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Here we go again.

Each year as the hustle and bustle of the holidays come to a close, millions of Americans settle themselves into their sofas to begin the next season of celebration: the NFL playoffs.

As this time arrives each January there is a lot of reflection on how we thought the playoffs would look back in the fall. The comparison of who we thought would be playing in January vs. who actually is playing never fails to start a conversation. This year, like any other, there are surprises and questions raised as we look as this weekend’s championship schedule.

What are the 49ers doing here? Where are the Packers? What about the Buccaneers – isn’t it about the time of year that Tom makes his annual appearance in the championship game? Wasn’t this supposed to be the Bills year? The Bengals? That team from Cincinnati is still in it? THEM!?

With only four teams left in the mix, many of us are found without a horse in the race. For some of us, football season never extends past the first weekend in January. The playoffs are less of a dream and more of an unattainable reality. For others, the wound of missing the playoffs or losing in the previous rounds is still festering. Many people in both camps find themselves rooting against a specific team rather than rooting for any one of them. Maybe they ousted your team from the playoffs or a playoff spot. Maybe they are a bitter divisional rival. Or maybe they have a player that you hate on their roster who you would love to see lose.

Regardless of the reason, with or without a team in the mix, this weekend is a joy for all football fans. It’s the time of year when rivalries are born. Where you sit down to watch a game between two teams you don’t care about only to find you really, really care about one of them by the end of the game. It’s the time of year where one little mistake can change the course of a season. Where no matter how much work, sweat, and winning you have achieved up to this point, it can be over in the blink of an eye – or the block of a kick.

I’m a Patriots fan, so it is unfamiliar for me to not have a vested interest (and extreme anxiety) during this time of year. Am I spoiled? You bet your ass I am, but at least I am aware of it. Instead of donning my game day sweatshirt and sweating in anticipation this year, I watch with baited breath to see who it is going to be raising the Lombardi in a few short weeks.

But that isn’t to say I don’t have a lot of opinions and feelings about the remaining teams.

The Cincinnati Bengals

As a former Cincinnati resident, I am shifting my alliance to those mangy Bengals. And honestly if you are a fan whose team is missing out on Championship weekend, why aren’t you?

Okay, okay so it goes without saying that this question only applies to fans of teams that don’t play in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Baltimore – their reasoning is legitimate and I won’t hold it against them. BUT if you’re team isn’t alive and you aren’t a member of the AFC North, I ask you: why oh why are you not cheering for the Bengals?

This is a franchise that made an art form out of tanking in order to bring in the Athens, Ohio native Burrow from down in the bayou. They have been winless in the playoffs since before the first text message had been sent. They fooled us all into thinking that Ja’Marr Chase was a flop in the preseason, only for him to mess around and give an Offensive Rookie of the Year showing. They came out of nowhere to win one of the most competitive divisions in football. Let’s put all that aside for a moment though, because none of it matters when you consider the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals have never won a Super Bowl.

Let me say that again: this tiger striped franchise born in 1968 who has been to two Super Bowls has never hoisted the Lombardi.

If you have no dog in this fight, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t be rooting to see them lift it. To see a franchise write their name in the history books, to potentially beat the team that has beaten them during both their previous visits to the big game (read: the 49ers). This is the kind of stuff they write books and movies about.

But hey, that’s just one girl’s opinion.

I won’t ignore the fact that there are compelling storylines for the other three competitors this weekend as well.

The San Francisco 49ers

Everybody loves an underdog. As the only remaining Wild Card team left in the race the 49ers get to claim that designation, even though the franchise’s winning history may say otherwise.

It’s always exciting to see a Wild Card team come Championship weekend, especially when you consider the history of Wild Card teams who make the Super Bowl. Since the birth of the Wild Card in 1970, eleven of these underdogs have battled their way to the big show. Of those eleven, seven have claimed victory. This includes some of the more famous Super Bowl champions of recent years including last year’s Buccaneers, the only championship team Aaron Rodgers has been on, and sigh even those rotten Giants of 2007 who played spoiler to the Patriots’ perfect season.

In addition to the allure of the underdog, there is the simple fact that the 49ers are just plain fun to watch. They have a well oiled defense, the magical and exciting offensive prowess that is Deebo Samuel, the never dull Shanahan run game, everyone’s favorite tight end, and – of course – one of the handsomest men to ever step on the field. They are a wonder to look at and a pleasure to watch.

The Los Angeles Rams

Anyone who has watched football over the course of the last ten years has got to love seeing Matty Stafford’s success this year on the Rams. Even his former fans in Detroit, instead of being bitter, are cheering for him as if he still donned the grey and blue. Stafford’s ability and toughness were much talked about during his twelve year stint with the Lions. Yet, he had not received the acclaim that many of his peers had – many of whom his talent far superseded. Unfortunately for Matt, it’s not hard to see why. While he had the skills and the mentality, he lacked the success.

Thankfully for him, he has landed on the team that is going for it harder than maybe any team in the NFL. This team isn’t built like the Buccaneers of last year or the Patriots of the past (read: a Tom Brady teams), instead it’s crafted like an NBA championship hopeful. The roster is littered with buzzy names and flashy personalities. Even the most casual of football fans can identify the names on the back of the Ram’s modern jerseys. Names like Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Donald. Names like Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey.

If that wasn’t enough, they are growing talent from within the organization as well. Talent like Cam Akers, who came back to play mere months after injuring his Achilles tendon in the offseason. Talent like Cooper Kupp, who has seen his most successful statistical season to date and one of the most impressive seasons for a Wide Receiver…ever.

The Rams are the team that should win the Super Bowl. Not just this year, but every year they have a lineup like this under the leadership of Sean McVay. The trouble? The only team standing in their way before the big show is a team that, no matter how lop-sided their records may be, always gets the better of the Rams.

The Kansas City Chiefs

You have to understand that this is painful for me to say because I am a fan of an AFC team who has battled intensely against the Chiefs for the last few years. But I will take a deep breath, be a big girl and say it anyway: The Chiefs are excellent. When you play them you hold your breath each time the ball is snapped back to Mahomes. “White Eighty!” haunts the nightmares of recent AFC Championship hopefuls.

Patrick Mahomes and the incredibly talented Chiefs roster are annoying for so many reasons. One of which is that their championship window is still wide open with no closing in sight. Mahomes is only 26. They have Kelce until 2026 and Tyreek Hill will continue to run all over defenses in his red and yellow uniform for at least one more season. It’s a terrifying notion and no matter how much you want to deny it, it’s hard to ignore. The Chiefs are going to be here for a long time to come.

Well, the Chiefs or whatever team is hiking the ball to Patrick Mahomes on offense.

They are the favorites to win not only for their talent, but for their championship experience. Many of these players have been to the Super Bowl twice, winning once and losing the second time. They know the ecstasy of victory, but they also know the agony of defeat on such a grand stage. This is something that no other team here has experience with. True, both the 49ers and the Rams have lost in the Super Bowl in recent years (the former to the Chiefs themselves), but they haven’t known what it’s like to have it and then lose it.

Each team has their own motivation. The Niners are playing as underdogs, the Rams are putting all their chips in, and the Bengals are playing for history. That’s all well and good, but the Chiefs are playing not to lose which might be the most motivating thing of all.

Who Should You Root For?

In the end, no matter whose basket you put your eggs into, your team only has a 25% chance of winning. Oh yeah, and even if your team does win, you will have the inevitable return to earth with the realization that they are not, in fact, your team. Your team didn’t make it to Championship weekend.

Oops that got too real, let’s get back on track.

All four teams are great options to root for this weekend. It really does feel like just about any combination could end up facing off on February 13th. But if you are still struggling to figure out who you should root for, I broke it down for you below:

• If you like reading the classics, rooting for the underdog, and being the smartest person in the room – root for the 49ers.
• If you are a romantic, are someone who giggles with glee when a record is set at the Olympics, and go to the same two or three restaurants all the time – root for the Bengals.
• If you are the kind of person who goes 100% all the time, enjoys wearing designer labels, and prefers the beach to the mountains – root for the Rams.
• If you are a little extra, are totally addicted to Tik Tok, and have a habit of making things way too complicated for yourself – root for the Chiefs.