NFL Playoff Standings 2022: Updated AFC, NFC Records and Power Rankings
Only eight teams remain in the NFL postseason race following Super Wild Card Weekend. Five of the six favorites advanced, with only the San Francisco 49ers emerging from the wild-card pool. It's not an entirely unexpected outcome, though it's a big departure from last year.
In the 2020-21 playoffs, four wild-card teams advanced to the divisional round.
How does the remaining playoff field stack up? Which teams have the best chances of making it to Super Bowl LVI? Let's take a look.
Playoff Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers 13-4
2. Tennessee Titans 12-5
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-4
4. Kansas City Chiefs 12-5
5. Buffalo Bills 11-6
6. Los Angeles Rams 12-5
7. Cincinnati Bengals 10-7
8. San Francisco 49ers 10-7
*Based on regular-season records, seeding and author's opinion.
The AFC Field
1. Tennessee Titans
The AFC's top seed, the Tennessee Titans bring more than just home-field advantage to the proverbial table. They have a fearsome defensive front and a stout run defense. They could also have star running back Derrick Henry back in the fold this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. That would be huge.
"We're going to need to run the football," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said, per Ben Arthur of the Tennessean.
Tennessee has already beaten the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills this season. If the Titans can survive Cincinnati, they should feel very confident heading into the AFC title game.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs lambasted the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a game for the ages. Well, he would have had the game of the weekend if not for Josh Allen, who equaled Mahomes' five touchdown passes.
It's going to be a fun and intriguing quarterback duel in Kansas City this weekend, but the Chiefs should feel good about their chances. While Buffalo won the regular-season meeting, Kansas City's defense grew throughout the season.
The Chiefs ended the year winning nine of their final 10 games. They're as hot as any team in football right now.
3. Buffalo Bills
Allen was spectacular against the New England Patriots on Saturday. He finished 21-of-25 for 308 yards with five touchdown passes and 66 rushing yards. The preeminent dual-threat quarterback remaining in the postseason, Allen can take over a game.
The Bills are dangerous because they pair Allen with the league's top-ranked defense. The concern with Buffalo, though, is that consistency has been an issue.
The Bills lost to teams like the Steelers, the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars during the regular season.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
When Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are clicking—and they've been white-hot down the stretch—Cincinnati is a load for any opponent. The Bengals bested the Chiefs in Week 17 to lock up the AFC North early, and they match up well with Tennessee's 25th-ranked pass defense.
The Bengals merely survived the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, but they showed no signs of being overwhelmed by the postseason stage. Don't expect Cincinnati to be intimidated by teams like Tennessee, Kansas City or Buffalo.
However, the Bengals' defense is inconsistent, and it lost standout tackle Larry Ogunjobi (foot) for the postseason. Cincinnati ranks 18th in total defense and 17th in points allowed. It is heavily dependent on getting the offense going.
The NFC Field
1. Green Bay Packers
What's not to like about having Aaron Rodgers and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs? The Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl favorites for a reason, and they match up extremely well with the rest of the NFC field.
Consider that Green Bay only lost two games in which Rodgers started and finished. One of those came back in Week 1, when Rodgers apparently had some rust on his championship belt. He's been rolling ever since, and Green Bay's ninth-ranked defense can hold up its end of the proverbial bargain.
The Packers defense may be even better in the postseason. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander hasn't played since Week 4 because of a shoulder injury, but he has a chance to return this week.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-4
What's not to like about having Tom Brady and a shot at back-to-back Super Bowl appearances? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are banged up—Chris Godwin is on injured reserve, while Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen were injured on Sunday—but the Bucs have their sights set on another title.
With Brady pulling the trigger and the league's fifth-ranked scoring defense on the other side, the Buccaneers have a great shot at doing exactly that.
A lot will hinge on the health of Wirfs and Jensen, though. Led by Aaron Donald and Von Miller, the Los Angeles Rams' pass rush is dangerous, and Brady isn't the most mobile of quarterbacks. The Rams won 34-24 in the regular-season meeting.
4. Los Angeles Rams 12-5
If the Rams perform like they did on Monday night, they'll have a chance to beat anyone left in the NFC field. The defense shut down the Arizona Cardinals—it didn't allow a single third-down conversion—while the ground game got going behind Cam Akers and Sony Michel.
With Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. in the lineup, the Los Angeles passing attack can be quite potent when it has to be too.
The problem for L.A. is that consistency has been an issue. The Rams won five of their final six games, but narrowly survived the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens while losing to the 49ers.
6. San Francisco 49ers 10-7
San Francisco may be the lone wild-card team left standing, but it cannot be taken lightly. Led by Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel and a powerful rushing attack, San Francisco can control both the tempo and the clock—as it did against the Dallas Cowboys.
However, the 49ers have two potential issues on their hands. One is the reliability of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He's playing with a torn ligament in his thumb and can be prone to mistakes. A late interception on a poorly thrown ball nearly allowed Dallas to rally on Sunday.
The 49ers also have a pair of big defensive injuries, as Nick Bosa (concussion) and Fred Warner (ankle) both exited Sunday's game and did not return. Having one or both players back in the lineup against Green Bay could be critical.
Updated Super Bowl Odds
Green Bay Packers 7-2
Kansas City Chiefs 19-5
Buffalo Bills 5-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-2
Los Angeles Rams 15-2
Tennessee Titans 17-2
San Francisco 49ers 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
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