NFL Playoff Picture 2019: Postseason Scenarios and Wild-Card Bracket
The 2019 NFL playoff picture came down to the wire, but after an exciting Week 17 that showcased 80 touchdowns—the most of any week this season—the postseason is finally set in stone.
In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the lowest seed to come out of the Wild Card Round after clinching home-field advantage with a 35-3 win over Oakland in Week 17.
Behind them, the New England Patriots will also have a first-round bye at the No. 2 spot and will face off against the higher seed coming out of the wild-card meeting.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
The New Orleans Saints clinched home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed in Week 16, opting to sit a lot of their starters in their Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
This led to a loss, but it does not affect them going into the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams were able to clinch the No. 2 spot and a first-round bye this week with a win over the 49ers, so they will face the higher seed and the Saints will face the lower seed coming out of the NFC Wild Card Round.
Here's a look at what the AFC and NFC playoff bracket will look like, including a short breakdown of the different wild-card matchups to take place in 2019.
AFC Playoff Standings
1. Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
2. New England Patriots 11-5
3. Houston Texans 11-5
4. Baltimore Ravens 10-6
5. Los Angeles Chargers 12-4
6. Indianapolis Colts 10-6
AFC Wild-Card Matchups
No. 6 Colts at No. 3 Texans: Saturday, January 5 at 4:35 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
No. 5 Chargers at No. 4 Ravens: Sunday, January 6 at 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
NFC Playoff Standings
1. New Orleans Saints 13-3
2. Los Angeles Rams 13-3
3. Chicago Bears 12-4
4. Dallas Cowboys 10-6
5. Seattle Seahawks 10-6
6. Philadelphia Eagles 9-7
NFC Wild-Card Matchups
No. 5 Seahawks at No. 4 Cowboys: Saturday, January 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox)
No. 6 Eagles at No. 3 Bears: Sunday, January 6 at 4:40 p.m. ET (NBC)
AFC: Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts will be meeting for a third time this season in the AFC Wild Card Round after the Colts came away with a victory in a must-win game over the Titans to secure their playoff spot.
Houston's 37-34 win came at the beginning of the campaign, while Indianapolis' 24-21 victory came more in December.
Both teams started out the season with losing records, have had exciting winning streaks, boast a decent defense and have offensive weapons in the quarterback and wideout position.
The two defenses are neck and neck, with the Colts allowing 21.5 points per game and the Texans allowing 19.8—one of only five teams to hold opponents to an average of less than 20.
Deshaun Watson has the ability to take over the game with go-to receiver DeAndre Hopkins; however, they're up against a more experienced Andrew Luck and his go-to targets in T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron.
While the Colts seem to have an advantage in running back Marlon Mack, Lamar Miller stepped up to score a touchdown in Week 17 after struggling to find the end zone for much of the season. Pair that with Watson's ability to run and the Texans don't appear to be as weak in the backfield as they might have seemed.
Expect Houston to take the game against its evenly matched opponent, with home-field advantage giving the Texans the slight edge they need.
AFC: Baltimore Ravens vs. Los Angeles Chargers
While the Los Angeles Chargers have been dominant all season—with a 12-4 record despite their No. 5 seed—the Baltimore Ravens' success came towards the end of the season, allowing them to slip into the playoffs.
The Ravens came away with a narrow 26-24 win over the Cleveland Browns to secure the AFC North Division title and the No. 4 spot in the playoffs. The win knocked division foes the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the playoffs.
The win was due in large part to rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson, who also helped Baltimore turn its season around. In the seven games Jackson has started, the Ravens have won six—notching victories over teams such as the Chargers and losing to the Chiefs by only three in overtime.
Jackson is unstoppable in the running game, throwing no passing touchdowns in his Week 17 win but running for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
Los Angeles is led by veteran quarterback Philip Rivers—the opposite in terms of experience compared to Jackson's seven career starts.
Despite the Chargers' success all season, they were stumped by the Ravens defense in Week 16, falling to them 10-22. The Baltimore defense forced two picks, with Rivers unable to find a groove and throwing no touchdowns.
While the Chargers will put up a fight, the Ravens' ability to exploit the Chargers' weaknesses bodes well for the young team and may help them come away with the upset.
NFC: Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Similar to the Chargers and the Ravens, this matchup showcases a team with prolonged success and one that clinched a playoff berth in the final regular season game.
Chicago has had an incredible season—due in large part to the team's strong defense. In Week 14, the Bears held what looked like an unstoppable Rams offense to only six points and no touchdowns.
On the offensive side, the Bears are led by running back Jordan Howard, who has nine touchdowns on the season—two of which came in the Bears' Week 17 win over the Vikings.
Howard paired that with a 109-yard performance, while the Chicago defense stumped Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
While the Eagles are only 9-7, they are a tough foe to face in the playoffs because of their ability to get hot quickly. The reigning champions were able to sneak into the playoffs with a shutout of the Redskins in Week 17 and a Vikings loss to the Bears.
This team has been on a roll since Nick Foles took over at quarterback. Foles led the team to a Super Bowl victory last year when Carson Wentz got hurt, and he has the skills and experience to be able to do it again.
However, up against a stout Chicago defense and banged up from the Week 17 game, Foles may not be able to find a groove. Look for the Bears to come away with this one.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks
These two evenly matched teams met back in Week 3, with Seattle beating the Cowboys 24-13 to make them 1-2 to start the season.
The Cowboys have managed to turn their season around, winning seven of their last eight games and carrying momentum into the playoffs with a 36-35 win over the New York Giants in Week 17.
Seattle struggled similarly in Week 17 against a team with a much worse record than it. The Arizona Cardinals, who only have three wins on the season, matched the Seahawks point-for-point throughout the course of the game, tying it at 21 in the third and again at 24 in the fourth.
This narrow victory over a team with not much success doesn't bode well for the Seahawks. Russell Wilson only threw for 152 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He will not be able to put up numbers like those if Seattle wants to take down Dallas to move on to the Divisional Round.
Dak Prescott, on the other hand, had a huge game against his Week 17 opponent with 387 passing yards and four touchdowns on no interceptions. He hit tight end Blake Jarwin for 119 yards and three touchdowns—the best game of his career and his only touchdowns this season.
While the Seahawks players put up more impressive offensive numbers, Dallas' momentum going into the playoffs and top 10 defense may win them this home game.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
