Inside the Numbers offers an in-depth look at trending statistics, records, and patterns in the NFL each week.
As the postseason approaches, the remarkable achievements from the highly touted rookie quarterback class of 2024 are set to make their playoff soon. Jayden Daniels of Washington and Denver’s Bo Nix are anticipated to make their playoff introductions on Sunday, marking the unique occurrence of two rookie quarterbacks starting in the same playoff season.
While there have been instances of rookie quarterbacks stepping in during the playoffs, this will be only the fourth time two rookie quarterbacks who each made a minimum of six starts during the regular season will take the field in the postseason together. This scenario last unfolded in 2012 when Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson each started playoff games. The previous occurrences took place in 2008 with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, and in 1983 featuring legendary Hall of Famers John Elway and Dan Marino.
Historically, only seven rookie quarterbacks have managed to win playoff games. There has yet to be a year where more than one rookie quarterback won, and to date, no rookie has started a Super Bowl. Notable young quarterbacks like Brock Purdy, Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, and Shaun King faced defeats in the conference title games prior to the Super Bowl.
Daniels and Nix have already forged a path with record-breaking seasons, achieving ten wins and generating at least thirty combined touchdowns through passing and rushing. They have also accumulated over 4,000 total yards from their offensive efforts combined. Notably, before this season, no rookie quarterback had met all these statistical achievements in a single season.
The duo is part of a broader trend of youthful quarterbacks, with eleven out of the fourteen projected playoff starters being in their twenties. This group includes four players from the 2018 draft class: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. This marks the fifth time four quarterbacks from the same draft class will compete in the postseason, a feat that was seen last season as well, with Mason Rudolph stepping in for Darnold.
In this year’s playoff scenario, fans will recognize many familiar faces. Ten of the playoff contending teams have returned from last season, while only Denver, Minnesota, Washington, and the Chargers have qualified this year after missing out last season.
Notably, the number of new entrants is the lowest since the NFL’s playoff format expanded to twelve teams in 1990, with the last instance being in 2015. Each of the previous four seasons with fourteen playoff teams had at least six new teams qualifying.
All four division champions in the AFC will be looking to reestablish dominance, as Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, and Houston all successfully defended their titles. The last time all four division winners repeated in a conference since the 2002 realignment happened in the 2019 and 2012 AFC seasons.
In the NFC, the scenario also saw repeat performers, with Tampa Bay claiming its fourth consecutive NFC South title and Detroit capturing its second straight NFC North championship. This is a historic moment, as it marks only the third time in history that six repeat division winners occurred, previously happening in 2012 and 2014.
On the individual component, few teams achieved better personal statistics than the Cincinnati Bengals. Nevertheless, these accomplishments did not convert into team success on the field, as the Bengals ended up with a 9-8 record and missed out on the playoffs.
Star receiver Ja’Marr Chase has now etched his name in the record books, becoming the fifth player since the NFL’s merger in 1970 to achieve a receiving Triple Crown, leading in catches, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions. Additionally, quarterback Joe Burrow claimed the lead for passing yards and touchdowns, while Trey Hendrickson topped the charts in sacks.
Despite having leaders in all these individual categories, the Bengals could not secure a playoff spot.
The Seattle Seahawks found themselves in a similar predicament, as once again, a winning record did not guarantee a postseason opportunity. After a 9-8 record that fell short of the playoffs due to a tie-breaker the previous year, they faced a similar fate following a 10-7 season.
Tied with the Rams for first place in the NFC West after even season confrontations, their position depended on tie-breakers regarding their winning records against opponents. The Rams secured the playoff spot due to the combined wins of the teams they defeated, totaling two more wins than the Seahawks’ opponents.
Seattle has now become just the second ten-win team to miss the playoffs since the additional wild-card spot was added in 2020, with the Miami Dolphins also experiencing a similar disappointment in 2020. From 1990 to 2019, twelve ten-win teams missed the playoffs when only six teams per conference qualified.
The Seahawks also find themselves among the four teams that missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons despite posting winning records since 2000, with Cincinnati similarly limited at 9-8 for the second consecutive year. The Miami Dolphins also faced back-to-back playoff misses following winning seasons in 2002-03 and 2020-21.
As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they are entering the postseason amid a slide. After losing their last four games, they went from contenders for the top seed to a second wild-card entry facing a daunting challenge against the AFC North champions, the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers are now only the third team in history to enter the playoffs on a losing streak that extends to four games, with the last occurrence coming from the Detroit Lions in 1999. The Lions managed to sneak into the postseason with an 8-8 record but lost to Washington.
The 1986 New York Jets provide a closer parallel to the Steelers, having started with a remarkable 10-1 record before suffering five straight defeats. They did, however, manage to triumph over Kansas City in their wild-card game before succumbing in aftermath to Cleveland in double overtime in the divisional round.
The Steelers now face another hurdle, dealing with a five-game playoff losing streak that began with the 2016 AFC title game against New England. A defeat against Baltimore would place Pittsburgh among the teams tied for the fourth-longest playoff losing streak historically, trailing three other franchises.
