NFL Playoff Predictions at the Midseason Mark

Midway through the 2021 season, the NFL playoff picture is still fuzzy. The NFC has five teams with at least six wins, and every club in the AFC West and North have a winning records. 

With tight division races in both conferences, contenders will jockey for postseason seedings in the final weeks of the term. Even more intriguing, compared to last year, several new teams have a legitimate shot at playoff berths. Will those upstart squads continue to surge or fade down the stretch? 

After nine weeks, we have an updated projection of how the postseason matchups will come together with results for each round, which vastly differs from our way-too-early predictions. 

Find out how the 2021 playoff bracket pans out all the way through Super Bowl 56.

No. 7 Seattle Seahawks (9-8) at No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-3)

Quarterback Russell Wilson will return from a finger injury to save the Seattle Seahawks' season and lead them to a wild-card berth for a matchup against the reigning champions. 

Seattle's defense bends but doesn't break, ranking tied for eighth in scoring while giving up the second-most yards. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have too much firepower, and they'll find several fissures in the Seahawks' 28th-ranked pass defense. Along with tight end Rob Gronkowski, wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown will rack up a ton of yards and multiple scores between them.

Wilson will have some bright moments against the Buccaneers' 20th-ranked pass defense, but he won't win a scoring shootout against quarterback Tom Brady and his elite pass-catching group.

Prediction: Bucs 35, Seahawks 24

            

No. 6 New Orleans Saints (10-7) at No. 3 Dallas Cowboys (13-4)  

The New Orleans Saints moved forward without quarterback Jameis Winston, who tore his ACL and damaged his MCL, but Trevor Siemian led them to a win over the Buccaneers and found his rhythm at the end of a Week 9 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. They also have a familiar face in signal-caller Taysom Hill, who went 3-1 as a starter last season. With two capable options at quarterback and the fifth-ranked scoring defense, the Saints grind out 10 wins.

Nevertheless, the Dallas Cowboys should be able to expose the Saints' shaky pass defense, which ranks 27th in yards allowed. Quarterback Dak Prescott, a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, shines with his 69.4 percent completion rate. Wideouts Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup will benefit from his passing performance.

Aside from running back Alvin Kamara, the Saints don't have enough playmakers to keep pace with the Cowboys.

Prediction: Cowboys 28, Saints 21

            

No. 5 Arizona Cardinals (13-4) at No. 4 Green Bay Packers (12-5)  

The quarterbacks in this matchup have question marks. Last week, Kyler Murray sat out with an ankle injury, and Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. 

While Rodgers will likely recover and rejoin the team soon, Murray, once again, has an injury that may slow him down late in the season, which explains why the Arizona Cardinals will miss out on a division title. Despite an impressive 31-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, the Cardinals could lose some games against good teams if Murray and wideout DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) miss more time.

In Week 8, on the road, the Green Bay Packers beat Arizona 24-21 without star wideout Davante Adams, who went on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Cardinals will lose by a wider margin as they struggle to slow down the Packers' balanced offense. Rodgers and Adams connect through the air while Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon control the tempo of the game, keeping Arizona's high-powered offense on the sideline.

Prediction: Packers 30, Cardinals 24

No. 7 Cleveland Browns (9-8) at No. 2 Tennessee Titans (12-5)

In a matchup between run-heavy teams, the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans will battle in a slugfest.

After going down with a foot injury in Week 8, running back Derrick Henry underwent surgery, which could sideline him for six to 10 weeks, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. By this time, he could be back on the field and able to lead the Titans to victory.

If Henry isn't 100 percent, Tennessee can feature wideouts A.J. Brown and Julio Jones in red-zone situations to attack the Browns pass defense, which has allowed 17 touchdowns (27th leaguewide). Lacking explosive perimeter weapons, quarterback Baker Mayfield fails to engineer a late touchdown drive.

Prediction: Titans 24, Browns 20

                     

No. 6 Kansas City Chiefs (10-7) at No. 3 Buffalo Bills (12-5) 

The Chiefs' turnover issues will cost them this game.

The Buffalo Bills have the second-most takeaways (19). Despite a subpar showing in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they field a highly efficient offense, scoring on 48.9 percent of their drives, which is the second-highest rate in the league. That combination gives them the upper hand in this contest.

This season, teams have challenged the Chiefs with two-high safety coverage and dared them to run the ball. Instead, Patrick Mahomes has forced some throws to wideout Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, which worked in the past, but now the star quarterback has 10 interceptions in nine games.

The Bills have ball-hawking safeties in Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who have three interceptions apiece. They're going to have their fingerprints on this game as Mahomes aggressively pushes the ball downfield in order to offset a defense that ranks 24th in scoring. 

Buffalo wins decisively at home.

Prediction: Bills 37, Chiefs 27

                        

No. 5 New England Patriots (10-7) at No. 4 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) 

The New England Patriots have hit their stride, winning in four of the last five weeks. 

However, New England isn't going to beat the Los Angeles Chargers (again) because quarterback Justin Herbert will make better decisions and avoid multiple interceptions. Unlike the Week 8 matchup between these squads, the Patriots won't have a pick-six to boost their point total.

While rookie quarterback Mac Jones has played well in stretches, throwing for 2,135 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 68 percent completion rate, Herbert is more advanced with a better arsenal of pass-catchers at his disposal. Along with running back Austin Ekeler, wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams propel the Chargers to victory with big-time catches.

Prediction: Chargers 23, Patriots 20

No. 4 Green Bay Packers (12-5) at No. 1 Los Angeles Rams (14-3)

In a quest to reach a third consecutive NFC Championship Game, Green Bay runs into a roadblock. The Los Angeles Rams are equipped to defend the Packers' top offensive playmakers. 

In a must-watch battle, wide receiver Davante Adams will match up against cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Packers running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon may not see big lanes on the ground with defensive tackle Aaron Donald and edge-rusher Von Miller in the front seven.

Miller, whom the Rams acquired before the Nov. 2 trade deadline, will make a major impact. Lining up alongside Leonard Floyd and behind Donald, he could perform at a Pro Bowl level again. The 32-year-old will force Rodgers to move off his spot and toss up some ill-advised passes. 

Meanwhile, quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense shouldn't have an issue scoring touchdowns on a defense that ranks 31st in red-zone scoring. 

Prediction: Rams 32, Packers 27

            

No. 3 Dallas Cowboys (13-4) at No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-3)

On one side, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski will find success against the Cowboys' 25th-ranked pass defense. Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz should also have some highlight moments while facing the Buccaneers' 20th-ranked pass defense.

However, Tampa Bay's second-ranked run defense can force its opponents into a predictable approach. As was the case in the season opener between these clubs, Dallas may struggle to run the ball, which would allow edge-rushers Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to tee off on quarterback Dak Prescott.

With defensive tackle Vita Vea capable of stuffing the run by himself, the Buccaneers keep their safeties in deep coverage to neutralize the Cowboys' pass-catching group. Prescott makes one mistake, and the Buccaneers capitalize on it for the victory.

Prediction: Bucs 38, Cowboys 35

 No. 4 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 1 Baltimore Ravens (13-4)

The Chargers haven't figured out how to shore up their run defense. They've allowed the most rushing yards this season. In all but one game, Los Angeles has ceded at least 126 yards on the ground.

Going up against one of the best ground attacks in the league, the Chargers won't have an answer for dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson, who can take off running for 20-30 yards downfield, or a backfield platoon. In the absence of running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, Ty'Son Williams and Le'Veon Bell have filled the void.

Though Herbert will rack up yards against the Ravens' atrocious pass defense, which allows the second-most yards leaguewide, he won't have many offensive drives if Baltimore's ground attack wins the time-of-possession battle.

Prediction: Ravens 30, Chargers 23

       

No. 3 Buffalo Bills (12-5) at No. 2 Tennessee Titans (12-5)

The Bills offense has struggled over the last two weeks, but the unit should find its way with quarterback Josh Allen and a solid pass-catching group that includes Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley and Dawson Knox once he recovers from surgery on his hand. The Titans' 24th-ranked pass defense may struggle in this contest.

Sure, the Titans picked off Matthew Stafford twice in Week 9, but turnovers can be a bit random. Without takeaways, Tennessee has a below-average pass defense that won't hold up against Buffalo's seventh-ranked aerial attack. 

With an effective passing game and a stifling defense that's allowing the fewest points, Buffalo avenges its Week 7 loss to Tennessee.

Prediction: Bills 28, Titans 26

No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-3) at No. 1 Los Angeles Rams (14-3)

The Rams are one of the few teams that can match the Buccaneers' offensive firepower and make critical stops to limit Tom Brady and his playmakers. 

This year, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp have become one of the NFL's best quarterback-wide receiver tandems. The wideout leads the league in catches (74), receiving yards (1,019) and touchdowns (10). Wideouts Robert Woods and Van Jefferson have also filled gaps in the aerial attack. Los Angeles has balance with running back Darrell Henderson, who's averaging 4.6 yards per carry. 

While the Rams field an efficient ground game, they don't need it to open up the passing attack. Los Angeles ranks 20th in rush attempts. Stafford can drop back and throw darts in a pass-heavy game plan. He's taken multiple sacks in a contest just twice this season.

As the Rams offense runs like a well-oiled machine, defensive tackle Aaron Donald will command double- and triple-teams, which will create pass-rushing lanes for Von Miller and Leonard Floyd. That's troublesome for Brady. 

Cornerback Jalen Ramsey cannot cover all of the Buccaneers' high-end perimeter playmakers, but Brady won't have much time to throw with Donald, Miller and Floyd breathing down his neck. 

The Rams pummel Brady in the pocket with a dominant defensive performance. 

Prediction: Rams 31, Bucs 24

No. 3 Buffalo Bills (12-5) at No. 1 Baltimore Ravens (13-4)

In this matchup, the Ravens will sorely miss cornerback Marcus Peters, who tore his ACL days before the season opener. He's an established ball hawk capable of stopping drives with a takeaway. Without him, Baltimore's defense must force three-and-outs, which is a difficult task against the No. 4 scoring offense. 

Buffalo has a potent passing attack that can target the middle of Baltimore's defense. The Ravens struggle to cover intermediate routes, particularly tight ends. Linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison allow completion rates of 80 and 73.3 percent, respectively. The latter has also surrendered two touchdowns. 

Assuming tight end Dawson Knox fully recovers from surgery on his hand in time to play in this matchup, he should have a big game. The Bills can also use slot wideout Cole Beasley on shorter routes.

The Ravens can attempt to dominate time of the possession with their ground game, but the Bills have a stout run defense that's giving up the fourth-fewest yards. Lamar Jackson isn't going to carve up the league's No. 1 pass defense either.

The Bills match up well against the Ravens, which gives them a clear advantage.

Prediction: Bills 33, Ravens 24

No. 3 Buffalo Bills (12-5) vs. No. 1 Los Angeles Rams (14-3)

Like the Buccaneers last year, the Rams will play for the Lombardi Trophy at their home stadium. 

While Matthew Stafford has a more extensive resume than Josh Allen, neither quarterback has played in the Super Bowl. Both offenses may take as much as an entire half to settle down. Once that happens, we'll see dueling passing attacks rack up yards and points.

Nevertheless, the defense that manages to generate the most pocket pressure will win this game. Based on that premise, the Rams have an edge in this matchup. The Bills don't have the personnel to make Stafford uncomfortable in the pocket.

Buffalo added pass-rushers in the 2021 draft, selecting Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham in the first and second rounds, respectively. The former had a strong start to the season, but he's logged just five tackles in the last three outings. The latter hasn't been an impact playmaker with five tackles, one for loss and 1.5 sacks in two games.

Allen will work a lot harder to establish a rhythm in the pocket. The Rams lead the league in sacks (28). Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd rank within the top 15 in quarterback pressures. Defensive end Jerry Hughes leads the Bills in that stat category, and he's tied for 32nd.

As the old cliche goes, defense wins championships, and the Rams have a unit capable of stealing the spotlight at SoFi Stadium.

Prediction: Rams 30, Bills 27

            

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.