The 2024 NFL playoff picture is beginning to take form with just three weeks remaining in the regular season. However, there is still a lot of drama to come. Can a historic three-peat be accomplished by the Kansas City Chiefs? Will the Buffalo Bills make their breakthrough this year? Will the Detroit Lions succeed this time? In the meanwhile, ESPN’s Seth Walder selected one of 10,000 Football Power Index (FPI) simulations to illustrate how it will all unfold. The field will provide answers in the coming weeks. The whole playoff bracket up until the Super Bowl was plotted out by the FPI, which also replicated the remainder of the regular season.
Following Walder’s selection of a simulation with the results through Week 18, here are the anticipated playoff matchups. As the top seeds, the Chiefs and Lions would receive a bye in the Wild Card round.
Broncos (7) at Bills (2) Chargers (6) at Steelers (3) Ravens (5) at Texans (4) Commanders (7) at Eagles (2) Packers (6) at Buccaneers (3) Vikings (5) at Rams (4)
Following the FPI’s prediction that the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 seeds would win in both conferences, here is how the Divisional Round will look.
(5) Ravens defeat the (1) Chiefs, 27-7. (2) Bills defeat the (3) Steelers in a one-score game. (2) Eagles defeat the (3) Buccaneers by two touchdowns. (1) Lions defeat the (5) Vikings in a one-score game.
The AFC and NFC Championship Games are now available:
(2) Bills defeat the (5) Ravens, 24-23. (1) (1) Lions defeat the (2) Eagles, 23-10.
According to the FPI, Super Bowl LIX between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 9, 2025. It would be a rematch of a shootout that the Bills won in Week 15 if that prediction comes true. The FPI predicts that the Bills will win this one by a score of 27–13, marking their first Super Bowl victory in team history.
“Just like in the Week 15 showdown between the Bills and Lions, Buffalo got out to a two-score lead and never gave it up,” Walder said. “With outstanding running from Allen and outstanding secondary play, the Bills defeated the Lions 27–13 to win their first Super Bowl.”