Power ranking the players and coaches who have most to lose in the NFL playoffs

The NFL playoffs are where legacies are built or broken. One game can completely change the narrative or perception surrounding a player or coach during the most important point of the season. We’ve ranked the 15 individuals whose stock stands to plummet notably if they or their teams fall flat in the postseason.

Stafford already has his Super Bowl ring, so his body of work throughout a strong career remains largely secure. However, the soon-to-be 37-year-old will need to prove that Father Time isn’t breathing down his neck by authoring up strong performances for as long as Los Angeles is in the postseason. As seen on Football Reference, Stafford threw for less than 200 yards in each of his last three games.

Darnold has had a marvelous campaign in Minnesota, turning himself into a legitimate MVP candidate. However, fans will be watching to see whether the clock strikes 12 on Darnold’s resurgence in the playoffs. Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports highlighted concerns about Darnold’s play stemming from a bad loss in Week 18 to the Detroit Lions.

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Bowles’ record in Tampa Bay is probably right where most fans would expect it to be. Football Reference notes he’s 27-24 in three seasons with the Bucs, which is average by almost any measure. He’s a decent NFL coach, but a loss in the Wild Card round will only further perceptions that he’s the man to get a team to the playoffs, but not deep into it.

After an embattled tenure as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Smith decided to take the offensive coordinator job in Pittsburgh in hopes of rehabilitating his value. It’s largely worked, as Smith is slated to receive head coaching interviews this cycle. However, the past few weeks for Pittsburgh have been lackluster, and a bad offensive showing in round one could throw cold water on Smith’s pursuits of another head coaching gig.

Former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said of Herbert on his podcast, “We’ve anointed him, but he doesn’t seem to be in the category with those guys.” Herbert has never won a postseason game, which is something he’s looking to change this weekend. There’s no questioning Herbert’s ability or his toughness, but another playoff loss would force fans to question his place in the pecking order.

Sporting News, ESPN and others have covered the struggles of Baltimore’s pass defense this season. Fortunately for them, they go up against a Steelers team in round one that isn’t exactly known for airing it out. If Pittsburgh throws it all over the field against Baltimore, Orr could find himself as a one and done defensive coordinator for a team with win-now expectations.

As mentioned earlier in the Arthur Smith section, the Steelers have sputtered down the stretch of the season after a strong start. Questions about the “real” Russell Wilson and how much he has left will be guided by his playoff performance. It’s important to remember that he only signed a one-year deal this past offseason, so his future hinges on productive postseason play.

Joseph has done a tremendous job rebuilding his image after his defense conceded 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in September 2023. Since that point, Denver’s defense has been one of the very best in the NFL. As unfair as it might be, Joseph is one explosive Josh Allen game away from having that all that positive work undone. Joseph is also under consideration for head coaching jobs, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

McDermott told Essentially Sports something that all coaches say throughout the year. “The ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl.” That’s obvious, but McDermott will be in for a long offseason if the Bills fall short of that goal this year. They’ve knocked on the door for years, but haven’t been able to get it done when push came to shove.

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The infamous streak lives on; Tomlin has never had a losing season in 18 years as the Steelers’ head coach. It’s an awfully impressive run, but Steelers fans want more than just the one Super Bowl title he’s been able to bring to Pittsburgh in that stretch. He likely wouldn’t lose his job with a disappointing playoff exit, but the volume questioning just how great he is might turn up a few notches.

Bass has been one of the better kickers in the NFL for a long time, but his missed boot against the Kansas City Chiefs last year is arguably his most famous moment. Bass doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of history two years in a row, as his missed attempt last year lumped him in with the likes of Scott Norwood.

Ryan Mink of the Ravens team website wrote that “Derrick Henry gives Ravens a different element entering playoffs.” Mink is one hundred percent correct, as Baltimore can feel confident in continuing to feed the bruising back this postseason. There’s a lot of pressure on Henry, though, as his addition was viewed as the missing piece to get the team to a Super Bowl.

Marca wrote that Sirianni is under a huge spotlight this postseason. He guided the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance a couple of years ago, but Philadelphia crashed and burned out of Wild Card Weekend a season ago. With another strong team, Sirianni cannot afford to get bounced in round one for a second consecutive year.

From the outside looking in, the Bills figured to take a step back on paper by losing talent on both sides of the ball heading into 2024. Allen put on his Superman cape and brought the Bills to new heights, proving just how great he is. However, his sensational campaign in the regular season won’t matter if he’s not able to carry Buffalo into the Super Bowl this year.

Jackson and Allen are in the same boat, and have by far the most pressure during the postseason. Jackson is coming off of a disappointing AFC title game a year ago against the Chiefs, although his playmakers didn’t do him any favors. The Ravens standout signal caller will need to make it to the Super Bowl to dispel notions that he can’t win the big game.

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