Postseason Power Rankings: Who Can Take Down the Chiefs?

Courtesy of USA Today Sports

The second season has arrived. The dust has settled on the NFL regular season, and the playoffs are upon us. The 2020 postseason marks the first iteration of the NFL playoffs to include 14 teams, an expansion of the previous format. This year's slate features some familiar faces like the Chiefs, Packers, Saints, Ravens, and Seahawks. But long-lasting playoff droughts were snapped in 2020, and the Browns and Buccaneers are making their first appearances in the playoffs in generations. If your team is in the playoffs, congratulations, and gear up for an exciting postseason. If your team was eliminated, my dearest grievances for you, but don't fret, the draft will be here before you know it.

In this postseason edition of the power rankings, I will rank each of the 14 playoff teams based on their roster, coaching, regular season record, and probability of making it to the Super Bowl. These power rankings will tell you in order from 14 to 1 who has the best chance of making a deep postseason run, and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in just under five weeks. 

The playoffs are here!

1. Kansas City Chiefs

No team has repeated as Super Bowl champions since the 2004 New England Patriots, but the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs are setting out to buck that trend. The Chiefs finished the season 14-2, and they feature the league's most high octane offense from top to bottom. The collective speed of Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman is uncontainable, and Travis Kelce finished second in receiving yards this season among all pass catchers as a tight end. Patrick Mahomes already has a career postseason record of 4-1, and has thrown 13 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions. The AFC is well-ware that the Chiefs are the team to beat, and but the Chiefs have flashed complacency over the course of the second half of the regular season. The Chiefs have not won a game by more than 6 points since their Week 8 win over the Jets. Despite winning 14 games, the Chiefs are struggling to put teams away, and they flirted with multi-score meltdowns for much of the regular season. There could be rust when they finally take the field in the postseason. But as the Chiefs showed last January, they can click into top gear on a whim and score 28 points in the blink of an eye. Until someone marches into Arrowhead and defeats Mahomes and the Chiefs, they should be considered the number one team in the football stratosphere.

2. Buffalo Bills

Nobody wants to play the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. The Bills are riding a 6 game win streak entering the Wild Card round and they are firing on all cylinders. The offense has averaged 38 points per game since their Week 11 bye, and Josh Allen has thrown 16 touchdown passes to just 3 interceptions in the same span. The Bills offense is battle-tested, and has proven they can carve even the league's highest ranked defenses, including the Steelers, Rams, 49ers, and Dolphins. Allen is 6-0 against top 10 passing defenses this season, and the Bills laid 56 points on Miami's number one ranked scoring defense in Week 17 alone. Allen's arm and mobility complimented by Stefon Diggs, the league leader in catches and receiving yards, as well as John Brown, Cole Beasley, and a stellar, well-coached defense assemble Kansas City's biggest threat in the AFC. It's Buffalo's time to shine in the playoff spotlight, and a showdown with the Chiefs in the AFC Championship is one all football fans want to see. 

3. Green Bay Packers

It has been 10 years since Aaron Rodgers played in the Super Bowl. As the leading candidate for the MVP and the NFL's leader in passing touchdowns, Rodgers and the Packers should fancy their chances to finally lay their demons to rest in 2020. The loss of All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari is devastating for the Green Bay offense, and could prove costly against ferocious pass rushers like Aaron Donald or Cameron Jordan. But the combination of Rodgers, Aaron Jones, and Davante Adams is the most lethal offensive trident in the NFC playoff slate. Despite a second consecutive phenomenal 13-3 campaign, the Packers are not battle-tested. Besides a pair of wins over the Bears, the Packers are 2-2 against 2020 playoff teams, and the offense especially sputtered against standout defenses. That being said, the Packers lead the NFL in scoring, averaging 31.8 points per contest in the regular season. Unless another NFC team can devise a plan to outscore the assured MVP in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in January, the Packers will be your NFC representative in Super Bowl LV. 

4. New Orleans Saints

This may be the final rodeo for future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. For the Saints to return to the Super Bowl, the offense needs reinforcements. After testing positive for COVID-19 prior to Week 17, the Saints will need Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray back on the field healthy to assert their will on opposing defenses. Michael Thomas is slated to return to the lineup after a three-week stint on injured reserve, but his impact has been limited all season, not catching a single touchdown pass in 2020. Nonetheless, the Saints are an experienced group guided by a myriad of playoff veterans who have played in Super Bowls, including Brees, Emmanuel Sanders, Malcolm Jenkins, and of course head coach Sean Payton led the Saints to a championship in 2009. Conversely, the Saints are conditioned to playoff heartbreak after three straight eliminations, each developing in stunning fashion. Brees and the Saints know the clock is ticking on their championship window, and the time is now to vanquish their demons of postseasons past. 

5. Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens march into the playoffs winners of their last 5 games, and as formidable an opponent in the AFC playoffs as any. The Ravens finish the season as the league's best rushing offense for the second consecutive season, and are firing on all cylinders on offense. Just last week alone, the Ravens ran the ball for 404 yards against the Bengals to clinch their playoff ticket. The option plays led by J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards in the backfield alongside Jackson extending plays with his legs will be too volatile to contain when the Ravens are at their best. But the Ravens still have to prove they are Super Bowl material, as they are winless in the postseason since 2014. Jackson is 0-2 in his last two playoff appearances, and the Ravens finished 4-4 against playoff opponents during the regular season. The key to a deep playoff run for Baltimore rides on the passing game. If Baltimore's opponents leap out to an early lead, and defenses force Jackson to come from behind and win with his arm, the Ravens will face their impeding doom for a third straight January. 

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For the first time in 13 years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the playoffs. That's the type of effect Tom Brady brings to the table. The Bucs have rattled 4 straight wins entering the postseason, and they seem to finally be hitting their stride. The injury to Mike Evans is discouraging, but the Bucs have capable reinforcements to fill his place, including Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, and Scottie Miller. The defense is rock solid as well, and they will keep opposing quarterbacks at bay. But the Bucs are wildly inconsistent and difficult to trust against playoff caliber opponents. The Bucs are 1-5 this season against 2020 playoff teams, and Tom Brady has thrown 10 touchdowns to 9 interceptions in those contests. Brady and the offense have flashed tendencies of melting down against worthy competitors, and Tampa's postseason will end as quickly as it started with a similar output against Washington's defense in round one. 

7. Tennessee Titans

Derrick Henry's 2,027 rushing yards won the AFC South title for Tennessee, in spite of the Titans defense. Henry, the driving force of Tennessee's fairytale run all the way to the AFC Championship Game in 2019, became the eighth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 yards in a single season, and leads the league in rushing over the previous two seasons. The Titans can wreak havoc in the postseason again riding Henry's momentum, handing him the ball 30-plus times each contest. Ryan Tannehill quietly played like a top 5 quarterback this season as well, and can burn defenses on play-action, and even keep the ball himself as he did to ice the game against the Texans in Week 17. But the Titans have continuously been forced to overcome their atrocious defense, which is the worst in the 2020 playoffs by a considerable margin. The Titans allow 398 yards and 27 points per game, and amassed just 19 sacks all year. A lack of pass rush will prove to be costly against the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. The Titans offense can contend in shootouts, but their defense cannot be trusted. 

8. Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks fans have been riding a roller coaster of emotions all season long. Russell Wilson and the offense opened the season storming out of the gates, dropping 34 points per game in the first half of the season, while the defense surrendered 30 per game. In the second half of the season, the offense sputtered, and Wilson has not thrown for more than 300 yards once since Week 9. The defense, meanwhile, is allowing just 16 points per game in the sam span. Seattle's late-season defensive resurgence has revitalized the Seahawks into one of the most balanced teams in the NFC. To lift the Seahawks back into championship contention, the offensive line need to protect Wilson and keep him standing in the pocket. Wilson was sacked 48 times in the regular season, fifth-most in the NFL. But Wilson has not been himself, either, and seems to panic D.K. Metcalf is covered downfield. The offense is proving to be too limited and one-dimensional to stir trouble in the NFC. Seattle's defense will keep games close, but Wilson needs to remind the NFC in the playoffs just how transcendent a talent he is to thrust the Seahawks deep in the playoffs.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

After a sizzling hot 11-0 start, the wheels fell off in Pittsburgh. The Steelers finished the season 1-4 in their last 5 contests, and the struggles of 38 year old Ben Roethlisberger as well as the lack of explosive running game derailed Pittsburgh's campaign, despite how stellar their defense has been all season. The Steelers defense rank third in yards allowed and scoring, second in takeaways, and first in sacks. The defensive line led by TJ Watt and Cameron Hayward is the best in the AFC, and can disrupt any passing attack by collapsing the pocket. Pittsburgh's defense strikes fear into the AFC, but the offense does not. The offense is imbalanced and predictable. Without a formidable ground game, the Steelers led the NFL in pass attempts this season with 652 dropbacks. Roethlisberger lacks the arm strength he used to have, and the Steelers would be writing their own demise if they expect him to attempt 50 passes in a playoff game. In the distinguished history of the franchise, a strong ground game and complimentary defense prevailed to win the Pittsburgh Steelers six Super Bowl titles. The defense is stellar, but the one-dimensional offense will dash any hopes of a seventh in 2020. 

10. Los Angeles Rams

Minus consistency at the quarterback position, the Rams are as fearsome an opponent as any in the NFC. Jared Goff continues to recover from a broken thumb, and his return for the first round is questionable. Whether Goff returns this postseason, or John Wolford sees their campaign out, the Rams defense will need to carry the team on their back to mount a deep run. The Rams defense finished the season as the number one unit in the league in yards allowed and scoring, and second in sacks. Aaron Donald is the league's most glaring nightmare matchup, and he can singlehandedly take over any game. Jalen Ramsey can cover any receiver one-on-one, and has held the likes of DeAndre Hopkins and DK Metcalf to a combined 174 receiving yards in 4 games combined. The defense is spectacular, but the quarterback position is a massive red flag. It is also difficult to trust a team with losses to the 49ers and Jets in the regular season. A first round exit is likely. 

11. Cleveland Browns

At long last, the Cleveland Browns are in the playoffs. Their 18 year playoff drought was finally snapped by Baker Mayfield and crew in Week 17, overcoming a late-season COVID-19 outbreak to clinch their ticket. To advance beyond the first round, the Browns will be taking the field without their head coach, Kevin Stefanski, who tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. The 11-5 Browns are built to win football games in January with a multi-dimensional rushing attack, led by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. The Browns average 148.4 yards per game on the ground, and totaled 192 rushing yards against the Steelers last week. Chubb and Hunt's production will be critical to offsetting Pittsburgh's pass rush which leads the league in sacks, but stellar play from Mayfield in the postseason could be enough to put the Browns over the top. But Cleveland's unspectacular defense is their Achilles heel, and that will be the story of their inevitable playoff exit. 

12. Indianapolis Colts

In what could be Philip Rivers' final season in the NFL, the Colts are back in the playoffs as the 7 seed in the AFC. But the story of Indy's 11-5 campaign is not the quarterback, it is standout rookie running back Jonathan Taylor. The rookie finished as the NFL's third leading rusher at season's end with 11 touchdown runs, and the Colts will be building their game-plan for their first round tilt against the Bills around him. It will be crucial for the Colts to maintain a productive running game in the playoffs to keep the ball out of Rivers' hands as much as possible. In his postseason career, Rivers is 5-6 with 14 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions. As soon as Rivers starts slinging the ball down the field, defensive backs pounce on him and the league's eighth ranked defense is thrown back into the fire. Head coach Frank Reich admitted the Colts are underdogs this postseason, and they plan on embracing their role. Reich said to the media that they should be loose and aggressive, because "no one is going to give us a chance." The underdog mentality suits the Colts well, but they are being thrown into a buzzsaw in Buffalo this weekend.

13. Washington Football Team

In what could be considered the worst division in modern NFL history, the nameless football team deriving from Washington was crowned the champion. Washington can thank their stellar defense for carrying the franchise on its back this season, ranking second in yards allowed, fifth in sacks, and fourth in scoring. The young and hungry defensive line spearheaded by Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite Chase Young can disrupt the best aerial offenses in football. But their offense cannot score points. Only the Jets and Giants amassed fewer yards per game this season than the Football Team. Even with Alex Smith on the field, the offense has proven its incapability to capitalize on short fields, and move the chains consistently. Smith threw for 162 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions against Philadelphia's 19th ranked overall defense with a playoff berth on the line. The offense averages 20.2 points per game, which is likely far short of Washington will need to contend with Tom Brady and the Bucs in round one. 

14. Chicago Bears

Despite a midseason 6 game losing streak, the Bears snuck in the postseason thru the back door at 8-8. The Bears can attribute their second playoff appearance in the previous three seasons to the resurgence of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who is playing the best football in his career. But Trubisky is admittedly still very limited as a passer, and he has a mistake at him at all times. Play-action bootlegs have transformed the Bears offense to an offense which averaged 29 points per game in December. Running back David Montgomery finished the season as the league's fifth leading rusher, and a strong ground game can aid the Bears control the game in the trenches and take the pressure off Trubsiky. But the odds are stacked against the Bears to ruffle some feathers in the playoffs. Heading into the playoffs after tripping over themselves in Week 17 is especially concerning for this team.

Follow Sam DeCoste on Twitter @thesamdecoste