Because these words aren’t being spoken on an ESPN “talk” show, we are not contractually obliged to name-drop Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in the first paragraph and imply they shall be known as bad quarterbacks and worse humans if they don’t finally win a Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
Yes, history is written by the winners—and that’s why Patrick Mahomes gets to be regarded as this era’s Stephen King while Allen and Jackson are treated like they’ve been caught shoving Crayolas up their nostrils during the playoffs.
But reputations, resumes, and career arcs can change over the next four weeks—for quarterbacks, coaches and franchises alike. It’s our mission to declare which NFL team is under the most pressure as Wild Card Weekend kicks off this postseason.
Is it the Washington Commanders or the Denver Broncos? Heck, no. These squads are playing with free money because the Broncos haven’t been in the playoffs since 2015 and the Commanders haven’t won a playoff game since Jan. 7, 2006. Moreover, each postseason snap that rookie quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix get is a bonus. If they’re lucky (or not), they’ll progress enough over the next five years that they can replace Allen and Jackson in the ridiculous talk-show discussions.
Do the Green Bay Packers or Houston Texans face the most pressure? Nah. While the Packers’ Jordan Love and CJ Stroud have dealt with heightened expectations all year, they both enter the playoffs without a key wideout due to injury. Both are expected to lose this weekend, so any wins will be a thrill and clinch a successful season.
Is it LA (the Chargers) or LA (the Rams)? No chance. Even if Los Angeles was an NFL hotbed, the unprecedented wildfires ruining large swathes of Southern California are monopolizing everyone’s attention. If either team wins this weekend—and the Chargers are favored to win at Houston—it’ll register just slightly more than if they lose.
Tampa Bay? That fan base should be among the happiest in the NFL. They win the division every year. They scored a bleeptonof points this season and were fun to watch. No reason to be agitated by anything that happens this weekend or next.
Kansas City? Please. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and Co. have already cast their legacies in Canton stone. Short of forfeiting in the Divisional Round or doing a live All-State commercial when they should be conducting a two-minute drill, does any fan have a right to complain if the Chiefs don’t win a third straight Super Bowl?
The Minnesota Vikings are probably the most out-of-nowhere 14-win team in NFL history. They’re a feel-good story, but the Detroit Lions deflated any serious postseason expectations with Sunday night’s whipping in the Motor City. On the plus side, that makes the Vikings a plucky upstart story again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers? Now we’re getting warmer. Mike Tomlin has led this proud franchise to 12 playoff appearances in 18 years—including a Super Bowl title—but the Steelers haven’t won a postseason game in eight seasons.
Are the Ravens and Bills under a little extra pressure? Of course. They’re teams that have been playing at a high level since 2019—due in large part to their MVP-level quarterbacks—but neither has reached the Super Bowl. So, yeah, the pressure is building, but it’s not like either team is the betting favorite to win it all. Fun fact: The Ravens and the Bills both finished with a plus-157 point differential.
By virtue of calling Philadelphia home, the Eagles are always under more pressure than the normal franchise. And, considering the home team hasn’t played in a Super Bowl in 23 months and hasn’t won one in seven seasons, Eagles fans are probably owed another title in four weeks. But, no, they’re not the NFL team under the most pressure.
This might seem a little counterintuitive, but the franchise that has never won a Super Bowl—the Detroit Lions—is the one with the most to lose by not winning Super Bowl LIX.
Yes, the Lions are easy to enjoy. They score touchdowns by the bushel; they let their offensive linemen catch and throw passes and Dan Campbell seems like the most NFL-likeable head coach in a couple generations.
But here’s the deal: The Lions should have played in last year’s Super Bowl, but a few less-than-stellar decisions by Campbell—inspired by his unique brand of Danalytics—helped the Lions blow their 24-7 halftime lead against San Francisco.
If the best team in the NFC somehow finds another way not to get to this Super Bowl, too, it’s going to change how the Lions and Campbell are viewed. And he’ll get to become top-of-show grist for the sports morning shows until he finds a way to lead them to the top.
