The future looks bright in the NFC. Philadelphia had a resounding Super Bowl win this past February against the AFC best Chiefs. At one point, they led 40-6 in the title game. The Eagles weren’t just the best team in the Super Bowl, they were the best team in a stacked, resurgent conference. Detroit had their franchise best record in 2024. The Commanders hype is real. Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Green Bay will be more dangerous this year. Playoff hopefuls Atlanta, Chicago, Arizona and Seattle have the talent and coaching to take on and beat some serious title contenders. Every division race will be a slugfest and have a lot of drama.
Sadly, not all the teams mentioned above will make the playoffs since there are seven spots. It’s time to break down which seven teams in the conference have the best chance to reach the playoffs this season. There are a lot of quality teams, so expect a thrilling journey to the end of the season and some surprises based on this years draft and last years film.
East: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders
Jalen Hurts is one of six current starting quarterbacks to have won the Super Bowl.
What a statement 2024-2025 season from Philadelphia. Serious analysts didn’t have the Eagles making the playoffs unless they were a lower seed after the late, 2023-2024 falloff. Owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni responded with the franchise’s best season this century, adding a second Super Bowl trophy in a decisive win against Kansas City. Since the Eagles’ most important players are signed through the next few seasons and Roseman added more roster depth in the offseason, Philadelphia will remain the top name in their division, conference, and the league.
“Scary Terry” McLaurin was finally re-signed to a favorable three year, $96 million extension Monday. That’s bad news for opposing defenses facing the Commanders this year.
The Eagles won’t have it easy with the young, determined Commanders team behind them. Washington had a great chance to win the east last year but didn’t have the experience compared to the Super Bowl champions. Year two of sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive captain Bobby Wagner and head coach Dan Quinn should close the gap with their division rivals. Both teams will have their share of struggles after making the conference championship last season, but Philadelphia has more depth to counter serious contenders. Washington did extend franchise receiver Terry McLaurin Monday, so the offensive production shouldn’t drop or disappoint…unlike some teams in this article.
South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another year, another season Tampa Bay’s offense will overwhelm opposing defenses.
While Carolina should continue building off of late 2024’s progress, New Orleans will be one of the NFL’s worst teams this year. Just like last year’s prediction, the division will be a two team race between Atlanta and Tampa Bay.
There is a lot to love with the Falcons. Michael Penix Jr. was fantastic and Atlanta barely missed the division title last year. Head coach Raheem Morris has a lot more to work with and knows which players to push for better production.
However, Tampa Bay stays ahead top to bottom.
Head coach Todd Bowles finds ways to get the best out of every Buccaneers player. Tampa has the superior offense, defense and special teams. The Buccaneers do have the harder schedule all but one month of the regular season, but that’s expected for one of the NFC’s best veteran teams. There’s also more game film of Penix Jr., so teams will find weaknesses this year. Count on Tampa Bay’s Bowles to find some.
North: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions
This will be the most important season of quarterback Jordan Love’s career.
Minnesota doesn’t inspire confidence with quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz behind center. Letting Sam Darnold walk in free agency was a big mistake. The Vikings could go from losing to two teams all of 2024, to a fall to the bottom of the north.
Chicago has a good case to sneak into the playoff discussion. The Bears could very well steal a playoff spot from a deserving contender like Atlanta or any of the west teams not in first place. Chicago’s first half of the season is more likely to be marred by mistakes, forcing them to play catch up and just miss out. Still, there should be a lot of optimism and good games for the Bears.
For the serious contenders, there are big expectations for Green Bay this year. Yes, wide receiver Christian Watson will be out most of the season with last year’s torn ACL, but it’s up to head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love to show why they’re paid big money and get touted as offensive gurus and leaders. While the Packers have a brutal schedule, there are some weeks or months they could go on a hot run and leave the other three teams behind. If that happens, LaFleur and Love must stay determined and not hold back.
The biggest question for the NFC is how deadly Detroit’s offense will be without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Despite drawing the NFL’s hardest and worst schedule, Detroit is in the conversation for the 2026 playoffs. The Lions will have nine road games, and all but one will be against playoff favorites. Detroit went undefeated on the road last year, but no one believes it can happen again this season. The Lions also lost their top coordinators to head coaching jobs in the offseason. There will be an obvious drop in offensive production, but both general manager Brad Holmes’ bullseye drafting and nearly the whole defense returning from injured reserve will keep Detroit in the playoff conversation all year. Don’t be surprised if the Lions follow the old, Tom Coughlin-led New York Giants route and get hot the second half of the season. Should that happen, there might not be a team that could stop Detroit from going all the way.
West: Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks
It should be another great season for Rams running back Kyren Williams (23).
Easily the hardest division to decide which teams make the playoffs, the west could have just one team (the division winner) or three teams play in the postseason. All but one made necessary roster changes and all coaches have evolved in their schemes. It also helps the west that all four teams have some of, if not the easiest schedules this season. It will be disappointing if somehow only one of the four teams makes the playoffs.
San Francisco is probably the weakest due to their roster turnover, lack of offensive talent and lack of depth on the defensive line. Arizona could have success, but questions remain about the offense and head coach Jonathan Gannon’s coaching after two inconsistent seasons.
While Los Angeles has some similar issues as the Cardinals, the differences are at head coach, quarterback and offensive line. The trio of Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett IV gives the Rams more room to adapt to any offensive system. General manager Les Snead again delivered in the draft and coach Sean McVay is a former Super Bowl champion who still finds ways to get the most out of unexpected and underrated players. The division race will be close, but Los Angeles gets the nod because they have better coaching and a more veteran roster than do the other three teams.
There’s irony in Sam Darnold going to Seattle after franchise star cornerback Devon Witherspoon spooked him last year.
Seattle can make it a close race all season. Mike MacDonald’s defense will be a top five unit in the league with star-studded names and depth on the defensive line and secondary. Offensive improvement starts with the offensive line. It appears general manager John Schneider doubled down on that in the draft, and with MacDonald’s philosophy of running the football to establish dominance and time of possession advantages, the Seahawks are poised to be a pain for more than just their division rivals.
Total 2024-2025 regular and postseason NFC picks: 8-5
Let us briefly look at the American Football Conference and a complex 2024. From close division winning races to Kansas City’s continued conference championship domination, the biggest takeaway was the continued west division arms race. Meanwhile, the other three divisions could have any team come out on top and no wild card team make the playoffs. The remaining three teams that don’t win a division title could be in the west.
As the Chiefs go for another title run in a conference that again improved at every position, at least two other teams outside the AFC west are favored to challenge the reigning conference champions and make the Super Bowl. Time to break down which seven teams in the AFC have the best chance of reaching the playoffs for 2026.
East: Buffalo Bills
Reigning MVP Josh Allen (17) should again lead one of the NFL’s best offenses to another division title.
Reminiscent of the old AFC east days, this year’s division should have a clear winner and three duds. New York looks like a hot mess and Miami has all the signs of a continued downward spiral. New England is a nice wild-card choice for those optimistic in both new head coach Mike Vrabel and sophomore quarterback Drake Maye’s progression. Yet, the Patriots don’t have the talent to last a whole season in the playoff conversation. This leaves the Bills as the lone, easy choice.
Buffalo’s defense will be the big question mark for how far they go in the postseason. For now, the Bills are experienced and good enough to punch their playoff ticket.
South: Houston Texans
Derek Stingley Jr. is confident he and the rest of Houston’s secondary will silence every offense on their schedule.
As in the east, the south unfortunately has at least two teams easily eliminated before the regular season begins. Tennessee will be undermanned and overpowered almost every week and Indianapolis has no answer at quarterback. Jacksonville may surprise many with offensive growth and improved play, but the real team to watch is Houston.
The Texans went all-in on re-tooling the offense and defense after a disappointing 2024-25 regular season. Although Houston played well in the postseason, injuries and lack of depth at receiver, linebacker and secondary were concerns in the offseason. Receivers Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios provide the needed receiver depth. Nick Niemann, Darrell Taylor and E.J. Speed beef up an anemic linebacker core. Finally, the Texan secondary will be one of the best and deepest in the NFL with their additions of C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jalen Mills. Both join a stacked cornerback and safety group that includes Derek Stingley Jr., Ronald Darby, Jaylen Reed, Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre, Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter.
North: Baltimore Ravens
Another season for (left to right) Lamar Jackson, Isaiah Likely and Zay Flowers means more growth and a better chance of getting to a Super Bowl.
There’s a theme here. Cleveland does not inspire confidence with their quarterback situation. Cincinnati’s porous defense weighs down any chances of success. Pittsburgh’s investment in a 41 year old quarterback to lead a further depleted offense is a case of wishful thinking and a probable recipe for disaster. Baltimore easily stands out from the other three.
As long as Lamar Jackson is healthy and under center, none of the other three teams have a chance at winning the north. While the Ravens didn’t lose or gain much talent in the offseason, the offensive line, Jackson and receivers like Isaiah Likely, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman have another full season to play together. Baltimore has to win more than just one playoff game with this core group.
West: All of them/Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders
Until a team de-thrones them, Kansas City remains the favorite to win their division and conference.
The AFC West will be the toughest division in either conference this season. The other three divisions don’t boast many challenges outside of last year’s division winners. This leaves a rare, unique, and plausible opportunity for all four western teams to clinch a playoff spot.
Two easy picks are the AFC’s top team Kansas City Chiefs and the rising Denver Broncos. As long as Kansas City’s head coach Andy Reid has defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, face of the franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes II and edge rusher Chris Jones, the Chiefs remain the favorite to clinch another division title.
Yet they cannot underestimate Denver head coach Sean Payton, sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, reigning defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II and receivers Marvin Mims Jr. and Courtland Sutton. The Broncos will be one of the few teams that can go blow-for-blow on all sides of the ball with the Chiefs. Both regular season rivalry games will be must-watch T.V. because they could determine which team takes the west.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert won’t be asked to do too much again this season with a deeper running game.
As Kansas City and Denver strive to surpass last year’s results, Los Angeles will try and keep their early playoff hopes alive. Preseason injuries on the offensive line are already a red flag. Rashawn Slater is out until next autumn and Mekhi Becton already dealing with an undisclosed injury shows the Chargers have to lean more on the running game. Luckily for them, head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have emphasized the running game remains a priority heading into week one. Re-signing receiver Keenan Allen and adding defensive depth with cornerback Donte Jackson will matter deeper into the season.
Finally, the last team serious analysts consider a valid wild-card contender and division factor will be the Las Vegas Raiders. The first head coach hired in Tom Brady’s co-ownership tenure was Pete Carroll. Carroll and general manager John Spytek traded for Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, signed runningback Raheem Mostert and safety Jeremy Chinn in free agency, and drafted Boise State phenom runningback and one of last season’s Heisman Trophy candidates Ashton Jeanty in the first round. The defense lost a number of players in the offseason, but Carroll’s coaching expertise with linebackers and the secondary will improve a unit that got better last year despite a lackluster offense giving up some wins. The offense has more long-term talent at every position. That should make the defense more fun to watch.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has a laugh with new head coach Pete Carroll. Both expect more growth on defense this year.
Total 2024-2025 regular and postseason AFC picks: 8-5
It’s been a fun first half of the season. The Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals have the most points and the best records in their conferences. Alexander Ovechkin gets closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals scored record each week. The MVP race is a toss-up and every playoff spot is up for grabs in the eastern conference. There should be a wild finish to the second half of the regular season. Here’s the top takes, questions and answers as the Four Nations tournament takes place.
Is there any consistent, great team or does it vary by month?
Winnipeg celebrates a shutout home win over Carolina February 4th. The Jets have the most points this season.
It’s hard to choose which team is the best this season and too soon to say. While Winnipeg’s easily the best and most complete team, their previous playoff blunders makes analysts second guess how good they’ll be when it matters most. Washington’s the top team in the eastern conference, but this will be Spencer Carbery’s first season he coaches a team into the playoffs. Vegas, Florida, Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton and Toronto had some slumps the first few months. It’s likely most of the playoff contenders are waiting for rivals to slip up once play resumes and make a more determined push. We’ll find out which teams are for real in the March power rankings.
It seems the MVP race is cluttered, but is there a clear Jack Adams (coach of the year) set of finalists?
Columbus’ Dean Evason is a top three pick for the Jack Adams award.
Most pundits believe Washington’s Carbery, Winnipeg’s Scott Arniel, and either Ottawa’s Travis Green or Vegas’ Bruce Cassidy will be the Jack Adams nominees. The Senators are the only team of the four mentioned to not be in the top three of their conference. Therefore, the winner could be chosen by how well their team does in the playoffs.
My three are different. The Jack Adams award should be for the best coach regardless of talent. Columbus’ Dean Evason should be first. No one had the Blue Jackets near the eighth seed, especially once their best player was tragically killed in the offseason. New Jersey’s Sheldon Keefe has excelled where predecessor Lindy Ruff fell short and the Devils defense has improved in every aspect. Finally, I’ll take St. Louis’ Jim Montgomery as the third option. As readers know from previous rankings, Montgomery was fired from Boston one month into the regular season and hired a few days after by the Blues. The Bruins haven’t fixed the offensive issues after firing him, but St. Louis is eight points out of the eighth seed and is one of the most underrated teams in the league after hiring Montgomery.
If I had to pick one of the three choices given, Dean Evason’s the easy winner for coach of the year.
How many big trades will there be once play resumes? Will there be any teams selling to re-build?
Colorado’s blockbuster trade of Mikko Rantanen sent shockwaves through both conferences. It may not be the last before the deadline.
The eastern conference (more on them later) is loaded with star players and depth that won’t sniff the postseason. By contrast, the western conference has a few surprising playoff favorites that disappointed. It’s unknown which team starts the upcoming trade frenzy, but Nashville, New York and Pittsburgh are big names to watch. The first two have stars they can unload for additional cap space and draft picks. I expect a lot of teams in both conferences to make moves the last week of the trade deadline given how close most are in the standings.
Speaking of close teams, what’s going on with Vancouver? Are they a favorite to go far in the postseason? Is there any way they can get back to last year’s form?
The J.T. Miller v. Elias Pettersson riff ended with Miller traded to the Rangers. General manager Patrik Allvin’s move will be analyzed at every angle years from now.
This is the best question asked so far. Real hockey fans wondered how Vancouver played lifeless once the regular season began. That’s uncommon for Rick Tocchet coached teams. It turns out assistant captain J.T. Miller and the most talented player on the team Elias Pettersson had a rift behind closed doors. While Pettersson is their most coveted player, Miller spent six seasons holding the Canucks together no matter the problems. At one point during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the only player on the team to not fall ill. His leadership kept Vancouver a contender even when Pettersson struggled to score.
Team president Jim Rutherford made the situation worse when he told the media that no matter what happened in negotiations, there were only short-term solutions. A few analysts thought dealing both players to separate teams could be a good move. There wouldn’t be a bias to either and it would help the Canucks re-group some talent without causing a fuss. This is Vancouver, so they did the opposite and dealt an assistant captain to a team that also backstabbed player leadership within the last few months.
There are more issues like the fragile goaltending situation when Thatcher Demko continued to miss time and came back around the holidays. The defense has regressed and captain Quinn Hughes struggled. Now Hughes is out due to an undisclosed, lower body injury. The Miller-Pettersson issue was one more thing to deal with and the organization hasn’t handled these issues well. If you want to feel bad for anybody, it should be Rick Tocchet. This is the second time he’s coached a team where upper management’s botched trades and roster talent.
It’s definitely a sad topic to read on. However for every low, there’s a high. Vancouver might have it rough, but some of the younger teams and eastern conference squads look really good. Which of these teams are for real and will make the playoffs?
There’s a trio of good, young teams and they’re all in the eastern conference. New Jersey, Ottawa and Detroit are the hottest names to play against for any playoff contender. From new coaches to defensive additions and scoring depth, all three should make the postseason with how well they play compared to Boston, Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers. Montreal is a close fourth, but they’re still re-tooling the roster and played tired after a long winning streak. It’s likely they miss the playoffs.
To take it further, I see this question as which of the three teams will go further in the postseason. Most likely, Detroit draws the winner of the metropolitan or atlantic division, and be easily eliminated (unless that hilariously becomes Ottawa). It then comes down to which veteran teams draw the Senators or Devils. The reigning champion Panthers and the rising Maple Leafs would struggle more with New Jersey while Ottawa could keep it close with almost every team. I’d go with the Devils because of their combined experience and how they’ve fixed more long-term mistakes this season.
Detroit’s red-hot on every side of the puck and would make the playoffs if the season ended today.
Here’s the second power rankings of the year. This will be the third and last time you see this notification in the regular season. Here’s where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to January. Some have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.
#32 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 31)
Three teams are all but eliminated from playoff contention. San Jose is one and they’ve been dreadful since the calendar flipped to 2025. At least they got all their trades done early so there’s nothing to pay attention to the rest of the season.
#31 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 32)
Chicago’s the second team easily eliminated. Unlike the Sharks, the Blackhawks need to make more moves. The goaltending duo of Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom will be in high demand and Chicago must decide how deep they should go into their rebuild. They’re not competitive in the standings so it wouldn’t surprise many to see the Blackhawks veterans land on playoff favorites.
#30 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)
If you had Buffalo as the third team, congratulations. The Sabres are the only eastern conference team that won’t sniff the postseason given how many points they have to get after playing 54 games. It’s ok to wonder if owner Terry Pegula will let go of coach Lindy Ruff after the season. Ruff did a subpar job at best and it could be the end of his long coaching career if Pegula decides to move on.
#29 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 29)
By now, you’ve figured I won’t quit on Nashville because of who their general manager is, the roster he put together, and how there’s something to salvage. While I’m not changing that view, the Predators probably won’t make the postseason because they have 45 points after 54 games. What will be interesting is how Nashville plays when they come back from break. Will the Predators finally get it together and become the team no one wants to play, or will GM Barry Trotz pull the plug and get creative in trades and roster decisions before the playoffs? These could be the most pivotal two weeks for the franchise this decade.
#28 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 27)
It’s jaw-dropping how Seattle’s taken a few steps back after their postseason run two years ago. The steal of their first full roster was goaltender Philipp Grubauer after a trade with Colorado. Grubauer was put on waivers at the end of January. General manager Ron Francis has spectacularly failed to make the Kraken competitive and many will look at his expansion draft blunders in a different light because of it.
#27 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 25)
Until last week, Anaheim won 20 of 21 games this season when they scored three or more goals a game. The defense is ok but the offense is the league’s worst. That’s a shock.
#26 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 20)
Since both New York teams improved after the last rankings, attention returns to Pittsburgh and coach Mike Sullivan. The Penguins have the second worst defense and two 20+ goal scorers. One has to wonder when there’s a coaching change this year.
#25 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 23)
Give credit to coach John Tortorella for making Philadelphia competitive this season. The Flyers were predicted to be a bottom-dwelling team from start to finish (despite how Tortorella gets the most out of his rosters), and this is easily the worst in the metropolitan. It took four months for Philadelphia to run out of gas, but the Flyers are respectable given how hard they compete every week despite the lack of talent.
#24 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 22)
Montreal had an impressive winning streak to close out 2024 and extend into 2025. Unlike Detroit, Ottawa and New Jersey, the Canadiens don’t have the depth or experience to maintain long winning streaks late in the regular season. There’s a lot for Montreal to feel good about, but the roster needs more work. They’ll have an interesting offseason.
#23 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 23)
If there’s any case for Jim Montgomery winning coach of the year in St. Louis, look at the team stats versus where they are in the standings. The Blues are a bottom ten team in a lot of categories on every side of the puck (led by second worst penalty kill). Yet they’re out of the eighth seed by eight points. If St. Louis makes the playoffs, it forces analysts and voters to try and give Montgomery a case for the award.
#22 Utah Hockey Club (last ranking: 21)
To follow up from last month’s analysis, Nick Schmalz’s season slump makes forward Dylan Guenther a focal point in Utah’s offense. Guenther’s tied for the team lead in goals with 20 and tied for third most points on offense with 41. He’s only played 44 games. Dylan Guenther will be a key player in the Hockey Club’s rise.
#21 New York Islanders (last ranking: 26)
The strangest part about New York’s seven game winning streak wasn’t how great the team felt, it was conversation about how center Mathew Barzal is a bust after needing another surgery on his left kneecap and how general manager Lou Lamoriello wants to trade defenseman Noah Dobson. The Islanders could be one of the hottest teams in the league, but management again found a way to mess up the good mood.
#20 New York Rangers (last ranking: 28)
It’s been a rough season for the players in New York. That’s why Jonathan Quick’s 400th career win (the most for a U.S. born goaltender) is a season highlight. General manager Chris Drury could reward Quick for reaching that milestone by trading him once the Four Nations tournament ends.
#19 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 14)
General manager Don Sweeney’s almost out of moves after hiring former Stanley Cup champion team captain Zdeno Chara to a front office position. The firing of Jim Montgomery looks worse each week and Boston’s fallen behind Detroit and Ottawa. The Bruins should move assets near the trade deadline since there’s not enough on the team to make this year’s playoffs.
#18 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 17)
Whatever Calgary’s doing this season works. The Flames won’t go away despite the offensive and penalty killing woes. A three game losing streak somehow means they’re three points back of the eighth seed and Vancouver. Go figure.
#17 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 18)
If you need anymore convincing of how Dean Evason is coach of the year, look at defenseman Zach Werenski. Werenski’s tied with Hall of Famer Bobby Orr for the fourth longest home point streak in NHL history with 21. He also leads Columbus in assists and total points. There will be a lot of close award races but the Norris trophy (won by the best defenseman) is Zach Werenski’s to lose.
#16 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 24)
General manager Steve Yzerman picked the right interim coach. Todd McLellan’s hiring brings necessary discipline, accountability and freedom for Detroit to do what they want on every side of the puck. At one point the Red Wings had a 50% power-play and a 71% penalty kill. They’ve tallied impressive wins and put playoff contending teams on alert with their re-awakened vigor.
#15 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 15)
We’ve finally reached the point where Detroit and Ottawa will be close in the standings and rankings for a while. Both teams made Tampa Bay play at a Stanley Cup caliber level this past week despite the losses.
On the Senators end, they were impressive until their Sunshine State roadtrip. Ottawa’s not a Stanley Cup contender, but they’ll be hard to beat four times in a best of seven series should the defense not revert to bad habits.
#14 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 19)
If we put the loss to Dallas aside, Vancouver’s 3-1 after trading J.T. Miller January 31st. The lone loss against a resurgent Red Wings is fine. Shutting out Colorado and winning a heavyweight game against Toronto are plusses. A painful chapter closed and this is where coach Rick Tocchet can finally bring the best out of his players.
#13 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 9)
I get why Los Angeles fans could be upset but this ranking should show how good the other 12 teams are this year. The Kings are tied for the league’s best scoring defense and could be a sixth seed at best by April. Another example of how the NHL is the best sports league in North America and a cruel one.
#12 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 13)
The same applies with Colorado. The Avalanche don’t have the depth but coach Jared Bednar’s still got them as a top six seed. The goaltending duo of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood will be fun to watch the next few months.
#11 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 11)
I personally think both coach Jon Cooper and starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy took the upcoming games against Ottawa and Detroit personally given how Tampa Bay’s been stuck in the middle of the eastern conference most of the season and lost to both teams a few times in 2024. What better way to pull ahead before the trade deadline than smacking around two division rivals with confident coaches leading their teams back to playoff contention? The Lightning will be deadly the second half of the regular season.
#10 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 7)
Some New Jersey fans might be disappointed the Devils are ranked this low, but a good number might not be once I reiterate something NHL Network analyst Mike Johnson stated January 19th after a 2-1 loss to Ottawa. A lot of New Jersey’s early season success was from a power-play that got the Devils to quick leads. Five-on-five is the biggest area New Jersey has to fix. Despite injuries and illnesses, they can’t rely on the power-play to score and get early leads with the playoffs two months away. The Devils could make a move at the trade deadline.
#9 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 5)
On the contrary, while many Toronto fans might feel confident, a good number are nervous about how the Leafs could at best win the atlantic division or at worst, fall behind against Tampa Bay, Ottawa and Detroit. The Maple Leafs can get past the Lightning, but they’ve struggled against the Senators and Red Wings. A first round matchup against either young team could lead to a surprise exit given how both Ottawa and Detroit play physical and care-free.
#8 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 6)
They won’t win the central division but Minnesota’s impressive. Unfortunately that’s enough to get them a four or five seed in the postseason. It’ll be interesting to see if the Wild make any trades before the deadline to shore up their third and fourth lines.
#7 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 10)
If one of my coach of the year candidates didn’t seem passable, know Kris Knoblauch was fourth on my list. He knew back in October this was like running a marathon, and he managed the minutes of Edmonton’s best players well. Not only is forward Leon Draisaitl a leading MVP candidate, the Oilers are tied for both the pacific division lead and the second seed in the western conference.
#6 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 1)
The reason Edmonton hasn’t run away with the pacific division or the second seed is because Vegas played better the first four months. The Golden Knights have the second best power-play despite a slow January. Expect Vegas to go on a winning streak when play resumes. It’ll be a fun division race to watch.
#5 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 8)
Although Carolina’s 3-3 since trading for forward Mikko Rantanen, the Hurricanes did well in January. They surpassed New Jersey as expected and scored four or more goals in six games the last month and a half. Now they need to put together a winning streak of at least five games.
#4 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 12)
Trading for forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci were big moves. However analysts leaked Dallas is trying to trade for a big name player before the deadline. If the Stars land this supposed player, they could be the favorites to win the Stanley Cup (depending on who they draw in the playoffs of course).
#3 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 4)
Washington has the second best offense in the NHL and the first line is among the best. Center Dylan Strome is the team leader in assists and points while the captain Alex Ovechkin leads in goals. This is easily the best Capitals team since Barry Trotz wasn’t re-signed.
#2 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 3)
Much like Tampa Bay, Florida played some of their best hockey this season right before the break. The Panthers proved they’re saving their best for the second half of the regular season after a shutout against Los Angeles, a narrow win against St. Louis and a thrashing of Ottawa.
#1 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 2)
The most realistic answer to the first question asked at the beginning of this article is this ranking. The league’s best is the one with two eight game winning streaks in one season. That’s incredible since no one predicted this before October. Winnipeg’s also tied for first in scoring defense and has the best offense and power-play.
One could also say this ranking answers the second question asked earlier. Despite the cases for Dean Evason winning coach of the year, Scott Arniel is lauded for getting the Jets to play at a better competitive level and could get a unanimous win for the Jack Adams. All Winnipeg has to do is play like this in the postseason.
Josh Morrissey (white) celebrates after scoring an overtime winner in Washington February 1st.
The Super Bowl features the best team in each conference. Kansas City and Philadelphia mirror each other in their running games, solid quarterback play and total defense. Both offensive and defensive lines play better each week and the secondaries know when to shut down receivers. It’s time to reveal which team has the best chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and why.
#1 Kansas City Chiefs v. #2 Philadelphia Eagles
The AFC’s top seed and the NFC’s second seed excel in running the ball, executing deep-ball plays and have a lot of speedy playmakers. These combinations could result in the best game of the year. A sequel to the championship matchup two years ago, Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni have been coaches on both teams and know what they want in star players. Both quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes II and Jalen Hurts struggled at times this year but always found ways to play their best and win when it mattered most. Just as last round proved, this is where depth decides the champion.
Like the last time these teams met in Super Bowl 57, both the winner of this game and the champion of the 2024-25 season will be determined by each team’s offensive and defensive lines. Philadelphia retooled their offensive line after center Jason Kelce retired. Cam Jergens comfortably took over at center and the Eagles added right guard (formerly tackle) Mekhi Becton in free agency. Left guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Jordan Mailata should have a better game than two years ago when both were young and struggled to handle Kansas City’s blitzes.
This line is tasked with stopping the defensive line trio of Tershawn Wharton, George Karlaftis and Chris Jones. Wharton is exceptional in stopping the run and has improved on rushing the passer while Jones and Karlaftis are closer to their prime and give opposing tackles headaches. Jones will have more difficulty getting pressure on Philadelphia starting quarterback Jalen Hurts this time since he’ll face off against a healthy Lane Johnson at right tackle. This re-match could alter the blitz schemes from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and give Jalen Hurts more time to find open receivers.
On the other end, the Eagles defensive interior doesn’t have the depth it did two years ago. Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith Jr., Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are pretty good. However, they’re at a disadvantage against Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. Kansas City’s interior offensive, line led by Humphrey and Smith, will have an easier time (after a week of rest) against a younger defensive front that’s not as deep or experienced. That will show late in the second half.
Finally, coaching will determine who wins. Two years ago, many thought Philadelphia would get their second Super Bowl trophy because Kansas City’s Andy Reid was well known for blunders such as timeout mismanagement and choking leads away. These views switched after Reid’s offense led the Chiefs to a second Super Bowl title (in his tenure). While Philadelphia’s head coach Nick Sirianni is great at finding opponents weaknesses and doesn’t let up, he doesn’t have answers for the gritty, physical style Kansas City plays. The Chiefs offense makes better adjustments and has one of the best scoring defenses in NFL history. It wouldn’t be surprising for Kansas City to have one of their best second half performances and a comeback win thanks to Andy Reid’s second half changes.
Super Bowl 59 Winning Prediction: Chiefs win a league record third straight Super Bowl 33-28 and take home their fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Three games remain. Four teams with two in each conference. The remaining two in the NFC are the east wildcard Washington Commanders and their division winning rival Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams have potent offenses, solid quarterbacks, hard-hitting defenses, and intelligent coaches. Time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.
#6 Washington Commanders v. #3 Philadelphia Eagles
In a thrilling divisional conference finals matchup, the winner could be determined by which starting quarterback has the better game.
Conference championship games featuring division rivalries are some of the best and most memorable playoff games in NFL history. Casual viewers can remember which year a team won a Super Bowl because of a rare, divisional matchup in this round. It’s also more fun if the teams split their regular season series.
Washington has nothing to lose since no one expected they’d reach the conference finals with first year head coach Dan Quinn re-vamping the roster. Philadelphia has to protect starting quarterback Jalen Hurts as much as possible after he suffered a knee injury last weekend. That means the winner of this game will be determined by two factors: the better receiving core and which offensive and defensive lines plays best.
Both teams have great receiving cores and tight-end depth. The Commanders great play-calling and complimentary slot receivers will be a reason the game stays close. However, the Eagles have better receiver depth with Jahan Dotson and Parris Campbell. Philadelphia’s receiving core should have another big game against a mediocre secondary.
Philadelphia’s receiving core features one of the league’s best wideouts in A.J. Brown (11). Brown was great against Washington’s secondary in both regular season games.
There’s no offensive and defensive line comparisons. The Eagles dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage and overwhelmed the Commanders with their pass rush and running game in both matchups. The offensive line cleared paths for starting runningback Saquon Barkley in both high scoring divisional games. Washington doesn’t have the same number of highly skilled players on both sides of the ball the Eagles do. That will show in the second half.
Finally, all five previous rookie quarterbacks who went to a conference championship game lost. Second overall pick Jayden Daniels might not play like a rookie, but his team’s not where they want to be yet. Philadelphia has more roster depth at their disposal to tire out the Commanders.
Prediction: Eagles win the NFC championship 34-28 and advance to Super Bowl LIX
Three games remain. Four teams with two in each conference. The remaining two in the AFC are the east winning Buffalo Bills and the west division winning and conference leading Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have fast offenses, star quarterbacks, elite defenses, and bright-minded veteran head coaches. Time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.
#2 Buffalo Bills v. #1 Kansas City Chiefs
Despite Patrick Mahomes’ success in the postseason, Bills quarterback Josh Allen will be the most important player.
Seen as the more exciting of the two Sunday games, the Bills were the only team to beat Kansas City in the regular season playing all their starters. Buffalo’s lopsided home win boosted confidence for a future re-match. However the Chiefs have home-field advantage and will give Buffalo’s offense plenty of communication problems.
While many see this as another round of the elite quarterback rivalry between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes II, the more important factors will be time of possession and which team runs the ball better. Kansas City has the offensive and defensive line advantages, a better running game, and a better playoff savvy receiver core. These factors should give the Chiefs the time of possession advantage. Kansas City remembers the mid-November beatdown in Highmark Stadium and wouldn’t mind giving the Bills their fourth straight head-to-head playoff loss in the last five years. It wouldn’t be a first for Buffalo.
Prediction: Chiefs win the AFC championship 31-21 and advance to Super Bowl LIX
The NFC wildcard weekend had everything audiences wanted. History was made with Washington’s first playoff win since 2005. Los Angeles won an emotional neutral location game last Monday night. The remaining four (the Detroit Lions had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with an inexperienced Commanders team remaining, no team is an easy out. It’s time to analyze which two teams have the best chance at making the next round.
#6 Washington Commanders v. #1 Detroit Lions
The red-hot tight-end Sam LaPorta (89) and Detroit Lions offense returns to action after a week off.
The last time Washington won a playoff game, they played another road game in a loud, hostile atmosphere against the NFL’s best scoring offense led by a runningback with at least 20 touchdowns. Two decades and one more postseason win against the Buccaneers later, the Commanders get to play…another road game in a loud, hostile atmosphere against the NFL’s best scoring offense led by a runningback with at least 20 touchdowns. While it’s been a memorable year for Washington, they don’t have enough to stop a healthier and more determined Lions.
Prediction: Lions win 28-14
#4 Los Angeles Rams v. #2 Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia’s passing attack needs to improve against a rising Rams secondary. Wide receiver A.J. Brown should have a big game Sunday.
Another divisional round matchup that was featured on Sunday night football during the regular season, this re-match will be in Philadelphia instead of Los Angeles. Head coach Sean McVay has the Rams playing their best football since December while the Eagles passing game struggles.
Ironically, Philadelphia’s passing struggles shouldn’t be a problem in this matchup. They have the better offensive and defensive lines. The talent and depth showed when the Eagles throttled Los Angeles 37-20 in their regular season meeting. Quarterback Jalen Hurts should make more plays this weekend, but Philadelphia doesn’t need him to play his best yet.
Wildcard weekend wasn’t competitive in the AFC. Baltimore, Houston and Buffalo dominated their games and won with few scares. Just like last year’s divisional round, the remaining four (the Kansas City Chiefs had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with an inexperienced Texans team remaining, no team is an easy out. It’s time to pick which two teams have the best chance of making the next round.
#4 Houston Texans v. #1 Kansas City Chiefs
Houston’s defense has to play their best game of the season and limit quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ mobility.
The easiest matchup in either conference. Kansas City won the regular season meeting on the winter solstice. While most of the Chiefs starters on offense and defense will play their first game in three weeks, they should pick up where they left off after week 17. Kansas City’s offense played better until they clinched the one seed, and head coach Andy Reid is phenomenal after a bye week. Houston needs a strong start to keep pace, but will struggle with wide receiver Tank Dell out the rest of the year.
Prediction: Chiefs win 34-21
#3 Baltimore Ravens v. #2 Buffalo Bills
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could shred Buffalo’s defense again Sunday afternoon.
This matchup could determine who wins league MVP. This time Buffalo plays at home and the defense is fully healthy. Both starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and runningback Derrick Henry must play their best game of the season in 23 degree weather.
Although Baltimore and Buffalo played each other Sunday night in week four, the result could be the same. Wide receiver Zay Flowers may not play due to a knee injury, but he had one catch for ten yards in the Ravens September rout. Jackson threw three touchdowns and Derrick Henry had over 200 all-purpose yards. The Bills defense may have stars like defensive end Greg Rousseau and middle linebacker Matt Milano, but tackling the heavy and quick Henry in freezing temperatures is a tall task. Buffalo’s offense will also have a lot of pressure to score every possession against an improved Baltimore defense. The Ravens could put this game away early in the second half.
The 2024-2025 NFL regular season is over. Seven teams in each conference have a chance to win the Vince Lombardi championship trophy. For those unfamiliar with the updated playoff format, an extra team was added. That means there’s one bye week for the top seeded team in each conference and a Monday night playoff game. Everyone wants to know which three teams in the NFC advance to the divisional round, so here are the best picks come Sunday.
#7 Green Bay Packers v. #2 Philadelphia Eagles
It’ll be a long day for Green Bay’s defense with a fully rested and healthy Saquon Barkley (26) ready to go.
Talk about a nightmare end to the regular season for Green Bay. The loss of Christian Watson to a non-contact knee injury will have Philadelphia’s defensive front feasting on the Packer offense. Runningback Josh Jacobs should soften some of the blows, but it’ll be a long day for quarterback Jordan Love. If it wasn’t lopsided enough, the Eagles will play all their rested offensive starters. A fresh Saquon Barkley will run rampant through a Packers defense that could be on the field most of the game.
Prediction: Eagles win 31-13
#6 Washington Commanders v. # #3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The last time an NFL team from Washington D.C. won a playoff game, it was in 2006 against the Chris Simms led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Much has changed in 20 years, including the team favored to win. The Commanders had a great season under head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, but the Buccaneers are better. Head coach Todd Bowles has plenty of tricks, schemes and disguises he didn’t use in the week one matchup against Washington. He also has the defense to snuff out the Commanders run game.
On the flip side, Tampa’s offense is superior to Washington’s defense. The feel-good story for the Commanders is nice, but they aren’t the better and more disciplined team.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 31-13
#5 Minnesota Vikings v. #4 Los Angeles Rams
Despite a thorough Thursday night home win against Minnesota, most audiences believed the Vikings could’ve tied before an egregious, uncalled facemask against the Rams sealed the loss.
By far the best wildcard matchup in the conference, many think this will be closer and kinder for the road team. That’s hard to believe when Los Angeles dominated Minnesota at the line of scrimmage in their regular season matchup. In many ways, last weekend’s whooping by Detroit’s defense was similar to how the Rams shut down the Vikings in late October. Minnesota’s defense also struggled against veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles offense. Stafford exploited one-on-one coverage matchups against receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. When Minnesota did counter the pass, runningback Kyren Williams averaged four yards a carry and wore out the Vikings defensive line.
Something else to watch is how Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson plays against an aggressive defense. He was terrible in his last playoff performance (two years ago when the Vikings lost at home to the New York Giants) and was held to three catches for 54 yards in Minnesota’s most important game in the regular season. It’ll be interesting to see the takes on Jefferson if he disappears against a defense he had eight catches and 115 yards against almost three months ago.
Upset prediction of wildcard weekend: Rams win 35-24
The 2024-2025 NFL regular season is over. Seven teams in each conference have a chance to win the Vince Lombardi championship trophy. For those unfamiliar with the updated playoff format, an extra team was added. That means there’s one bye week for the top seeded team in each conference and a Monday night playoff game. Everyone wants to know which three teams in the AFC advance to the divisional round, so here are the best picks come Saturday.
#5 Los Angeles Chargers v. #4 Houston Texans
The most important matchup in the first playoff game might be Houston’s wide receivers versus the Chargers secondary. Whoever wins that matchup should advance to the divisional round.
The first playoff game should be a thrilling one as Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh makes his return. The Chargers run the ball and use extra blockers while the defense plays aggressive. Houston’s stumbled all season despite having better talent. Los Angeles is disciplined and methodical in how they attack opponents. Don’t be surprised if the Chargers break out and cruise to victory in the second half.
Prediction: Chargers win 30-23
#6 Pittsburgh Steelers v. #3 Baltimore Ravens
Viewers are in for another round of AFC north playoff football. Pittsburgh lost their last four games (including a season split with the Ravens) and Baltimore’s peaking at the best time. The Ravens cleaned up a lot of defensive errors while the Steelers struggle to score more than ten points a half. Defenses might have figured out offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and how quarterback Russell Wilson’s adapted out east. It won’t take long for reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson to break out.
Prediction: Ravens win 31-20
#7 Denver Broncos v. #2 Buffalo Bills
Denver’s best chance of an upset road win in Buffalo is to stifle the Bills offense all game.
This could be the best game all wildcard weekend. Denver has the defense to nullify Buffalo’s offense for at least one half. The Broncos offense v. the Bills defense will determine who wins this game. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix gets better each week but Buffalo’s Sean McDermott has plenty of tricks to use. The Bills have a good front seven, and that will wear out the Broncos offensive line and tight ends.
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