The Post’s Steve Serby looks into his famous crystal ball to predict the participants and outcomes for the 2024 NFL playoffs and Super Bowl 58
AFC Playoffs
Wild Card
Chiefs 31, Bills 27: A rematch of their Dec. 10 shootout at Arrowhead in which Josh Allen led another last-minute drive to beat Patrick Mahomes for the second straight time. Damar Hamlin’s pick-six stuns the sea of red before Mahomes plays pitch and catch with — guess who? — Travis Kelce three times before the last-minute, no-look, sidearm 15-yard TD pass.
Ravens 27, Broncos 17: Sean Payton, asked about John Harbaugh over a Zoom call with Baltimore writers, says: “It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” Russell Wilson is under constant siege, and Lamar Jackson throws a pair of TD passes to — guess who? — Odell Beckham Jr.
Jets 27, Steelers 13: New Yorkers huddle around televisions in bars all over Manhattan. JetLife Stadium is rocking, Joe Benigno atop Fireman Ed’s shoulders. Aaron Rodgers throws a pair of TD passes to — guess who? — Garrett Wilson, and Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald wreak havoc on Kenny Pickett. Joy in Jetville. Game ball for Rodgers, who gives it to Woody Johnson. Robert Saleh in the jubilant locker room: “NOW WHAT?”
Divisional Round
Jets 24, Jaguars 20: Rodgers’ first road playoff game as a Jet. Breece Hall gets the Jets on the board early, but the O-line struggles against rested pass rushers Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Saleh’s defensive line rattles Trevor Lawrence, however, and Sauce Gardner steps in front of Calvin Ridley for a game-changing pick-six. Robert Saleh in the jubilant locker room: “NOW WHAT?”
Ravens 33, Chiefs 30: Jackson has the weapons to stand toe-to-toe with Mahomes, and with OBJ as a decoy, TE Mark Andrews is more of a factor than Kelce, and DC Steve Spagnuolo has no answer for rookie WR Zay Flowers.
AFC Championship Game
Ravens 24, Jets 21: A throwback bloodbath. Rex Ryan is spotted in a suite wearing “Play Like A Raven” on the front and “Play Like A Jet” on the back. Ray Lewis makes his riotous pregame entrance and M&T Bank Stadium is on fire. J.K. Dobbins schools Jamien Sherwood in the passing game. Roquan Smith plays Me And My Shadow with Hall and Dalvin Cook. Marlon Humphrey contains Wilson. Rodgers is under siege from David Ojabo, Odafe Oweh. NOW WHAT? Wait till next year.
NFC Playoffs
Wild Card
Seahawks 24, Eagles 21: A classic matchup between A.J. Brown and Riq Woolen is a tossup. Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones and Bobby Wagner make Jalen Hurts one-dimensional and Geno Smith refuses to let the shell-shocked Linc rattle him in the fourth quarter. Only eight teams have returned to the Super Bowl after losing in it the previous year. The Birds won’t be the ninth.
Cowboys 28, Lions 22: Dan Campbell has Ford Field in a frenzy. Aidan Hutchinson is wrecking the game on one side and Micah Parsons is wrecking it on the other side. Jahmyr Gibbs answers a long Tony Pollard TD run with one of his own. Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb wins it.
Giants 31, Saints 20: Derek Carr and Chris Olave burn Deonte Banks early, but Wink Martindale unleashes Kayvon Thibodeaux (three sacks), and Daniel Jones throws a pair of TD passes to Darren Waller and runs for two more. Mardi Gras for Brian Daboll.
Divisional Round
49ers 34, Seahawks 28 (OT): Brock Purdy is knocked out of the game with a concussion in the first quarter on a Jamal Adams blitz, but Sam Darnold comes off the bench and hits George Kittle with the rubber-match TD winner.
Cowboys 27, Giants 24: Lawrence Taylor runs out of the tunnel and MetLife Stadium is on fire. Cowboys special teams coordinator John “Bones” Fassel calls for a successful onside kick on the opening kickoff and Daboll is caught glaring at Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. Jalin Hyatt electrifies the crowd with a 98-yard TD catch-and-run, but Waller suffers a knee injury on a devastating tackle by Parsons, and Prescott overcomes an egregious interception with a late 98-yard bomb of his own to Brandin Cooks.
NFC Championship Game
49ers 37, Cowboys 21: Purdy is not playing, but Darnold guarantees a win. A TD pass to Deebo Samuels. Another to Brandon Aiyuk. Another to Christian McCaffrey. Prescott implodes — three interceptions — in the face of Nick Bosa’s pressure. Fred Warner suffocates Pollard.
Super Bowl 58
49ers 31, Ravens 24: A rematch of Super Bowl XLVII. No Colin Kaepernick versus Joe Flacco this time. No Lewis farewell. No blackout. Warner spies Jackson and 49ers DC Steve Wilks makes Jackson try to beat him with his arm. Jackson does find OBJ with an early slant for a 7-0 lead, but Darnold counters with a TD pass to Kittle and then rides Kyle Shanahan’s play-calling and McCaffrey’s dual-threat genius to the Lombardi Trophy. Revenge for Super Bowl XLVII. Darnold, accepting the MVP trophy, with a twinkle in his eye, says: “Sure wish the Jets could have made it here.”
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