Because these names are not mentioned on the ESPN “talk” show, we are not contractually obligated to throw Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in the starting role and it means that they will be known as bad and the worst people if t finally win the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
Yes, history is written by the winners—that’s why Patrick Mahomes is considered the Stephen King of this era and Allen and Jackson are considered as if they were caught shoving Crayolas up their noses during the draft.
But reputations, resumes, and career arcs can change over the next four weeks — for quarterbacks, coaches and franchises alike. It’s our job to announce 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? No, no. These teams are playing for free because the Broncos haven’t been in the playoffs since 2015 and the Commanders haven’t won a playoff game since Jan. 7, 2006. In addition, every postseason snap received by quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. bonus. If they’re lucky (or not), they’ll improve enough over the next five years to supplant Allen and Jackson in ridiculous talk show debates.
Are the Green Bay Packers or Houston Texans facing more pressure? Nah. Although the Packers’ Jordan Love and CJ Stroud faced elevated expectations all year, both entered the playoffs without a key opening due to injury. Both are expected to lose this weekend, so any win will be great and have a successful season.
Is it LA (Chargers) or LA (Rams)? There is no chance. Even though Los Angeles has been the hotbed of the NFL, the unprecedented wildfires ravaging large areas of Southern California are grabbing everyone’s attention. If either team wins this weekend—and the Chargers are picked to win in Houston—it will register just as little if they lose.
Tampa Bay? That fan base has to be among the happiest in the NFL. They win this category every year. They scored bleeptonof points this season and it was fun to watch. There is no reason to be upset about anything that happens this weekend or next.
Kansas City? Please. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and Co. they have already filed the canton estates. Short of losing in the Divisional Round or doing an All-State commercial live when they should have been practicing for two minutes, does any fan have the right to complain if the Chiefs don’t win a third straight Super Bowl?
The Minnesota Vikings are probably the 14th winningest team in NFL history. They’re an interesting story, but the Detroit Lions dashed any postseason expectations with Sunday night’s blowout in the Motor City. On the other hand, that makes the Vikings a starting point as well.
The Pittsburgh Steelers? Now we are starting to warm up. 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 more pressure? That’s right. They are teams that have been playing at a high level since 2019—due in large part to MVP-caliber quarterbacks—but none have reached the Super Bowl. So, yes, the pressure is on, but it’s not like any team is a betting favorite to win it all. Fun fact: The Ravens and Bills both finished with a plus-157 point differential.
Because of calling Philadelphia home, the Eagles are always under more pressure than the average 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 an NFL team under a lot of pressure.
This may seem counterintuitive, but the franchise that has never won a Super Bowl—the Detroit Lions—is the biggest loser by not winning Super Bowl LIX.
Yes, Lions are easy to please. They score touchdowns by the bushel; they let their offensive linemen catch and throw passes and Dan Campbell looks like the NFL’s most passionate head coach in several 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 analytics—helped the Lions blow a 24-7 halftime lead against San Francisco.
If the top team in the NFC somehow finds another way to not make it to the Super Bowl, again, it will change the way the Lions and Campbell are viewed. And he’ll be the star of the morning sports shows until he finds a way to lead them to the top.