Most Dangerous Teams Still in the NFL Playoff Hunt

Seven teams still have a shot (even the smallest) at reaching the NFL playoffs. Which teams do the already-clinched teams least want to face in January?

Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Philadelphia’s stunning upset of the Los Angeles Rams froze the playoff bracket heading into tonight’s Monday Night Football contest between the Panthers and Saints.

So, as it stands right now, here’s what we’re looking at heading into Week 16:  

AFC: 1. Kansas City 2. Houston 3. New England 4. Pittsburgh, 5. Los Angeles Chargers 6. Baltimore  

NFC: 1. New Orleans 2. Los Angeles Rams 3. Chicago 4. Dallas 5. Seattle 6. Minnesota

Here, too, is a look at the teams that are left in the hunt, with their respective percentage chance of reaching the playoffs (via Fivethirtyeight):

AFC: Indianapolis (35%), Tennessee (46%), Miami (5%), Cleveland (<1%)

NFC: Washington (16%), Carolina (6%), Philadelphia (37%)

While the field is a little top-heavy this year, I’m almost more interested in the teams who are in the hunt as those with the potential to do the most damage from a lower seed (save for Baltimore and L.A. in the AFC, which will end up tiered so bizarrely because of the Chiefs and or Chargers taking the No. 1 seed and leaving a behemoth in the wild-card round). In fact, I’m interested enough to rank them for today’s huddle. Here, in order, are the top five teams that those already in the playoffs don’t want to see join them.

1. Tennessee

With Derrick Henry coming on and some fluidity being restored to their offense, this is a team I wouldn’t want to get into a low-scoring slugfest with in January. They maintain possession (of late), make it difficult for teams to convert third downs and, over the last two weeks, have hit opposing quarterbacks nearly 20 times.

2. Philadelphia

If this team somehow manages to stun the NFL world for a second straight season, there is not a coach in football—save for the emotionless Bill Belichick—who wouldn’t fear that the cosmos is somehow conspiring against them. That game against the Rams on Sunday night was inspired.

3. Indianapolis

Good quarterback play is always hard to scheme against in the postseason. Plus, the Colts now have a defense that needs to be reckoned with as well, thanks to Matt Eberflus.

4. Carolina

My original (and mid-year) pick to lose the Super Bowl, the Panthers pose some challenges with Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey. Sadly, the fighting Norv Turners would have to beat the best team in football (the Saints) twice in two weeks to even think about postseason play.

5. Cleveland

An offensive coordinator without pronounced tendencies, an ascending quarterback and talented defense. Honestly, the Browns should have been in the playoffs this season. Had they switched coaches before the 2018 season, we could be writing about their impending matchup with long-lost coach Bill Belichick in the wildcard round. Darn you, Hue Jackson.

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