The NFL playoffs begin this Saturday, and whether your team is still alive or not, it should be an exciting postseason.
From MVP-level players like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes to playoff debutants, there will be plenty to watch as the 14 remaining teams battle it out for the Lombardi Trophy.
Here, takes you through the 10 reasons why you should be ready for this NFL postseason.
There’s a lot to consider as the 14 remaining teams battle it out for the Lombardi Trophy
The first playoff starts for up to SEVEN QBs
There will be plenty of new blood this postseason due to advancements and injuries.
Young quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence will each make their first postseason starts after leading the Giants, Chargers and Jaguars into the postseason respectively.
But that’s not it.
Geno Smith enjoyed a career resurgence with the 9-8 Seahawks, Tyler Huntley will start his first playoff game as Lamar Jackson was injured, and Skylar Thompson is expected to fill in for Tua Tagovailoa (and Teddy Bridgewater) for Miami.
With the 49ers unveiling in the seventh round (13 touchdowns, four interceptions), Brock Purdy is also on the line, and half of the 14 playoff teams could trust a playoff debutant this weekend.
Justin Herbert is one of many quarterbacks set to make his postseason debut this weekend
Bills are trying to win everything for Damar Hamlin
Buffalo’s first game after Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was unforgettable.
Nyhiem Hines took the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in front of home fans last weekend as the Bills defeated the Patriots 35-23.
While Hamlin – who has since been removed from the hospital – will not be on the field this postseason, the tributes to him will certainly remain in Buffalo.
What a story it would be if the Bills could win their first-ever Super Bowl in honor of their teammate.
The Bills were the favorites to go all the way before the start of the season and they are well placed to do just that.
Damar Hamlin will remain in the minds of the Bills as they embark on their post-season journey
Hamlin was discharged from the Buffalo hospital after suffering cardiac arrest last week
Justin Jefferson tries to make a playoff impression
We already know what Justin Jefferson can do.
We just – through no fault of our own – haven’t seen it that late on the calendar.
Jefferson led the league with 1,809 receiving yards this season — with eight touchdowns to boot — but has just five catches combined in his last two games.
He’ll be looking to get back on track this Sunday in his playoff debut against the Giants, whom he set on fire for 133 yards and a touchdown in Week 16.
Justin Jefferson led the NFL this season with the Minnesota Vikings
Nick Bosa wants to build a legacy on defense after the season
While Jefferson turns heads on offense, Bosa will do the same on defense.
Bosa led the league with 18.5 sacks this season, and he also has eight sacks in six previous playoff games.
With that postseason pedigree, one Super Bowl appearance and three Pro Bowl nods, Bosa is already established as one of the best players in the league.
Taking San Francisco one step further in a wide-open playoff picture, however, would take him to even higher heights.
Nick Bosa already has postseason pedigree but will be looking to conquer his first Super Bowl
Reheated divisional rivalries
Speaking of the 49ers, they will be one of three teams going up against a division rival in the wild card round.
San Francisco will host the Seahawks in an NFC West match on Saturday, Miami will travel to Buffalo in an AFC East fight, and the Bengals and Ravens will play for a second straight week after Cincy defeated the AFC North.
The Eagles could also see an NFC East enemy in the Divisional Round if one of the Giants or Cowboys is the lowest seed remaining.
As if the playoffs needed more intensity, players from the same league will play each other for the third time this season.
There’s a lot of familiarity and not a lot of warm feelings.
The Bengals will host the Ravens again after beating them last week and winning the AFC North
Tom Brady’s last dance?
Along with all the new faces this postseason, there’s also 45-year-old Tom Brady trying to capture his eighth Super Bowl ring.
If you forgot he was in the postseason this year, we wouldn’t blame you.
He snuck into the playoffs despite finishing with a losing record (8-9) as a starter for the first time in his career, and his 6.4 yards per attempt was the second-lowest of his career over an entire season.
It has been speculated that this could be his final year of play.
And if that’s the case, he certainly won’t go out with a whimper.
Tom Brady hasn’t been his best self this season, but shutting him out in the playoffs would be foolish
Dolphins and giants try to break playoff droughts
On the other side of the coin, the Giants and Dolphins are back in the playoffs and attempting their first playoff wins in a long time.
New York hasn’t won a playoff game in 11 years, while the Dolphins haven’t completed the feat in 22 years.
The latter drought is the second-longest active in the league, behind only the Lions, who last won a playoff game in 1992.
However, it doesn’t look like Miami will end that lousy run this year as they will come to Buffalo as massive underdogs with third-seeded Thompson in the middle.
Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley helped NY make the playoffs for the first time since 2016
The aggressive Dallas defense
The Cowboys’ defense ranked above average in points and yards allowed, but what really set them apart this regular season was their aggression.
No team had more takeaways than the Cowboys (33), who won 12 games with help from Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs on defense.
Parsons forced three fumbles this season to go along with 13.5 sacks, but the unit is far more than just him.
When a coordinator (Dan Quinn) attracts head coach attention, it usually means his group is doing something right, and this Dallas defense can set the stage for a deep playoff run.
The Cowboys led the league with 33 takeaways this season when they went 12-5 in the year
A potentially neutral AFC championship
While the Super Bowl won’t happen until February 12, it’s possible that the AFC championship game a few weeks before will feel pretty similar to the big game.
Due to the cancellation of the Bengals-Bills game in Week 17 after Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, the NFL changed certain rules in the interest of competitive balance because the Bills had control of the No. 1 before that game was called off.
Now, if the Bills and Chiefs meet in the Conference Championship — and only those two teams — the game will be played at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the NFL announced this week.
Two explosive offensives meeting without the elements in January have the potential to be an absolute track meet of matchup and an all-time classic.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs could play a neutral AFC Championship game against the Bills
In the end, the Lombardi Trophy is at stake!
Of course, all of these storylines will end in February in Glendale, Arizona when one team will be crowned champions of the 2022 season.
So who will it be?
Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts is not entirely healthy while there may not be many pages left in the Brock Purdy Cinderella story this season.
Eleven of the Vikings’ 13 wins have come in one-point games.
That leaves the Bills and Chiefs as the strongest contenders, with Buffalo having every chance to seal that fairytale ending and end their long wait for the title.
Josh Allen will try to give the Bills their first Super Bowl title in the team’s history