The NFL playoffs are now right around the corner, so let's cover the three most shocking teams who made it to the dance. Every single year without failure, there are a small handful of NFL teams that disappoint big-time and also shock the world and are a lot better than we think.
Last year, it was the Houston Texans. This year, it's been teams like the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders. With how much parity there is in the NFL, this is bound to happen. There are three teams in the NFL playoffs right now that most of us simply did not think would get there. Let's look at them here.
Here are the 3 most shocking teams in the 2024 NFL playoffs
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were a three or four-win team depending on who you asked. Well, here they are with 10 wins and a Wild Card seed. They'll play the Buffalo Bills in the first round, and while they may lose that game, this has been a massive success for Sean Payton, Bo Nix, and the entire roster. The Broncos might just mess around and get themselves into contender status in 2025.
Maybe the most shocking team in the NFL this year, the Denver Broncos proved a lot of people wrong and are on their way to the postseason for the first time since 2015, when Peyton Manning was still the quarterback.
Washington Commanders
Another shocking team quarterbacked by a rookie passer, the Washington Commanders won 12 games this year and might have the next elite QB in the NFL in Jayden Daniels, who is flat-out insane at playing QB in the NFL. He's the Offensive Rookie of the Year and could help lead the Commanders on a bit of a run here.
I mean, their head coach is Dan Quinn, someone who has made the Super Bowl before. The Commanders are going to load up in the offseason and could be another team to follow suit like the Denver Broncos to try and maximize the rookie QB contract window.
Minnesota Vikings
When JJ McCarthy went down, many wrote off the Minnesota Vikings. Some thought they would only win five or six games this year, and here they are having won 14 games and earning the fifth seed in the NFC. Well, 14 games is plenty enough to win the division, but they do share it with the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings are one of the most well-coached teams in the NFL. Head coach Kevin O'Connell may mess around and win the Coach of the Year award, which is very impressive. The Vikes do have a top-tier defense and are getting some borderline-MVP level production from Sam Darnold.
While they may not be able to beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round, this season has been great for the franchise.