After a long NFL season — that yet again seemed all too short — four teams are still competing for the Lombardi Trophy in the 2024 Super Bowl.
This season — as always — had elements everyone was expecting, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers finishing with a winning record and the Dallas Cowboys having a tremendous regular season, going 12-5 — then both losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Of course though, there were some breakouts nobody expected.
The future for the Green Bay Packers and the Houston Texans looks promising. A first-year starter and a rookie quarterback, respectively, both led their teams not only to playoff berths, but playoff wins — along with both of them being in the top 10 in multiple passing categories.
There were other season stats worth mentioning, but enough about the regular season. Let’s talk conference championships.
Obviously, the teams to beat are the two No. 1 seeds in the playoffs: the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.
Lamar Jackson, quarterback of the Ravens, will most likely be awarded Most Valuable Player, and the 49ers are the NFL equivalent of the Avengers, with players like George Kittle, Christian McCaffery, Chase Young and Fred Warner — and that’s only the beginning.
As for their opponents in the AFC and NFC championship games, the 49ers have been paired against another team with an incredible story, the Detroit Lions.
In 2021, the Lions were 3-13-1 and at the bottom of the NFL standings. This year, the team finished 12-5 and had one of the best records in the league.
As for Baltimore, the team will go up against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have made the AFC Championship game for the sixth-consecutive year, now with one more key piece — Taylor Swift.
When it comes to these vital games late in the postseason, it comes down to experience. Jackson has never played on a stage where the lights are this bright.
Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs has been to this stage and beyond multiple times, which is why they can win again. It would be amazing to see Jackson in the Super Bowl, but it’s near-impossible to stop the inevitable with the Chiefs.
As for the NFC — rather surprisingly — Jared Goff, the Lions quarterback, has the edge when it comes to the experience, as he has played in a Super Bowl against New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the 2019 Super Bowl. Can the Lions beat the odds and reach their first Super Bowl?
Let’s go Goff!
So, the all-awaited Super Bowl is now between the Lions and the Chiefs — the hero versus villain story, Mahomes vs. Goff.
Judging by the NFL script, it seems Mahomes is on track for another ring this year, unfortunately.
Fans will be watching the game Feb. 11 and rooting for Goff and the Lions all the way.
A team who’s been to three of the last four Super Bowls, playing against a team who has literally never seen it: the odds are just not in the Lions’ favor.
But odds themselves are odd too, aren’t they? No matter the spread or the projections, the odds are always 50/50. You either win, or you don’t.