Rookie brain farts. Game-changing lapses in single coverage. The NFL’s second-worst QB. That’s how you lose a Super Bowl.

With the NFL playoffs set to begin this week, two prominent teams will not be competing: the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions. Both had phenomenal

Lions fans are irked with me. I mean irked, as in mildly annoyed, as in might not want to buy me an ice cream sundae, or let me merge into a busy line of traffic. I don’t think they hate me. Detroit football fans don’t seethe like that.

The Lions and Chiefs are in a tier of their own odds-wise, thanks to their 15-win seasons and accordant first-round byes. But both have nagging concerns that, if you squint hard enough, begin to look a lot like vulnerabilities. Will any of their potential opponents through the postseason be able to capitalize on those vulnerabilities?

If you are a fan of one of the final 14 teams left standing, congratulations. Now the fun can begin. Our NFL Playoff Power Rankings have the usual suspects leading the way, but don’t expect all favorites to earn wins in the Wild Card round.