NFL Playoffs 2015-16: AFC and NFC Sleeper Teams Nobody Wants to Play

The NFL playoffs are all about momentum.

It's usually the hottest teams that make the runs at the right time. There hasn't been a wild-card team to win a Super Bowl since the 2010 Green Bay Packers, but that could change this year.

Let's take a look at some teams that no one would want to play come January.

AFC

Pittsburgh Steelers

There's still a chance the Steelers win the AFC North, so they may not be considered a sleeper should that be the case. Especially with the Cincinnati Bengals winning on Sunday, Pittsburgh needs to win out and have the Bengals lose out to clinch the division.

Either way, no team should want to play this offense.

If Ben Roethlisberger never missed games and Le'Veon Bell hadn't missed this season with a torn MCL, the Steelers offense may have been more than unstoppable. Fortunately for the Steelers, they haven't missed a beat running the football. DeAngelo Williams is inching closer to a 1,000-yard rushing season and is already well over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.

The Steelers' trio of receivers is the main reason why Pittsburgh is in position to make the playoffs. Antonio Brown is having another terrific season, but his play has also led to the emergence of Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton. Their 2,996 combined yards lead the NFL.

Take a look at the company Brown has placed himself in, now that he's over 1,400 yards once again, per Steelers PR Manager Dom Rinelli:

Pittsburgh's postseason run hinges on the health of Roethlisberger. If he goes down for any reason, the Steelers are doomed. A healthy Pittsburgh team, however, spells danger for the rest of the AFC.

Kansas City Chiefs

Remember the time the Chiefs started the season 1-5? They haven't lost since.

Kansas City won its eighth game in a row on Sunday with a 34-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Somehow, the Chiefs have not struggled without Jamaal Charles in the backfield. They've found different ways to win. One week, it could be the running duo of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware carving up defenses. Another week, Alex Smith could be having a big game.

But the one constant behind Kansas City's winning streak has been the play of its defense.

The Chiefs have allowed an average of 89.3 rushing yards in the last eight games. After forcing three turnovers on Sunday, Kansas City has forced a whopping 21 turnovers since Oct. 25.

There may not be a better defensive team in the league right now, and Chiefs defensive end Mike DeVito thinks this might be the best unit he's played for, per Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com:

Kansas City closes the year with games against the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders, both at home. The chances of the Chiefs closing the season with a 10-game winning streak are high, and it's tough to determine who can crack the code that is this defense.

And thanks to the Broncos losing to the Steelers, Kansas City is a game back in the AFC West. If the Chiefs win out and the Broncos lose one of their final two games, the Chiefs will get a home playoff game in January. It's getting hectic in the AFC.

NFC

Seattle Seahawks

It may be too little, too late for the two-time defending NFC champions to win another division title, but that may not matter to the Seahawks, who are heading back to the playoffs after beating the Browns on Sunday.

After starting the season 2-4, it looked like Seattle's reign was coming to an end. Kam Chancellor's holdout proved to be a major problem, and tough losses to the Bengals and Carolina Panthers had the Seahawks in trouble.

But Seattle is on a roll, winning seven of its last eight. Normally, the reason for that would be the running game. But due to injuries to Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls, it's been Russell Wilson's play that's propelled the Seahawks to the top wild-card spot.

There may not be a hotter quarterback on the planet right now than Wilson, with the exception of Cam Newton. Since Oct. 22, Wilson has thrown for 22 touchdowns to only four interceptions and has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes. He's also thrown at least three touchdowns in the last five games, while also completing at least 70 percent of his passes.

Wilson also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least three touchdown passes and not throw an interception in five straight games.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune points out how absurd Wilson's passer rating has been the last month:

If not for that 2-4 start, Wilson would be in the MVP discussion. But if he keeps this play up, there may not be a team in the league, including Carolina, that would want to play the Seahawks in the playoffs.