NFC Playoff Preview

The Green Bay Packers are the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with an NFL-best 13-4 record. As they embark yet again on their elusive quest for a fifth Super Bowl championship and 14th NFL title, here is a look at the seven-team NFC playoff field:

No. 1: Green Bay Packers (13-4)

Points scored: 26.5 (ninth). Points against: 21.8 (14th).

Record vs. playoff teams: 5-1.

Why they’ll win the Super Bowl: The Rodgers-led offense is on a roll. Over the last seven games, they were second in the NFL in scoring. A really good unit is about to get even better.

Former All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari is back, receiver Randall Cobb is coming back and former Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones should be rejuvenated after getting week 18 off to rest his ailing knee.

The Packers won’t beat themselves. They take care of the football (league-low 13 giveaways, even after the backups had three against Detroit) and they follow the rules (league-low 69 penalties).

Two things are critical in winning a Super Bowl: the play of the quarterback and having a relatively healthy roster. With Rodgers, the Packers have the presumptive MVP.

With the return of Bakhtiari and the potential returns of Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith, the Packers suddenly could get three Pro Bowl-caliber players added to the lineup.

No. 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)

Points scored: 30.1 (second). Points against: 20.8 (fifth).

Record vs. playoff teams: 4-1.

Why they could beat the Packers: We could wrap this section up by simply saying “Tom Brady” and moving on. Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He’s won a staggering seven Super Bowls — including last year, when he led the Buccaneers into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers in the NFC Championship Game.

The Packers were the only team in the NFL to go undefeated at home this season, but the Bucs won’t be fazed one bit if they make a return visit.

The 44-year-old Brady remains a marvel. He led the NFL with 5,316 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. The offense isn’t as good as last year with standout receiver Chris Godwin out with a torn ACL. He caught five passes for 110 yards in last year’s title game and led the Bucs with 98 catches for 1,110 yards this season.

But towering Mike Evans (14 touchdowns) and Hall of Fame-bound tight end Rob Gronkowski are good enough to carry the passing game, and the offensive line features three Pro Bowlers.

Like the Packers, the Bucs are getting healthier. Do-it-all running back Leonard Fournette and starting outside linebackers Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul are expected back this week. Without Bakhtiari, Barrett and Pierre-Paul combined for five sacks in last year’s title game. That defense returns just about intact.

A front seven that includes Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh on the line and Lavonte David and Devin White at linebacker is as good as it gets.

No. 3: Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

Points scored: 31.2 (first). Points against: 21.7 (seventh).

Record vs. playoff teams: 3-4.

Why they could beat the Packers: Mike McCarthy’s team might be the most dangerous team in the 14-team field. This is a group filled with star players capable of making a game-changing play on any snap.

Showing their power, their plus-10.1 scoring differential was tops in the NFC and their plus-14 in turnovers paced the NFL.

In a sense, this team is a carbon copy of McCarthy’s best teams in Green Bay. Score, force a turnover, score again and step on the gas. The Cowboys are an offensive powerhouse. They led the NFL in scoring and yards behind quarterback Dak Prescott, who set career highs for completion percentage (68.8) and touchdowns (37).

With receivers CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper and Cedric Wilson, plus tight end Dalton Schultz, he’s got weapons galore and doesn’t play favorites. Running back Ezekiel Elliott isn’t the menace he was a few years ago, but he and Tony Pollard combined for 1,721 rushing yards and 86 receptions.

A defense that ranked second on third down finished strong. The rookie duo of linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs are franchise-changing players. Parsons not only had 84 tackles but finished sixth in the NFL with 13 sacks, fourth with 30 quarterback hits and added three forced fumbles.

Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions. Bakhtiari vs. Parsons and Davante Adams vs. Diggs would be made-for-TV gold.

No. 4: Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

Points scored: 27.1 (eighth). Points against: 21.9 (15th).

Record vs. playoff teams: 2-5.

Why they could beat the Packers: The Rams are hard to figure. With the high-profile additions of Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and Odell Beckham, they’ve got a roster built to win a Super Bowl.

After three consecutive midseason losses to the Titans, 49ers and Packers – all playoff teams – they recovered to win five straight. But with a chance to secure the No. 2 seed, the Rams lost at home to the 49ers on Sunday.

The Rams will go as far as Stafford can take them. Acquired from the Lions during the offseason, he finished sixth in passer rating (102.9), third in yards (4,886) and second in touchdowns (41). He also threw eight interceptions in his final three games after tossing just 10 in the first 14. That’s not going to cut it in the playoffs.

Receiver Cooper Kupp had a superb season with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. In eight games, Beckham added 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns.

The potential return of running back Cam Akers from a torn Achilles could provide a lift.

Defensively, Aaron Donald is a generational talent on the line. Despite a steady stream of double teams, he had 12½ sacks and four forced fumbles. Outside linebackers Leonard Floyd and Miller combined for 14½ sacks.

Even while rarely tested, premier cornerback Jalen Ramsey had four interceptions, 16 passes defensed and nine tackles for losses.

No. 5: Arizona Cardinals (11-6)

Points scored: 26.4 (11th). Points against: 21.5 (ninth).

Record vs. playoff teams: 5-2.

Why they could beat the Packers: Which Cardinals team will show up for the playoffs? Will it be the one that started 7-0, including a signature victory at the Rams, then won at Dallas in week 17? Or will it be the one that dropped four of its last five entering the playoffs? Will it be the team that went 8-1 on the road? Or will it be the club that got crushed at Detroit?

Young quarterback Kyler Murray is capable of winning a game with his arm as well as his legs. That’s a dangerous combination in a do-or-die scenario. He finished eighth in passer rating (100.5) and second in completion percentage (69.2). While he didn’t run with the ball as much this year, his 6.2-yard average and 11 touchdowns in 2020 serve as a reminder of what he brings to the party.

With James Conner (15 touchdowns) and Chase Edmonds (5.1 average), the Cardinals can run the ball against anyone. With receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green and tight end Zach Ertz, Murray’s got some top-flight targets.

Hopkins, who caught 115 passes last season, is a name to watch as the playoffs begin. He missed the last four games with a knee injury, and his return for the playoffs is in doubt.

The defense is led by outside linebackers Chandler Jones and Markus Golden, who combined for 21½ sacks and 10 forced fumbles. They finished plus-12 in turnovers.

No. 6: San Francisco 49ers (10-7)

Points scored: 25.1 (13th). Points against: 21.5 (12th).

Record vs. playoff teams: 4-4.

Why they could beat the Packers: The 49ers went 4-1 down the stretch, including an upset at the Rams in week 18.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a solid season with a 68.3% completion rate and 98.8 passer rating. He’s got a lot of talent around him with receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. While Kittle is an established star and arguably the best tight end in the game, Samuel is one of the league’s emerging studs. Not only did he catch 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, but he carried 59 times for 365 yards and eight touchdowns.

In 12 games, Elijah Mitchell rushed for 963 yards. With Bakhtiari missing most of the season, Trent Williams has taken over as the best left tackle in the NFL.

The defense might not be of recent vintage, but the Niners ranked third in yards allowed and third in sack percentage. Nick Bosa ranked fourth with 15½ sacks and third with 32 quarterback hits. His best days are long behind him, but cornerback Josh Norman forced a whopping seven fumbles.

No. 7: Philadelphia Eagles (9-8)

Points scored: 26.1 (12th). Points against: 22.6 (18th).

Record vs. playoff teams: 0-6.

Why they could beat the Packers: The Eagles can run the football. They finished first with 159.7 rushing yards per game and fourth with 4.94 yards per carry. Quarterback Jalen Hurts (784 yards, 5.6 average, 10 touchdowns) and running back Miles Sanders (754 yards, 5.5 average) are big-time threats to move the chains and keep the opposing offense chilling on the bench.

The Eagles can also stop other teams from running the football, ranking sixth with 4 yards allowed per carry behind linebackers Alex Singleton and T.J. Edwards. Darius Slay gives the Eagles a premier cornerback.

Philly is a flawed team in most every other sense – it lost to the woeful Giants and just got crushed 51-26 by Dallas – but it did go 6-3 on the road.