Can you believe we’re less than one month away from Super Bowl LIX? That means it’s the NFL’s 59th round of giving the majority of Americans a reason to scream at full volume and binge-eat snacks on a Sunday night. February 9, 2025, will be before you know it, but before sports’ biggest night can begin, the top eight teams still have to make it through the Divisional Round of the playoffs. In case you’ve been too locked in on your own team to keep track, the hunters still in the mix for the top prize are The Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and The Philadelphia Eagles. These teams naturally have some of the loudest, proudest fandoms in the league who will be rooting ruthlessly for their big boys to clinch the ticket to the Conference Championships.

But if your hometown heroes have already flopped (sorry for your loss), which team should you turn to next to find some surrogate daddies to get all “ra ra” for this big playoff weekend? Here’s a guide to the best teams to root for in the NFL Playoffs.

NFL Playoff Predictions: Best Teams And Players To Root For

Kansas City Chiefs

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If your real team is out and you want to show love to another fandom, why in the world would you pick the biggest bully on the block?! Rooting for the Chiefs after they’ve won three Super Bowls in the last five seasons (and appeared four times) is frankly just lazy. Andy Reid is like a father to me, but the Chiefs are now officially Big Football, like the Pats in the 2000s (down to the on-field temper tantrums when something shockingly doesn’t go their way). Watching Mahomes and Mr. Taylor Swift be humbled is absolutely on my 2025 bingo card (along with everyone who is NOT in their fanbase) so I guess if you like being hated on, go for it!

Houston Texans

All due respect to C.J. Stroud and his ability to keep hope alive off the back of a shaky regular season but I don’t think investing in their divisional odds is a great use of time. Why? They’re going up against the aforementioned monstrous Chiefs and the odds of them pulling out the W seems slim (especially with so many questionable players on their injury report). That being said, if C.J. can make serious magic with Joe Mixon and Xavier Hutchinson downfield like at the Wildcard game, anything is possible. You’d be in the company of Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce too, FWIW.

Washington Commanders

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The Commanders haven’t made it to the divisional round since 2006 if that gives you any indication of the organization’s success in the post-season since literally Y2K. They’ve been doing a lot better this season since Coach Dan Quinn took the reigns with rookie QB Jayden Daniels steering the ship, which is why they have more than three fans to rub together heading to the next round of the playoffs. But because Washington has been the red-headed step-child of NFC East for so long, don’t expect to find a lot of kindred spirits at the bar if you decide to cheer them on. If you’re looking to get in on a ground-up opportunity (that might go belly up), these boys are for you.

Los Angeles Rams

The LA Rams have had to be resilient AF to make it to the playoffs (so has the city the Rams represent, due to the devastating fires in Southern California in 2025). Matt Stafford might not be the most thrilling or fashionable QB in the league, but his completion percentage and overall rating have only gone up each week, so they certainly have a chance to go all the way. Plus, this fandom is definitely one of the more welcoming options, considering they relocated back to LA in 2015, which opened the door to a whole new crew of supporters.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have a stacked team with some of the best players in the league to get excited about: Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, Mark Andrews, and the list goes on. But, it’s also worth mentioning that King Lamar has a bit of a track record for slaying the first round and then choking in the next playoff game, so roll the dice accordingly. The good people of Baltimore can get a little wackadoodle so you better believe if Harbaugh brings the ring home the party will be absolutely outrageous.

Detroit Lions

The Lions (who are entering the Divisional Round as the number one seed in the NFC) are strongly projected to win their face-off against Washington, as long as injuries don’t deteriorate their defensive line too quickly. Detroit is yet another team on this list that is now reaping the spoils of some major rebuilding years and it’s kind of nice to hear the wall flowers roar, right? Root for the Lions if you like to play it safe but still love the little guy.

Buffalo Bills

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Don’t let Josh Allen’s sweet little smile fool you, the Bills come with a gnarly fanbase that will make you think twice about talking shit on their frosty little city. It doesn’t matter if your name is Taylor Swift, apparently, the Bills Mafia is going to let you catch the smoke, and honestly, I respect it. The Bills have been suffering from a spooky little curse for some time and now more than ever, they’re poised to break it. Jumping on The Bills’ bandwagon feels like a badass and smart movie, which is a rare duo. Not for nothing, their gear goes hard AF.

Philadelphia Eagles

You don’t have to be from Philly to want in on the chaos that is the Eagles. This fandom is for the masochistic baddies who love to risk it all and aren’t afraid to get hurt (like, if you’re a game player who texts her ex just to get a response and then blocks, you need to be all in on Coach Nick Sirianni’s game plan). The Eagles have so many icons to obsess over (for their stats and their faces) from Jalen to Saquon to Devonta. The City of Brotherly Love’s team is not only full of dogs but is the NFL’s eternal underdog, so if you’re looking for a Cinderella story to get emotionally invested in, look no further. Plus, when we win, you get to climb telephone poles.

When are the NFL Divisional Round Games?

The Divisional Round games will take place on Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19. Texans at Chiefs airs at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday followed by Commanders at Lions at 8 p.m. ET. Sunday starts with the Rams at Eagles at 3 p.m. ET followed by Ravens at Bills at 6:30 p.m.