile offensive line may face plenty of difficulty against any defensive team that clashes with them. Justin Herbert’s on borrowed time with the lack of protection and was forced to carry the offense all season. He must hope he survives long enough to see the Promise Land.

10) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

On one side of the ball, the 49ers have an offense that looks elite. Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan, and Christian McCaffrey are the blueprints to their success. Add Trent Williams, Kyle Juszczyk, and George Kittle and you got an offensive force to be reckoned with on every possession. On the other side is an unfortunate sight no Niner fan wants to see (including me). The defense is playing with a young, untested group that’s without their two elite players in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. A lot goes through cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, and that’s not enough to cover ground. The only person to command the defense is Robert Saleh and he’ll do everything he can to make it work. Otherwise, this defense will make or break the 49ers’ season if their offense gets bogged down by injuries and good defenses.

9) BUFFALO BILLS

The Bills went from Super Bowl contenders to potentially out of the playoffs in a wild card game. The Bills are still Super Bowl contenders no matter who they face and where. It’s all on Josh Allen and the defense, no question. We know James Cook will always be involved, but it literally comes down to #17 and that defense. They either compete for the Super Bowl or they’re done for in the playoffs. It’ll be the most disappointing season for a team that was dubbed Super Bowl contenders especially with the Chiefs not involved in the playoffs. They must get right and do whatever it takes to get there.

8) CHICAGO BEARS

Ben Johnson turned the Bears around to where they can now intimidate any defense they face, especially after what they did to Philly a few weeks ago. Caleb Williams improved and has weapons across the board. However, what keeps them out of the Super Bowl is their defense. What happened to them this season? They haven’t replicated their production from last season and some of it was due to injuries. They may need to face questionable offenses to have a chance. Also, Caleb Williams must be better in his decision-making in certain situations because a lot of game situations will be on him.

7) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

New England had an easy schedule this season and did what they were supposed to do. The only difference is that they look like deep playoff contenders with Drake Maye playing MVP-like football in Year 2. Mike Vrabel’s presence may have revitalized the Patriots’ way of playing football again. Maye, TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs (not sure if he’ll be available), Kayshon Boutte, Christian Gonzalez, and Marcus Jones are one of the main standouts of the Patriots’ success. What could be a problem is depth. While they’re gaining back a few players from injury, they lost a few players to it including Mack Hollins from the Jets game. Be on the lookout for that.

6) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Since their blowout loss overseas against the Rams, the Jaguars turned into playoff contenders since. Trevor Lawrence played much better and Travis Etienne looked like his Clemson self before the season-ending injury his rookie season. Both looking good makes Jacksonville’s offense pretty dangerous along with receivers across the board and a defense that’s continued to have moments of success. If they can stay consistent in the postseason, they are one of the dark horse Super Bowl contenders.

5) HOUSTON TEXANS

This team goes through their defense. When you have Will “The Terminator” Anderson, All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr., and Azeez Al-Shaair running that unit, they are the most lethal defense the NFL’s ever seen. The offense runs through CJ Stroud, but backup Davis Mills served well with both playing behind a questionable offensive line. If the offensive line figures it out, watch out! They still have options to go to in the passing game, but they need consistency from the run game. If Woody Marks is the guy, he needs plenty of touches and must find ways to get into scoring position and/or score to help the offense.

4) DENVER BRONCOS

Maybe the offseason hype is more realistic than expected. Denver’s had some challenging games and challenging moments from their own team, but they met them and now look to make a run to the Super Bowl under Bo Nix and Sean Payton. If they can stay close in any playoff game they play, the 4th quarter is always their best quarter. The only thing that could keep Denver from making the Super Bowl is self-inflicting mistakes.

3) LOS ANGELES RAMS

The Rams seem like one of the best teams in the NFL with the best chance of making the Super Bowl. They have guys like Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams when he returns from injury, Kyren Williams, a line of tight ends, a “de-fusioned” Aaron Donald edge rushers in Braden Fiske and Jared Verse, Nate Landman, and their underrated defensive backs. It seems like LA can’t go wrong with them this time. However, some of their offensive linemen are injured and Davante Adams is hurt too. To make things worse, LA lost 3 games in the last 5 weeks with 2 losses coming from NFC South foes. Since they lost out on the overall seed, should the Rams be worried about playing a wild card game on the road against the Panthers again?

2) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The Super Bowl champs are back, for better or for worse. The offense may not have looked great for the 2nd straight season, but rest assured their defense and special teams makes up the bulk of their consistent production. If Saquon Barkley gets cooking and stays that way, uh oh for the rest of the NFC. The offensive line and receivers must do everything to stay healthy, available, and upright while Jalen Hurts must keep his mistakes to a minimum. Can the offensive coordinator get the offense playing more aggressive and more consistent from start to finish against a few tough NFC opponents?

1) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seattle looks much better this season than they did last season. Defense improved and became a problem to most opposing offenses. There are multiple names and impact players that revitalized Seattle’s defensive reputation even if they’re not the Legion of Boom (thank God!). The offense is about as dangerous with tandem backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet and a slew of pass catchers led by uber-talented receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The only issue that could hinder Seattle’s Super Bowl chances is Sam Darnold and the offensive line. Darnold started out well this season, but inconsistencies took over and has now turned into questions if he can do it. A lot will be on him when the game’s on the line. The offensive line may have improved, but a couple of their players suffered injuries during the season and must stay healthy throughout the playoffs.