The NFL playoffs are almost here, and we decided to project how we think they will play out. There is no doubt that this year’s playoffs are quite difficult to predict. Everything from the Ravens running away with the AFC, to a heated battle between the Seahawks, Saints, 49ers, and Packers for the number one spot in the NFC, goes to show how electric this year’s postseason is going to be. Will Lamar Jackson dethrone Tom Brady and the almighty New England Patriots? Will Russell Wilson get his second Super Bowl ring, cementing himself into NFL history? Now, we try to answer these difficult questions. To decide the seeding, we used the standings prior to Week 16 from ESPN’s playoff machine.

Ansh Suchdeve’s Predictions:

AFC Wild Card Round:

Steelers (6) at Chiefs (3):

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive attack will be too much for rookie signal-caller Devlin Hodges to keep up with, especially without having exceptional weapons when compared to Kansas City.

The Pick: Chiefs 28, Steelers 10

Bills (5) at Texans (4):

Offensive powerhouse Houston versus emerging Josh Allen, who has a remarkable defense in his back pocket, with the likes of star cornerback Tre’Davious White and rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Defenses typically prevail in the postseason, which favors Buffalo in this case.

The Pick: Bills 20, Texans 17

NFC Wild Card Round:

Vikings (6) at Saints (3):

Saints quarterback Drew Brees appears to be unstoppable at home, recording nine touchdowns compared to zero interceptions in his last two home starts (against Indianapolis and San Francisco), so I’m leaning towards New Orleans in a game where offenses will likely be showcased. Oh, and the Saints will certainly look for revenge from the Minneapolis Miracle.

The Pick: Saints 34, Vikings 24.

49ers (5) at Cowboys (4):

The Cowboys barely managed to win their respective division, and are leaning on Dak Prescott to pick apart San Francisco’s top defense. While Prescott has shown improvement between the last two seasons, it won’t be enough to take down offensive mastermind, Kyle Shanahan.

The Pick: 49ers 24, Cowboys 16.

AFC Divisional Round:

Bills (5) at Ravens (1):

Potential MVP Lamar Jackson has already defeated Buffalo once, despite not having outstanding statistics. Buffalo’s defense may appear to be one of the best across football, but it won’t be enough to stop the run-heavy offense in Baltimore.

The Pick: Ravens 27, Bills 13.

Chiefs (3) at Patriots (2):

Tom Brady may be aging fairly quickly, as his downfield vision has regressed, but if there’s one team to avoid doubting beating a high-powered offense in the Chiefs with a top defense, it’s New England (or Baltimore, in some cases). Patrick Mahomes will certainly make it an entertaining contest, but it won’t be enough to win at Gillette this January.

The Pick: Patriots 23, Chiefs 21.

NFC Divisional Round:

49ers (5) at Seahawks (1)

Two divisional rivals facing off for the third time this season, as both teams approach this match-up with a chance to play in the NFC Championship will presumably be the story of the game. Although, Seattle’s home-field advantage should play a factor, so I’m taking them to defeat the 49ers in the postseason once again.

The Pick: Seahawks 31, 49ers 27.

Saints (3) at Packers (2):

On the other side of the NFC playoff bracket, two veteran quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees will undoubtedly showcase their offenses, but Sean Payton’s experience over Matt LaFleur gives New Orleans the edge.

The Pick: Saints 39, Packers 33.

AFC Championship:

Patriots (2) at Ravens (1)

The Ravens offense will once again prove to be too much for any team in the AFC, as their running attack featuring the aforementioned Lamar Jackson and halfback Mark Ingram hasn’t been stopped by a top team.

The Pick: Ravens 33, Patriots 23.

NFC Championship:

Saints (3) at Seahawks (1)

Both teams have met in the postseason before, in the same venue, but this time it’ll be the Saints who prevail as Sean Payton looks to get revenge from the blown pass-interference call in the previous NFC Championship.

The Pick: Saints 34, Seahawks 30.

Super Bowl LIV:

Saints (3) vs Ravens (1)

The Saints finally reach the Super Bowl after several heart-wrenching losses in the postseason, while Lamar Jackson looks to be the youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Both teams will showcase their high-scoring offenses on the national stage, but ultimately, the Ravens defense will seal the game by forcing a late turnover to hoist their third Lombardi Trophy in their franchises’ history.

The Pick: Ravens 31, Saints 28.

Connor Easterday’s Predictions:

AFC Wild Card Round:

Steelers (6) at Chiefs (3):

Patrick Mahomes versus Devlin “Duck” Hodges. Has there ever been more disparity between between two Quarterbacks in a playoff game? My guess…probably not.

The Pick: Chiefs 24, Steelers 13

Bills (5) at Texans (4):

Buffalo, a defensive juggernaut paired with a patient, yet often lacking, offense. Houston, an offensive machine with gaping holes all around their defense. This is a true test of what matters more in the playoffs. Offense or defense? I’m going with the former, as the image of Bill O’Brien’s face melting away, as he faces his fourth playoff loss in five years keeps popping into my brain.

The Pick: Bills 23, Texans 20

NFC Wild Card Round:

Vikings (6) at Saints (3):

Drew Brees’ career has aged like a fine wine that’s been kept concealed in a container made of golden crystals. A year ago, he topped the all time Passing Yards list. This season, Brees has managed to become the all time Passing Touchdowns leader as well. When will he stop? The veteran’s going to be turning 41 years old, this coming January, and he’ll be preparing to play in the 15th playoff game of his prolonged career. Kirk Cousins, on the other hand, will only be making his second postseason appearance. That matters. And in unison with Sean Payton’s ability to absolutely eradicate all game plans in sight, I’m going to favor the Saints here.

The Pick: Saints 27, Vikings 17

49ers (5) at Cowboys (4):

I find myself perturbed that this high stakes post-season football game between two teams with a broadened gap between is being played in the home stadium of the far inferior. It puts into question the seeding and tiebreakers that us NFL fans have all come to expect. Despite the home-field disadvantage, San Francisco could sleep walk through this game and still win by a touchdown.

The Pick: 49ers 37, Cowboys 20

AFC Divisional Round:

Bills (5) at Ravens (1):

When these two teams faced earlier in the season, it was a close defensive struggle. However, Baltimore seemed to have a grip on things for most of the game, while Buffalo had their lulls. With Lamar Jackson having an almost unanimous MVP season, and what we saw in Week 14, it’d be hard to pick against the purple and black.

The Pick: Ravens 23, Bills 17.

Chiefs (3) at Patriots (2):

I have a feeling this time around, the Chiefs and the Patriots won’t combine for 68 points, as they did in the AFC Championship a year ago. Tom Brady has had major struggles, along with the rest of the Patriots offense. The key to winning in this one is defense. They must suffocate Mahomes, and force Andy Reid to utilize the run. If that happens, New England will come away with the win in a close one.

The Pick: Patriots 24, Chiefs 23.

NFC Divisional Round:

49ers (5) at Seahawks (1)

This will be a blood-boiling battle between two teams with merciless hatred for the other. It’s going to be great. Seattle won the first regular-season match between these two teams. However, I’m not buying it. They got some cheap calls, and were bailed out a couple times by the 49ers defense. Seattle’s defense has looked abysmal recently, and Rashaad Penny, the Swiss Army knife of their offense, is out for the season. Everything points Niners in this one.

The Pick: 49ers 31, Seahawks 23.

Saints (3) at Packers (2)

Drew Brees versus Aaron Rodgers. Need I say more? Well, probably…it’s a little more complicated than that. The Saints are a bruising team on both ends, that rely on Sean Payton’s always consistent scheme to get them the win. The Packers are a finesse team that rely on talent and speed. Here, I’m going with consistency.

The Pick: Saints 28, Packers 26.

AFC Championship:

Patriots (2) at Ravens (1)

Is it time? Will Tom Brady hand the crown over to Lamar Jackson? I’m not quite sure about that. But what I do know is that Baltimore serves as a match-up nightmare for New England. Tom Brady’s kryptonite is a zone defenses that blitz a lot, and have a sturdy front four. That describes the Ravens pretty well.

The Pick: Ravens 24, Patriots 20.

NFC Championship:

49ers (5) at Saints (3)

Kyle Shanahan is the young, rising offensive mastermind, making a statement. Sean Payton is the old, wise coach who has done what Shanahan’s been doing for decades. I’m playing the hot hand. The 49ers have been nearly unstoppable over the course of the past five-or-so weeks. I expect this defense to shut down Brees, and the Niners get the victory.

The Pick: 49ers 34, Saints 31.

Super Bowl LIV:

49ers (5) vs Ravens (1)

We saw the 49ers and Ravens face off in a Super Bowl seven years ago. In that game, there was the 49ers, a fun offensive firework show led by a young, run first quarterback. Then there was the Ravens, a well coached defensive powerhouse. This time around, the teams switch roles. The Ravens are the electric offense, led by a mobile QB, while the 49ers rely on a brutal defense coached up by Kyle Shanahan. The Ravens Offensive Coordinator is even the same as the 49ers’ back in 2013. That was a close, last minute victory by the Baltimore Ravens…something I expect to see once again this time around.

The Pick: Ravens 34, 49ers 30