Will the Chiefs Dominate Again or Will the Lions Roar? Insider Look at NFL Playoffs
NFL Play-Offs: Road to Super Bowl 59
The 32 teams that began with dreams of glory have been trimmed to the final 14 who will contest 12 games over three weeks to find out who will play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans in February.
For the first time in 12 years, every play-off side won 10 or more games this season so the quality is there - and when it comes down to 'win or go home' that usually results in some epic contests.
Current NFL Play-Off Picture
The Detroit Lions hammered the Minnesota Vikings in the final game of the season to grab the top seed in the NFC, meaning they join the Kansas City Chiefs in sitting out the first round.
The top four seeds are division winners, and you can see why some think that should be changed when the Vikings, Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers all have better records than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams but have to play away games first up.
Play-Off Mechanics
Basically, the Chiefs and Lions sit out Wildcard Weekend, then they will play at home for as long as they remain in the play-offs.
The pair will host the lowest remaining seeds in the Divisional Round, with the next highest seed hosting the fourth and final team in the other game.
Wildcard Weekend Match-Ups
Chargers @ Texans Jim Harbaugh's Chargers are one of two road favourites, with six away wins this season, thanks to quarterback Justin Herbert having the most efficient year of his career and the meanest defence in the NFL allowing just 17.7 points a game.
Steelers @ Ravens A third meeting this season between heated enemies Baltimore and Pittsburgh, with the Steelers dominating this rivalry by winning eight out of nine before being thumped in the last meeting.
Super Bowl Favorites
The bookmakers have Detroit as favourites ahead of defending champions Kansas City. The Lions are one of four teams never to even play in the Super Bowl, but they were the best attacking team in the league, with their 68 touchdowns the second most ever.
Philadelphia look to be the pick of the NFC after Detroit, and most Super Bowl predictions involve those five teams. This is the NFL though and it is never that simple.
Can the Chiefs do the Three-Peat?
The big question this post-season concerns whether Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs can become the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row.
They have questions to answer despite having the same 15-2 record as the Lions, because whereas Detroit blew teams away with a +222 points difference, the Chiefs were clawing and scraping wins with just a +59 points difference in their favour.
When is the Super Bowl?
And what all these teams are working towards, Super Bowl 59, is being held in New Orleans at the Superdome, home of the Saints, on 9 February and will kick off at 23:30 GMT.
It will be a record seventh Super Bowl at the stadium and joint record 11th time the event has been staged in New Orleans.
