It's no secret that success in the NFL playoffs is hardly monopolized by the best teams. Often it's the hottest squads – 2021 Buffalo Bills? – that so often rise to the top ... or, alternatively, the healthiest ones do.
And sometimes – and more specifically – maybe getting a key player back from a lengthy absence can make all the difference. (Would the New England Patriots dynasty have ever gotten off the ground had QB Drew Bledsoe not been available to shepherd a victory in the 2001 AFC title game in Pittsburgh, which Tom Brady left in the second quarter with a knee injury?