NFC PLAYOFF TEAMS
1. GREEN BAY (13-3)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl 45, 31-25over Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011, at Arlington, Texas. HOPE: Packers are NFL’s topscoring team at 31.8 points per game behind Aaron Rodgers, who threw just five interceptions to go with his 48 TDs, and Davante Adams, whose 18 TD catches led the league. Defense boasts one of the game’s premier cornerbacks in Jaire Alexander and pass rushers in Za’Darius Smith, who has 26 sacks since 2019. NOPE: Green Bay’s major issue is a special teams unit prone to breakdowns. Packers gave up 285 yards rushing in last year’s NFC championship game loss and allowed Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook to score four TDs in one of their three losses this season. Green Bay also lost Pro Bowl LT David Bakhtiari to a season-ending knee injury.
2. NEW ORLEANS (12-4)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl
44, beat Indianapolis 31-17on Feb.
7, 2010.
HOPE: Drew Brees, who turns 42 on Jan. 15, threw for 4,967yards and 34TDs with 12interceptions. RB Alvin Kamara led the league with 21TDs (16rushing, five receiving) and tied an NFL record by scoring six times in Week 16. Kamara also had a career-best 83 receptions, tops among running backs. Saints also sport one of the top defenses.
NOPE: Saints’ defense lost LB Kwon Alexander in Week 16. Will Brees be his vintage self? He’s played just three games since coming back from rib and lung injuries. S Marcus Williams missed the last two games with an ankle injury and WR Tre’Quan Smith (ankle) is not eligible to return from IR for another week.
3. SEATTLE (12-4)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl 48,
43-8over Denver Broncos on Feb.
2, 2014, at East Rutherford, N.J. HOPE: Seahawks have spent the last two months relying on their run game and returning to their defensive roots. Over their last eight games they’ve allowed an average of just 16points and they’ve held their last five opponents under 20. NOPE: Seattle’s high-flying offense was grounded over the last half of the season. Chunk plays haven’t been there as often, making it harder for Wilson to sustain drives. Third downs have been a season-long problem. Seattle proved in the first half of 2020it can win shootouts if needed, but aside from a 40-point outburst against the Jets in early December, there’s been little that’s come easy for Seattle’s offense lately.
4. WASHINGTON (7-9)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl
26, 37-24over Buffalo on Jan. 26,
1992, at Minneapolis.
HOPE: Team with no name won NFC East thanks to an improved defense led by No. 2pick Chase Young and stable control of QB
Alex Smith. Defense ranked second in NFL overall and against the pass and has the ability to take over games and torment opposing QBs. If Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne can pull it all together on the defensive line, watch out.
NOPE: Division champions under
.500have won playoff games before, but it’s hard to see Washington making a run unless everything goes right. Smith is dealing with a strained right calf. Rookie RB Antonio Gibson and second-year WR Terry McLaurin have also been banged up.
5. TAMPA BAY (11-5)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl 37, 48-21over Oakland on Jan. 26, 2003, at San Diego. HOPE: No one has a more dazzling postseason resume than Tom Brady, 43, who piled up enough rings for each hand with the Patriots. Over his last eight quarters, Brady threw for 1,067yards with 10TDs and one interception. He’s surrounded by an All-Star cast of playmakers: WRs Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, RBs Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette, and TEs Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate.
NOPE: Bucs are 10-0 against opponents that didn’t make the playoffs, 1-5against teams that did. They begin their first postseason appearance in 13years without LB Devin White, who’s on COVID-19list. He’s team’s leading tackler and has nine sacks. Bucs have struggled against teams able to pressure Brady, and Washington’s pass rus is among NFL’s best.
6. LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-6)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl 34, St. Louis beat Tennessee 23-16 on Jan. 30, 2000, at Atlanta.
HOPE: Rams’ defense is best in NFL by nearly every significant measure, with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey leading a deep, versatile group. Defense has kept Los Angeles in essentially every game, and is easily capable of dominating any opponen.
NOPE: Los Angeles’ offense has been mediocre, with coach Sean McVay failing to get the group back to the levels it reached in his first two playoff seasons. QB Jared Goff has an injured thumb and has been frequently ineffective. Even if backup QB John Wolford plays, he won’t fix Rams’ balky running game or middling pass protection.
7. CHICAGO (8-8)
LAST LOMBARDI: Super Bowl 20, beat New England 46-10on Jan. 26, 1986, at New Orleans. HOPE: Chicago will be hard-pressed to beat Drew Brees and the Saints, let alone make a deep run. Then again,Bears are resilient. They bounced back from a six-game losing streak to win three in a row before bowing to Green Bay in finale. Their defense ranked among the top 10for most of the year. And with 102receptions for 1,250yards, WR Allen Robinson is having one of his best seasons.
NOPE: Bears could be missing several important players, including OLB Roquan Smith. Leading tackler left Green Bay game with an elbow injury. Rookie Darnell Mooney, the Bears’ second-leading receiver, exited in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury after setting career highs with 11catches for 93yards. DBs Buster Skrine, rookie Jaylon Johnson and Deon Bush missed the loss to Green Bay.