Seven of the 14 teams in the postseason that is about to start did not play last year. Thus, next weekend there will be a combination of traditional powers and teams that gave the surprise.
Tom Brady begins his quest for his eighth Super Bowl title next weekend. Their Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Dallas Cowboys next Monday night.
Trevor Lawrence, who in his second year has shined with Jacksonville, will debut in the playoffs, as will five other quarterbacks, including veteran Geno Smith of Seattle.
The schedule is set. In the American Conference, the Los Angeles Chargers will visit Jacksonville; Miami to Buffalo and Baltimore to Cincinnati. In the National Seattle will play in San Francisco, the New York Giants in Minnesota and Dallas in Tampa Bay.
The Seahawks were the last team to qualify, thanks to Detroit’s 20-16 win at Green Bay on Sunday night. The Lions were already out since last Sunday when Seattle beat the Rams, but they overcame that disappointment and deprived the division rival Packers of a postseason berth.
By the way, they could have said a sour goodbye to Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback who has flirted with the idea of retirement.
The Lions’ win capped a Week 18 in which the Dolphins clinched their return to the playoffs, where they haven’t appeared since 2016. The surprising Jaguars also return to the postseason, where they haven’t been installed since 2017.
Among the teams eliminated were the New England Patriots and their coach Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner. They were eliminated after a loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The first-seeded spot in the AFC went to Kansas City after beating Las Vegas 31-13 on Saturday. The top spot in the NL went to Philadelphia, which beat the Giants 22-16 on Sunday.
CALENDAR
Saturday
Seattle at San Francisco 49ers, 5:30 p.m.
Los Angeles (Chargers) at Jacksonville, 9:15 p.m.
SUNDAY
Miami at Buffalo, 2 p.m.
New York (Giants) at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m.
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 9:15 p.m.
MONDAY
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 9:15 p.m.