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A longstanding powerhouse has fallen, big names have faltered, and longshots have transformed into legitimate title threats.

Even seasoned analyst Cris Collinsworth has remarked, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."

Now, 14 teams are poised to compete in the playoffs, and for the first time in 11 seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are absent.

Last year's champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, have been less formidable, and teams like the Buffalo Bills, tipped for success early on, have not delivered.

However, in a rare statistical twist, 11 of the 14 playoff teams secured at least 11 victories during the regular season, a feat achieved only twice in the past 35 years.

A record five teams qualified after suffering 11 or more losses the previous year, with two—New England and Chicago—completing a "worst-to-first" turnaround in their divisions.

"Requesting a single favorite is difficult," Collinsworth continued, "as a case can be made for virtually every team."

"It's going to be amazing to watch these young quarterbacks go at it because I don't know what they will do. This is when legends begin to be built."

How Do the NFL Playoffs Function?

Fourteen teams enter the postseason, split evenly with seven representatives from both the AFC and NFC.

A twelve-game, single-elimination bracket over three weeks keeps AFC and NFC teams apart, culminating in the conference champions facing off in Super Bowl 60.

The highest-seeded team in each matchup enjoys home-field advantage, with the top seeds—Denver and Seattle—receiving a first-round bye during Wildcard Weekend.

Denver and Seattle start their playoff runs in the Divisional Round. The AFC and NFC champions, decided in the Conference Championship games, will play for the Lombardi Trophy at Levi's Stadium.

A rematch of the 2014 Super Bowl between Seattle and Denver is possible, though Denver later rebounded to win Super Bowl 50 at the same venue in 2016.

The AFC Championship Picture: A Field of Opportunity

A staple of recent playoffs, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, is not participating for the first time in his professional journey.

Furthermore, this year's Super Bowl will be the first since 2019 not to include either Mahomes or Cincinnati's Joe Burrow.

The absence of recent Most Valuable Players like Mahomes and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson leaves the AFC postseason without its usual headliners, opening the door wide.

The path to the AFC title is therefore unobstructed, allowing rising talents including Bo Nix of Denver and New England's Drake Maye to pursue playoff immortality.

Since 2016, only three franchises have won the AFC Championship, and none of those teams' players from their last title remain.

Top seed Denver has minimal recent playoff experience, and besides the Broncos and Patriots, Pittsburgh is the only other AFC playoff team with a Super Bowl appearance since 1995.

Yet, seasoned passers like Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen of Buffalo remain, possessing the know-how to potentially outduel the younger generation.

Who Are the Super Bowl and MVP Favorites?

The NFC boasts more recent playoff pedigree, with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or San Francisco appearing in seven of the last eight Super Bowls.

Facing off against Seattle in the brutal NFC West, the Rams and 49ers have already been immersed in a playoff atmosphere for several weeks.

Seattle won the NFC West with 14 victories, carrying a seven-game win streak into the playoffs following critical late-season wins over its division foes.

This earned Seattle the NFC's top seed, making them slight Super Bowl favorites, just ahead of the 12-5 Rams, whose quarterback Matthew Stafford is the MVP frontrunner.

Stafford, who won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams in 2022, has never won the MVP but is rated just ahead of New England's second-year quarterback, Drake Maye.

Under the guidance of new coach Mike Vrabel, Maye has flourished, instrumental in New England's stunning reversal from 4-13 a year ago to a 14-3 powerhouse.

Similarly, Chicago's Caleb Williams has blossomed in his second year with new coach Ben Johnson, leading the Bears from five wins to eleven and securing the NFC's number two seed.

Schedule for Wildcard Weekend

All times are in GMT

Saturday, 10 January

The Rams travel to face the Carolina Panthers (21:30)

The Packers visit the Chicago Bears (01:00 Sunday)

Sunday, 11 January

The Bills are on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars (18:00)

The 49ers take on the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles (21:30)

Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots (01:00 Monday)

Monday, 12 January

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers (01:00 Tuesday)

What to Watch For During the Playoff Openers

Carolina, having secured the NFC South with a poor 8-9 mark, hosts the Los Angeles Rams in the first playoff game, an unusual occurrence.

The Rams, playing as visitors, are powered by Matthew Stafford's league-leading passing numbers and a record year from wideout Puka Nacua.

Green Bay's momentum was stalled by late-season injuries, but they will have quarterback Jordan Love back for just the third playoff game in the NFL's oldest rivalry.

Winning the NFC North was an achievement for Chicago, but the Bears now aim to prevent a three-game losing streak from ending their playoff run abruptly.

Another NFC wildcard clash sees an injury-plagued San Francisco team visit the defending champion Eagles, who rested starters after clinching the NFC East.

Reigning MVP Josh Allen of Buffalo dreams of his first Super Bowl, but the Bills face a difficult road test against a red-hot Jacksonville team on an eight-game win streak.

{New England aims to avoid an upset at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, whose quarterback Justin Herbert seeks his first playoff win in his sixth season.|The Patriots hope to defend their home field against the Chargers, as LA's quarterback Justin Herbert looks for his inaugural postseason victory in year six.|At home, New England tries to stave off the Chargers, with Justin Herbert attempting to secure his first career playoff