We’ve finally reached the end of the regular season. The matchups are finally set, and playoff football is finally coming. In a chaotic season that will go down as one of the most memorable NFL seasons ever, some teams rose up to the occasion, while others simply weren’t ready. Who has what it takes to win a championship? That’s just what our power rankings are for, looking at the Super Bowl title odds for every team entering the postseason. All Super Bowl odds used were made by Football Outsiders. Come see where your favourite team ranks on the Playoff Edition of The Intermission’s NFL Power Rankings.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 21.1%
Was there honestly any doubt who would be No. 1? Despite the Chiefs losing against the Chargers in Week 17, that loss meant nothing. Andy Reid rested many of his key starters (including Patrick Mahomes) in the game since the Chiefs have already clinched the No. 1 seed. While the Chiefs have looked at times unbeatable, Patrick Mahomes has shown he’s still human. The superstar threw for four interceptions in December, doubling the amount he had going into the month. Questions surrounding Clyde-Edwards Helaire status are also important to the Chiefs for their postseason run. The rookie hasn’t played since suffering hip and ankle injuries in Week 15. While he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers this year, he is an important piece to this Chiefs offence that makes them better.
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 17.6%
The Bills are the hottest team entering the postseason right now as they’re currently riding a six-game winning streak, and a large part of that is due to the rise of Josh Allen. Allen has played like an MVP over the six-game stretch, totalling over 1600 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. The offense is averaging 38.2 points per game, and the defense is allowing only 18.1 points per game during the stretch. The Bills also ended their season by crushing arguably one of the best defenses in the league; the Miami Dolphins, in a 56-26 blowout. These are bad men with ill intentions on the field. They fear no one.
3. Green Bay Packers (13-3)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 24.3%
Aaron Rodgers is a baaaaad maaaaan. He ended his brilliant regular season with four touchdown passes, the last throw was to, of course, Davante Adams in a win over the Bears. It was Rodgers’ 48th touchdown pass of the season (marking a career-high and franchise best) and the 18th touchdown for Adams, who is making his case for being the best wideout in the league. While the Packers were 13-3 last season, this team looks so much more dangerous than last year's squad. This team looks poised to return to their first Super Bowl in a decade; anything less than a return to the Super Bowl will be considered failure.
4. New Orleans Saints (12-4)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 18.2%
The Saints ended off their season on a high-note with a 33-7 demolition of the Panthers. Drew Brees looked a lot better throwing for an efficient three touchdowns, Ty Montgomery shined with the absence of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray, and the New Orleans defense totaled five interceptions in the win. The Saints have a rather favourable home matchup against the 8-8 Bears in the Wild Card Round, but these are the same Saints who tasted defeat against the underdog Vikings in last year’s Wild Card game. Sean Payton is sure to remind his team about the disappointment they tasted last year. Don’t blow it Saints, or everyone will laugh at you as we dance on your grave.
5. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 2.5%
The Ravens are entering the postseason hot riding a five-game winning streak, the latest a 38-3 shellacking of the Bengals. Baltimore ran for 404 yards on the day, becoming the fourth team since 1940 to clear 400 rushing yards in a game. Emerging rookie J.K. Dobbins led the way with 160 yards and two scores, while Lamar Jackson added 97 of his own. With this performance, Jackson became the first QB in NFL history to total two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. With a revenge game against the Titans in the Wild Card Round, Baltimore will try to carry their momentum to a win against a subpar Tennessee defense.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 6.8%
Tom Brady is just something else. The 43-year old added another chapter to his G.O.A.T. legacy by tossing for 40 touchdowns on the season. That is crazy. The Bucs deserve some credit for taking a risk and spending big money for a quarterback who many believed was on the downslope of his Hall of Fame career in New England. Brady also got Antonio Brown involved in the offence, with the veteran wideout looking like his former self in a 11/138/2 performance against the Falcons on Sunday. With the playoff status of Mike Evans unclear, Brown may become a vital piece of this Bucs’ offence.
7. Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 4.1%
Who would’ve thought that the questions surrounding the Seahawks entering the playoffs would be about their offence, not their defence. That’s not something anyone expected at the season’s midpoint. Russell Wilson and DK Metcalf were tearing up defenses, while their own defense was surrendering yards and points at a historic rate. However, that’s all in the past now. The defence has slowly started to rise to become a respectable unit in the league, allowing less than 20 points per game ever since the midpoint of the season. The offense on the other hand has regressed heavily from where it once was. Seattle had only totalled 108 yards midway through the third quarter on Sunday against the Niners. How will this team be able to fare against the Rams without star safety Jamal Adams, whose status is in doubt after suffering a shoulder injury against the Niners.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 2.4%
We saw it from Mason Rudolph through Week 17’s narrow loss to the Browns, and we saw it in the second half of Week 16’s comeback win against the Colts; The Steelers have started to throw deep again, with some positive results. It’s something in their game they’ve been missing for most of the season, which eventually led to defenses clamping down on the underneath throws that had been Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to through Pittsburgh’s 11-0 start. If Big Ben can challenge defenses deep the way Rudolph did on Sunday, the Steelers should be in good position to pile up points against Cleveland’s lacklustre defense. The big question is can Big Ben actually do that?
9. Tennessee Titans (11-5)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 0.8%
The Titans enter the postseason with a 2,000-yard rusher in Derrick Henry, a 40-touchdown quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, and two near or at 1,000-yard receivers in A.J. Brown and Corey Davis. And yet, even with this insane amount of firepower, not many tout Tennessee as a serious Super Bowl candidate. That’s mostly due to their subpar defense. Their incredible offense covered up their lacklustre defense for most of the year, but in games where the offense couldn’t truly dominate, the Titans flaws were truly showcased. It showed when the defense allowed 40 points against the Packers, and even 38 points against a Texans offense that boasts only Deshaun Watson and no one else. The defense has allowed at least 30 points in half of its games this season. If the Titans hope to beat the Ravens in January, they’ll most likely have to win a shootout to pull it off.
10. Cleveland Browns (11-5)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 0.4%
The Browns are finally back in the postseason for the first time since 2002. This is a major accomplishment for a team that finished 0-16 just three years ago. Cleveland punched their ticket to the promised land with a 24-22 win over a Steelers team that was playing backups in several key positions. The two rivals meet against on Sunday night, and the Browns will have to be much sharper if they hope to triumph over their oppressors. It won’t be easy though; it was reported on Tuesday morning that head coach Kevin Stefanski and Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio have tested positive for COVID-19. C’mon Football Gods, leave the Browns alone. They’ve already suffered enough.
11. Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 0.8%
Jonathan Taylor ended his debut regular season as the game-changer the Colts believed they were getting in the 2020 Draft. He ended his monster close to the season with a 253-yard explosion against the Jaguars. His performance was the second-best day by a rookie rusher since the 1970 merger. Taylor has averaged 123.5 yards per game since Week 11, and his 741-yard total on the ground trails only Derrick Henry, the man who ran for 2,000 yards this season. That’s pretty good for a guy who was the second-round pick out of Wisconsin. He’s helped add another depth of attack for a team that was feeling too one-dimensional on offense.
12. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 0.3%
The Rams have found their way into the playoffs. Despite Jared Goff missing the season finale against the Cardinals and John Wolford getting the call to start, the defense stepped up, delivering a great performance in a 18-7 win over the Cardinals. This doesn’t hide the fact that the offense still looked subpar with John Wolford starting. With Goff possibly not being able to start against Seattle on Wild Card Weekend after missing Week 17 following thumb surgery, Wolford may get the call again against a Seattle defense that has improved a lot over the past couple of months. While Goff has been terrible at times this season, it’s absurd to say this team contends better with Wolford at the helm.
13. Washington Football Team (7-9)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 0.4%
Washington was gifted the NFC East title on a silver platter on Sunday night. Eagles coach Doug Pederson must have forgotten to get Ron Rivera a gift for Christmas, so he redeemed himself by pulling Jalen Hurts in a crucial part of the game and essentially giving Washington the win. The competition won’t be as generous on Saturday night though. Washington will be facing a red-hot Bucs team. Rivera knows his squad won’t stand a chance in a shootout, so it will be down to Washington’s front seven and whether they can make life hell for Tom Brady. We’ve seen pressure rattle up these Bucs before; don’t be surprised if this team can pull off the upset.
14. Chicago Bears (8-8)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 0.2%
Down 21-16 early in the fourth quarter, the Bears looked like they could actually beat their long-time oppressors; the Green Bay Packers. The Bears managed to drive deep into Packers territory, but Mitchell Trubisky’s fourth-and-1 pass to Allen Robinson fell incomplete. Two Packers touchdowns later, and the Bears are on the wrong side of a blowout. The Bears still managed to clinch a playoff spot thanks to the Cardinals losing, but it’s hard to have much faith in a squad that has somewhat resurrected its season in December by defeating some of the worst defenses in football. Their momentum was halted once the competition improved, and now the Bears await the Saints on the road on Sunday. Good luck.
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