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A dynasty has crumbled, established stars have stumbled, and former also-rans have surged into Super Bowl contention.

Even seasoned analyst Cris Collinsworth has remarked, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."

Fourteen teams will battle in the postseason, and notably, the Kansas City Chiefs are missing for the first time in eleven years.

The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles have not displayed the same dominance as last season, while preseason favorites like the Buffalo Bills have failed to meet lofty expectations.

However, in a rare statistical twist, 11 of the 14 playoff teams secured at least 11 victories during the regular season, a feat achieved only twice in the past 35 years.

A record five teams qualified after suffering 11 or more losses the previous year, with two—New England and Chicago—completing a "worst-to-first" turnaround in their divisions.

"If you ask me to pick a favourite, I don't know, because you can put something on all of them," Collinsworth added.

"Witnessing these emerging quarterbacks compete will be incredible, given their unknown ceilings. These moments are where football legends start their journeys."

The Mechanics of the NFL Postseason

Fourteen teams enter the postseason, split evenly with seven representatives from both the AFC and NFC.

A twelve-game, single-elimination bracket over three weeks keeps AFC and NFC teams apart, culminating in the conference champions facing off in Super Bowl 60.

Home-field benefit goes to the better seed each round, and the number one seeds, Denver and Seattle, automatically advance past the initial Wildcard Weekend.

These top seeds debut in the Divisional Round. The winners of the subsequent Conference Championships—the de facto Super Bowl semifinals—will clash in the title game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

Seattle and Denver could potentially recreate their 2014 Super Bowl meeting, a game Seattle won handily, though Denver triumphed at Levi's Stadium in the 2016 championship.

An Unprecedentedly Open Path to the AFC Title

A staple of recent playoffs, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, is not participating for the first time in his professional journey.

Moreover, the championship game will feature neither Mahomes nor the Bengals' Joe Burrow, a first for the Super Bowl in several years.

Powerhouse franchises like Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Baltimore all missed the playoffs, removing the AFC's customary frontrunners and clearing the stage.

This scenario creates a wide-open AFC Championship race, offering a chance for emerging stars like Denver's Bo Nix and New England's Drake Maye to etch their names in playoff lore.

A mere three clubs have captured the AFC Championship since 2016, and their championship rosters have completely turned over.

Denver, despite its high seed, is a playoff novice in recent years, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the sole other AFC qualifier to have reached a Super Bowl in the past three decades.

Yet, seasoned passers like Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen of Buffalo remain, possessing the know-how to potentially outduel the younger generation.

The Leading Contenders for the Championship and MVP Award

The NFC boasts more recent playoff pedigree, with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or San Francisco appearing in seven of the last eight Super Bowls.

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have essentially been in playoff mode for weeks, battling Seattle in the fiercely competitive NFC West.

Seattle won the NFC West with 14 victories, carrying a seven-game win streak into the playoffs following critical late-season wins over its division foes.

Winning the NFC's number one seed makes Seattle marginal Super Bowl favorites, slightly edging the 12-5 Rams, whose passer Matthew Stafford leads the MVP conversation.

The 37-year-old Stafford, a Super Bowl winner with the Rams in 2022, seeks his first MVP award and is currently favored over New England's promising second-year QB, Drake Maye.

Under the guidance of new coach Mike Vrabel, Maye has flourished, instrumental in New England's stunning reversal from 4-13 a year ago to a 14-3 powerhouse.

In Chicago, quarterback Caleb Williams has also prospered with a new head coach, Ben Johnson, transforming the Bears into an 11-win team and the NFC's second seed.

Schedule for Wildcard Weekend

All times are in GMT

Saturday, 10 January

Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers (21:30)

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (01:00 Sunday)

Sunday, 11 January

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars (18:00)

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles (21:30)

The Chargers visit the New England Patriots (01:00 Monday)

Monday, 12 January

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers (01:00 Tuesday)

Key Storylines for Wildcard Weekend

Wildcard Weekend opens with the Rams at Carolina, a Panthers squad that historically qualified for the postseason despite a sub-.500 8-9 finish as division champions.

The Rams, playing as visitors, are powered by Matthew Stafford's league-leading passing numbers and a record year from wideout Puka Nacua.

Green Bay's momentum was stalled by late-season injuries, but they will have quarterback Jordan Love back for just the third playoff game in the NFL's oldest rivalry.

Winning the NFC North was an achievement for Chicago, but the Bears now aim to prevent a three-game losing streak from ending their playoff run abruptly.

In the NFC's other wildcard game, a banged-up San Francisco squad travels to face Philadelphia, the defending champions who rested players after locking up the NFC East.

Reigning MVP Josh Allen of Buffalo dreams of his first Super Bowl, but the Bills face a difficult road test against a red-hot Jacksonville team on an eight-game win streak.

{New England aims to avoid an upset at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, whose quarterback Justin Herbert seeks his first playoff win in his sixth season.|The Patriots hope to defend their home field against the Chargers, as LA's quarterback Justin Herbert looks for his inaugural postseason victory in year six.|At home, New England tries to stave off the Chargers, with Justin Herbert attempting to secure his first career playoff