NFL Playoff Bracket 2021: Scenarios and Predictions for Postseason Picture

The 14-team NFL playoff format has made the No. 2 seeds in each conference more vulnerable than they were in the 12-team bracket.

With the first-round bye taken away from the No. 2 seeds, there is the potential for them to lose and allow a No. 3 seed or lower to host a game in the divisional round. 

Of course, the format could end up producing the same results as the 12-team playoffs since the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds could still play each other in the divisional round, but the new format adds a bit more drama with six contests on the wild-card docket. 

The New Orleans Saints may be the more at-risk No. 2 seed since they struggled for parts of December and could be facing a key absence. 

If New Orleans stumbles, the Seattle Seahawks could be in great shape to host another home playoff game because of the questions surrounding Jared Goff's health. 

In the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers may experience the most trouble of the two higher seeds since they have to deal with the Cleveland Browns for a third time this season.  

NFL Playoff Bracket

Bracket Scenarios

The easiest scenarios to detail involve which teams face the No. 1 seeds in each conference. 

The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers will take on the lowest remaining seed in their respective conferences. 

If the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans both win on wild-card weekend, they would host divisional-round games against the highest remaining seed in each bracket.

However, if the No. 2 seed loses, the No. 3 seed would have the first right to host if it wins this weekend. 

If the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds lose in a bracket, the highest-seeded winner would host a divisional-round game. For example, the most unlikely scenario would have the No. 5 seed play a home game if three upsets occur in one conference.  

Predictions

AFC

No. 2 Buffalo over No. 7 Indianapolis

No. 6 Cleveland over No. 3 Pittsburgh

No. 5 Baltimore over No. 4 Tennessee

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The AFC bracket could feature a pair of upsets because of the form by the two AFC North sides. 

Cleveland has a more balanced offense than Pittsburgh since the Steelers struggled to establish a rushing attack. 

The Browns ran for over 100 yards in 13 of their 16 regular-season games, and two of those performances under the triple-digit mark came in October. 

Since the Week 6 game between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, the Browns have utilized Kareem Hunt more in both aspects of the offense while the Steelers have suffered some key defensive injuries.

Hunt had at least three receptions in four of the final five games, and he could exploit a linebacker unit that lost Devin Bush, Robert Spillane and Bud Dupree to injuries. 

If Baker Mayfield connects with Hunt and his tight ends on short passes across the middle, it would take away time in the pocket that Pittsburgh could use to get to the quarterback. That could help put them in the red zone, where Nick Chubb would be in position to finish off drives with scoring runs. Chubb found the end zone on 12 occasions.

The Steelers had six players record three sacks or more. T.J. Watt led the team with 15, and Stephon Tuitt added 11.  

Pittsburgh ran for over 100 yards once since Week 7 (against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11). If the Steelers' run game is ineffective again, the Browns can commit numbers to defend the pass and take away the deep threats of Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool.

The ground game will be a key factor in the No. 4-vs.-No. 5 matchup as well, as Lamar Jackson and J.K. Dobbins go up against Derrick Henry.

Jackson and Dobbins should lead the more effective rushing attack since Tennessee struggled to contain most aspects of their opponents' offense in the last few weeks. 

The Titans allowed over 400 total yards in each of their last three games. Their poor defense almost allowed the Houston Texans to spring an upset in Week 17.

Mike Vrabel's team allowed 129 rushing yards to Baltimore in Week 11, and it was gashed for 234 yards on the ground by the Green Bay Packers in Week 16.

Jackson and Dobbins led the Ravens to over 200 rushing yards in four of the last five contests. If they take advantage of the holes in Tennessee's defense, the Ravens should move on to the divisional round.   

NFC

No. 7 Chicago over No. 2 New Orleans

No. 3 Seattle over No. 6 Los Angeles Rams

No. 5 Tampa Bay over No. 4 Washington

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

When New Orleans lost two games in a row to the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, it failed to stop the run. 

The most effective part of Chicago's offense in the last month has been the ground game. David Montgomery ran for over 100 yards in Weeks 12, 14 and 15 and received over 20 carries in the final three weeks of the regular season. 

If the Bears commit to using Montgomery at a high volume, they could find the same gaps the Eagles and Chiefs found in Weeks 14 and 15. 

In those defeats, the Saints failed to match the rushing production by recording fewer than 100 yards on the ground. They have only done that on four occasions this season.

Alvin Kamara's status for Sunday has not been confirmed yet. Sunday is the first day he is able to come off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Head coach Sean Payton stated the Saints have to "be smart" when coming to a final decision on the running back's status, per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett.

"I think it would depend on the player and the situation," Payton said Monday. "But a lot of that will be just our decision based on where we think we are with the week, the player. We gotta be smart."

Even if Kamara plays, he may not have the same impact as he typically does since he is not allowed to practice this week. 

Drew Brees could carry the Saints to victory, but he has not been great inside the Superdome since his return from injury. He completed 15 of his 34 passes in Week 15 against the Chiefs and was intercepted twice by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. 

If the Bears contain Brees and they thrive through a steady dose of Montgomery, they could be in position to spring the biggest upset of Wild Card Weekend. 

Seattle appears to be in the most favorable spot of the three NFC home teams since it beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 and there is uncertainty surrounding Jared Goff's status. 

Rams head coach Sean McVay stated on Tuesday that he will not reveal the status of his starting quarterback this week, per ESPN.com's Lindsey Thiry.

Even if Goff plays, he could struggle at a stadium that has not treated him well. In five trips to Seattle, Goff has a single multi-touchdown performance and a 2-3 record. 

If he is limited in the pocket and Seattle's defense contains the rest of the Rams offense, like it did in Week 16, the home side could be on the way to the divisional round.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.