No, the NFL playoff field isn’t quite finalized yet. However, the last two spots come down to head-to-head, win-and-in games between the Panthers and Bucs in the NFC South and the Ravens and Steelers in the AFC North. For those teams, the playoffs start this weekend, and those rosters include four Tar Heels.
We’ll start with the Tar Heels trying to stay alive for the playoffs this weekend.
Baltimore Ravens: 20 to 1
Devontez Walker, WR: reserve
Kaimon Rucker, LB: practice squad
Pittsburgh Steelers: 100 to 1
Cole Holcomb, LB: reserve.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 175 to 1
Charlie Heck, OT: reserve
I’ll be rooting for the Ravens this weekend, though for more reasons than Tez Walker and Kaimon Rucker. As for the Panthers and Bucs, I think Panthers fans collectively deserve a playoff game more than Charlie Heck deserves a Super Bowl ring. Side note: What an odd game for Panthers’ fans. A QB everyone wanted gone versus the QB most seem to want gone now. If you combine Tar Heel and Panther loyalties, I salute your resilience.
The rest of the entries will appear in order of their likelihood, via current FanDuel odds, of winning it all.
Seattle Seahawks: 5.5 to 1
Chazz Surratt, LB: IR
Philadelphia Eagles: 9.5 to 1
Willie Lampkin: IR
Sam Howell: Emergency 3rd QB
New England Patriots: 10 to 1
Drake Maye, QB: MVP, imo
Amari Gainer, LB: practice squad
Mack Hollins, WR: IR
Buffalo Bills: 10 to 1
Mitch Trubisky, QB: reserve
Houston Texans: 12 to 1
British Brooks, FB: starter
Alijah Huzzie, CB: reserve
MJ Stewart, S: IR
Power Echols, LB: practice squad
Jacksonville Jaguars: 13 to 1
Dyami Brown, WR: reserve
Chicago Bears: 17 to 1
Ben Johnson, HC: Coach of the Year?
Los Angeles Chargers: 22 to 1
Omarion Hampton: starter
Thoughts:
AFC: The Patriots are the easy rooting favorites here with Drake Maye and Mack Hollins. The Texans would a nice dance partner in the AFC championship game, with the Patriots advancing to the Super Bowl. 13 of the 18 entries on this list work in the AFC, so they’ll be eliminating each other, starting Saturday with the Ravens-Steelers game. Root against Denver. If they go down, there will be a Tar Heel or more in the Super Bowl.
NFC: Of the five Tar Heels working in the NFC, Ben Johnson making it all the way through to the Super Bowl versus Maye seems the ideal Tar Heel scenario.
Any other Tar Heels out there connected to coaching staffs or front offices that were missed? What are your thoughts?
Go Heels
