Before the start of every NFL season, fans are always looking forward to the playoffs. While group stage games are important as well, a team’s success in a year will only be measured by how well they perform in the knockouts. At the end of the day, all the teams are competing to win their divisions and eventually target winning the big fish—the Super Bowl.
In the knockouts, we have fourteen teams that will qualify. There are eight teams in the NFL who will be there after winning their respective divisions, and six other teams will also be present who are known as the ‘wild card teams.’ From each conference, there will be three teams: three from the NFC and three from the AFC.
These wild-card teams are those franchises that have the best win-loss record for the year but have not won their respective divisions. This number of wildcard teams increased after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we take a look at the six teams that have the best chance of qualifying for the 2023/24 NFL knockouts.
The Houston Texans are a big threat and a potential wild card team from the AFC
In the AFC, currently, we have four leaders in their respective divisions: the Miami Dolphins (AFC East), the Baltimore Ravens (AFC North), the Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West), and the Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South). So apart from these four teams, we will have three wild card entries with the best win-loss record.
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The top prospect is the Houston Texans, who are currently 7-5 for the season. They have been brilliant in their last ten games and are almost certain to make it to the play-offs. With quarterback CJ Stroud on the song, they are a huge threat, even with the recent injury to young prodigy Tank Dell.
The next one on the list will be the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also have a 7-5 record. Although they didn’t look promising with their recent loss to the Arizona Cardinals, they have a good chance of qualifying. The final one on the list would be the Indianapolis Colts, who are having a hot streak currently with four wins on the trot. They are picking up pace at the right time and could well be in with a chance.
Dallas Cowboys are in the lead for a wild card spot in the NFC
In the NFC, we currently have the four leaders in their respective divisions: the Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East), the Detroit Lions (NFC North), the San Francisco 49ers (NFC West), and the Atlanta Falcons (NFC South). Similar to the AFC, apart from these four teams, we will have three wild card entries with the best win-loss record.
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The top prospect for the wild card entry from the NFC will have to be the Dallas Cowboys. They are behind due to the presence of a very good Philadelphia Eagles team and a head-to-head loss with a great 9-3 record. They are currently the fifth seed in the NFC and are in a great position to qualify.
The other two top prospects for wild card entry from the NFC belong to the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, who both hold a 6-6 record for the season. The Vikings are the sixth seed in the NFC currently due to a better conference record. However, they are both in the running for a spot in the playoffs.