Jan 8, 2026 - Sports
Why your team could win Super Bowl LX
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Fourteen teams have a chance to win Super Bowl LX this February.
The big picture: This year's field includes one MVP vying for his first ring, a team trying to go back-to-back and one squad trying to be the third-ever to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium.
State of play: The NFL playoffs begin this Saturday.
- Here is one case for — and against — every team to win the Super Bowl.
Buffalo Bills
- Why they will: Josh Allen, the Bills' dual-threat quarterback, is arguably the top player at his position in the playoffs and already has some impressive postseason performances under his belt.
- Why they won't: Buffalo has yet to reach the big game in the Allen-era.
- Next game: At Jacksonville Jaguars, 1pm ET Sunday on CBS.
Carolina Panthers
- Why they will: Don't let their losing record fool you, the scrappy Panthers beat two good teams (the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers) in route to their first appearance in the tournament since 2017.
- Why they won't: This offense may not be equipped to make a run — Carolina is last in yards (295.6) and points (18.3) per game among the 14 playoff teams.
- Next game: Vs. Rams, 4:30pm ET Saturday on Fox.
Chicago Bears
- Why they will: The Bears led the NFL in takeaways (33) and as the cliché goes: defense wins championships.
- Why they won't: The inexperience of both the quarterback (Caleb Williams) and head coach (Ben Johnson) doesn't bode well for Chicago.
- Next game: Vs. Packers, 8pm ET Saturday on Prime Video.
Denver Broncos
- Why they will: Denver gets one week of rest and home-field advantage. The team is 19-9 all-time in home playoff games.
- Why they won't: Sean Payton has been average in the postseason. The head coach has an all-time record of 9-9.
- Next game: BYE
Green Bay Packers
- Why they will: Before he was sidelined with a concussion in Week 16, Green Bay got good play from quarterback Jordan Love, who is tied for second in QBR.
- Why they won't: The Packers are entering the tournament on a four-game losing streak and superstar linebacker Micah Parsons is sidelined with a torn ACL.
- Next game: At Bears, 8pm ET Saturday on Prime Video.
Houston Texans
- Why they will: Houston boasts one of the league's best defenses by several metrics, including yards per game (1st), first downs allowed (1st) and takeaways (3rd).
- Why they won't: History is not on their side — the franchise is 0-6 all-time in road playoff games.
- Next game: At Pittsburgh Steelers, 8pm ET Monday on ESPN.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Why they will: Riding an eight-game winning streak, the Jags are one of the hottest teams in the league.
- Why they won't: Only two teams with a rookie head coach have ever won the Super Bowl — the '70 Baltimore Colts (Don McCafferty) and the '89 San Francisco 49ers (George Seifert).
- Next game: Vs. Bills, 1pm ET Sunday on CBS.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Why they will: Quarterback Justin Herbert is elite, but Cameron "Dicker the Kicker" is the team's X-factor. The Chargers lead all playoff teams in field goal percentage.
- Why they won't: Since LA is the seventh seed, they'll likely have to win three straight road games just to reach the championship game.
- Next game: At New England Patriots, 8pm ET Sunday on NBC.
Los Angeles Rams
- Why they will: Quarterback-head coach duo Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have done it before — they won Super Bowl LVI.
- Why they won't: Kicking is not a strength for this LA team. The Rams have the second-worst field goal percentage (78.6) among playoff teams.
- Next game: At Panthers, 4:30pm ET Saturday on Fox.
New England Patriots
- Why they will: The Pats have an MVP candidate in Drake Maye, who led the league in QBR (77.2) and completion percentage (72) in addition to rushing for 450 yards and four touchdowns.
- Why they won't: It's hard to tell how good New England is since only two of their 14 regular-season wins came against playoff teams.
- Next game: Vs. Chargers, 8pm ET Sunday on NBC.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Why they will: The defending Super Bowl champions have been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks to face. Signal callers averaged the lowest completion percentage (56.8) and second-lowest passer rating against the Eagles.
- Why they won't: Winning back-to-back Lombardi trophies is extremely difficult — only eight teams have ever done it.
- Next game: Vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:30pm ET Sunday on Fox.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Why they will: The Steelers are finding their footing at the right time, they've won four of their last five games.
- Why they won't: Pittsburgh's offense leaves much to be desired. Among playoff participants, 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers has the worst QBR and they're the worst rushing team by yards per game (103.3).
- Next game: Vs. Houston Texans, 8pm ET Monday on ESPN.
San Francisco 49ers
- Why they will: The Niners don't make a lot of mistakes. Only the Rams finished the regular season with fewer penalties committed.
- Why they won't: A lot of key players are dealing with injuries, including Trent Williams, Ricky Pearsall, Tatum Bethune, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
- Next game: At Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30pm ET Sunday on Fox.
Seattle Seahawks
- Why they will: The Seahawks, who secured the top seed in the NFC, have a legendary home-field advantage in the playoffs.
- Why they won't: Seattle was the second-worst team in the NFL in total giveaways, including a league-leading 13 fumbles lost.
- Next game: BYE
