NFL playoff predictions, Super Bowl picks from the Vikings On SI staff

Which teams will be left standing for Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans?

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) makes a pass against Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The playoffs are here and 14 teams will compete to lift the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans on Feb. 9.

The Minnesota Vikings are the No. 5 seed in the NFC and will need to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Rams in order to advance to the divisional round of the postseason. From there, they could be looking at a rematch with the Detroit Lions or a trip to Philadelphia to face the Eagles.

There's also a scenario where they are hosting a second-round game against the Washington Commanders, which would require the Green Bay Packers upsetting the Eagles and Washington beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It's going to be madness and we've asked our Vikings On SI staff to predict it all.

Joe Nelson: Super Bowl — Ravens vs. Lions

NFC Wild Card Weekend

Packers 20, Eagles 30

Commanders 24, Buccaneers 20

Vikings 23, Rams 20

I like the Eagles to win a tight one against a Packers team that just hasn’t had the juice to beat the best of the best this season. Tampa will be tough at home, but the Commanders are legit and Dan Quinn is taking them to the second round. I also like the Vikings with a full week of prep to beat the Rams, which they didn’t have the first time they met on a Thursday night. 

NFC Divisional Round

Commanders 27, Lions 34

Vikings 30, Eagles 27

Detroit might be getting healthier and that’s bad news for any opponent going to Ford Field. The Commanders are tough, but Detroit is going to be too good and will be in the NFC title game for a second year in a row. Minnesota winning in Philly might be a bit optimistic against Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown and company, but I’ve been picking the Vikings in big games all season and I’m not going to let a loss to the best team in the NFL in Week 18 change my ways. 

NFC Championship

Vikings 30, Lions 33

It’s really hard to beat a team three times, but the Lions are the class of the NFL and I’m not quite ready to put the Vikings in the Super Bowl. If this matchup happens, I’d expect Sam Darnold to be a lot better than he was in Week 18, but I think these Lions are on a level like the great New England Patriots and Rams teams of the past 25 years. It’s Detroit’s destiny to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. 

AFC Wild Card Weekend

Broncos 20, Bills 40

Steelers 15, Ravens 27

Chargers 24, Texans 21

Denver has exactly ONE good win all season. Don’t be fooled by Sean Payton’s team, no matter how much you like Bo Nix and Marvin Mims. Baltimore smoked Pittsburgh at home a couple weeks ago and it’ll happen again. And never bet against Jim Harbaugh in the playoffs. He’s going to lead the Chargers into Houston for a win over an average Texans team. 

AFC Divisional Round

Chargers 20, Chiefs 23

Ravens 35, Bills 34

The Chiefs aren’t going to drop a home game against a Chargers team that simply doesn’t have all that much juice on offense. And the real MVP will stand up in the Buffalo-Baltimore matchup, and it’ll be Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry beating Josh Allen and James Cook in a thriller. 

AFC Championship

Ravens 31, Chiefs 24

Sorry, you’re not getting Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl this time. The Ravens are the class of the AFC and will be silencing the fans at Arrowhead Stadium with a statement victory. 

Super Bowl 59 

Ravens 37, Lions 34

The Lions may be a team of destiny, but so too are the Ravens. Baltimore will win a Super Bowl shootout and the hero will be the struggling Justin Tucker with a game-winning field goal as time expires.

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Will Ragatz: Super Bowl — Bills vs. Lions

NFC Wild Card Weekend

Packers 26, Eagles 24

Commanders 30, Buccaneers 23

Vikings 34, Rams 20

Yep, I've got all three road teams winning in the first round of the NFC bracket. The Packers are a bold pick, but they're overdue to finally beat a good team, and I think Jordan Love and company will put it all together in the biggest spot. My Commanders pick is all about belief in Jayden Daniels, who seems built for the postseason stage. And while my confidence in the Vikings took a hit on Sunday night, I still think they're too good to lose to a mediocre Rams team twice.

NFC Divisional Round

Packers 17, Lions 37

Commanders 24, Vikings 28

It's asking a lot of the Packers to win in Philadelphia and Detroit in consecutive weeks, especially when the Lions look borderline unstoppable. This was a dream first-round setup for the Vikings, as they get to host Washington at U.S. Bank Stadium in the divisional round. That's a tough place for Daniels to go play against Brian Flores' defense.

NFC Championship

Vikings 31, Lions 35

This will be the high-scoring thriller we were supposed to see on Sunday night. The Vikings will have chances to win it and advance to their first Super Bowl in 48 years, but the Lions are just too good. Minnesota's season ends in heartbreak in a familiar round.

AFC Wild Card Weekend

Broncos 22, Bills 34

Steelers 10, Ravens 38

Chargers 20, Texans 23

On the other side of the bracket, I've got all the home teams winning in the first round. The Bills and Ravens are elite teams who shouldn't have too much trouble with their opening opponents. And while the Texans' offense has been highly disappointing all year, I like C.J. Stroud to rise to the occasion in this one. He'll do enough to complement a fantastic defense.

AFC Divisional Round

Texans 13, Chiefs 23

Ravens 25, Bills 28

I have a very tough time seeing the Chiefs lose to either the Texans or Chargers in the divisional round. They've still got Patrick Mahomes and a major home-field advantage at Arrowhead. Ravens-Bills is going to be outstanding. The Bills got smoked in Baltimore early this season, but they'll be much better when it matters most in Buffalo.

AFC Championship

Bills 31, Chiefs 27

It's time for Josh Allen to slay the Chiefs dragon.

Super Bowl 59 

Bills 27, Lions 33

What a Super Bowl this would be, pitting a franchise that once lost four of them in a row against a franchise that's never been to one. In the end, this just feels like the Lions' year. They're overwhelming on offense and still have enough healthy playmakers on defense to get a few stops.

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Nolan O'Hara: Super Bowl — Ravens vs. Lions

NFC Wild Card Weekend

Packers 17, Eagles 34

Commanders 24, Buccaneers 31

Vikings 24, Rams 27

The Eagles are just flat-out better than the Packers and come into the wild-card game well-rested after being able to sit their stars in the regular-season finale. The Bucs and Commanders might go down to the wire, but Baker Mayfield's playoff experience pushes Tampa Bay over the edge while Jayden Daniels might have some big-game jitters. There's no shame in losing to the Lions, but the way the Vikings lost Sunday night doesn't instill confidence. And going on the road against the Rams and Matthew Stafford is the worst possible matchup. It feels like a repeat of 2022 and another first-round exit.

NFC Divisional Round

Rams 20, Lions 34

Buccaneers 28, Eagles 31

The Lions are the class of the NFC and they proved that Sunday night. They'll be well-prepared and well-rested after the bye week, and it gives them time to get a little healthier too. It doesn't matter that Stafford will be looking for revenge against his former team in a rematch of last year's wild-card matchup. The Lions are simply too good. Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts and company will just be too much for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay will keep it close in Philly, but the Eagles run game will have its way and they end up making a play or two more in the end to squeak it out in the divisional round.

NFC Championship

Eagles 34, Lions 37

The best two teams in the NFC all season meet in the conference championship and put on a show. Both teams have ample firepower on offense, and those weapons will find the end zone time and time again. It's just hard to see anyone in the NFC stopping Detroit. They win by a field goal to book their ticket to the Super Bowl and delight the Ford Field crowd.

AFC Wild Card Weekend

Broncos 14, Bills 34

Steelers 20, Ravens 31

Chargers 24, Texans 27

The Broncos are a nice team, but they just don't have what it takes to compete with the Bills, particuarly not in Buffalo, against the likely MVP in Josh Allen. It's Lamar Jackson's time to shine in the playoffs and Derrick Henry might just be the missing piece that takes the Ravens over the top. Baltimore crushes Pittsburgh for the second time in four weeks. The Texans and Chargers go down to the wire, but C.J. Stroud strings together a game-winning drive to lift them over the top.

AFC Divisional Round

Texans 17, Chiefs 30

Ravens 31, Bills 28

The Chiefs are on a quest for a Super Bowl three-peat, and the Texans just won't be able to walk into Arrowhead Stadium and upset Patrick Mahomes and company. Jackson and the Ravens, on the other hand, will handle the cold temperatures in Buffalo and make a few more plays than Allen and the Bills in a tight game between MVP candidate quarterbacks.

AFC Championship

Ravens 30, Chiefs 24

The Ravens likely have to be road warriors to get to Super Bowl 59, and they'll have to go against some of the best teams in the NFL to do it. But it's nearly impossible for a team to get to two Super Bowls in a row, much less three, and this feels like the year Jackson breaks through with a big postseason and leads the Ravens to the promised land.

Super Bowl 59 

Ravens 28, Lions 24

The Lions have been the best team in the NFL all season and capping the year with the Lombardi Trophy feels like destiny. But if there's a team with worse luck than the Vikings, it's the Lions, who haven't even made a Super Bowl entering this year's postseason. Jackson and the Ravens play spoiler and end Detroit's magical run in New Orleans.

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Tony Liebert: Super Bowl — Bills vs. Vikings

NFC Wild Card Weekend

Eagles 31, Packers 17

Buccaneers 28, Commanders 27

Rams 21, Vikings 31

The Eagles are playing too well and Green Bay has too many issues right now to go into Philadephia and pick up a playoff win. The Buccaneers remain one of the most interesting under-the-radar teams in the postseason. I think Kevin O'Connell finally gets some revenge against his protege and Minnesota advances to the divisional round.

NFC Divisional Round

Lions 28, Vikings 31

Eagles 40, Buccaneers 20

The Vikings' revenge tour continues as they knock off the Lions when it matters most. The Eagles have too much for Tampa Bay to handle at home, setting up a rematch of the 2018 NFC Championship.

NFC Championship

Eagles 24, Vikings 27

The theme of this year's playoff run will be revenge for the Vikings. They write the wrong of the 2018 NFC Championship and take down the Eagles on the road. Minnesota will be playing in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977.

AFC Wild Card Weekend

Bills 40, Broncos 20

Ravens 42, Steelers 10

Texans 10, Chargers 17

Bo Nix has been a fun story, but Josh Allen and the Bills are playing too well to lose to a rookie quarterback. The Steelers' late-season struggles will continue at Baltimore and Jim Harbaugh picks up a playoff win in his first season with the Chargers.

AFC Divisional Round

Chiefs 24, Chargers 10

Bills 31, Ravens 30

The Chiefs continue their dominant playoff streak at Arrowhead Stadium and have no trouble with the Chargers. Allen and Lamar Jackson produce an instant-classic between two MVP favorites, but Buffalo is able to make a big play late.

AFC Championship

Chiefs 24, Bills 28

Kansas City's offensive struggles finally catch up to them and Buffalo breaks through to the Super Bowl. Allen puts together one of the best playoff runs in recent memory to send the Bills to their first Super Bowl appearence since 1994.

Super Bowl 59 

Bills 31, Vikings 20

The lead-up to a Super Bowl between two of the NFL's most tortured fanbases would be exactly what the country needs. Minnesota's magical run from the wild-card round ends and Allen puts a stamp on an all-time great playoff run, bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo.

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Jonathan Harrison: Super Bowl — Bills vs. Lions

NFC Wild Card Weekend

Eagles 31, Packers 10

Buccaneers 17, Commanders 24

Rams 20, Vikings 28

The Packers are a team that is limping into the playoffs. It will be a quick exit for Green Bay after visiting Philadelphia. While many see the Bucs as a sneaky dark horse, they're going up against a Commanders team playing some outstanding football of late. Let the miracle rookie season continue for Jaden Daniels. The Vikings bounce back in Los Angeles and don't make a complete repeat of things.

NFC Divisional Round

Lions 34, Commanders 20

Eagles 28, Vikings 27

Daniels' miracle rookie season will come to an end in Detroit because the Lions are the class of the conference, despite their myriad of injuries defensively. Minnesota's dream season unfortunately comes to an end in Philadelphia. Unlike 2017, this one will be extremely close with two very evenly matched teams squaring off.

NFC Championship

Lions 35, Eagles 21

The Eagles conquest of the NFC North teams in the playoffs comes to an end in the NFC Championship game. Detroit's high powered offense will steamroll through a top-ranked Philly defense and they'll get enough bounces on the other side of the ball to go to the Super Bowl.

AFC Wild Card Weekend

Texans 14, Chargers 24

Ravens 30, Steelers 17

Bills 35, Broncos 10

The Texans have been shaky this season and their offense is riddled with injuries. That's not a desirable recipe to try and beat the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. The Steelers continue their playoff winless streak and get taken out by MVP-candidate Lamar Jackson. The Bills run through the Bo Nix and the Broncos.

AFC Divisional Round

Chiefs 21, Chargers 20

Bills 31, Ravens 28

The Chiefs squeak by the Chargers to set up ANOTHER trip to the AFC Championship game. Josh Allen wins the battle of the MVP-candidates in a tight contest with the Ravens.

AFC Championship

Chiefs 21, Bills 35

After years of trying, the Bills finally get past their AFC nemesis thanks to some spectacular play by Josh Allen.

Super Bowl 59 

Bills 41, Lions 35

The Bills do just enough behind the arm and legs of Josh Allen to claim their first ever Super Bowl. Detroit's offense continues to go off but the Bills have the ball last and score in walk-off fashion in one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory.