Ranking the offenses of the 14 NFL playoff teams

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With the playoffs set to begin this weekend, let’s rank the offenses of the teams set to compete for the Lombardi Trophy.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens find themselves at the back of our NFL offense rankings due to the fact that superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson is unlikely to suit up for the team’s Wild Card matchup with the rival Cincinnati Bengals. Without Jackson, this offense has struggled mightily.

13. Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson.
Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Like the Ravens, the Dolphins reside in the cheap seats of our NFL offense rankings due to the fact that they will be without their starting QB in a difficult Wild Card round matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

While backup Skylar Thompson was serviceable as a fill-in for both Tua Tagovailoa and his original replacement Teddy Bridgewater in Week 18, there will be far more pressure to put points on the board with the Buffalo offense going up against a middle-of-the-road Miami defense. It is a bad combination for Miami this weekend.

12. New York Giants

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants’ success on offense this season has been less about the overall talent, and more about great scheming, execution and Pro Bowl play from running back Saquon Barkley. They will need that and another strong game from QB Daniel Jones in their postseason rematch with the Vikings and their high-powered offense.

They won’t be favorites but the Giants have a few things going for them as their offense has played very well of late — momentum is key in the playoffs — and the Vikings’ defense had trouble with Jones and the Giants in Week 16.

11. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker.
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks offense was one of the feel-good stories of the 2022-23 NFL season. However, Geno Smith has cooled off, and the offense was not quite as formidable in the final weeks of the season. It is part of why they barely snuck into the NFL playoffs in Week 18.

Nevertheless, the Seahawks’ offense still has tremendous skills players in Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and rookie Kenneth Walker III that are deserving of respect.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
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Tom Brady and the Buccaneers seem to be heating up just at the right time. While the team is in the playoffs because they were the best of an awful NFC South in 2022-23, the Bucs’ pass game has been top-five for much of the season.

Their legendary QB is turning the ball over more this season than in years past, but big games over the last four weeks show that the Tampa Bay offense can still wreck house on any given Sunday.

9. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
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At times in 2022, the Cowboys offense seemed like one of the very best in the league, posting 40 points or more a couple of times. However, QB Dak Prescott and his seven-week streak of at least one interception is cause for serious concern.

In the playoffs, mistakes are amplified and the Cowboys offense is playing like a unit destined to fail in the postseason.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense played a huge role in the team’s hot streak and winning the AFC South in the final week of the season. Like the Giants, they head into the NFL playoffs with a great deal of momentum and confidence after a five-game win streak to end the year.

What also makes Lawrence and the Jags’ offense dangerous is the fact that they have shown the capability to make big plays and win games late, a major intangible in the biggest matchups of the season.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Herbert continued to establish himself among the best QBs in the game in 2022-23. The Chargers wide receiver corps was hampered by injuries this season yet the offensive unit endured because of Herbert. They aren’t a favorite to make it out of the AFC, but with a quarterback like him, the Chargers are a very dangerous dark horse team in the NFL playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
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Justin Jefferson had a historic year for the Vikings this season. He rose to become the premier receiver and game-breaker in the sport. And as long as Kirk Cousins can get him the ball early and often, the Vikings offense can almost seem unstoppable at times.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, Cousins is not quite as good as some of the other top QBs in the postseason. His penchant for mistakes is why they head into the NFL playoffs outside the top five of our NFL offense rankings.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

It is mind-boggling to realize, but third-string rookie signal caller Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers offense is the hottest unit in the sport. The team’s current 10-game win streak has been driven by their elite defense, but Purdy and his crew have been highly efficient since he became the starter.

What also makes the 49ers offense so deadly is they are more balanced than many other teams with to high-level skill players in Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel assisting in Purdy’s success.

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Eagles offense stumbled a bit to the close of the season but it is one of the best NFL offenses because of MVP candidate Jalen Hurts. In fact, Hurts missing some games and playing at less than 100% in Week 18 was a major reason for the offensive struggles down the stretch. Like San Francisco, the Eagles offer a balanced attack where they can dice you up through the air or pound defenses into submission with their running attack. As long as Hurts is healthy, they will be a force to reckon with in the NFL playoffs.

The Eagles will have a bye during Wild Card Weekend.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals offense is one of the best in the sport because QB Joe Burrow is one of the best at his position. If there was anyone left who doubted him and the Bengals’ rapid ascent last year, he put that to bed in 2022-23 with another outstanding season and stamped himself as one of the top five QBs in the game. With a talent like that, the Bengals are in any game.

2. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen and the Bills offense have been near or at the top of our NFL offense rankings all season long. It really is a toss-up between them and the Chiefs for the top unit, however, some quieter performances in recent weeks are why they don’t get the top spot.

Nevertheless, this unit is why they are a serious Super Bowl contender, and they could be an unstoppable force in the NFL playoffs with the motivation of winning it all for Damar Hamlin.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense are a points-scoring machine. Even without superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill this season, they were the best offense in the league for most of the year and made 300+ yard games through the air look easy. Mahomes is having another MVP-level season and this is the unit to beat until further notice.

The Chiefs will have a bye during Wild Card Weekend.





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