Four more wins and a parade is what all of the teams playing in the NFL's wild-card round are targeting as the end to their seasons.
But the fantasy has remained just that for all but a select few of those who have competed in the opening weekend of the playoffs. Not since the Baltimore Ravens' title run in the 2012 season has a team without a first-round bye advanced to the Super Bowl.
Yet recent history isn't likely to deter any of the eight teams competing on Saturday and Sunday.
With that in mind, we asked our NFL staff: Which team playing during wild-card weekend (division winners included) has the best chance of making a run all the way to a Super Bowl title?
Nancy Armour
Ravens. I love the versatility Lamar Jackson gives Baltimore’s offense. While his passing numbers aren’t great, he was impressive in the biggest games (the win over the Chargers and the loss in Kansas City). Besides, the Ravens defense is likely to keep games close enough that Jackson won’t have to throw it a ton.
Jarrett Bell
The Ravens, in a close shave over … the Chargers. It’s weird to think that the first-round matchup at the Big ATM could be the “de facto AFC title game,” but I’m sensing that whoever survives on Sunday will have a better-than-usual chance to run the AFC table and make it to Atlanta for LIII. I mean, L.A. won in Kansas City and Baltimore should have won in K.C. So going to Arrowhead (or The Razor in Foxborough, for that matter) won’t faze either of these rugged, battle-tested teams. I’ve picked Baltimore — playing at home and on a tear (6-1) with Lamar Jackson at quarterback to ignite the unconventional, run-based offense — to hand it to the Chargers again. But it would hardly be a shock if it went the other way, given L.A.’s 7-1 road record, which tied New Orleans as best mark in the league. Then there’s the other reason why I’m bullish on Baltimore (and by extension, L.A.): Balance. The Ravens are the only team in the entire playoff field with an offense and defense both ranked in the top 10 in the NFL. And the Chargers nearly had a similar distinction, ranked 11th with Philip Rivers slinging it on offense and 9th on defense.
Nate Davis
I’ll have my eyes firmly fixed to Sunday’s Chargers-Ravens rematch. I picked the Bolts to win the AFC back in July and still believe they have the talent to go all the way. But they’ve unluckily drawn Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s newly unorthodox offensive attack again – one Los Angeles struggled to stop in Week 16 and while Philip Rivers and the offense barely put a dent into the league’s No. 1 defense. Hard to see the Chargers doing better while also trying to adjust to a 1:05 p.m. kickoff on the East Coast. That said, I’m not sure anyone in the AFC is ready to cope with the Ravens. The best way to stem this physical, clock-grinding attack is to put them in a hole that forces Jackson to pass – but good luck trying to torch that D. Only the Chiefs seem uniquely equipped to bolt out to a quick lead, yet they barely survived Jackson and Co. in the rookie’s fourth start, and that comeback required some ridiculous throws from Patrick Mahomes. So, yeah, I’ll ride with the Ravens.
Jori Epstein
Chicago. Once the Bears pass rush finds the chinks hiding in Eagles quarterback Nick Foles’ armor (or at least that of his supporting cast), Rams quarterback Jared Goff won’t improve enough from the four-interception game he played vs. Chicago a month ago. Add in a creative Matt Nagy gameplan vs. a suspect Rams defense? Chicago has the balance to continue its improbable run.
Mike Jones
I want to say the Eagles, but although they’re experienced and confident, they aren’t as dangerous as some of the teams they’ll face. So I’m going to go with the Chargers. They’ve flown under the radar all season long, and I know they lost to Baltimore in Week 16, but they’re still very well-rounded and might be more stable than any other AFC team. Every other team has some questions or deficiencies about them, but Philip Rivers and Co. just might have it in them to make march to Atlanta.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
That the 12-4 Chargers are even playing in the wild-card round feels like an indictment of the NFL playoff system itself. But after losing out on a tiebreaker for the AFC West and top seed to the Chiefs, the Bolts finds themselves saddled with an opening-weekend showdown against a Ravens team that bested them just two weeks ago in Los Angeles. Yet Anthony Lynn's crew has gone 7-1 on the road this season, proving that it can beat the league's elite (including Kansas City) under even the most imposing circumstances. With an array of targets that can confound opposing secondaries and some of the league's most gifted defenders in Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Derwin James, the Chargers are an elite team merely despite the lower number next to their name.
Lorenzo Reyes
I’m going to go with Baltimore for two reasons. They can run the ball and control the clock, and they have an aggressive defense with a solid pass rush. I’d feel more comfortable with this pick if they had forced more than 17 turnovers all season long, but I think the Ravens present tough matchup problems. Another thing that worries me is the youth and inexperience – especially at quarterback – but Jackson excelled on big stages while in college, so if he can limit turnovers and mental mistakes, I could see the Ravens making a run. They’ve already won six of their last seven, anyway.
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