Alex Bowman is heading into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the 16th seed, and Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon thinks the No. 48 team could surprise people. In a video shared by SiriusXM NASCAR on X, Gordon spoke about Bowman’s season, the pressure he faces, and why he still believes Bowman can go further than expected in the playoffs.SiriusXM NASCAR posted the clip on social media. The caption read:“Alex handles pressure well.”Gordon explained that Bowman and crew chief Blake Harris have assembled strong runs this year, even if the win column is empty. He noted that the No. 48 car has speed and consistency, while playoff points are missing. That, combined with Bowman’s ability to stay calm under pressure, could be the difference in the early rounds. Gordon praised Bowman’s work under tough conditions in his comments to SiriusXM NASCAR.“The team is solid. Blake’s doing a great job, Alex. I mean if you just look at their performance where they’ve been running, okay the win column that didn’t come yet and with this format. That’s an important piece of getting locked in,” he said.He also acknowledged that Alex Bowman’s lack of playoff points puts the team in a tough spot, adding:“Now hey, they’ve got work to do, right? You get behind as far as going into this first round without those added bonuses and playoff points. You got a bit of an uphill climb. And I think there’s pressure on the 48 team, but I also have a lot of confidence Alex handles pressure well.”Alex Bowman’s season numbers back up part of Gordon’s point. In 26 races, he has no wins but has had 14 top-10 finishes, six top-fives, and two poles. He has led 160 laps, with an average start of 15.9 and an average finish of 16.3. He also has four DNFs, which have hurt his overall results. Bowman enters the playoffs with 2002 points, 30 behind the leader.Predictions from Motorsports Wire paint a different picture. Analyst Austin Konenski believes Bowman will be eliminated in the Round of 16. He points to Bowman’s struggles at Darlington Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway, both on the schedule in the first round. According to Konenski, even if Bowman runs well at Bristol, the first two races will likely be too much to overcome.He predicts Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, and Shane van Gisbergen will go out early. Still, he shared that Bowman has the potential for a deep playoff run if he can finally score a win.Alex Bowman on the stress of Daytona and the playoffsAlex Bowman spoke to reporters before the start of the playoffs about how he felt at Daytona, where his playoff hopes nearly ended. He entered the race winless and 16th in points, which made him vulnerable. After being caught in a wreck, he had no control over his fate. If a new winner had come up, Bowman would have been knocked out. Instead, Ryan Blaney charged from 13th to win the race, which kept Bowman in.Asked about those final laps, Bowman acknowledged it was difficult watching other winless drivers like Justin Haley and Cole Custer fighting up front, saying:“Nerve-wracking for sure, but at the same time everything that we’ve been able to do this summer and as strong as we’ve been able to run… obviously you want to be in the playoffs, but when it’s that much out of your control and there’s nothing you can do, you also can’t let it absolutely ruin your year if something outside of your control happens.”Alex Bowman joked afterward that he owed Ryan Blaney “seven million beers” for winning, though he later admitted he exaggerated since he hasn’t won himself this season. Still, he said he felt confident about how the No. 48 has run and believes the team is capable of making a strong push. When asked if he felt relief making the playoffs, Bowman said no. He explained that the playoffs bring more pressure and demand strong results every week.He was also asked whether he had something to prove. Bowman gave a mixed answer, saying it would be incredible to win a title with a team he views as a contender, but added that proving himself is no longer the reason he races.“We’re going to do all we can to make it happen. But I don’t drive race cars to prove anything to anybody anymore. I’m here to do my job for Hendrick Motorsports and to go perform at a high level every week,” Bowman said.Alex Bowman’s spot in the playoffs came with help from another driver, but now the outcome rests on what he and the No. 48 team can do on track. Jeff Gordon’s confidence gives him backing from leadership, but the first three races will decide whether that belief pays off or the predictions of an early exit turn out to be true.