Do you know what time of year it is? It is January, and with the new year comes the NFL playoffs. This is a highly anticipated time of year for fans whose teams made the playoffs, while some fans are let down by teams who failed to make the postseason. Who is in the playoffs? Who will they be playing? It will all be broken down and analyzed in this NFL Playoff Preview.

The teams that made the playoffs in the AFC this year include the Patriots, Chiefs, Colts, Ravens, Jets, and Steelers. The Patriots and Steelers finished on top in the AFC and they have a first round bye in the playoffs. NFC teams include the Bears, Falcons, Eagles, Saints, Packers, and Seahawks. The Falcons and Bears have the first round byes in the NFC for the playoffs.

The NFC playoff picture was not finalized until all of the games were complete this past Sunday, January 2. The Giants, Packers, and Buccaneers were competing for the wild card in the NFC. The Packers needed to win and they would be in the playoffs. The Giants needed to win and the Packers needed to lose in order for the Giants to make the playoffs. And the Buccaneers needed the Giants and Packers to lose in order to be in the playoff picture.

By Sunday’s end, the Giants won, but the Packers won. This crushed the dreams for the Buccaneers and Giants as they will not move on to the playoffs this year. The wrap-up for this division went down to the wire. The Giants will not be a part of the playoffs for the second year in a row despite a 10-6 record. On the other hand, the Seattle Seahawks won on Sunday and clinched the NFC west with a 7-9 record. This raised some eyebrows because this team had the worst record in NFL history to make the playoffs. Several fans are confused how the Buccaneers and Giants ended the season with 10-6 records and missed the playoffs while the Seahawks ended the season with a 7-9 record.

For the first round of the playoffs in the AFC, the Colts play the Jets, and the Chiefs play the Ravens. The Colts and Jets will face off in Indianapolis Saturday night for this AFC wild card game. The Colts are in place to win because they have the home field advantage and Mark Sanchez lacks the experience of Peyton Manning. For the Chiefs and Ravens game in Kansas City, Jamaal Charles makes for a threat for the Chiefs, but the Ravens are in position to win because of their tough defense.

For the first round of playoffs in the NFC, the matchups include, Eagles and Packers, and the Saints face off against the Seahawks. For the Eagles and Packers game, the Packers have been a threat in recent weeks taking down the Giants and Bears, however Philadelphia is too strong of a team putting them in place to beat the Packers. In the Saints and Seahawks game in Seattle, the defending champion Saints are in position to win by having no problem taking down the 7-9 Seahawks.

This coming weekend should be action packed with some great football, and thrilling games. Although this is only the wild card round of the playoffs, these games have a high influence on the games ahead. Some teams may face divisional rivals or play in competitive match ups. Stay tuned! There is some exciting football awaiting.