NFL Playoff Power Rankings: Ravens coast into Championship Round as 49ers sneak by Packers

After holding on for a one-point win over the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round, the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round. With Jared Goff and the offense humming right along, Detroit was able to pretty much have their way as they advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Tasked with a tall order, the Lions will need to rely on a strong offensive attack to keep things close against San Francisco. With the Niners likely familiar with Jared Goff from his days with the Rams, the offensive onus may fall on the shoulders of the running game.

Defensively, they will be challenged on every snap, especially in the secondary. A strong linebacker core will need to give 110 percent in slowing down Christian McCaffrey, and if they can do that and pressure Brock Purdy, that will be the best way to help take pressure off their boundary cornerbacks.

Of the four remaining playoff teams, the Lions do seem to be the weakest, hence earning the fourth spot in our NFL Playoff Power Rankings. But that certainly doesn’t take them out of the running for an upset win.

3. San Francisco 49ers

It took a methodical drive near the end of the game for the Niners to come back against Green Bay, and the Niners C-plus offensive showing should raise some red flags. With the health of Deebo Samuel up in the air, this offense will need to hold its own against a flappable Lions defense that is susceptible to big plays from opposing wide receivers.

The San Francisco defense looked quite beatable against the Packers, not looking as strong as they typically have in the past. Failing to win at the line of scrimmage will bury the Niners, especially against Detroit and their superb offensive linemen.

Their chances of winning sit squarely on the shoulders of Purdy, who will need do a better job of avoiding mistakes and attacking the middle of the field against the Lions. Facing one of the best group of linebackers that he has all year, Purdy will need to be flawless in his line of scrimmage calls for blocking assignments pre-snap.

As the NFC favorite, the odds are still in San Francisco’s corner – but they were exposed for 56-plus minutes of their win over the Packers, so they are far from a shoo-in.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Once again, a postseason matchup between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills came down to the wire, and once again, Patrick Mahomes showed that he still has Buffalo’s number.

Winning a back-and-forth affair on the road in unfriendly confines, Mahomes and the Chiefs yet again did what not many expected them to do. And their reward is another postseason game on the road, this time heading out to Baltimore.

The responsibility for a strong performance on Sunday falls mainly on two people – Mahomes and linebacker Nick Bolton. While it is quite obvious for Mahomes, Bolton will be tasked with keeping an eye on Lamar Jackson all game, while also having to keep his eyes peeled for crossing routes from Zay Flowers and others.

Could this game finally be the one that knocks the Chiefs out of the playoffs, a game before going back to the Super Bowl? It certainly is possible, but betting against a Mahomes team in the playoffs rarely ever works out, which makes it tough to not have them higher in our NFL Playoff Power Rankings.

1. Baltimore Ravens

The top seed in the AFC and in our NFL Playoff Power Rankings still has a lot left to prove, and the Ravens seem to understand that. While a 24-point win over the Houston Texans paints a pretty efficient picture of how that game went from start to finish, it more so speaks to the utter dominance that the Ravens have shown all year.

A four-touchdown showing from Jackson (two passing, two rushing) puts the microscope on his MVP case yet again, showcasing his game-breaking abilities and overall understanding of the game – at this speed. While a proven rushing attack utilizing a running back continues to evade the Baltimore offense, Jackson is THE perfect player to help cover up one of the few holes on the offense.

Defensively, it boils down to pass rush for the Ravens – if they can get home to harass Mahomes at least three times, then the defense is more than carrying its own weight. Needing Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton to lead the defense again, Baltimore looks to be a great spot for their AFC Championship matchup at home.