After a long, unpredictable regular season, only 14 NFL teams remain at the beginning of postseaon play, each just a few games away from reaching Super Bowl LX, where only one team will leave as the Super Bowl LX champion with the Lombardi Trophy. 

The NFL’s playoffs brings together seven teams from each conference, one being the American Football Conference (AFC) and the other National Football Conference (NFC) – creating a mix of division winners and wild-card teams. 

In the AFC, we have the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Chargers. While the NFC consists of the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and the Green Bay Packers.

Some of these teams dominated their divisions, while others fought through close games just to get in. However, once playoffs began, those differences don’t matter much. Every team now faces the same challenge: win or go home. This format makes the postseason very intense, because even the strongest teams have no room for error.

After the first round of the playoffs, the Wild Card Weekend, the field of 14 has been slimmed down to eight remaining teams: In the NFC, the 49ers defeated the reining Super Bowl Champion Eagles, the Bears had an improbable come-from-behind win against the Packers, and the Rams took care of the Panthers; in the AFC, the Bills eliminated the Jaguars, the Patriots took down the Chargers, and the Texans won against the Steelers.

Headed into the Divisional Round of the playoffs this week the remaining teams are all two wins away from the Super Bowl, and three wins away from becoming Super Bowl Champions. The Seahawks’ playoff journey will start when they take on division rival San Fransisco this Saturday, Jan. 17, at Lumen Field, with kick-off slated for 5 p.m.

According to ESPN, the Seattle Seahawks entered the playoffs as the favorites to win the Super Bowl LX, with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams closely behind them. While in the AFC west, the Denver Broncos are said to have the third best odds to win. 

Both the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos have claimed the No. 1 seeds and bye week through the first round of the playoffs. Since both NFL teams are the highest seeded team in their conference, Broncos for AFC and Seahawks for NFC, getting an advantage to skip the first round of the postseason, while they get to prepare for the second round, known as the divisional round. 

Having the advantage to skip the first round of the postseason does not necessarily mean that it’s time for vacation. It’s in that time period where both teams, Broncos and Seahawks, are able to practice their plays and practice overall to be more ready in the divisional round. 

Brady Henderson, a Seattle Seahawks reporter for ESPN’s NFL Nation, stated how “It was hardly an off week for the Seahawks. They practiced outside in the elements on Wednesday and Thursday … as coach Mike Macdonald tried to get his team accustomed to playing in the kind of weather it might see in the postseason.”

With the Seahawks as the Sportsbooks Super Bowl favorites, they don’t just rely on one factor to win. In addition to having talented players, they have a strong offense and defense team, which makes them different from the other teams. The Seahawks rookies have also played a key role in Seattle’s success.

Leonard Williams, an 11-year veteran player for the Seahawks, mentioned just how much the rookies have had a huge impact on the team’s success. “Not even just their playmaking ability but their energy,” he said. “Seeing young guys being able to show their energy, show their personality, show their enthusiastic personalities is huge.”

Many Seahawks fans are feeling very optimistic about the team heading into the playoffs. Lifelong fans Luis Lopez and Lisa Sawyer told Komo News how they feel about the Seahawks being in the playoffs.

“I think that the defense just needs to keep doing what they’re doing,” Lopez said. “I think that Sam [Darnold – the Seahawks quaterback] needs to just stay calm, do what he’s been doing this season, and that’s it. Just everybody keep their focus on the game.”

“I’m really happy with what teams are going, and hopefully they keep it going for next season too. Hopefully, we win the Super Bowl this year. Come on, Hawks!” Sawyer said.

However, if the Seahawks slips, The Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos are right behind them. With Denver’s strong defense and Los Angeles’ high-scoring offense giving them a real chance in the playoffs.

Anything can happen in the NFL playoffs, nothing is ever certain. A turnover, one interception, or a missed field goal can flip an entire season. But when you look at data, matchups, and the momentum, only one team checks most boxes. 

The Seattle Seahawks are the number one pick to win Super Bowl LX. 

14 teams started this journey. Only one will finish it. 

By the time one team finally earns its place in Super Bowl LX, it won’t just be because it was the most talked about team or the most hyped – it will be about who handled the pressure when it mattered most. That’s what the playoffs come down to: one game, one trophy – and right now, Seattle looks ready to claim it. 

Mark your calendars! Super Bowl LX will be happening on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. PT and will be streaming on NBC and Peacock.