Every year, Sunny and Joshua and I have a little pick ’em contest with the NFL playoffs and I keep up with the standings here on the blog. This regular season was as unpredictable as any in recent memory. Who saw the Broncos securing the AFC West division crown, much less the #1 seed in the AFC? Who could’ve predicted that Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye would engineer such an impressive turnaround in New England? (Even if their schedule was daycare.) Who would’ve guessed that Jacksonville — winners of eight in a row — would be the hottest team in the league coming into the playoffs? And that’s just in the AFC alone! The Seattle Seahawks are the clear #1 seed in the NFC, but would anyone be surprised if the Bears knocked them off? Or the Rams? Or the Eagles? Or the 49ers?

There are so many great storylines to follow in these playoffs. With Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow all watching from home, Josh Allen is clearly the best QB in the postseason. This Bills team is certainly flawed, but Allen may never have a better path to a Super Bowl. It will also be interesting to see if the Eagles can find their offensive rhythm again. We’ve seen them do it before and they almost seem too talented to fail. But they’ll have to run the gauntlet to repeat, starting with a tilt against the 49ers. Imagine what Kyle Shannahan could do with a healthy roster. Can Aaron Rodgers add to his Hall of Fame credentials with another postseason run? Does defense still win championships? If so, the Texans, Broncos, Seahawks and Eagles should be feeling really good about their chances. But I don’t know — this Rams team feels special. I have a feeling they might be the team to win it all. Thankfully I don’t have to decide that right now.

Here are our picks for the opening round of the NFL playoffs:

Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers

Jason: Rams. In a blowout.

Joshua: Rams

Sunny: Rams

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

Jason: Bears, although Jordan Love playing has me a bit worried about this selection. He’s gotta be kind of rusty, right? I’m a little surprised all three of us picked the Bears in this one.

Joshua: Bears

Sunny: Bears

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

Jason: Jaguars, although I hope I’m wrong about this pick. I LOVE watching Josh Allen play. More than any modern QB, he reminds me of John Elway. But I can’t overlook the fact that Sean McDermott is 0-5 in road playoff games. Plus the Jags haven’t lost a game in two months.

Joshua: Bills

Sunny: Bills

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles

Jason: Eagles. I think this could be the best matchup of the entire opening round. I know there are a lot of good coaches in this league, but I am constantly amazed at what Kyle Shannahan has been able to do despite injuries to his roster. In the end, I just think the Philly defense is too good and the offense finds a way.

Joshua: Eagles

Sunny: Eagles

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots

Jason: Chargers. Can’t go chalk the whole way. I think New England is fraudulent.

Joshua: Patriots

Sunny: Chargers

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers

Jason: Texans. Neither team will put on an offensive clinic, but the Texans defense is just elite.

Joshua: Texans

Sunny: Texans