1.The Baltimore Ravens

At this stage of the season the difference between the top two teams isn’t normally a lot but someone has to come in at number one and the Ravens have earnt it this year. They not only have the best record in the league and the AFC 1 seed, but they accomplished this with one of the harder schedules in the league this season.  Winning the AFC North where every team had a winning record is impressive but the real statement they made this season was the fact that they beat the San Fransico 49ers late into the year despite the fact that the Red and Gold was almost unanimously regarded as the best team in the league at the time. Considering that victory this is now the best team in the league, lead by the most dynamic QB arguably in NFL history in Lamar Jackson. However, the real strength of this team is their defence which has become the first team in the history of the NFL to lead the league in sacks, points per game and takeaways. They should be regarded at this stage as heavy favourites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl but like we all know, anything can happen in the post season. Regardless teams need to be hot going into the playoffs and no team in the league is quite as hot as Baltimore are right now.

2.The San Fransico 49er

The 49ers went from having the best start to the season possible to having a tough stretch where they dropped several games they shouldn’t have before eventually bouncing back and continuing on with their winning ways despite how competitive the NFC has been this year. They have earnt the NFC 1 seed and boast one of, if not the most, talented rosters in the league this season boasting superstars the likes of RB Christian McCaffery, TE George Kittle, WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and not to mention MVP candidate Brock Purdy on offence alone. This team can truly score from anywhere and in anyway possible. They are not limited to merely just running the football behind their stout offensive line, but they can also take the top off of almost any defence. In addition to that their defence is loaded, in particular with the front seven with names like MLB Fred Warner and DEs Nick Bosa and Chase Young ready to wreak havoc on their opposition. This is a scary team to play against and a very difficult one to beat. They will be well rested going into the divisional round considering their bye week and I think they would be favourites to beat any other team in the NFC right now.

4.The Dallas Cowboys

It genuinely pains me to put the Cowboys this high on my list, and whilst every fibre of my being wants them to lose to the Green Bay Packers in the Wildcard round, the reality is that Dallas seem almost impossible to beat at home, which they are. QB Dak Prescott has been phenomenal this season throwing the football and is rightly in the conversation for MVP, and whilst I think the Cowboys will somehow find a way to choke away another season with double digit wins and a talented roster at some stage, I have to be objective and look at the stats which don’t lie. They boast one of the most explosive defenders in the league with Edge Micah Parsons who lead the league in QB pressure which has lead them to have a top 3 pass rush grade this season. On top of that WR CeeDee Lamb has been prolific with his connection with Dak being vital to this teams success. That being said their weakness this season has been running their ball with their backs getting tackled at, or behind the line of scrimmage over 18% of the time. The playoffs are crunch time and this franchise has routinely struggled to win when it matters the most, if that is to change their offensive line needs to take the pressure off Dak and allow RB Tony Pollard to make an impact in the run game. If this is the case Dallas will be a very tough matchup for almost any team and if somehow the 49ers fall in the divisional round the Cowboys will have homefield advantage all the way to the Super Bowl.

5.The Detroit Lions

I love this Lions team, I love the culture, the identity and their grit. With my team out of the playoffs this is the group who I want to win it all this season, I think it will be a Cinderella story to defeat all others and would be awesome to watch. The question is however, can they actually do it? On paper this team has everything you need to beat good team. Their run game is exceptional which allows them to bleed clock and keep explosive oppositions off the field, all whilst alleviating pressure away from QB Jared Goff. They lead the league in rushing TDs thanks to their stellar offensive Line and RB tandem of David Montgomery and Jamhyr Gibbs. They have the most consistent WR in football in Amon-Ra St Brown and the best young TE in the league since Rob Gronkowski in Sam LaPorta which means that whilst they can run the ball through most defences, they can also beat you over the top with play action when they need to. My biggest concern however is their pass coverage which ranks 29th in the league this season and considering their Wildcard matchup is against the LA Rams I think it is entirely possible that they could bow out, one and done. This will be a franchise defining moment for the Lions, if they beat this hot LA team lead by the prodigal son of QB Matthew Stafford then we could be looking at one of the next perennial contenders in the NFC, however a blowout loss here at home which is certainly on the cards could wreck the team’s confidence going into the next season. They need to find a way to limit giving up big plays otherwise I think this could be a short run for Detroit given how explosive every other team in the league can be.

7.Cleveland Browns

This has been a roller coaster of a season for Cleveland. They lost RB Nick Chubb and QB Deshaun Watson relatively early into the season, and I for one thought that would be too much for this team to overcome despite their elite defence, well I was wrong about that. This Browns team has no doubt leaned on its defence to win games down the stretch to put them into the playoffs but that what good teams do. They have since signed QB Joe Flacco and he appears to be primed to make one more playoff run in the twilight of his career, and of course he has done this before. This turnover at the most important position on the field has led to them being ranked 29th in passing with the most interceptions in the league. Needless to say this won’t be a recipe for success this postseason and as much as I hate to say it but their season will live and die by the hands of their QB despite the fact that this team is defined by its defence lead by DE Myles Garrett. They have the highest graded pass rush in the league and it is crucial that the Browns get after CJ Stroud if they want to have a chance to win this game, I have no doubt that this unit will make several plays and I have them above Houston in my rankings because I think, that when the Browns play their best football they are a top 3 team in the AFC.

8.Philadelphia Eagles

This is the hardest team to rank because on paper, especially given where they were at earlier this season, they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. However, since their electric start they have demonstrated a masterclass in underperforming. They have choked away the 1 seed in the NFC as well as the NFC East to the Cowboys and now sit as a wild card team battling it out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is a game that they should still win but with how they have been playing recently it is entirely possible that the Eagles quest to finish what they started last season ends on the road leaving fans scratching their head as to what went wrong. The key to me is Jalen Hurts. The Eagles sit at 8th in passing which is no surprise considering the likes of WRs AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are who Hurts is targeting. The reality is that the Eagles cannot rely on their defence to get stops and keep teams out of their endzone, they have the 24th ranked pass defence all whilst giving up a league high 35 TDs 423 receptions and 221 1st downs in coverage. Hurts needs to put the team on his back and prove why he is getting paid so much, if shootouts are the name of the game, this Eagles offence needs to be ready to step up and put points on this Tampa defence.

9.Kansas City Chiefs

We have never been here before with the Mahomes led Chiefs, for the first time they will not be the 1 seed and with a bye week and that is for good reason. This is not the same, prolific offence we are used to seeing. The WRs have been just short of useless with bad mistakes and dropped catches, too many of which have directly impacted the outcome of games. It’s now crunch time, and the Chiefs still have one of the best QBs in the league, so excuses won’t do. Given the horrible, predicted conditions at Arrowhead the Chiefs need to lean more on their run game which is the best part of their offence now that their passing grade has dropped. They boast an 11th ranked rushing attack and whilst I appreciate handing the ball off may not suit Mahomes’ play style they can’t afford any more WR mishaps. Fortunately for the Chiefs, whilst the offence is not as good as years past, this defence has been the best Mahomes has ever played with. It is a real bright spot for a team struggling and without it I don’t think the Chiefs would have had much of a chance to even make the playoffs. Regardless, they have a favourable matchup in the wildcard round, at home against the fraudulent Miami Dolphins in conditions that play to their strengths. The reigning Super Bowl champions will look to officially kick off the defence of their title against a team that I expect them to beat, they just need to get it done.

10.Houston Texans

I would never have guessed that the Texans would make the playoffs when the season started but this front office and coaching staff hit gold with their rookies this season. QB CJ Stroud has been so good in his first year he has played himself into the MVP conversation, whilst WR Tank Dell (albeit now out for the season) has been a homerun of a pick with DE Will Anderson Jr being a difference maker in his own rights. This team faces a tough task against the Browns, and I have no doubt the rookie QB will be pushed to the max this weekend but if he plays at his best this Texans team can definitely overcome the challenge. Their strength surprisingly doesn’t lie with the productive offence but instead with their secondary which ranks at 9th in the league in coverage and 1st in TDs conceded at only 17 on the season. Joe Flacco is known to air the ball out and if the Texans can force a couple of turnovers in the air, then I don’t doubt that this game could be turned on its head. My concern however is that the Browns defence, particularly their front seven, could prove too much for a Texan team that has seemed incapable of running the ball this season, coming in at 31st in first downs and TDs. CJ Stroud is still a rookie and cannot be expected to do it all against one of the premier units in the league. This needs to be a team effort if they are to pull off the win.

11.Miami Dolphins

Anyone who watches the Gridiron segment of the Housecall is probably aware of my thoughts and feelings on the Dolphins, and whilst I would love to put them at 14th the reality is that they are not the worst team in the playoffs this season. First let’s start with the positives of this team because there are many. WR Tyreek Hill has been borderline unstoppable this season earning his spot as the best at his position in the league. Playing to Dolphins is scary enough but when you add WR Jaylen Waddle into that mix this duo is terrifying. Their real strength however is their ability to run the ball thanks in large part to their RB room which lead the league in YAC, YAC per attempt and rushes over 10 yards. Given the conditions in arrowhead Tua will need to lean on his backs if they are to have any chance of getting past the Chiefs but with DT Chris Jones lined up across from them this is not a given. Equally, for the Dolphins to succeed their defence needs to tighten up. This unit has improved from years past but it was obliterated by the Ravens and the Bills had their way with it last week, a repeat of that would spell trouble for a Miami team that has already managed to choke away a divisional title. Regardless, away at Arrowhead offers the Dolphins a great opportunity to change the narrative that they are “frauds that simply cannot beat good teams”-Me. Can they pull off the win, can Tua change the way this team is viewed? I personally don’t think so. I expect to enjoy their downfall this weekend.

12.Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love has done wonders this season with the odds and expectations stacked against him. Stepping into the shoes of Aaron Rodgers was never going to be easy but despite that he has put together an exceptional season that has got to make the rest of the NFC North worried that the Packers once again have their franchise QB of the future. Because of this Love has to be regarded as the key difference maker on this Packers team going on the road at Dallas. He has thrown for the second most TDs this season with 32 on the year and he will have to build on that number if Green Bay want to keep up with this high-powered Cowboys offence. It has to be said that they are underdogs in this matchup but that doesn’t mean they can be fully counted out, crazier things have happened after all. On the defensive side of the ball CB Jaire Alexander will have his work cut out for him guarding WR Lamb but as on of the premier DBs in the league he is definitely up for the task. I think this game could be a lot closer than most people might expect but on paper I think the Packers are a few pieces away from being regarded once more as one of the more serious contenders in the NFC.

13.Tampa Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield has had a resurgence in Tampa, leading them once again back to the playoffs. Needless to say, this is still not as good a team as they were with Tom Brady, but equally they are not going to be an easy game for the struggling Eagles. Despite losing the GOAT this team appears to have found their next QB in Mayfield, at least for as long as he continues to play the way he is playing. Having the likes of WR Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is definitely helping Baker recapture his form and his performance is made even more impressive considering how bad this team has been at running the ball. Ranking 29th in run-blocking, last in rushing yards and TDs means this is a very one-dimensional offence. That has to change for success beyond the wildcard round. This Eagles secondary may be playing terribly but you cannot expect Baker to drop back 40-50 times and win you this ball game, it will become too predictable and whilst the Eagles DBs may not be playing well as a unit, they still have several stars on the field and in big moments they will find a way to make individual plays. The Buccaneers need to find a way to run the ball on offence and they need to continue to get a pass rush which is one of the things they do best. It’s an uphill battle no doubt, but the Buccaneers still have a better than zero chance of pulling off the upset at home. 

14. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are one of those teams that probably don’t deserve to be in the playoffs, yet here we are. They face a difficult task taking on the Bills on the road and I think it will prove to be a mountain to tall for them to overcome. I’m not totally writing off the Steelers, but the best part of their game is pass rush as they rank 4th on the season in this category. The issue however is that star OLB TJ Watt is out for this game and their record without him on the field is dire. I don’t have enough confidence in their offence to win this game, especially considering they rank 31st in pass blocking, meaning that whoever their QB is on Sunday they won’t have an awful lot of time to find a WR against a well-performing Buffalo secondary. This game could get ugly.