NFL Season Recap and Superbowl Predictions
Photo courtesy of news4jax.com.
It’s that time of the year. The NFL regular season has come to an end once again. Teams fought to win their divisions and earn a spot in the playoffs. But of those 14 teams who made it to the postseason, only 2 teams remain.
At the beginning of the playoffs, many teams were favored to win due to their higher rankings. But, just like any other sport, there are underdogs who rise up and beat those teams. This is the current playoff bracket:
Along with these upsets, there has also been upsetting news in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints QB, Drew Brees, announced his retirement after suffering a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brees has been in the league for 20 years and has set many records along the way, deeming him one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. After the loss to the Bucs, Drew Brees is later seen out on the field accompanied by his wife and children. Also present during this was Buccaneers QB, Tom Brady. A video surfaced of Tom Brady throwing a “touchdown” pass to Brees’ son. This video is very heartwarming and shows that regardless of what team you play for, there is always room for kindness and having fun among opponents. The link to the video is listed below:
As stated before, there have been many upsets throughout this year’s playoffs. And some of these teams haven’t made the playoffs for a long time. The Cleveland Browns (6) are one of those teams. This has been their first playoff appearance since 2003 (18 years). However, teams like the Kansas City Chiefs (1) have been dominant in the playoffs for years. Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes has proved himself to be a star QB. Mahomes had recently been out with a concussion, and upon his first game back against the Cleveland Browns, he suffered from “Turf Toe.” This injury was deemed more serious than his prior concussion. The Chiefs have proven, however, that even without Patrick Mahomes, they are still a dominant team, ready to take on any challengers. The Buccaneers have been shocking everyone since the Wild Card Round, eliminating the Top 2 seeds along the way. The biggest shock came on Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, led by QB Aaron Rodgers. The Packers were the top seed in the NFC and gained home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. What does this mean for their opponents? Well, beating the Packers at Lambeau Field is about just as great a feat as winning the Super Bowl. The Packers went 7-1 on their home turf this season. But for the Buccaneers, that was nothing. They shocked the NFL fans and reporters by defeating the top seed on their home field, with a score of 31-26. Following their win against the Packers on Sunday night, the 5th seed Bucs will make history by becoming the first-ever team to play in their home stadium for the Super Bowl! First, they upset the #2 Saints. Then, they defeat the top-seeded Packers on their home turf. And now, they will be the first team to have home-field advantage during the Super Bowl! What an amazing chain of achievements!
Reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, will attempt to defend their title as National Champions against the underdogs and home-field contenders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Super Bowl LV (55) will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida on Sunday, February 7 @ 6:30 pm. Will the Chiefs defend their title and claim dominance, or will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue their hot streak and yet again, pull an upset and make history once more?
