And then there were four.
The Divisional Round is generally considered to be the best weekend of the entire NFL season and this season’s slate of matches did not disappoint.
Fans were treated to huge individual performances, dazzling rookie showings, a huge quarterback battle and, of course, the Chiefs winning again.
But while Washington, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Kansas City are all preparing for next weekend’s Championship Games, four teams have seen their Super Bowl dreams evaporate for another year.
DAZN News takes a look at what these four teams must now do this offseason if they are to return as contenders again next season.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore-Buffalo clash that closed out the Divisional Weekend was billed as a battle between quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, but a dramatic fourth quarter again showed that the NFL is perhaps the ultimate team sport.
While some fans and pundits will point the finger at Jackson for failing to get his team over the line as another stunning individual season ended without the Lombardi trophy, that is not fair.
Jackson - who is likely to win his third NFL MVP in the next fortnight - was not at his scintillating best against the Bills, throwing an early pick and losing a fumble, but did what was asked of him late on, throwing a 24-yard score to Isaiah Likely with 93 seconds left before putting the ball in Mark Andrews hands for what would have been a game-tying score, only for the tight end to drop the pass.
Baltimore now heads into another offseason of soul searching, but if they are to set Jackson up to succeed next season, they will need to address their offensive line, as Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari are both set to be free agents and likely to command hefty deals.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens must improve what was one of the NFL’s worst passing defences, whether that is by boosting the secondary, the pass rush, or, ideally, both.
Detroit Lions
It would take either a heart of stone or another rooting interest not to be moved by Dan Campbell’s post-match press conference as the Detriot Lions head coach cut a desolate figure when he tried to explain why his team when from Super Bowl favourites to one-and-done playoff losers on Saturday night.
Campbell isn’t one to make excuses, but make no mistake, injuries played a pivotal role in his side’s playoff exit. The Lions seemed to see key players down every week over the second half of the regular season and with better injury luck next season, they will be right back in contention.
The pressing issue surrounds Campbell’s coaching staff. One of the occupational hazards of being a successful NFL franchise is the risk of losing the coordinators that have masterminded a team like the Lions’ rise in recent years, with Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn both in demand and with six head coaching jobs currently up for grabs, Detroit may find themselves needing to replace one of both of this duo.
Houston Texans
It was a second consecutive divisional round exit for last year’s surprise team, and while losing to the Chiefs at Arrowhead is a perfectly respectable way to end the season, the 2024 campaign was something of a disappointment for DeMeco Ryans’ side.
The offense and quarterback C.J. Stroud took a step backwards this year and the Texans’ efforts this offseason should centre on making sure they give their young signal-caller the best possible scenario to succeed next season.
Stroud was sacked eight times against the Chiefs (four of which were on either third or fourth down), with the current Super Bowl champions also registering 14 quarterback hits.
Offensive line help and further depth at wide receiver is needed this offseason, but with just $6million in estimated salary cap space available, the Texans will need to be smart.
LA Rams
Sean McVay’s LA Rams exceeded expectations this season, as few expected a deep playoff run that saw them battle to the last, but ultimately come up short to an electric Saquon Barkley at a snowy Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
After two excellent draft classes and plenty of salary cap space, the Rams very much appear to be a team on the up and don’t have any major surgery to do on their roster this offseason.
Cooper Kupp is starting to look his age, so a new wideout should be on their to-do list and while smart drafting ensured Aaron Donald’s retirement last year was not hugely felt, a truly disruptive pass rusher would help this young roster progress further.
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