NFL · 9 months ago

Power Ranking the 8 Teams in the NFL Divisional Playoffs

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs do not have the best offense, and there have been cracks in the armor all season. Still, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, which means they are the top dawg until someone knocks them off in the playoffs. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Arrowhead, resulting in dominance in the playoffs for the Chiefs. The best part of this team, outside of the aura of Mahomes, is the defense under ace coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The Chiefs have had a lot of time to rest and get somewhat healthy, so we’ll see if it makes a difference and helps Kansas City stay on top.

Kansas City (-7.5) vs Houston - Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET
8. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are at the bottom of the power rankings heading into the NFL’s Divisional Playoffs weekend. The Texans comfortably dispatched the Los Angeles Chargers at home, but they only have one win this season against the remaining seven teams in the field. That was a 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills on October 6. Since that triumph, they have losses to the Lions, Chiefs, and Ravens (31-2!). The Texans have little hope as they travel to Kansas City to play the reigning Super Bowl Champions.

Houston (+7.5) at Kansas City - Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET
7. Washington Commanders
Congratulations to the Washington Commanders! They broke a long playoff win drought and clearly have a franchise quarterback who will make them a threat for the foreseeable future. However, the Commanders were fortunate to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they do not have the firepower to keep up with the Detroit Lions this weekend. The Commanders remain the lowest-rated NFC team, but the future is very bright.

Washington (+8.5) at Detroit - Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET
6. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a scary team. Sean McVay is one of the NFL’s best coaches, and the franchise has experienced plenty of playoff success under his guidance. After a rash of injuries nearly ruined their season, the Rams are healthier and playing their best football. No one can cover Puka Nacua, and the Rams sliced and diced the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night to advance to a matchup with the Eagles.

Los Angeles Rams (+5.5) at Eagles - Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET
5. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles knocked off the Green Bay Packers and advanced to a home game with the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. The Eagles' defense stood out against Green Bay, forcing Jordan Love into multiple mistakes and turnovers. Philadelphia is below the elite teams of the AFC and Detroit because of a lack of trust in the passing game and uncertainty about how healthy Jalen Hurts is. The Eagles threw for only 121 yards and were outgained by the Packers. They’ll need more from Hurts to beat the Rams.

Philadelphia (+5.5) vs Los Angeles Rams - Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET
4. Baltimore Ravens
How do you rank the top four teams? Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit, and Buffalo could be tossed into a hat and drawn out in any order. Still, the Ravens get the fourth spot on the list because they are playing on the road, which will matter against the Buffalo Bills. Make no mistake: the Ravens are a real threat to win the Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry formed a devastating rushing attack. The defense has not surrendered more than 17 points since December 1.

Buffalo (-1.5) vs Baltimore - Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET
3. Buffalo Bills
Since the calendar turned to December, the Buffalo Bills have beaten the San Francisco 49ers, scored 42 points in a close loss to the Los Angeles Rams, put up 48 points in a win over Detroit, beat the Patriots twice and the Jets once and hammered the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round. That comes after a November 17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen has had a remarkable season, and James Cook has emerged as a great option at running back. The defense can be had, but good luck slowing Allen down right now.

Baltimore (-1.5) at Buffalo - Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET
2. Detroit Lions
There is a strong argument for the Detroit Lions to be ranked No. 1 on this list. The Lions have the league’s best offense, with more weapons than any defense can handle. Jared Goff is in complete control, and while he does not offer the dynamic mobility of Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, he is comfortable with the offense and orchestrates it just as well as those guys do. The only concern for the Lions is the status of the defense. Injuries have ravaged that unit, but they looked good in securing the number one seed with a strong performance against the Minnesota Vikings.

Detroit (+8.5) vs Washington - Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET
1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs do not have the best offense, and there have been cracks in the armor all season. Still, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, which means they are the top dawg until someone knocks them off in the playoffs. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Arrowhead, resulting in dominance in the playoffs for the Chiefs. The best part of this team, outside of the aura of Mahomes, is the defense under ace coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The Chiefs have had a lot of time to rest and get somewhat healthy, so we’ll see if it makes a difference and helps Kansas City stay on top.

Kansas City (-7.5) vs Houston - Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET
8. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are at the bottom of the power rankings heading into the NFL’s Divisional Playoffs weekend. The Texans comfortably dispatched the Los Angeles Chargers at home, but they only have one win this season against the remaining seven teams in the field. That was a 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills on October 6. Since that triumph, they have losses to the Lions, Chiefs, and Ravens (31-2!). The Texans have little hope as they travel to Kansas City to play the reigning Super Bowl Champions.

Houston (+7.5) at Kansas City - Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET

Power Ranking the 8 Teams in the NFL Divisional Playoffs

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