The NFL goes into the playoffs this weekend and thus into its crucial phase. The goal: Super Bowl LIX on February 9th. We answer the most important questions.
Can any team stop the Kansas City Chiefs?
Maybe not. The team around quarterback superstar Patrick Mahomes has one of the best records in the league with 15-2 wins, although the second defeat came on the last day of the game with the replacement players. What could scare the competition: The Chiefs haven’t shown their “A-Game” (or: their best performance) yet, and Mahomes (26 touchdowns, eleven interceptions) and tight end Travis Kelce (only three touchdowns) still have room for improvement above – although they have been getting better and better recently.
The Kansas City Chiefs shed tears of joy after the last Super Bowl.
Still, the Chiefs only lost a game they took seriously against the Buffalo Bills – one of their main contenders for the title. However, Kansas City did not sweep over its opponents like the Bills or the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens, but they did the bare minimum. The Chiefs won eleven games in “one-score games” in which a touchdown could have at least equalized.
Kansas City is a real winning team again and could win its third consecutive title for the first time in NFL history. “Three, that would be legendary,” said Mahomes after the Super Bowl triumph a year ago. He’s on his way there.
Who are the Chiefs’ biggest competitors?
The Buffalo Bills beat Kansas City – that’s an announcement, but it’s no coincidence that the Bills did it. There have been dramatic clashes in the playoffs several times in recent years, now the time could have come for Buffalo. Their quarterback Josh Allen has hopes of winning the MVP title, but he would much rather experience a Super Bowl.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen in action
This also applies to Lamar Jackson, who could be named best player for the third time but still has a reputation for losing his nerve in the playoffs. The quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens leads what is probably the best offense in the NFL. If the defense also gets rolling, Jackson and Co. could be a serious candidate for the title.
From the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles are one of the hottest teams in the league, but the number one and also the favorite to make it to the finals is another team: the Detroit Lions.
Will Amon-Ra St. Brown become the third German Super Bowl winner?
Like the Chiefs, the Lions only lost two games in the regular season – including one against the Bills. What’s particularly impressive is that Detroit is the first team in NFL history to play five games with at least 40 points and without losing the ball – all despite major injury concerns. Coach Dan Campbell is considered extremely tricky, but above all he managed to form the team into a great unit.
One of his key players is Amon-Ra St. Brown. The wide receiver is number two at his position this season in catches (115), fifth in yards (1,263) and has scored the third-most touchdowns (12). And no other duo works as well together as St. Brown and his quarterback Jared Goff. He threw in the German’s direction 141 times, and the 25-year-old only failed to catch the ball 26 times – the best rate in the NFL.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff are a perfectly coordinated duo.
St. Brown has serious prospects of becoming the third German Super Bowl champion after Markus Koch (1988 and 1992) and Sebastian Vollmer (2014 and 2016). Another advantage: Like the Chiefs, he and his Lions colleagues start the playoffs a week later than the rest and have home advantage until the Super Bowl.
Who will face each other in the Wild Card Games?
Seven teams in each conference made it into the playoffs – the four division winners and the following three teams with the best winning record. In the wild card games, the second to seventh placed teams play crosswise against each other. The division winners have home advantage, which is why the Los Angeles Rams (10:7 wins) are also allowed to play against the Minnesota Vikings (14:3) in their own stadium despite their significantly weaker record.
| Date (German time) | pairing | Conference |
|---|---|---|
What else can the surprise stars do?
In the playoffs, four quarterbacks get the big stage that no one had on the list before the season. Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings) and Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are the comeback stars of the league and Darnold in particular could continue his rise in the knockout rounds for a long time due to the strength of his team. The “Bucs” are the clear underdogs when it comes to the title, but their start is also quite exciting because of the Mayfield opponent.
Sam Darnold is one of the big NFL surprises this season.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has set a tremendous number of rookie records this season. His nerves were particularly impressive; the 24-year-old threw twelve of his 25 touchdowns in the last quarter or overtime of a game. Daniels led his team to several last-minute wins. Bo Nix also shone for the Denver Broncos, but a success at the start of the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills would be extremely surprising.
Where and when does the Super Bowl take place?
On February 9th the decision will be made in New Orleans as to who will be the next NFL champion. The start of the 59th Super Bowl is at 5:30 p.m. local time, in Germany at 12:30 a.m. At Super Bowl LIX, Kendrick Lamar will perform in the halftime show at the Superdome in front of 76,468 spectators. The NFL final is taking place in New Orleans for the eighth time – the city in the state of Louisiana was actually supposed to host it last year, but the Super Bowl date collided with the Mardi Gras carnival.
Who broadcasts the NFL playoffs?
“RTL” and its streaming platform “RTL+” show the games of the NFL playoffs. The games can also be followed via stream on “DAZN”.
2025-01-09 11:07:00