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There is no greater example of the volatility of the NFL than the Oakland Raiders. Just a few weeks ago, the Raiders were considered one of the best teams in the league. Week 16 rolled around and franchise quarterback Derek Carr fractured his fibula putting Oakland's title hopes in serious danger. Oakland still entered the final week of the season with a chance to secure the top AFC seed. By the end of the day, every possible worse-case scenario took place dropping the Raiders all the way down to fifth in the AFC. Instead of getting a week to rest, the Raiders will not only play but travel to Houston to take on the Texans. It is the Chiefs that wound up winning the AFC West as the Raiders faltered down the stretch. That being said, the Raiders are just one example of things not always going as expected. The Cowboys have questions of their own to answer as Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott play in their first NFL playoffs. After months of fighting for position, the NFL playoff matchups are finally set. The Patriots, Chiefs, Cowboys and Falcons all clinched a first round bye. They will wait to play the winners of Wild Card weekend. Teams like the Packers have gotten hot at just the right time as Aaron Rodgers is playing as well as any quarterback in the league. The Packers will host the Giants in one of the more intriguing upcoming matchups. The Seahawks host a Lions team that is backing into the playoffs. Pittsburgh will host Miami in the other AFC Wild Card game. Heavy explores these storylines and more in the playoff edition of our NFL power rankings. Click on the arrow on the right side of the above image to see our latest NFL power rankings. (Getty)
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