Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens were the final four teams in the AFC playoffs. A year later, the same four teams remain intact with their Super Bowl hopes.
Through all the roster acquisitions, injuries, and struggles, the Chiefs, Bills, Texans, and Ravens will compete in the Divisional Round. However, unlike last season, in which the Chiefs defeated the Bills and the Ravens dominated the Texans, the pairings will change this year.
AFC teams in last year's Divisional Round
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 12, 2025
Chiefs
Bills
Ravens
Texans
AFC teams in this year's Divisional Round
Chiefs
Bills
Ravens
Texans pic.twitter.com/jn4CGhjiiQ
The Ravens will host the Bills in a showdown between the top two Most Valuable Player award candidates, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. The Bills won the AFC East thanks to Allen’s exceptional numbers (3,731 passing yards, 531 rushing yards, 40 touchdowns). Buffalo dominated the Denver Broncos in their Wild Card Round matchup, 31-7, in which Allen completed 76.9 percent of his throws (20 of 26) for 272 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Ravens won five of their last six games to claim the AFC North title over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson finished the regular season with 4,172 passing yards, 915 rushing yards, and 45 touchdowns. He had two passing touchdowns, while Derrick Henry had 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns in their victory over the Steelers in the Wild Card Round.
On the other hand, the Texans will visit the top-seed Chiefs, who have lost only two regular season games. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, as well as the Chiefs' defense, found ways to secure victories by slim margins. They will face a Texans team that won their division (AFC South) and dominated the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round.
-Lance Fernandez