The NFL playoffs are finally here and there are some great matchups for the Wild Card round.
Two rookie quarterbacks are going head-to-head in Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III, while in Green Bay the Minnesota Vikings will face the Packers for the second time in two weeks. Houston and Cincinnati will square off for the second year in a row, while Andrew Luck and the Colts will travel to take on the Baltimore Ravens.
Here is a look at each team and where they rank among the franchises that made the playoffs this year.
Denver Broncos (13 -3)
The addition of Peyton Manning has transformed the Broncos into a legitimate Super Bowl favorite and the top team in the AFC. Denver has the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, but the reason they are at the top of the power rankings is due to the consistency on both sides of the ball. With Manning and receivers Eric Decker and Demariyus Thomas, the Broncos can hang with anyone on offense, while on the defensive side they have linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Champ Bailey.
Denver enters the playoffs on a hot streak, winning 11 straight games since falling in New England 31-21 on Oct. 7. Manning has been brilliant all season, throwing for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. The Broncos ranked third in the NFL in both rush and pass defense and ranked fifth in the league in passing yards.
The Broncos went 7-1 at Mile High Stadium this season and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs after earning the top seed for the first time since 1998. Denver is the top team because they are consistent, they have a Hall of Fame quarterback and because no matter what, the playoffs run through Denver.
New England Patriots (12-4)
The only team that could give Denver a run for its money in the top spot is the Patriots. The team defeated the Broncos at home already this season and is entering the playoffs after winning nine of their final 10 games of the year. Quarterback Tom Brady has been playing fantastic this season and the New England offense has been the best in the NFL. The Patriots lead the league in scoring with 34 points per game and are ranked fourth in passing yards with nearly 300 per game.
The biggest difference for the Patriots this season has been the running game, which has been absent in recent years. The team is getting solid production from the combination of Danny Woodhead and Stevan Ridley and is ranked seventh in the league with 136 yards per game. Brady is usually solid gold in the playoffs and the team earned a first-round bye after winning in the final week while the Houston Texans lost. The Patriots will still be burning about last year's Super Bowl loss and will likely meet the Broncos in the AFC championship.
New England will be facing a rematch no matter who wins on Wild Card Sunday, as the Patriots played the Colts, Ravens and Texans earlier this season, winning two out of three of those games, losing only at Baltimore in Week 3.
Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
Yes, the Falcons have a better record and won their division, but no one has been as dominant over the second half of the season as Seattle has. The Seahawks won eight of their last nine games of the season, including a 42-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Week 16. Russell Wilson has been dynamic as a rookie, passing for a record-tying 26 touchdowns while also adding 489 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The defense has been stellar all season and is ranked sixth in passing yards, allowing just 203 per game. Seattle is ranked first in the NFL in defensive scoring, allowing just 15 points per game, and enters the playoffs after allowing just 43 points over their final three games. The team looked especially dominant in a 58-0 win over the Cardinals in Week 14 and will have a beast of a running back in Marshawn Lynch, who finished second in the league in rushing to Adrian Peterson with 1,590 yards and 11 touchdowns. Seattle went 8-0 at home this season so playing on the road on the east coast will be a disadvantage, but Wilson and the team has found ways to get it done all year and could easily win the game on Sunday. The team has won two in a row on the road since starting the year 1-5 and will have their hands full with Robert Griffin and Alfred Morris.
Atlanta Falcons (13-3)
The No. 1 seed in the NFC is still a strong team, but the Falcons will have to prove they can in in the playoffs after getting smacked around by the Giants last year in the Wild Card round, losing 26-2 at MetLife Stadium. The Falcons exercised some of those demons by beating New York 34-0 in Week 15, but the true test will come next week when they host their playoff game against Minnesota, Seattle, or Washington, each of whom finished the season on hot streaks.
Matt Ryan has been excellent all season, but the team has gone just 2-2 since opening the year at 11-1. The Falcons haven't had a rushing game all season and rank just 29th in the NFL with 87 yards per game. Defenses will have a tough time shutting down Julio Jones and Roddy White, but if they force the Falcons to run the ball, an upset could be in the works. The Seahawks have two fantastic corners in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner and will not be intimidated by a high-scoring offense.
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
It's tempting to slide the San Francisco 49ers here, but the Packers are starting to show the same type of play on the field they had when they won the Super Bowl two years ago. Aaron Rodgers hasn't been as prolific as he was last season, but he will finally have all his receivers healthy in Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. On top of that, the injuries have forced James Jones to step up, giving the Packers four solid weapons on the outside.
The Packers haven't had any type of rushing game this season, but that's been the case for a few years now and the team has been able to overcome it. The defense has been banged up, but the unit is likely to get back Charles Woodson, who should be able to solidify the secondary. The Packers lost to the Vikings last Sunday 37-34, but the game was more important for Minnesota, who was trying to clinch a playoff berth.
Green Bay has already defeated the Vikings this year and enters the playoffs having won four of the final five games of the season, including a 23-14 victory over Minnesota at home in Week 13. Adrian Peterson is likely to put up solid numbers once again for the Vikings, but the Packers defense should be able to hold back quarterback Christian Ponder enough to win.
The Best of the Rest:
San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1)
Stout defense has looked suspect in recent weeks. Also it's never good to bring in a new kicker for the playoffs (team signed Billy Cundiff to compete with David Akers, who has struggled lately).
Houston Texans (12-4)
This team once was in the No. 1 spot but has slumped in the second half of the year. Matt Schaub will be healthy for the playoffs, something they did not have last season.
Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Biggest surprise team in the NFL could shock everyone with a win on Sunday. Andrew Luck is playing like a veteran.
Washington Redskins (10-6)
Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris give this team a chance in every game. The defense has been solid lately as well.
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
The AFC North champs have looked pedestrian at times this year and have lost four of the last five playoff games. The Colts come to town and will not go down easily.
Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
Adrian Peterson has the ability to change a game all on his own.
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)
The defense has been great and are allowing just 12 points over its final eight games. The team has gone 7-1 during the second half of the season and could surprise the Texans.
