In some ways, the beginning of the NFL playoffs is much like the primary week of the common season. There is a feeling of newness within the air, together with the optimism from fan bases that this is likely to be the yr when one thing particular takes place.
With that in thoughts, we determined to checklist one cause why every group within the 2024 postseason can win the Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers often is the front-runners of their respective conferences, however every group within the playoffs has one thing that makes them a reliable risk (you may watch Tremendous Bowl LVIII on CBS and stream on Paramount+).
AFC
Baltimore Ravens: No. 1 ranked protection
As soon as once more, a group from Baltimore enters the playoffs with the NFL’s top-ranked scoring protection. This was the case again in 2000, and everyone knows how that wound up. With Lamar Jackson wholesome and complementing them, Baltimore’s protection is definitely ok to steer the Ravens again to the promised land. In latest weeks, the unit — led by linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen and defensive sort out Justin Madubuike — held each the 49ers and Dolphins to 19 factors.
Cleveland Browns: No. 1 ranked third-down protection
There’s loads to love concerning the Browns, together with the very fact they’ve a former Super Bowl MVP at quarterback in Joe Flacco. However one of many group’s largest strengths getting into the postseason is their protection’s skill to get off the sector on third down. Cleveland allowed opponents to transform on simply 29.1 p.c of their third-down conditions.
Persevering with to do this within the playoffs goes to be crucial for a Browns protection that completed final within the NFL in purple zone effectivity through the common season.
Stroud’s glowing rookie marketing campaign was quickly halted when he suffered a concussion that sidelined him for 2 weeks. Stroud returned in Week 17 and was simply nearly as good as he was previous to the damage. In main the Texans to wins over the Titans and Colts, Stroud accomplished 75.9 p.c of his passes with three touchdowns and no picks. Stroud might want to proceed to play at that degree within the postseason.
Hill got here up brief this season in his quest to be the NFL’s first 2,000-yard wideout. However he can greater than make up for that by serving to lead the Dolphins to their first Super Bowl since January of 1985. When wholesome, Hill is the NFL’s most electrical participant. His ability set shall be leaned on this weekend because the Dolphins face Hill’s former group in Kansas Metropolis.
Sure, the Chiefs’ second-ranked scoring protection is a large cause why Kansas Metropolis is internet hosting a playoff recreation. However the Chiefs’ postseason success will in the end fall on the shoulders of Mahomes, who remains to be the NFL’s finest participant. Like John Elway earlier than him, Mahomes has the power to raise the play of these round him. That ability shall be leaned upon this postseason.
It is one factor to take a proficient group to the Super Bowl. It is a wholly different factor while you lead a group there that will not have had the expertise to in any other case get there. That is what Mahomes can accomplish this postseason.
Mason Rudolph’s play down the stretch was large, however the working of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren has additionally performed an integral position in Pittsburgh’s three-game profitable streak. The Steelers could not have T.J. Watt this weekend, however they do have one of many NFL’s high RB duos, led by Harris, who ran for a mixed 234 yards and three touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s final two regular-season video games.
Harris has been complemented within the backfield all yr by Warren, who along with averaging a team-high 5.3 yards per carry, caught 61 passes through the common season. Each gamers shall be crucial to Pittsburgh’s success Sunday in Buffalo.
A golf fanatic, Allen shares an analogous philosophy to hyperlinks legend Arnold Palmer, whose aggressive strategy on the course resulted in lots of wins, but additionally some heartbreaking losses. Allen’s daring strategy in soccer has led to loads of success, however he can be clever to undertake a few of golf legend Jack Nicklaus’ calculated strategy to competitors. Taking dangers is nice, however Allen wants to put up at occasions whereas taking part in the lengthy recreation.
NFC
Clearly, Jordan Love must play nicely if the Packers are going to make a playoff run. However Love’s success is clearly related to Jones, who had three straight 100-yard dashing performances to shut out the common season. It is no coincidence that the Packers gained every recreation and Love loved appreciable success over that span.
Dallas Cowboys: No. 1 ranked scoring offense
The Cowboys at present possess their finest offense since The Triplets led Dallas to a few titles within the ’90s. Dallas’ offense options the league’s high QB-WR duo in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice 4 a long time in the past, Dallas’ present duo can etch their place in historical past by parlaying their prolific partnership right into a Super Bowl title. The unit will need assistance from Tony Pollard and a working recreation that was cold and warm through the common season.
OK, the Bengals’ trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in all probability has one thing to say about this. However this yr, it is laborious to argue that the Rams’ trio of Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp was the NFL’s finest, even with Kupp coping with accidents.
The Rams’ present trio calls to thoughts the franchise’s former trio of Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. That trio led the Rams to a Super Bowl win. Can the present one comply with swimsuit?
Let’s additionally not overlook Kyren Williams, who would possibly give the Rams the NFL’s finest offensive quartet. His success has made Stafford and the passing recreation ever tougher to comprise.
Detroit Lions: Depth at ability positions
No playoff group sans the 49ers can match the offensive depth that’s in Detroit. The Lions have the NFL’s high RB duo in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who mixed to run for 1,960 yards and 23 touchdowns through the common season. The Lions even have one of many NFL’s finest wideouts (and arguably this yr’s largest Professional Bowl snub) in wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, who’s flanked within the passing recreation by Professional Bowl tight finish Sam LaPorta and fellow wideout Josh Reynolds.
On the heart of all this expertise is Jared Goff, who’s hoping to knock off his former group this weekend.
Truthfully, it is laborious to seek out cause for optimism for those who’re an Eagles fan. However Philly followers can take solace in the truth that they nonetheless have one of many recreation’s finest quarterbacks in Hurts, who a yr in the past practically led the franchise to its second Super Bowl win.
Given how dangerous their protection was down the stretch, it’s going to be on Hurts and the Eagles’ offense to mild up the scoreboard within the postseason. The Eagles’ offense remains to be able to doing that, however they will want Hurts and the remainder of his offensive teammates to play at an extremely excessive degree. That will not be simple, nevertheless, with Hurts coping with a finger damage and wideout A.J. Brown working via a knee damage.
Tampa acquired huge campaigns this season from Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Godwin went over 1,000 yards receiving for the third straight yr, whereas Evans submitted arguably the best season of his profession. He had his most receiving yards in a season (1,255) since 2018 and tied Hill with the league’s most landing receptions (13).
We might be remiss to not point out the truth that the Buccaneers additionally possession the NFL’s third-ranked purple zone protection, which can certainly be a predominant contributor if Tampa goes on a run.
San Francisco 49ers: NFL’s finest roster
It is laborious to argue that the 49ers haven’t got the NFL’s finest group from a expertise standpoint getting into the playoffs. San Francisco’s roster contains of a 1,000-yard receiver (Brandon Aiyuk), a 1,000-yard tight finish (George Kittle), two league MVP candidates in Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey and one of many NFL’s most versatile gamers in Deebo Samuel. Defensively, the 49ers are armed with Professional Bowlers Nick Bosa, Javon Hagrave, Fred Warner and Charvarius Ward.
Accidents often is the solely factor standing within the 49ers’ approach of profitable the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl.
