The NFL playoffs are upon us! Who will make it to the Super Bowl? Will the Kansas City Chiefs continue their dominance? Which dark playoff series will end? Which will become even darker?

We are going to see a Super Bowl with German participation

The NFL is now a regular guest in Germany. It’s about time that Germany graced the Super Bowl in return, in the person of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Last year, the wide receiver just barely missed out on the final game with the Detroit Lions. This year, however, the team and receiver are no worse.

If St. Brown makes it to the final with his team, he will be the first German in the final since Mark Nzeocha. In 2020, he lost with his San Francisco 49ers to the Kansas City Chiefs. The last Super Bowl victory for a German was achieved by Sebastian Vollmer with the New England Patriots. The first German Super Bowl winner was defensive lineman Markus Koch, who won twice with Washington in 1988 and 1992.

The Super Bowl winner has never existed

Of the 14 playoff teams, five have never won a Super Bowl: among them are the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers, teams with outside chances. Then there are the unpredictable Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.

Even before the start of the regular season, the ran Hot-Takes predicted a first-time winner in the Super Bowl. And that still applies: the Super Bowl winner will celebrate their first NFL title.

Taylor Swift has nothing to laugh about

Even before the start of the regular season, one of the hot takes for the season was that the Chiefs would experience a playoff debacle. The prediction at the time: they would be out in the Divisional Round. As the number one seed in the AFC, the Chiefs are seeded at home. And after six consecutive years in the Championship Game, an early playoff exit for the reigning champ is hard for many to imagine.

But the Chiefs have lost the brilliance of previous years – despite the good results. In addition, the long break in play will have a negative impact on the key players who were rested on the last day of play. The one-time playoff run of Mahomes & Co. ends shockingly early this year. Much to the annoyance of Travis Kelce’s famous girlfriend Taylor Swift.

Lamar Jackson finally shines in the playoffs

Lamar Jackson and the playoffs have not been friends so far: the Ravens quarterback has lost four of six games. Even worse, it was always him who made mistakes at crucial moments. Three fumbles in his first playoff appearance in 2018, followed by the AFC Championship Game last season, when he made an interception in the final quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, Jackson has as many touchdowns as turnovers in the postseason.

But this year, everything will be better – and that doesn’t necessarily have to be because of Jackson himself. Instead, he benefits from the fact that this season, the burden is finally no longer all on his shoulders. The O-Line is now much more stable than in previous appearances, and with Derrick Henry, the Ravens have another huge running option. Jackson no longer has to play the solo entertainer. This can only help the turnover rate.

Mike Tomlin’s playoff curse continues

It is worthy of all the honors that Mike Tomlin has achieved with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 18 years. He has never had a losing record at the end of a regular season. Tomlin has led the Steelers to the playoffs twelve times. He has won the Super Bowl twice. But the full truth is that in six of the last eight times the team has made the playoffs, the “terrible towels” have ended up back in the cupboard until next season after just one playoff game. Steelers fans have been waiting for a playoff victory since 2016.

And after the stumbling blocks of the past few weeks, with a rather pale Russell Wilson, there is much to suggest that Tomlin and his team will lose again in the Wild Card Round against the Ravens. It would be the sixth playoff loss in a row – and thus a new franchise negative record.

No team in this year’s playoffs has been winless for as long as the Washington Commanders in the postseason. The last time the capital city franchise won a playoff game, the US president was still George W. Bush. That was in January 2006. Since then, they have suffered five playoff defeats in five games, most recently in 2020 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

They will face them again in the Wild Card Round. And this time the Commanders manage the long-awaited victory, thanks in part to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in his playoff debut.

Five consecutive losses, most recently in 2020 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time the Commanders make it.