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This NFL season has been an exciting one. There have been some important storylines either following or developing for some of the league's top teams. Today we are going to focus on the teams that are pretty set for the playoffs. Let's look at the five teams with the best or most important possible storylines as the regular season winds down and we head into the playoffs.
5. Baltimore Ravens
This was billed as a big year for the Ravens, having dominated the regular season all last year but coming up short to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. They signed Derrick Henry in the offseason to pair with the always electric Lamar Jackson and came into this season among the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Lamar Jackson has looked like a perennial MVP candidate this year, and Derrick Henry is also having a tremendous season. Henry is currently second in rushing yards and second in all-purpose yards. The Ravens have proven that in the regular season, they can dominate. They can rack up MVPs, rushing titles, and multi-score victories over really good teams.
The big question for them going forward is how Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and company will put it together in the postseason. If they can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers this Saturday and wrest control of the AFC North, that postseason path can look a little easier.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles came off a week when everyone was questioning the relationship between their All-Pro quarterback and wide receiver after Jalen Hurts threw for only 108 yards against the 3-11 Carolina Panthers.
They all but put those concerns to bed, as Hurts threw for more than that to his two trusted wide receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Brown went for 110 yards and Smith for 108 against the 10-4 AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Eagles have proven they can win in a variety of ways this season, and that's what you're looking for from a possible Super Bowl contender. That passing game is going to be key for the Eagles, though. Teams are going to load up and focus on Saquon Barkley, which will put the ball in Jalen Hurts’ hands.
The chemistry between Hurts and his two standout wide receivers, along with the overall balance of the offense, is going to be imperative to this team's success.
3. Detroit Lions
The Lions have been on a roll this year, aside from their past game against the Buffalo Bills. They are averaging 32.8 points per game—still the most in the NFL—and are 12-2, tied atop the NFC standings and the NFC North.
The offense is still clicking at a high level, but the defense is becoming ravaged by injury. They lost three more defenders on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills after coming into the game with 13 defensive players already on injured reserve.
They began the season with high hopes and looked to keep the vibes high in Detroit after appearing in the NFC title game last year. But if these injuries keep piling up, things could turn sour quickly, especially with the Eagles and in-division Vikings catching up with them in the playoff picture.
It’s imperative for them to get that bye—not only to secure home-field advantage but to get as many players back as possible. If they can finish this final three-game stretch still on top of the NFC, that definitely bodes well for them. Keep an eye on that injury report.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are going for a feat that has never been done in the modern Super Bowl era: three straight Super Bowl victories. The closest a team has come to that was back in 1966 when Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers won an NFL championship and then back-to-back Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968.
The Chiefs have been living on the edge a lot this year, as they have the most single-score victories (wins by eight or fewer points) this year with 10. That changed this past week, as they beat the Cleveland Browns 21-7 in a homecoming game for star tight end Travis Kelce.
In the process, though, quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter. That’s something to monitor, especially with the team set to play the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers in the span of six days.
Another factor to watch is the battle for home field in the AFC playoffs. You might wonder how that’s possible with the Chiefs holding a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC playoff picture with three games remaining. You’ll find out when we discuss the next team.
1. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are running wild right now, having scored 30-plus points in eight straight games—a franchise record—and being the first team to do so since the 2013 Denver Broncos. They just put 48 points on the Detroit Lions, the most any team has scored on them this year.
Josh Allen is looking like the MVP of the league, and he has the Bills looking like potentially the best team in the NFL. For the Bills, like every team on this list, their success hinges on the postseason. It would probably be easier to succeed if they secure home field and a first-round bye throughout the playoffs.
As previously mentioned, the Chiefs currently have a two-game lead over the Bills in the race for the AFC's No. 1 seed. However, the Chiefs have to play the Houston Texans at home, the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road, and the suddenly competitive Denver Broncos on the road to finish their season. Meanwhile, the Bills face essentially three straight “bye weeks,” playing the Patriots twice and the Jets once.
Yes, those are divisional opponents, but the sentiment is the same: I fully expect the Bills, playing as they are now, to handle those teams. If both teams win out, they would both be 6-0 in the division, but the Bills would have the point differential lead and tiebreaker, securing the No. 1 seed.
Now, do I think the Chiefs will lose two of their last three games? No, I don’t. But with a shaky offensive line, a slightly banged-up Mahomes, and a tough schedule, things could get interesting.
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Dorian Blaine Francis is the host of the TheSportsFanaticPodcast. He earned a BA in Communications/Broadcast Journalism from Bowie State University. Dorian is an avid sports fan and enjoys sharing his knowledge with his listeners and other sports enthusiast.
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