The Roar's guide to the 2013-14 NFL Playoffs

The 2013-14 NFL playoffs are upon us, and there’s plenty of stories carrying over into January this postseason.

Much to the Aussie NFL fan’s delight as always there will be two games played on Sunday morning on Aussie screens, with the final two on very early Monday morning (just call in sick).

Let’s take a look at all the playoff teams and what they bring into the 2013-14 NFL Postseason and preview the first week’s games.

American Football Conference (AFC) Division Winners

AFC West – Denver Broncos – 13-3 record
The Broncos came into 2013 as Super Bowl favourites and have done little to dissuade the notion that they can go all the way, starting 6-0 before falling to the Colts in week seven and finishing strong with 13 wins.

Quarterback Peyton Manning is all but a lock for the league’s MVP thanks to record-setting 55 touchdowns and 5477 yards passing, and the future Hall of Famer – along with perhaps the strongest collection of offensive weapons he has had his entire career – has created the most dangerous offence in NFL history (beating out the 2007 New England Patriots).

Enjoying a first-week bye, the Broncos will have slot receiver and free agent acquisition Wes Welker back from concussion in time for their first game in the divisional round.

Who to watch: All eyes should remain firmly fixed on Manning, who should be considered the best quarterback to ever play the game.

Key stat: 38.1 points per game. Good for number one in the league and it’s not even close.

AFC East – New England Patriots – 12-4 record
It wouldn’t really be the playoffs without the Patriots, would it? After breaking Joe Montana’s record for playoff wins last season New England should never be counted out when it comes to the playoffs.

The Patriots’ issue going into January is more or less the issue they’ve had their whole season: Who is going to catch the ball?

They’ve once again lost tight end Rob Gronkowski with a torn right ACL and MCL, and receiver Danny Amendola is yet to live up to the promise of his offseason signing.

Brady has proved he can get it done with just about anybody making the grabs – they did, after all, manage 12 wins this season – but this postseason might be his toughest test yet.

Who to watch: Rookie receiver Aaron Dobson has been up and down in 2013, but now has a genuine chance to set himself up as the Patriots premier deep threat with a strong performance in the postseason.

Key stat: 6.92 yards per pass attempt. Brady’s worst since returning from the 2008 injury.

AFC South – Indianapolis Colts – 11-5 record
The Colts’ continued development of quarterback Andrew Luck saw the team make the playoffs for a second year in a row on the back of 11 wins.

Indiana’s season hasn’t been without its ups and downs, however, the loss of receiver Reggie Wayne (torn ACL) and failure to find a true number one running back (with the Trent Richardson trade looking terrible in hindsight) were considerable hurdles.

Still, with Luck cutting his turnovers in half from 2012 the Colts are a deceptively dangerous team heading into January, even more so with OLB Robert Mathis leading the NFL in sacks with his career-best 19.5.

Don’t sleep on them, lest we forget, they beat the Broncos, 49ers and Seahawks this season.

Who to watch: Andrew Luck is the engine that drives this team, just like Peyton Manning did before he left.

Key stat: 4.96 yards per carry. Running back Donald Brown’s average since taking over the starting duties in early December. Much better than Richardson’s.

AFC North – Cincinnati Bengals – 11-5 record
It was hard fought, but the Bengals held onto their division on the back of a top-five defence in 2013 and have managed 11 victories this season over the likes of the Patriots, Colts and Packers.

Quarterback Andy Dalton, for all his faults, has cemented himself as the Bengals’ franchise guy, but needs to earn the team its first playoff win since 1990 to really silence the critics.

Make no mistake, it’s the Bengals defence that’ll help them win in January, and whether it’s linebacker Vontaze Burfict or defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, they have the talent to take them to the Super Bowl on defence alone.

The loss of defensive tackle Geno Atkins and cornerback Leon Hall has been felt, but also managed, thanks in no small part to the wizardry of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Who to watch: Rookie running back Giovani Bernard was a criminally underused big-play threat who has really found his feet (and more touches) in the second half of the season.

Key stat: Burfict has 171 total tackles this season, the most of any player in the NFL. He’s everywhere, and a great story too.

AFC Wildcards Teams

Kansas City Chiefs – 11-5 record

The Chiefs’ strong record this season does come with one big caveat: Only one of their wins has been against a winning team (the Eagles in week two).

While this is a strong knock against them, their defence, and the talents of their franchise running back Jamaal Charles should be enough to worry most teams in the Wild Card round.

Their turnaround from a 2-14 performance last season means new head coach Andy Reid is a genuine candidate for Coach of the Year.

Who to watch: Running back Charles is just too exciting not to keep an eye on.

Key stat: 18-plus turnover differential. Good for second in the league. They can take away the ball and hardly ever give it up.

San Diego Chargers – 9-7 record

The Chargers had to win four in a row to make the playoffs, and while it wasn’t without controversy they did it in Week 17 against the Chiefs.

Quarterback Philip Rivers has revived his career with an outstanding 4478 yards passing on the season, helped in no small part by rookie receiver Keenan Allen.

Also helping the Chargers make the postseason is running back Ryan Mathews, who averaged 118 yards per game during the Chargers’ last four wins.

His development into the team’s first and second-down back played a major part in their success this season.

Who to watch: As mentioned above, the Philip Rivers-to-Keenan Allen connection is important, and should have considerable attention this weekend.

Key stat: 32:59 average time of possession. The Chargers can hold onto the ball on offence.

National Football Conference Division Winners

NFC West – Seattle Seahawks – 13-3 record
The Seahawks have a talented, MVP-candidate quarterback, a monstrous running back and the best defence in the league, making them arguably the most dangerous team in the NFL.

Quarterback Russell Wilson has only improved from his rookie season. His mobility and arm, coupled with power running back Marshawn Lynch, has given Seattle a top-five rushing attack.

Of course, the Seahawks’ greatest strength is their defence, ranked number one in the league and only allowing 273.6 yards per game.

Their biggest advantage, however, may be the fact that they’ll get to play at home for the playoffs where they’ve only lost once in two years, making them my NFC Super Bowl favourites.

Who to watch: Receiver Golden Tate, who had eight catches for 129 yards in the Seahawks’ final regular season win over the St. Louis Rams (and 26 catches over their last four games). They’ll need him to step up to bring balance to the offence.

Key stat: 14.4 points allowed per game. The best in the league. It’s damn hard to score against the Seahawks.

NFC South – Carolina Panthers – 12-4 record
The Panthers won 11 of their last 12 games to claim the division and the No. 2 seed in the NFC on the back of a top-five defence and maturing quarterback Cam Newton.

Carolina did it tough too, with big wins over the Patriots, 49ers and divisional rival Saints this season, all but ensuring embattled head coach Ron Rivera moves off of the hot seat.

The playoff bye will serve the Panthers well, they had their regular-bye in week four and veteran receiver Steve Smith needs time for his sprained knee to completely heal.

Who to watch: Have you jumped on the Luke Kuechly bandwagon yet? The second-year linebacker is phenomenal and a major reason for the Panthers’ 2013 success.

Key stat: 15 sacks in two weeks. Most from their front four. Carolina can get after the quarterback without blitzing heavily.

NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles – 10-6 record
The Eagles underwent a dramatic change this season under new head coach Chip Kelly. After finishing 15th overall in offence in 2012, they’ve suddenly got the number two offence this season, averaging 417.3 yards per game.

Credit must go to quarterback Nick Foles and running back LeSean McCoy – who if it weren’t for Peyton Manning would be MVP candidates – but rookie head coach Chip Kelly must be praised for building an offence around the pieces he had.

Many wondered if Kelly’s college system would translate to the pros, but that was never his plan, and he built a division winner with what he had ‘system’ be damned.

Who to watch: It’s hard to go past LeSean McCoy, he’s the best running back in the league right now.

Key stat: 160.4 yards per game rushing. Good for best in the NFL.

NFC North – Green Bay Packers – 8-7-1 record
The Packers had a struggle to win their division after losing Aaron Rodgers for half the season with an injury to his collarbone.

It worked out in the end, with his return just in time to beat the Bears and get the Pack into the postseason for the fifth season in a row.

One of the heroes of Green Bay’s tough season is rookie running back Eddie Lacy, who finished the year with 284 carries for 1,187 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Packers have long struggled to find a featured back, but now that they have their man in Lacy have the balance they need on offence to surprise in January.

Receiver Jordy Nelson was arguably snubbed in the pro bowl voting this year after taking over the WR1 duties upon Greg Jennings’ departure for Minnesota.

He had a career year with 85 catches for 1,314 yards and eight touchdowns. Remember, half of those games were without Rodgers throwing him the ball.

Who to watch: Receiver Randall Cobb was limited after returning to the field against the Bears, but he was still effective, most notably catching that game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. Look for him to continue to be a factor in playoffs.

Key stat: 133.5 rushing yards per game. That’s good for seventh in the NFL, this isn’t your same old Green Bay Packers.

NFC Wildcard Teams

San Francisco 49ers – 12-4 record
The 49ers came into the season as NFC Super Bowl favourites, and despite a 1-3 start finished the season challenging the Seahawks for the division.

While quarterback Colin Kaepernick struggled at times, he found his stride late in the season, only giving up one interception in his last seven games (with 10 touchdowns during that time).

As expected, the 49ers strength is their defence, ranked third in the NFL and only allowing 305.9 yards per game.

A dangerous linebacker corp, highlighted by Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, complements a strong defensive line.

The 49ers now go into the postseason just as hot as they were this time last season.

Who to watch: Remember how good Anquan Boldin was in last season’s playoffs? Look for the receiver to step up once again, this time for the 49ers.

Key stat: 85 catches, for Anquan Boldin this season, his best since 2008.

New Orleans Saints – 11-5 record
The Saints looked to be a lock to win their division after a 5-0 start to the season, but suffered key losses to the Jets, Seahawks, Rams and finally Panthers to knock them out of the NFC South’s top spot.

We shouldn’t be too down on the team, however, as their 11 wins is a marked improvement from their 7-9 2012 season.

This is in no small part due to the return of head coach Sean Payton, but credit must also go to defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who took the worst defence in the league in 2012 and remarkably turned it into the fourth best in 2013.

Who to watch: Tight end Jimmy Graham has been Brees’ most reliable target all season. Expect him to get plenty of work in January.

Key stat: 651 passing attempts in 2013. The second most in the NFL. As if it weren’t already obvious, this is a passing team.

Wild-card round match-ups

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts
Sunday 8:35AM AEDT on ONE HD and Foxtel

The Chiefs still need to prove themselves to their critics, what better way to do it than against the Colts, who beat them 23-7 only two weeks ago?

They’ll need Jamaal Charles to run rampant over the Colts’ 26th ranked rush defence, when they met in week 16 he managed 106 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Clearly Indy will want to try and contain him early.

Indeed, the Colts had the run of quarterback Alex Smith in their regular season meeting, sacking him five times and forcing him to turn over the ball three times.

This means so long as the Colts can build a lead early and force the Chiefs to rely on Smith’s arm, they’ll have a good shot at coming away with a win.

The Colts have proved they can beat any team in the league this season, despite being middle-of-the-road on both sides of the ball.

Look out for defensive end Robert Mathis to show why he’s a defensive player of the year candidate.

New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday 12:10PM AEDT on ONE HD and Foxtel

Two high-powered, top-five offenses should provide plenty of highlights for Australian fans on Sunday afternoon.

While the Saints know how to get after the quarterback with 49 sacks on the season to go along with their second overall ranked pass defence, the Eagles have an advantage running the ball, and New Orleans has given up 111.6 yards per game on the ground in 2013.

They are, two very effective, but also very different, offenses.

Philadelphia have shown that they are able to score very quickly, and have the shortest average time of possession this year with 26:24.

The Saints in comparison take their time with the ball, with an average time of possession of 32:40 minutes. This is despite the Saints being a predominantly passing offence.

I’d expect the Eagles to want to lean on the run early and often, and have Foles dish the ball to running back LeSean McCoy more often than dropping back to pass.

The Saints will look to expose Philadelphia’s secondary, particularly with the big tight end Jimmy Graham and veteran receiver Marques Colston. Both could have big games this weekend.

The Saints have never won a road playoff game with Brees and Payton at the helm, and their road worries has been a recurring theme this season, obviously they’ll be looking to put that narrative to bed.

San Diego Chargers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Monday 5:05 AM AEDT on ONE HD and Foxtel

These two teams met during the regular season, a game in which the Bengals won 17-10.

Will we get good or bad Andy Dalton? The banged up Chargers defence would certainly like to know. Despite giving up no interceptions in the previous three games, against the Ravens in week 17 he threw four of them.

The Chargers will watch the tape intently and look to find out exactly how the Ravens managed to force so many turnovers.

Still, the Bengals found a way to win, in no small part due to their own elite defence. A defence that is likely to give the Chargers fits this weekend.

As they have been throughout the later half of the season the Chargers would like to lean on running back Ryan Mathews.

Unfortunately he’ll be running into the Bengals who are fifth ranked against the run and have only given up 98.5 yards per game on average this year.

In fact, the Bengals are equally good against the pass, and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will likely struggle to find open receivers all game.

Working in their favour is the fact that in their earlier match-up in the regular season rookie receiver Keenan Allen found ways to get open, managing eight catches for 106 yards.

Obviously the Chargers would be well served to target him heavily again this weekend.

The Bengals in turn managed to run the ball effective against the Chargers in their earlier meeting (running for 162 total yards on the night), and if Dalton hasn’t shaken off his recent poor performance they’re likely do so once again.

San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
Monday 8:30 AM AEDT on ONE HD and Foxtel

These two teams met in the first week of the regular season, with the 49ers finishing on top 34-28. Before then, the 49ers actually knocked the Packers out of the 2012 NFL playoffs with a 45-35 win in the divisional round. These two teams are starting to build a history.

While the Pack are not the same team they were early this season (or late last season), they’ll need to learn heavily on Rodgers and his receivers to overcome San Francisco this time around.

They won’t be able to run the ball against the 49ers fourth best running defence, but will hope Rodgers’ mobility and quick release will help him deal with an offensive line that’s simply overmatched against the 49ers defensive front.

He has the weapons, Jordy Nelson is fantastic, and it’s clear Randall Cobb is a big play waiting to happen.

Unfortunately for Green Bay, their running game was developing into a genuine strength, but it’s hard to imagine it being effective on Sunday night.

Green Bay’s defence was completely unable to deal with Colin Kaepernick’s mobility and arm in either of their two most recent games.

Whether or not they’ll have made the appropriate adjustments since then will be key, and they know that the 49ers quarterback has been hot this last month.

That said, San Francisco will most likely remain balanced on offence and feed Frank Gore early and often, he should find success too, as the Packers have given up 125 yards per game on the ground this season.

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Plenty of reasons to get up early on Sunday morning, and perhaps calling sick on Monday as well.

How do you think the playoffs will shape up? My early picks would be the Seahawks and Broncos in the Super Bowl, the best offence in the league taking on the best defence would be a fantastic game.

Either way, it’s going to be a great month of football.

Dominic is a US sports editor and writer based in Maryland, USA. You can follow him on Twitter @AussieAudible