The NFL regular season is officially over and now the playoffs are officially here. The playoffs will kick off on January 9th.
This weekend, the playoff format will be a little different than usual.
In the past, 12 teams have advanced to the NFL postseason, but for the first time in league history, there will be 14 teams making the field to contend for the Super Bowl.
This move allows two more teams to be in the playoff bracket.
Adding an extra playoff spot for both conferences presents more hope for teams to make the playoffs. It also makes the playoffs more interesting because now only one conference team has a first-round bye.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers will have home field advantage throughout their respected conferences.
In the AFC, The Chiefs finished the season (14-2). In the NFC, Green Bay finished the season (13-3).
The Chiefs and Packers both have the two of the top MVP candidates of the NFL as well.
Although the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, and the Packers have Aaron Rodgers, that does not necessarily mean that they are going to the Super Bowl.
Since the wild card format began in 1970, there have been 10 wild card teams to make it to the Super Bowl. Six of those 10 teams have won the title.
The last wildcard to win the Super Bowl was the 2011 Green Bay Packers.
Will we see a 7th wild card team win the Championship this postseason, or will one of the top seeds win the Championship?
The AFC wild card games will Buffalo hosting Indianapolis, Cleveland traveling to Pittsburgh, and Baltimore battling Tennessee.
The NFC wild card games will feature Chicago at New Orleans, Los Angeles Rams traveling to Seattle, and Tampa Bay hosting Washington.
Any one of these teams have a chance of holding the Vince Lombardi when it is all said and done.
History has shown most teams that go on to win the Super Bowl find a rhythm that brings everything together at the right time.
Legends are born in the playoffs, and history will be made this weekend.
Billie Jean King once said, “Champions keep playing until they get it right,”
One thing you can not practice nor prepare for is the heart of a champion.
One of the key facets of a champion is the ability to overcome setbacks and effectively navigate obstacles.
That is what separates the boys from the men. This postseason is where true greatness is discovered in the NFL.
