Wide Open Field: NFL Playoff Preview

The NFL postseason arrives with its familiar mix of inevitability and surprise, and this year leans a little heavier toward the latter. The bracket is full of recognizable brands, rising challengers, and unfinished business, but the most striking detail is the one everyone will notice immediately. The Kansas City Chiefs are not here.

After three straight Super Bowl appearances, five appearances in six seasons, and three Lombardi Trophies in that span, the Chiefs’ absence reshapes the entire postseason. For the first time in years, the AFC does not revolve around the same gravitational pull. There is no automatic assumption that the road to February runs through Patrick Mahomes. The league has been waiting for this moment, and now it has it.

The AFC picture opens with Denver on top, a development that would have sounded like fan fiction not that long ago. The Broncos secured the top seed and a bye, earning the right to play the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional Round. Denver’s rise has been built on balance rather than spectacle, a defense that consistently shortens games and an offense that has learned when not to get in its own way. They are not flashy, but they are efficient, and in January that often matters more.

Behind them, the AFC Wild Card slate offers immediate contrast. Pittsburgh and Houston bring two very different identities into their matchup. The Steelers are still living on defense, physicality, and a belief that ugly wins count the same as pretty ones. The Texans, meanwhile, represent the league’s youth movement, built around speed, aggression, and a willingness to take risks. Buffalo and Jacksonville feels like the classic postseason test of resilience. The Bills have lived on the edge all season, talented enough to beat anyone and inconsistent enough to scare their own fans. The Jaguars have quietly reestablished themselves as a team that expects to be here, not just hopes to be.

New England’s return to the postseason adds another layer. The Patriots are no longer the automatic conference favorite they once were, but they remain a team nobody wants to see. Their matchup with the Chargers is a measuring stick for both sides. For Los Angeles, it is about proving that potential can finally translate into January wins. For New England, it is about reminding everyone that structure and discipline still travel well this time of year.

Over in the NFC, Seattle sits atop the conference and enjoys a bye of its own. The Seahawks have been one of the season’s most complete teams, combining a physical running game, a disciplined defense, and an offense that rarely beats itself. They are not built around overwhelming star power, but they are built to survive playoff football.

The Wild Card round in the NFC is stacked with storylines. Philadelphia versus San Francisco is a heavyweight fight disguised as an opening act. Both teams carry deep playoff expectations and little patience for early exits. Chicago and Green Bay renew a rivalry that feels eternal, now with postseason stakes added to the mix. For the Bears, it is about validating a rebuild that has accelerated faster than expected. For the Packers, it is about proving that transition does not mean retreat.

Carolina and Los Angeles might be the most unpredictable matchup on the board. The Panthers have leaned into defense and tempo control, while the Rams continue to live dangerously, trusting star power and improvisation. Either team could look brilliant or unravel completely, sometimes within the same quarter.

Across both conferences, several themes stand out. One is generational turnover. With the Chiefs out, and several other recent mainstays either gone or vulnerable, this postseason feels like a bridge between eras. Another is the premium on defensive flexibility. The teams that can disguise coverage, pressure without blitzing, and adjust midgame are the ones best positioned to survive multiple rounds. Finally, there is the question of nerve. In a wide open field, belief matters. Teams that sense opportunity often play looser, faster, and more decisively.

The Super Bowl will be played in Santa Clara, and the path there feels less scripted than usual. That uncertainty is the league’s quiet gift to itself. Fans are not tuning in to watch history repeat itself. They are tuning in to see who writes the next chapter.

When the dust settles, the matchup that feels most likely is Denver against Seattle. The Broncos have the clearest path in a Chiefs-free AFC, and their ability to control games suits postseason football. Seattle’s balance and consistency give them a slight edge in a crowded NFC field that could cannibalize itself.

In the end, the prediction is Denver over Seattle in Super Bowl LX. A game decided not by fireworks, but by field position, defensive stops, and a handful of plays made under pressure. It would not be the loudest championship the league has seen, but it would be one that confirms a new reality. The NFL has officially entered its next phase, and there is no dynasty waiting at the finish line.