Any of the eight remaining teams could win the Super Bowl, but only if these weaknesses don’t show up over the rest of the postseason.
We’re down to the NFL’s version of the Elite Eight, with four teams per conference left in the 2025 playoffs. While a couple of the teams eliminated in the Wild Card Round were probably just happy to be in the postseason, the remaining squads all have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, and history has proved each of the eight can win. The only postseason seed that has never won a Super Bowl is the No. 7 seed, and this year’s 7-seeds—the Broncos and Packers—have gone home.
Now that we know history has shown the remaining eight can each hoist the Lombardi come mid-February, there is also a reason why each could fail to advance beyond this weekend. We know about the strengths of each of these squads, but here are the biggest flaws that could prevent the Elite Eight from advancing to the NFL’s version of the Final Four in the Conference Championship Games.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are the 37th team to win 14-plus games in a regular season, but their plus-59 point differential is the worst among those 37. Constantly pulling through in close games is no doubt a skill, but it also takes a bit of luck, and Kansas City is playing with fire with all of these games being decided at the end. Also, KC is more reliant on Patrick Mahomes this year than ever before due to an unproductive run game. The Chiefs rank 29th with 4.0 yards per rush, with both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt averaging under 3.8 yards per carry. If wintery weather conditions in Kansas City affect the passing game, then the Chiefs may simply not have enough firepower with the ground game to bail them out and prevail in another close game.Houston Texans
As the lowest remaining seed in the AFC, every playoff game from here on out for the Texans will be outside of Houston. That could be a problem as the franchise is winless (0-5) away from home in the postseason, making it the only team to never win a road or neutral-site playoff game. If it wins its first in Kansas City on Saturday, then the C.J. Stroud from 2023 will have to show up. Stroud electrified the league in his rookie year with a 28:5 touchdown pass to interception ratio, including the playoffs, but this year he’s thrown seven fewer touchdowns but eight more interceptions. Stroud has also taken the second-most sacks (52) of any quarterback this year, so the Texans’ passing offense is a big concern.Buffalo Bills
The Bills infamously lost four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s, and if this year’s team falls to Baltimore, then the franchise can add losing in four straight Divisional Rounds to its history. That’s never happened before by any team, and Buffalo’s defense will need to step up to prevent it from occurring. Buffalo has the fewest giveaways and the No. 2 scoring offense, but the defense ranks in the bottom 10 in the key area of third-down defense, and it allows the fifth-highest passing completion percentage in the NFL. Those flaws reared their heads against elite competition, as while the Bills allowed just 16.9 points in their 12 games versus non-playoff teams, they allowed 33 points per game in five games versus playoff teams.Baltimore Ravens
It’s often the little things that decide games, and Baltimore is lagging in two areas that are on the margins. One is that the Ravens can’t stop from shooting themselves in the foot as they commit the fourth-most penalties per game, resulting in the second-most penalty yardage per game. Additionally, what used to be the most reliable part of the Ravens is now a huge question mark, and that’s the kicking game. The Ravens rank fourth-worst in field goal conversion percentage as Justin Tucker has seemingly lost his fastball. Tucker has made a career-worst 73.3 percent of his attempts, and he’s just 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) on kicks of at least 40 yards.Detroit Lions
Detroit is still feeling the effect of losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the season as it has struggled to get to the opposing quarterback since then. The Lions’ 37 sacks are the fewest among the 14 playoff teams, and Detroit attempts to compensate by blitzing. But that leaves holes in the secondary, and passers are taking advantage. Detroit allows the fourth-most passing yards per game, and overall, the Lions give up the sixth-most yards per play. They have a big-play offense, but the defense is just as susceptible to large chunks, and it doesn’t help that Hutchinson is one of five Week 1 defensive starters on injured reserve.Washington Commanders
Only two rookie quarterbacks in NFL history have won multiple road playoff games, so history is against Jayden Daniels from joining that group. On the field, Washington has been gashed by the run as it ranks among the bottom five of the league in both rushing yards per game allowed and yards per carry allowed. Not being able to stop the run is often demoralizing, and it would also keep the electric Daniels off the field.Philadelphia Eagles
Line play on both sides of the ball is an issue in Philly, as it struggles to protect its own quarterback and to take down the opposing signal caller. Jalen Hurts has been sacked at the fifth-highest rate in the league, with the foursome ahead of him consisting of rookie Caleb Williams, plus the uninspiring trio of Deshaun Watson, Will Levis and Jacoby Brissett. On defense, the Eagles have yet to replace defensive end Brandon Graham, who was lost for the year in November. Philadelphia averaged three sacks per game through Week 13, but it has produced just 1.2 over its last six contests.Los Angeles Rams
With snow in the forecast for Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, it’s pertinent to note that Matthew Stafford is 1-8 in his career in rain or snow games. Stafford also won’t be able to lean on a reliable run game, as Los Angeles averages just 3.9 yards per carry—the second-lowest in the NFL. The Rams offense has uncharacteristically struggled, considering it has Sean McVay calling plays, as L.A. has been stifled in key situations. Los Angeles sits 25th in both third-down offense and redzone offense, which means lots of drives often end in either punts or field goal attempts.
