With what's essentially a free agency system in place and seven-figure deals being made on a regular basis, college football has been morphing slowly but surely into something more closely resembling the NFL for years now. So how about we apply a college-type feel to the National Football League in return?
Welcome to the NFL's first-ever College Football Playoff-style postseason.
How a College Football Playoff format would change the NFL playoffs
The rules are simple: We reshape the NFL playoff bracket while following the current CFP format. That means win-loss record matters only to a point, and we reserve the right to add or subtract style points as we see fit.
The NFL's current playoff format includes 14 teams, while the College Football Playoff consists of 12. So, to start things off, we have to lop two teams off. Mike Tomlin's Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) are hosting a postseason game on Monday, but in this scenario, they're already at home on the couch. Meanwhile, Dave Canales' Carolina Panthers (8-9) had to rely on a divisional foe just to squeak in. That's not good enough to get into the NFLP.
Now that the field is set, let's decide a Super Bowl champion — with some very juicy matchups along the way.
First Round
No. 12 Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) at No. 5 New England Patriots (14-3)
Mike Vrabel's team won 14 games during the regular season, but only two were against teams that finished their slate with a winning record. Having what ESPN ranked as the easiest schedule in this campaign, the Patriots get docked and slide to the No. 5 slot here. They still survive a strong push from Jordan Love and the Micah Parsons-less Packers, who squeak in over less impressive division champions like Pittsburgh and Carolina.
No. 11 Chicago Bears (11-6) at No. 6 Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
It feels like the Bears are a year ahead of schedule. Chicago fans can take solace in the fact that Caleb Williams has a lot of years left in him as the old guy — Matt Stafford — forges ahead.
No. 10 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 7 San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
The 49ers didn’t look great against Seattle in the regular-season finale, even with a chance to secure the NFC’s top seed. Of course, none of that jockeying matters in this format. The Chargers put away Kyle Shanahan’s overachieving squad.
No. 9 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at No. 8 Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4)
Saquon Barkley didn't replicate his incredible 2024 season. Who can blame him, given the dysfunction and offensive line injuries around him? We'll crown a new Super Bowl champion after Jacksonville's stifling rush defense does enough to stop him and Jalen Hurts.
Quarterfinals
No. 5 New England Patriots at No. 4 Buffalo Bills (12-5)
You're only as good as your last (couple of) game(s). If not for a narrow loss against the Eagles in Week 17, Sean McDermott and the Bills would be rumbling into the win-or-go-home portion of the year on a six-game surge. That (well, and Josh Allen) is why Buffalo — not the Rams — got to rest for a week.
The Patriots couldn't even hold on after Buffalo spotted them 21 points last month. In a bracket that doesn't include Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow, Allen moves closer toward his first Lombardi Trophy.
No. 8 Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
The Seahawks earned the edge over the Broncos for the top seed in the bracket thanks to Seattle's 20-12 win over these Jaguars in Week 6. That victory gave Mike Macdonald's team a one-game advantage over Denver in terms of common opponents. Not to mention Seattle had a seven-game winning streak to finish the regular season.
Though Trevor Lawrence has begun to take the shape of what Jaguars fans expected, the Seahawks have the best scoring defense (17.2 points allowed per game) in the league. That unit helps them march on.
No.10 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 Denver Broncos (14-3)
We saw this matchup this past weekend, actually. The Broncos’ defense forced the Bolts’ offense — led by backup QB Trey Lance — into two turnovers and cut another two of their drives short on downs. With Justin Herbert back behind center, L.A. probably scores more than three points this time. But that's still not enough to down Denver at Mile High.
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 3 Houston Texans (12-5)
It's hard to argue against giving DeMeco Ryans' crew a bye to the quarterfinals. The Texans have won nine in a row entering the postseason despite having the league's ninth-toughest strength of schedule.
Semifinals
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 2 Denver Broncos
An unstoppable force meets an immov … oh, never mind. You get it.
Stafford operates the best air game in football, but can’t get too much done with the Broncos’ pass rush — which led the NFL with 68 sacks in the regular season — getting in his way all day. Sean Payton heads back to the sport’s biggest stage.
No. 4 Buffalo Bills at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks
There’s a pretty easy key to this one: If the Bills can run it, they win. If Seattle can stop it, it does. Allen covers 100 yards with his legs alone, finally punching himself a ticket to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LX
No. 4 Buffalo Bills at No. 2 Denver Broncos
With two AFC teams squaring off for the game’s greatest prize, we're breaking Super Bowl tradition.
Much like the Seahawks were tasked with, the Broncos have to swarm Allen and James Cook. This one takes on the form of a slugfest, but Buffalo’s defensive front doesn’t hold up late. RJ Harvey, an unlikely hero, breaks one in the final moments to push Denver over the top.