The 2023-24 NFL regular season has wrapped up, and after 18 weeks of glorious football, we are finally down to our 14 teams as the playoffs begin. Our NFL Playoff Power Rankings likely won’t have any surprises at the top, but there likely will be some surprises for you on this list.

With both the 49ers and Ravens earning a much-needed week off as the top seeds of their respective conferences, both the AFC and NFC have powerhouses leading their brackets. With a few teams, like the Packers and Steelers, being surprise entrants to the postseason, Wild Card weekend should embody its name in every way.

The following list dives into the case for each team, why they could/could not make it to the Super Bowl, and what are the biggest factors that will determine their playoff success – is your team still in the running to win it all?

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14. Pittsburgh Steelers

Led by their defense, which has become the standard for a Mike Tomlin-led team, the Pittsburgh Steelers somehow found their way back to the postseason. With a tough Wild Card round matchup with the Bills, will Mason Rudolph do enough to spark an early upset?

The Steelers will be without star pass rusher T.J. Watt this weekend, which will be a massive blow to their strong front seven that will need to pick up the slack. The defense will be tasked with slowing down Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense, which is no easy feat.

If Rudolph can moonlight once again as a solid game manager and the rushing game tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren can help control time of possession, Pittsburgh has a chance on the road. But an offense on its third quarterback this year does not bode well for their chances to advance (hence why they are in 14th in our NFL Playoff Power Rankings), but you can never count out a Tomlin team.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the postseason after winning the NFC South in Week 18. Sitting as the fourth seed in the NFC, the Buccaneers won their division with a 9-8 record, which speaks to the lack of a clear winner in the NFC South.

Baker Mayfield has enjoyed a career resurgence this season, throwing for 28 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. Both Mike Evans (1,255) and Chris Godwin (1,024) enjoyed 1,000-yard seasons, while Evans found the end zone 13 times, showing the kind of rapport he and Mayfield have.

Having held 11 opponents to under 20 points this year, the Buccaneers defense was a big reason why they were in a lot of games this season. However, they are ranked this low on our list not because of their defense, but because of their offensive struggles.

If Mayfield struggles against the Philly pass rush and the Evans/Godwin/Rachaad White trio is unable to produce, then this game is over early. The offense held this roster back this year, with Mayfield being the main culprit at times, so if he plays poorly, it could be a short postseason trip.

12. Los Angeles Rams

The “mini-rebuild” seems to have ended a lot sooner than many expected for the Los Angeles Rams, as they head into the NFC bracket as the sixth seed. Having booked a trip up north to face the Lions, Matthew Stafford gets to make his return to the stadium that he helped build.

With an offense led by Cooper Kupp, rookie Puka Nacua and stud running back Kyren Williams, Sean McVay’s offense looks to be built for the playoffs. On the other side of the ball is where some of the question marks lie, even though Raheem Morris has worked wonders with lots of young players.

If Stafford can find his Ford Field magic from his Detroit days, then the Rams could very well spring an upset – but if they get caught in a game they have to go blow for blow with the Lions, it may be an unwinnable uphill battle that could see the Rams fall down our NFL Playoff Power Rankings.

11. Houston Texans

Taking home a divisional crown with a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback is unheard of in the NFL, but someone forgot to include the Houston Texans in that memo.

Led by DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud, this Houston team defied all odds and exceeded expectations this year on their way to earning the fourth seed in the AFC. With a tough matchup against the Browns on deck, NRG Stadium should be ROCKING when they host their first playoff game since 2019.

Youth is what helped get the Texans to this point, but it could also be their undoing on a big stage. While we have seen no signs of the lights being too bright for Stroud, facing a strong defense like the one that the Browns boast will be his toughest matchup yet.

Ryans seems like a true leader and his roster looks to be behind him 1000 percent, so if he can keep everyone focused, this Texans team is more than capable of hanging 35 points on the Browns. But a slow start could grind this upstart Houston team to a screeching halt, ending a promising season early and keeping the Texans outside of the top 10 in our NFL Playoff Power Rankings.

10. Green Bay Packers

Very, very few people thought they would do it again, but the Green Bay Packers look to have extended their string of solid quarterback play – this time with Jordan Love.

With Love putting up numbers that put him in the same categories as Patrick Mahomes, the Packers snuck into the playoffs because of their Week 18 win over the struggling Bears in their “rivalry”. Matt LaFleur has done an excellent job of working with one of the league’s youngest offenses and overall rosters, but that youth could come up short against Dallas.

While Joe Barry’s defense has looked much better to close the season, he still deserves a ton of scrutiny, and he will be under the microscope yet again against the high-octane Cowboys attack. If Green Bay wants to continue to make Jerry World their own person Lambeau South, a defensive attack to force Dak Prescott into bad decisions is Green Bay’s best chance at the upset.

9. Buffalo Bills

Buoyed by winning six of their last seven games to close the season, the Buffalo Bills went from sitting on their couch in January to earning the two seed and winning the AFC East division. Josh Allen once again was a leader of men, helping the offense score 20+ points in all but three games.

The defense has been pretty solid too, having weathered a late-season stretch of postseason-bound teams. With Sean McDermott having gotten his troops back on the same page, this team rides into the playoffs with plenty of momentum.

Entering the playoffs usually is a good thing for a team, but this Bills roster is so tough to pinpoint that really anything could happen. Having entered Week 18 in a scenario that could have resulted in the second seed or missing the playoffs altogether, high turnover numbers from Allen have made this team fight for everything they’ve earned.

Keep Allen within his means and turnover-free, and you have an easy path to the AFC Divisional round. Have Allen break loose and try to play Superman on every play, and you open the door to play with fate and potentially end a surprising playoff run even before it got started.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

Once seen as the write-in NFC candidate for the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles limped into the postseason as the fifth seed, traveling to face the Buccaneers.

A finger injury to Jalen Hurts, a knee injury to A.J. Brown, and an ankle injury for DeVonta Smith means that the playmakers for the Eagles will be suiting up at less than full health. Combine that with their inability to win winnable games means that the Eagles could see their season end early at the hands of Tampa Bay.

A road game for the Eagles could be what this team needs to wake up, and how Hurts plays is what will dictate how the lone Monday game goes. The Eagles could be an early exit this year or they could come out and exercise some demons and hand 35 points on the Bucs – it’s really a mystery box at this point, and their status in our NFL Playoff Power Rankings is in quite a perilous state currently.

7. Miami Dolphins

Going from having the AFC East crown in their sights to having to travel to a cold Kansas City will send the Miami Dolphins fan base in a spiral, and rightfully so. Blowing a late-season divisional lead is never a good thing, and neither is entering the postseason on a low note.

Traveling to face the Chiefs will be a tough, early test for Mike McDaniels, who will need to rely on Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill to steady the ship early. A team usually known for its high-scoring outputs, it may turn into a defensive slugfest that will put the Miami defense front and center.

Having just lost Bradley Chubb to an ACL tear makes their pass rush ranks even thinner, and that helps dictate the pocket and platform for Mahomes. If Miami wants to go on the road and continue their playoff trip, then a thought-out defensive attack combined with a balanced offensive attack should be enough to earn the win.

6. Cleveland Browns

It shouldn’t be taken lightly what the Cleveland Browns have done this season, on the back of their shutdown defense. With Joe Flacco having taken over at quarterback, his resurgence has been A) one of the best stories to follow this year and B) the biggest reason why Cleveland didn’t have to turn their sights to next season just yet.

The buck will run out at some point for Flacco, but that ending point is still pretty hazy. Showing no signs of slowing down, the former Ravens quarterback has a chance to extend his NFL legacy if he can help lead the Browns to an upset win against the Texans, which would help elevate the Browns into the top five of our NFL Playoff Power Rankings.

With Amari Cooper likely making his return, he and David Njoku hold the keys to Flacco putting up another eye-popping game. If these weapons have down games, then the storybook journey for Flacco this year could end.

5. Dallas Cowboys

A team that regularly disappoints in the postseason that produced another strong regular season but faces a team that has always been a thorn in their sides in the playoffs – it’s safe to say the Dallas Cowboys have their hands full.

Hosting the Packers in their Wild Card matchup, it might look like an easy game on paper with the no. 2 and no. 7 seeds facing off. But this Dallas team is not a sure thing, they have a history of failing to show up when the lights are the brightest, and a Mike McCarthy-Packers storyline will be a part of this entire week.

You don’t “expect” a high seed to lose, and Dallas is clearly one of the best teams remaining in the playoffs. But tread carefully with a team that sees the calendar flip to January and kinda sorta forgets how to play football their way.

4. Detroit Lions

The first home playoff game in 30 years for the Detroit Lions has fans flocking to represent their team that is looking for its first postseason win since 1991. Having won the NFC North this season, Detroit will need to rely on its offense if they want to make this season more than just a one and done.

While Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown will garner the headlines, Jared Goff is the most important player on the field for the Lions on Sunday. This team goes as Goff goes, and a perfect opportunity for a revenge game awaits Goff, who probably still feels some type of way after being shipped out in the Stafford trade.

Not even focusing on the defense, Detroit is a home favorite in their Wild Card matchup with the Rams. As long as they play Lions football, rely on the running game, and involve St. Brown and Sam LaPorta early, Detroit should be able to book a ticket to the divisional round and remain in the top five of our NFL Playoff Power Rankings.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

A relatively easy path to winning the AFC West could be just the start for the Kansas City Chiefs, as they host the Dolphins in the 3-6 matchup. While Miami is an unexpected six-seed matchup, the Chiefs will have home-field and cold-weather advantages on their side.

Having sat a few key players in their Week 18 matchup, the Chiefs could need to shake off some rust early on before they get up to speed. While there is no easy matchup in the playoffs, the Chiefs may have drawn the toughest opponent in both conferences, as the Dolphins are likely pissed off they now have to fight for everything.

Kansas City has had some concerns this year, especially with Mahomes struggling for a time, but it is really tough to not expect Kansas City to put up a fight – they are a tough out every year, so expect that again this season.

2. San Francisco 49ers

The top seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers get to experience a bit of time off before their divisional-round matchup. A 12-5 regular season feels about right for pre-season expectations, and Kyle Shanahan looks to have his guys in line again for another deep postseason run.

Brock Purdy, outside of his four-interception showing against the Ravens, has been a really solid quarterback. Having Brandon Aiyuk (1,342 receiving yards), George Kittle (1,020 receiving yards), Christian McCaffrey (2,023 total yards) and Deebo Samuel (1,117 total yards) pace the offense, it’s safe to say that the Niners will be the toughest out in the NFC.

A feared defense with playmakers littered across all three levels, this is one of the best San Francisco teams, from top to bottom, in recent memory. As long as Shanahan stays out of his own way and lets the offense run its course, there shouldn’t be many teams in the way of the NFC Championship contest.

1. Baltimore Ravens

An MVP-caliber season from Lamar Jackson has led the Baltimore Ravens to a 13-4 record and the top of our NFL Playoff Power Rankings, the best in the entire NFL. Having earned the top seed in the AFC affords Baltimore a week off before they go back to battle in hopes of making the Super Bowl.

Outside of Jackson, the offense has still fired on all cylinders, even after losing Mark Andrews and JK Dobbins to season-ending injuries. A balanced attack has helped keep opposing defenses guessing every game, something that has contributed to Jackson’s 29 total touchdowns and only 12 combined turnovers.

A scary defense has helped keep the mantra alive in Baltimore, as they are a defense-focused roster that just so happens to have just as scary of an offense. Seeing that the Ravens basically did whatever they wanted to this year on their way to 13 wins, they have the most talent on both sides of the ball in the AFC and could very well represent the AFC in Las Vegas later this year.