NFL Playoff Picture 2021: Examining Latest Scenarios and Top Bracket-Busters

Get ready to settle in for an action-packed weekend of NFL playoff football. With the postseason field expanded to 14 teams for the 2020 season, there's going to be more games to watch during wild-card weekend than ever before.

The NFL playoffs get underway with three wild-card round matchups on Saturday, then another three will take place on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, the No. 1 seeds from each conference, will sit and watch it all unfold, waiting to see which six teams will join them in the divisional round the following weekend.

Here's a look at the playoff schedule and scenarios, followed by a breakdown of two wild-card teams (one from each conference) that could bust the bracket this postseason.

NFL Playoff Bracket, Potential Scenarios for Divisional Round

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

AFC

First-round bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs

No. 7 Indianapolis Colts at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 6 Cleveland Browns at No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC)

No. 5 Baltimore Ravens at No. 4 Tennessee Titans (Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

NFC

First-round bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers

No. 7 Chicago Bears at No. 2 New Orleans Saints (Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS/Nickelodeon)

No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 3 Seattle Seahawks (Saturday at 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox)

No. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 4 Washington Football Team (Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC)

Bracket Scenarios

As the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, the Chiefs and Packers will be hosting games in the divisional round on either Jan. 16 or Jan. 17. And they'll each be playing the lowest remaining seed from their respective conference in those matchups.

That means if either No. 7 seed pulls off an upset during the wild-card round, they'd advance to play the top seed. In the AFC, that means the Colts would take on the Chiefs. In the NFC, the Bears would face the Packers in a meeting of NFC North rivals.

On the other end, the No. 2 seeds would be guaranteed to host a divisional-round game if they advance. So, the Saints and/or Bills would be at home for a second week in a row should they advance past the wild-card round.

Of course, there are a lot of scenarios that could unfold with a trio of wild-card round matchups in each conference. It's even possible that a No. 5 seed could host a divisional-round matchup if the lower seed won in all three games in a conference (although that is not the likeliest scenario).

If all the top seeds win, then the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds would have to go on the road in the divisional round after having the luxury of hosting a wild-card round matchup.

AFC Bracket-Buster: No. 5 Baltimore Ravens

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

Last season, the pressure was on the Ravens to make a deep postseason run. They went 14-2 during the 2019 regular season, earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. Then they were upset by the Titans in the divisional round, losing 28-12.

In 2020, Baltimore faced more adversity during the regular season. In one stretch it lost four of five games, before ending with a five-match winning streak to push back into the playoffs. The Ravens may not have won the AFC North, but they finished 11-5 thanks to their late surge to end the regular season.

One of Baltimore's defeats, though, was another loss to Tennessee in Week 11. The Titans pulled out a 30-24 victory in overtime in Baltimore. Now the two teams are set to play again in the wild-card round, but this time, Tennessee will have home-field advantage.

However, the Ravens are playing much better than they were earlier in the season. And unlike last year, they didn't have a week off, so they could carry their momentum into Wild Card Weekend. So, don't be surprised if Baltimore goes on the road and beats Tennessee to get back to the divisional round.

If that happens, the Ravens could potentially make a deep playoff run. They lost to the Chiefs and Steelers (twice) during the regular season, so they're going to be out for revenge. A big reason for their improvement has been quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, who has accounted for 15 touchdowns (11 passing and four rushing) during Baltimore's five-game win streak.

The Ravens have a strong, balanced rushing attack, and their defense ranked second in points allowed per game (18.9) and seventh in yards allowed per game (329.8) during the regular season. They have a talented team capable of going on the road and winning big games, which is likely what they'll have to do to go far.

"It's a bunch of guys that are happy, but we're still hungry," rookie running back J.K. Dobbins said, according to Mitch Stacy of the Associated Press. "We're glad to get this [Week 17] win and get in, but we know what the ultimate goal is, and that's what's on our minds right now."

Baltimore will be looking to get to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012 season, when it won Super Bowl XLVII for the second championship in franchise history.

NFC Bracket-Buster: No. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kevin Sabitus/Associated Press

The Buccaneers are in the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season, so there are a lot of players on their roster who are hungry to make noise in the postseason. Fortunately for them, they have one of the greatest playoff performers of all time leading the way.

Tom Brady is returning to the postseason yet again, although this is the first time it's not with the New England Patriots. He signed with Tampa Bay this past offseason, and he guided the Bucs to an 11-5 record and an NFC wild-card berth in his first season with the team. Now, he'll look to lead Tampa Bay to its first postseason victory since it won Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the 2002 season.

In the wild-card round, the Buccaneers should have no trouble securing a victory, even though they're going on the road. They're facing the Washington Football Team, which won the NFC East despite finishing 7-9. Although Washington has a strong defense, its offense is likely to struggle against Tampa Bay's defense, while Brady and the Bucs' playmakers will also be difficult to stop.

Brady is always difficult to stop in the playoffs, actually. That's how he led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships during his 20 years with the team. And he's showing no signs of slowing down after passing for 4,633 yards (third in the NFL) and 40 touchdowns (tied for second) in 16 games during the regular season.

"Whatever happens for me as a quarterback is reflective of what we do as an offense," Brady said, according to Fred Goodall of the Associated Press. "I love playing with the guys I play with. We've got a great group of receivers, a great group of tight ends, very selfless. The backs have done an incredible job, and the offensive line has been playing great."

Surrounded by wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, tight end Rob Gronkowski and running backs Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, Brady is right to praise the Buccaneers' playmakers. And that's what makes their offense so dangerous.

As the No. 5 seed, the Bucs will have to pull off some road upsets to make a postseason run, but that certainly seems doable. They own a win over the Packers, and they'll be motivated to try to beat the Saints, who they lost to twice during the regular season.

Tampa Bay has already had a strong season, but Brady always takes it to another level in the postseason. He could do it again with his new team, helping the Bucs potentially make a run through the playoffs.