Photo: Mars Johnson | Marlin Chronicle
After seven long months, the quest for the Lombardi trophy has begun once again in the NFL. The reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, pose a legitimate threat to go back-to-back, but there are many teams on the rise who could give them a run for their money.
Despite losing to the Eagles 55-23 in the NFC championship game, the Washington Commanders seem to be the Eagles’ most dangerous threat entering the season. One could disagree and say the Detroit Lions, but the Commanders beat the Lions last season in the divisional round. More importantly, the Lions lost eight assistant coaches in the offseason, including their offensive and defensive coordinators.
Many teams in the past have struggled the season after losing their coordinators, including the 2023 Eagles, who started hot but ended the season with a 1-6 record in their last seven games. I don’t expect the Lions to be that bad, but it is worth mentioning.
As an Eagles fan, the Los Angeles Rams scare me more than the Lions do if Matthew Stafford’s back holds up the entire season. The Rams were the only team that gave the Eagles a challenge in the playoffs last year. The Rams also added Davante Adams in the offseason to strengthen their wide receiver room.
I don’t see any other teams making it out of the NFC. The Green Bay Packers are intriguing after recently acquiring Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys, who is one of the best edge rushers in the league, but they are a step below the other teams mentioned.
The AFC is loaded this year, as always, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens leading the pack. If the Chiefs were to win the AFC, it would be their sixth time in seven seasons making it to the Super Bowl and their fourth year in a row.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are the only team in the AFC to have knocked off the Chiefs in the playoffs. It is unfortunate how bad the Bengals defense is, because their offense is as good as anyone’s, but their defense will more than likely cost them this year like it did last.
This leaves Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen winless against Patrick Mahomes when it matters most. Josh Allen and the Bills have come close on multiple occasions, including the AFC championship game last season, scoring 32-29, but have fallen short every time. The Ravens had their chance two years ago in the AFC championship game when they hosted the Chiefs in Baltimore, but they lost 17-10.
It is hard to doubt Mahomes and the Chiefs with a resume like that, but I truly do believe that the Ravens will find a way to make it out of the AFC this year. I think they have the best roster in football, but it will come down to performing in the clutch.
The Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos could be dark horses, but until I see someone beat Mahomes in the playoffs, I won’t even consider picking an inexperienced playoff team to win the AFC. With all of that being said, I have the Eagles and Ravens matching up in the Super Bowl, with the Eagles winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Sometimes I am a biased Eagles fan, but this is not one of those times.
If these two teams were to meet in the Super Bowl, it would not be similar to the Eagles victory over the Chiefs this past February. I think the teams match up better against each other.
In terms of regular season awards, I do have Lamar Jackson winning his third MVP, and I believe he should have won it last season over Josh Allen.
It will take a lot to beat the Chiefs and make the Super Bowl, but if it is ever going to happen, I believe this is the year for the Ravens.
However, the Eagles have done something that none of these other teams have done: beat the Chiefs.
By: Coy Camiscioli
clcamiscioli@vwu.edu
