The race to topple the Kansas City Chiefs is about to get underway. Though as the AFC’s top seed, the reigning two-time Super Bowl champs get to rest during Wild-Card weekend. The 12 teams playing have more immediate priorities than the Chiefs, but the end goal remains: lift the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans.
It was the year of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, and the Detroit Lions’ dominance over an all-time great NFC North. Other contenders, such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, appear ready to handle the big stage. Yet, through it all, the Chiefs remained a quiet constant, storming through the schedule with a 15-2 record despite a number of close calls.
The other 13 playoff teams, including the NFC’s top-seeded Lions, have to believe the Chiefs are as vulnerable as they’ve been during their dynastic era, but that’s easy to say before lining up against the NFL’s modern-day juggernauts.
Patrick Mahomes is 15-3 in the playoffs, his three losses coming against Tom Brady (once with New England, once with the Bucs) and Joe Burrow. Brady is retired and Burrow’s Bengals missed the playoffs, so if the Chiefs’ three-peat quest is going to be derailed, an opposing QB is going to have to do something he’s never done before.
The playoffs open with six games this weekend; The Athletic polled eight coaches and personnel executives to get their thoughts and predictions on the matchups.
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