NFL Playoff Power Rankings: Ranking All 8 Divisional Teams

  |  
Jan 17, 2023
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) reacts after winning a wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild Card weekend has come and passed, and while the Minnesota Vikings have been eliminated, postseason play rumbles on to the Divisional round. Prior to the weekend, here is another list of NFL playoff power rankings going over each of the final eight teams.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
  • Last Week: Bye
  • Trending: —
  • This Week: 1/21 vs. JAX

The Chiefs have to look at what went on in the AFC and be extremely happy. The Jaguars fell down 27-0 before completing an incredible comeback, but that likely wouldn’t be possible against a Patrick Mahomes offense. Additionally, both the Bengals and Bills let inferior teams hang around with them despite reserve QBs being in the game. If there’s a favorite to come out of that conference, it has to be Kansas City.

2. San Francisco 49ers

  • Last Week: 41-23 win vs. SEA
  • Trending: +1
  • This Week: 1/22 vs. DAL

The San Francisco 49ers only weakness right now appears to be the quarterback position, but with so much star power across the rest of their roster, it mattered very little that Brock Purdy wasn’t exactly spectacular on Sunday. As long as the rookie is able to just go through the motions, the 49ers will be very tough to beat the rest of the way.

3. Buffalo Bills

  • Last Week: 34-31 win vs. MIA
  • Trending: -1
  • This Week: 1/22 vs. CIN

If the Bills weren’t playing against Skylar Thompson at QB on Sunday, there’s a very real possibility that they could have been upset by the No. 7 seeded Miami Dolphins. Josh Allen continues to make reckless turnovers, and if he does that this weekend against Joe Burrow’s Bengals team, the results probably won’t be as kind.

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Questions Answered: Jalen Hurts' Injury
Aug 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts . Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
  • Last Week: Bye
  • Trending: —
  • This Week: 1/21 vs. NYG

Philadelphia got to use their bye week to get healthy on both sides of the ball, and now they look to get their playoff run started against a surprising opponent: the division rival New York Giants.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

  • Last Week: 24-17 win vs. BAL
  • Trending: —
  • This Week: 1/22 @ BUF

The defense of the Baltimore Ravens gave the Bengals a bit more trouble than anticipated, and it certainly took a few bounces towards Cincinnati for them to pull off this win. That being said, Joe Burrow looked very sharp despite getting virtually no help from the running game. The Bengals once again find themselves in an underdog situation, and that’s probably right where they want to be.

6. Dallas Cowboys

  • Last Week: 31-14 win @ TB
  • Trending: +2
  • This Week: 11/22 @ SF

Luckily for Dallas, the four missed XP attempts from kicker Brett Maher didn’t come back to bite them. On a serious note, though, Dak Prescott played an outstanding game on Monday night against the Buccaneers. Now, we’ll see how they can handle the best defense in the NFL in San Francisco.

7. New York Giants

  • Last Week: 31-24 win @ MIN
  • Trending: +2
  • This Week: 1/21 @ PHI

Well, it turns out that the popular upset pick of the weekend was proven to be correct. The New York Giants went into Minnesota and completely dominated their defense. Granted, their own defense may run into some troubles against the Eagles this weekend, but it’s hard to look past the G-Men after the performance they had last Sunday.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL Playoff Power Rankings: Divisional Round
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is introduced before an NFL first round playoff football matchup Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Los Angeles Chargers on a field goal 31-30. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 011423 Chargers Jags Cp 79
  • Last Week: 31-30 win vs. LAC
  • Trending: +3
  • This Week: 1/21 @ KC

The Chargers had to Charger in the most Chargerish way for the Jaguars to survive into another weekend of the playoffs. That being said, Trevor Lawrence showed a ton of resiliency to bounce back from a horrendous first half and play as well as he did in the second half. However, it’s hard to believe that they will match up well against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend on the road.

Vikings Mock Draft Monday: Minnesota Takes a QB on Day 3
Also Read:
Vikings Mock Draft Monday: Minnesota Takes a QB on Day 3

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

Share: