After a hectic Week 17 in the NFL (Patriots lost to the Dolphins, forcing them to play in the wild-card round?!), the NFL playoffs are set. While the Ravens clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed after Week 16, the 49ers—who didn’t even make the playoffs last year—clinched the NFC’s top spot with a win over the Seahawks in Game 256 last Sunday.
The wild-card round kicks off with Buffalo heading to Houston to take on the AFC South champions on Saturday afternoon. The MMQB writers and editors predict who they think will win each playoff game, and pick their Super Bowl LIV champions.
AFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New England Patriots beat 6. Tennessee Titans
5. Buffalo Bills beat 4. Houston Texans
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 5. Buffalo Bills
2. Kansas City Chiefs beat 3. New England Patriots
Conference Championship
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 2. Kansas City Chiefs
NFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New Orleans Saints beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
5. Seattle Seahawks beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
Divisional Round
1. San Francisco 49ers beat 5. Seattle Seahawks
3. New Orleans Saints beat 2. Green Bay Packers
Conference Championship
3. New Orleans Saints beat 1. San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl LIV: New Orleans Saints beat Baltimore Ravens
From the Minneapolis Miracle to the missed pass interference, the Saints haven’t gotten many playoff breaks—and one’s already gone against them this year. They’re the first 13-win team in eight years to have to go through the wild-card round (oddly enough, the last one was the Saints in 2011…). And I think this is the year that Drew Brees, Sean Payton and the NFL’s most well-rounded roster make their own breaks, and New Orleans wins a second Super Bowl a decade after winning their first in the same stadium.
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JENNY VRENTAS
AFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New England Patriots beat 6. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans beat 5. Buffalo Bills
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 4. Houston Texans
3. New England Patriots beat 2. Kansas City Chiefs
Conference Championship
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 3. New England Patriots
NFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New Orleans Saints beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
4. Philadelphia Eagles beat 5. Seattle Seahawks
Divisional Round
1. San Francisco 49ers beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New Orleans Saints beat 2. Green Bay Packers
Conference Championship
3. New Orleans Saints beat 1. San Francisco 49ers
SUPER BOWL LIV: Baltimore Ravens beat New Orleans Saints
The Saints vow not to let George Kittle run over them again in the NFC Championship Game and advance to the Super Bowl thanks to four consecutive downfield heaves in the game’s final seconds, daring the refs to call DPI JUST ONE TIME. They do, and New Orleans kicks a game-winning field goal to make it to Miami. But the Saints are emotionally drained after pouring themselves into avenging last year’s championship game loss. Led by MVP Lamar Jackson and my Coach of the Year pick, John Harbaugh, the Ravens are the best team in football this year all the way through the end. A changing of the guard in the NFL to start a new decade? Maybe, maybe not. But for the first time in a while, picking a champion other than the Patriots doesn’t feel patently absurd.
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CONOR ORR
AFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New England Patriots beat 6. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans beat 5. Buffalo Bills
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 4. Houston Texans
3. New England Patriots beat 2. Kansas City Chiefs
Conference Championship
3. New England Patriots beat 1. Baltimore Ravens
NFC
Wild-Card Round
6. Minnesota Vikings beat 3. New Orleans Saints
5. Seattle Seahawks beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
Divisional Round
1. San Francisco 49ers beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
5. Seattle Seahawks beat 2. Green Bay Packers
Conference Championship
5. Seattle Seahawks beat 1. San Francisco 49ers
SUPER BOWL LIV: Seattle Seahawks beat New England Patriots
I began the 2019 season with a Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl prediction, and I intend to end it that way. I am unsure how Bill Belichick will weather this path with a middling offense and a frustrated locker room, but now is not the time for questioning. As for the Seahawks, a team that came within one bad call of beating the 49ers for the division, they’ll be motivated to make the charge through January.
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KALYN KAHLER
AFC
Wild-Card Round
6. Tennessee Titans beat 3. New England Patriots
4. Houston Texans beat 5. Buffalo Bills
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 6. Tennessee Titans
2. Kansas City Chiefs beat 4. Houston Texans
Conference Championship
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 2. Kansas City Chiefs
NFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New Orleans Saints beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
4. Philadelphia Eagles beat 5. Seattle Seahawks
Divisional Round
1. San Francisco 49ers beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Green Bay Packers beat 3. New Orleans Saints
Conference Championship
2. Green Bay Packers beat 1. San Francisco 49ers
SUPER BOWL LIV: Baltimore Ravens beat Green Bay Packers
New England's loss at home to the 5-11 Dolphins marked the end of Bill Belichick’s and Tom Brady's run of first-round byes—and their dynastic run of championships, when the Titans steal a narrow victory. It is Brady's last game in New England. He signs with the Chargers, who are desperately looking for a splash signing to help sell some of those PSLs.
You know the Packers are back when Aaron Rodgers has coined a new catchphrase for the season. is the new Green Bay has been ugly-winning all season, to the tune of a 13-3 record and a first round bye. It doesn't seem so far-fetched to think the Packers could ugly win twice more, all the way to the Super Bowl, something Rodgers actually suggested after narrowly beating the lowly Washington football team in December. But the Ravens are the team to quash that, and league MVP Lamar Jackson will also be named Super Bowl MVP in a decisive win over Green Bay. The Smiths try to bottle the explosive the Ravens offense, but their pass rushing teamwork isn't enough. Coach of the Year John Harbaugh notches his second Super Bowl title.
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ANDREW BRANDT
AFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New England Patriots beat 6. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans beat 5. Buffalo Bills
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 4. Houston Texans
2. Kansas City Chiefs beat 3. New England Patriots
Conference Championship
1. Baltimore Ravens over 2. Kansas City Chiefs
NFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New Orleans Saints beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
4. Philadelphia Eagles beat 5. Seattle Seahawks
Divisional Round
1. San Francisco 49ers beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Green Bay Packers beat 3. New Orleans Saints
Conference Championship
2. Green Bay Packers over 1. San Francisco 49ers
SUPER BOWL LIV: Green Bay Packers over Baltimore Ravens
I admit to showing bias—spending a decade with a team will do that—but I think the stars have aligned for the 13-3 Packers in ways you might not expect. The team hasn't played its best football yet, it has the best quarterback in clutch situations; and it was previously embarrassed by their key opponent in the NFC, the 49ers.
In the AFC I will go with the chalk pick, the Ravens, but was really tempted by the Chiefs and their improved defense. The Super Bowl will come down to one team—and one quarterback—making a couple more plays than the other and, again, I'll take Aaron Rodgers over the field. Bias or sound predictive analysis? As always, we will see.
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MITCH GOLDICH
AFC
Wild-Card Round
6. Tennessee Titans beat 3. New England Patriots
4. Houston Texans beat 5. Buffalo Bills
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 6. Tennessee Titans
2. Kansas City Chiefs beat 4. Houston Texans
Conference Championship
2. Kansas City Chiefs beat 1. Baltimore Ravens
NFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New Orleans Saints beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
4. Philadelphia Eagles beat 5. Seattle Seahawks
Divisional Round
1. San Francisco 49ers beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New Orleans Saints beat 2. Green Bay Packers
Conference Championship
3. New Orleans Saints beat 1. San Francisco 49ers
SUPER BOWL LIV: Kansas City Chiefs beat New Orleans Saints
My Super Bowl offers a great redemption story, pairing two teams that both came out of last year’s conference championship Sunday thinking they should have won. The Saints are playing like the best team in the NFC and I don’t care if the third seed gives them a tougher road to travel. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are playing great on both sides of the ball. Last year everything looked so easy for them; I like that this year they feel a little more battle-tested. The Ravens are great, but if any team is equipped to hang with them in a shootout, it’s Kansas City. Remember how aggressive John Harbaugh was against the Chiefs in the regular season, now bring on the rematch. Patrick Mahomes vs. Drew Brees has the potential to be a classic Super Bowl, and Andy Reid finally gets his ring when the better team prevails.
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BETTE MARSTON
AFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New England Patriots beat 6. Tennessee Titans
5. Buffalo Bills beat 4. Houston Texans
Divisional Round
1. Baltimore Ravens beat 5. Buffalo Bills
3. New England Patriots beat 2. Kansas City Chiefs
Conference Championship
3. New England Patriots beat 1. Baltimore Ravens
NFC
Wild-Card Round
3. New Orleans Saints beat 6. Minnesota Vikings
5. Seattle Seahawks beat 4. Philadelphia Eagles
Divisional
5. Seattle Seahawks beat 1. San Francisco 49ers
3. New Orleans Saints beat 2. Green Bay Packers
Championship
3. New Orleans Saints beat 5. Seattle Seahawks
SUPER BOWL LIV: New Orleans Saints beat New England Patriots
I picked the Saints to beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LIV in the preseason and again at midseason, and I see no reason to change that now. New England’s postseason road became significantly tougher after their loss to Miami in Week 17, forcing Bill Belichick and Co. to not have that first week of rest for the first time in many years, and that extra game—against Belichick disciple Mike Vrabel, no less—will catch up to them come Feb. 2. Also, the Seahawks into the NFC conference championship? This team is looking dangerous late—they won’t lose to the 49ers twice in three weeks.
