NFL playoffs 2016: Top 10 potential matchups

FanSided’s Andrew Hammond takes a look at the 10 potential playoff games that have the an impact on who plays in Super Bowl 51 in February.

Usually one side or the other is an open and shut case on who reaches the Super Bowl. For the first time in a long time, both the NFC and AFC playoffs will be very entertaining. You’ve got teams like Seattle, Kansas City and Pittsburgh that could go on the road and pull off an upset. Meanwhile, Dallas and New England may have much tougher games than they anticipated starting in the divisional round.

Here’s 10 potential playoff games that will be must-see TV.

10. Raiders at Chiefs 

Yes, I know we’ve seen this before and it’s ended with the Chiefs winning both of the contests in 2016. With KC losing Derrick Johnson for the rest of the season with an injury, the Chiefs defense takes a major hit. Despite being swept by the Chiefs this season, the Raiders have enough offense and a strong enough defense to move past the Wildcard round against whoever they’ll play.

The Raiders and Chiefs have not met in the playoffs since the 1969 AFL Title Game and so seeing these two longtime rivals in the playoffs would be awesome to see. While I’d give Kansas City the advantage for now, don’t be shocked if Oakland pulls off the upset.

Most likely meeting: AFC Divisional Round

9. Steelers at Patriots 

One again, we’ve seen this before but the result may be much different this time. A lot of things have changed for the Patriots since they defeated the Steelers 27-16 on October 23rd. The Pats won’t have Rob Gronkowski and the Steelers have enough weapons to defeat New England in Foxboro if this were to happen. Tom Brady’s performance has been of the typical Brady so if you mix that with Big Ben and the Steelers, it’s perfect for a January afternoon on CBS.

Most likely meeting: AFC Divisional Round

8. Giants at Falcons 

Two dynamic offenses and two quarterbacks that know how to screw up at just the right time? Yes please! While the Giants and Falcons don’t jump off the page for the most part, the matchup at receiver is worth the price of admission alone. Atlanta’s Julio Jones up against New York’s Odell Beckham Jr will have fans very excited for this one. It may come down to which defense can force the most mistakes from two QBs who are prone to making errors at critical moments.

Most likely meeting: NFC Wild Card Round