NFL 2024 Preseason Predictions + Playoff/Super Bowl/Awards Predictions

 Hello readers! As of writing this piece, the regular season is just two weeks away. Indeed, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on September 5th. It'll be here before you know it or even hit you. In this post, I will do my predictions on where the 32 teams will end up by the time the regular season is said and done. Next, I will do the playoff and Super Bowl prediction. Lastly, I will do a prediction on who will win the awards as well as who will lead the league in certain categories. Let's get to work!

Disclaimer and Preseason Predictions

I feel a disclaimer is in order. I do not work for the National Football League nor its television partners or for a particular news organization. All of this is purely my opinion and I am not getting paid whatsoever for these predictions and picks. If I get anything right it is purely my opinion and luck. If I get something wrong then I guess oh well. Anyway, let's get to the Preseason predictions. 

Let's start with the AFC.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills (1st in AFC East): A lot happened in the offseason as Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs to Houston for some futures. Josh Allen will need to do more with less but they still have James Cook to help him out with a crew of weapons in Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Khalil Shakir from the draft as well. With the pressure on the offense, the defense will need to step up just as much. Pass Rush needs to find a way to get it going. Suffice to say, until proven otherwise, the Bills are still my class of the AFC East. 

Miami Dolphins (2nd in AFC East): Miami made the playoffs last season on the front of a stellar offense lead by Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill. The running game should be a bit better if not as great as 2023. The big question will be the defense. Giving up Christian Wilkins to free agency might cost the Dolphins some wins. Injuries to Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb will pit the shoulders of the offense to keep up with the AFC East race. I think they have more than enough talent to get to 2nd and win the wild card. 

New York Jets (3rd in AFC East): The Jets season last year ended in less than five minutes as Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury. After that first game, the Jets were put into a tailspin of mediocrity and misery. Hopefully Rodgers will be able to last a few more minutes this season than last one. He will need to in order to take advantage of the talent of Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. The defense should be a underrated aspect of this team should the quarterback suffers another injury. I think the Jets have the capabilities to earn a playoff spot but I'm not sure. 

New England Patriots (4th in AFC East): For the first time since Week 16 of the 1999 season, there won't be a head coach named Bill Belichick patrolling the sidelines. Hoodie and sweatpants and all. Taking over for the legend is Jerod Mayo, a former understudy of Belichick's who earned the opportunity of a lifetime. The former linebacker will have his work cut out for him as the Patriots aren't likely going to be good. The passing game is lacking a bit on weapons. If the combo of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson can get things going on the ground, they could be a good group. Defensively, the Pats will still have a solid group with a defensive-minded head coach roaming the sidelines. 

With the return of Aaron Rodgers, the AFC East could possibly be a 3-team race to the top. Other than the Patriots and Bills, no other team has won the AFC East since 2009. Miami might be the sexy pick for them to take the top spot but their offense will need to step up big. 

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens (1st in AFC North): Baltimore fell short of reaching the Super Bowl and this group looks like to be the group to possibly overthrow the Chiefs in the AFC. Lamar Jackson looks to be the driver's seat in a great offense that got the free agency prize in Derrick Henry. The weapons should be good as well. Defensively the Ravens will get a new coordinator in Zach Orr who should maintain the same system but the losses of Patrick Queen and Geno Stone to free agency will pit the defense in a bind. Should be a group that gets far in the AFC North and well into 2024. 

Cincinnati Bengals (2nd in AFC North): Cincy faltered down the stretch in 2023. The biggest reason was that Joe Burrow's health was an issue as he was out for the rest of the season. Without a solid line, the Bengals are one Burrow injury from falling off the cliff again. The group around him will be good and young as Zack Moss and Chase Brown will take the reins for the ground game. Ja'Marr Chase is dealing with a contract holdout but Tee Higgins is ready to go. Defensively, the Bengals were awful on defense. Getting Geno Stone from Baltimore via free agency will help them out a bit. I think the Bengals will have a group that can challenge the Ravens but should be playing for a wild card spot. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (3rd in AFC North): Gone is Kenny Pickett and coming in is Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The upgrade at quarterback will be good for the Steelers offense as they were lacking a bit. The running game should be good as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will tag team opposing defenses. The wide receiver group will be a mix as George Pickens will likely play for time as the #1 wide receiver. There was talk of Brandon Aiyuk wanting to become a Steeler but as of writing this, he's still a member of the Red & Gold. Defensively, the Steelers still have a group that can help keep them in games. With new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers offense could be a more physical offense with an improvement over Matt Canada who the Yinzers wanted gone for quite a while. I think the Steelers could be a dark horse candidate team. 

Cleveland Browns (4th in AFC North): The Brownies made the playoffs last year on the shoulders of quarterback Joe Flacco. The former Raven took them to the playoffs and could only reach the Wild Card round against Houston. Gone is him and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt who moved to take over the struggling offense in New England. With the big contract that was given to DeShaun Watson, the Brownies will have to play him again and hope he stays healthy. The defense could be a bit of a oddity but they do have Jim Schwartz running things while Kevin Stefanski runs the offense. The run game, their bread and butter, will be a bit shaky as Nick Chubb could be the one that will have to carry the team. At least they added a weapon in Jerry Jeudy. I think the Browns will fall back to a position that their fans are used to at this point, dead last. 

Last year's iteration of the AFC North saw all four teams with a winning record for the first time in the Post-Merger era. This year's version will likely not see that as I think at least one team having more losses than wins. The Ravens-Bengals race to the top could be intriguing down the stretch. Pittsburgh is possibly my dark horse pick to make noise in the AFC North. Cleveland will Cleveland their way through 2024.

AFC South

Houston Texans (1st in AFC South): The Texans were a big surprise in 2023 as the division winner and even won a playoff game. Some caution to the wind could be in order here as C.J. Stroud could be entering the Sophomore jinx. Despite this, the Texans traded for Stefon Diggs to help complement Nico Collins and Tank Dell. On defense they picked up Danielle Hunter from the Vikings to help the pass rush. I like the Texans but as a serious title contenders would be a bit of a high step. 

Indianapolis Colts (2nd in AFC South): The Colts faltered a bit on the early going. Anthony Richardson (yeah kind of forgot about that guy) is back for year two in his career. The jury is still out on whether or not the quarterback can be a versatile quarterback and lead a team to a playoff spot. Outside of Richardson, the Colts added Michael Pittman and drafted AD Mitchell. Josh Downs could be a fun option at tight end. Defense could be a bit of a question mark. I think they could have a 9-8 season at best. 

Jacksonville Jaguars (3rd in AFC South): Around this time last year, the Jaguars were a hot pick to possibly be a Super Bowl contender and a team that could threaten the Chiefs dominance in the AFC. This year seems just like a miserable sad story. It could be that the Jaguars were 8-3 at one point last year and then finished with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence got paid and then will have to work more with less. On defense, the Jags put a lot of capital to rebuild that unit. It will be Ryan Nielsen, defensive coordinator, who will have to help keep the Jaguars in games. It coulb e be a trying year for Jacksonville. 

Tennessee Titans (4th in AFC South): Out is Mike Vrabel and in is Brian Callahan. DeAndre Hopkins will have some time to recuperate from injury as he won't be back until possibly October. Calvin Ridley will help bolster a wide receiving corp that needs a bit of help. Will Levis will be the man to help out and carry this team. The running game could be lacking a bit in terms of veteran talent with the loss of Derrick Henry. I don't see a whole lot of noise coming from the Music City but I don't think they'll be completely awful. 

The AFC South is a bit of an interesting division. The Texans coming out of the pack and challenging the Jaguars was a bit of a surprise. The division will be up for grabs if any of the starting quarterbacks get injured early on in the year. I don't think the division will be the best out of all of the AFC but it is certainly better than past years. 

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (1st in AFC West): Big shock I know that two-time defending champions will go for another division championship. The case for the champs is pretty good. The offense should get better and the defense should be just as good. Sure L'Jarius Sneed going away in free agency is going to come back and bite them back a bit. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will just pick up some random person and turn them into a machine that opposing quarterbacks shake and quiver. Patrick Mahomes will be getting a bit of help as they added Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy in the draft (courtesy of their conference rival Bills). More to come on whether this team can three-peat in the playoff predictions but this team has more than enough talent to win the AFC West. 

Los Angeles Chargers (2nd in AFC West): The Chargers finally got rid of the anchor weighing them down in Brandon Staley and got the complete opposite in Jim Harbaugh. History says that the first year of a Harbaugh coached team will do well. A lot of it depends on Justin Herbert health. Austin Ekeler did move on from LA and it will be up to Josh Palmer and Ladd McConkey to get this team's offense to where they need to go. Defense will stay the same as they didn't see movement in that part of the team. I think the Chargers could be a playoff team but if Herbert is injured they will falter down the way. The ceiling is a possible playoff team. 

Denver Broncos (3rd in AFC West): This time last year was full of questions on whether the marriage of Sean Payton and Russell Wilson would last. It didn't take long for the union to reach its breaking point. With Wilson gone to the Steelers, Sean Payton can finally mold this team in his image. Bo Nix could be a solid starter but it will be up to the wide receiver corp to guide this team to where they want to go. Javonte Williams is an underrated running back but his line will need to give them a chance to do something.  Defense is a bit of a worry but that could be something that the Broncos could seek in the draft come next spring. I think the ceiling for them is 8-9 wins. 

Las Vegas Raiders (4th in the AFC West): At this time last year, the Raiders were in another year of Josh McDaniels coaching the team. The guy would last just 25 games going back to 2022. Antonio Pierce would take over and help lead the Raiders to a close winning season. Josh Jacobs left via free agency and I'm not sure if the running game can match the production that the former Raider put up. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison will have to pick up the slack. I like Gardner Minshew for the memes but as a solid starter is a bit of a stretch. The defense could be another average unit but they did add Christian Wilkins from Miami to help with the pass rush with Maxx Crosby. Is it possible that the Raiders make noise in the division? Possibly, but the recent history of the Raiders seems to say otherwise. 

The AFC West does have the defending champions in it and the rest of the division just wishes that they could knock the Chiefs off their perch. All three teams could possibly take the spot as 2nd fiddle to the Chiefs but they won't likely move past them. I keep thinking that the division will be the best but it always lets me down. 

The AFC in general is likely going to be a bloodbath again as the Chiefs are the favorite to win the conference yet again. All the other teams in the conference want to overtake them but will it be enough to do it? More to come on that in a bit later. Let's look at the NFC. 

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (1st in NFC East): Philly at this time last year made it to a Super Bowl. They certainly looked like they would make it back again but then the losses started to come. The Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills put the Eagles record at 10-1 and looked like they would run away with the NFC East. They would go 1-5 after that game. The Eagles case to making back to a Super Bowl will be intriguing. They added Saquon Barkley and got a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox also retired in the offseason. In their place they put forth Cam Jurgens and Jordan Davis. The Eagles case for winning the NFC East is this: no team has not repeated as division champs. I think they have the capabilities to do it. 

Dallas Cowboys (2nd in NFC East): Dallas has both a low floor and a high ceiling. It is typically the case for them. After laying the biggest egg in franchise history in losing to the Packers last year, the seat to Mike McCarthy is starting to get hot. The seat was so hot that the head coach might've gotten shown the door and Bill Belichick to walk right in. The Cowboys will need to get a lot more of Dak Prescott this year while Tony Pollard is gone. In his place is Ezekiel Elliott. Dan Quinn is also gone and in his place is Mike Zimmer. I think the Cowboys still make the playoffs but they falter down the stretch. 

Washington Commanders (3rd in NFC East): Year 2 of the new ownership and boy did they clean house. Gone is Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn is back in the head coaching ranks. The Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels in the draft. The big concern is the offensive line and ensuring that the wide receiving corp can help out the rookie. Austin Ekeler needs to also find a renaissance and maintain the production that he had in the Chargers. Despite the question marks, maybe Washington could be a team that might get lucky and get 8 wins. 

New York Giants (4th in NFC East): The G-Men were on the heels of a renaissance season in 2022 and they fell back to earth in 2023. The reason for the fall was obvious, the offense stunk, Daniel Jones had a regressive year and was injured and there wasn't stability at that position. Tommy DeVito being a meme was kind of fun though. The Giants success will come down to the offensive line and having a rebound year for Daniel Jones. Malik Nabers getting some playtime will be fun. Saquon Barkley leaving the Giants might be a bit of a concern as they don't have the talent at running back to help out the offense. Devin Singletary is a question mark in terms of production. Brian Burns might be a worthy option to getting the pass rush back to prominence. The Giants are a weird team and I don't trust them. I don't see them doing a whole lot. 

Another year another rough year for the NFC East. I think its going to be a race with Philadelphia and Dallas going for the top while the Commanders and Giants being the fodder for the two. Washington might not be the slouch that they were in the past but things are looking up. 

NFC North

Detroit Lions (1st in NFC North): The Lions did what they were expected to do in 2023. Now it is time to see if they can do something that they haven't done in a long time, go to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. The depth is arguably the best in the NFL. The offense might've gotten better with a year into them gelling together. The defense might get better as well with an improved secondary that practically let opposing wide receivers run rampant. Unless they really fall off a cliff, I don't see the Lions dropping out of 1st place. Let's just hope. 

Green Bay Packers (2nd in NFC North): The Pack were a possible playoff team in 2022 but faltered. In 2023, they looked like a bit more of a faltering team in the 1st half, then they won seven of their last nine games to finish with a 9-8 record and won a playoff game. We shall see if the Packers can get a productive, high octane year from Jordan Love. The weapons that he has seems to suggest that he should do well. The defense might be a bit of a question mark with a new system from Jeff Hafley. The schedule might be a bit of a daunting task as the Pack have to travel to Brazil in Week 1 and then play against a bunch of playoff teams from last year. I think the Pack will come short of 1st. 

Chicago Bears (3rd in NFC North): The hype for the Bears is astounding. Drafting Caleb Williams as the #1 overall pick and then drafting Rome Odunze. The Bears also added Keenan Allen to complement D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet to the pass catching group. I feel the hype is a bit much. The Bears didn't do a whole lot in 2023 as they went 7-10. The defense is still kind of questionable as well. Suffice to say, the offense should get better however. I don't see the Bears being the team that the world expects to see. 

Minnesota Vikings (4th in NFC North): Free Agency, injuries and just plain snakebit on certain players is making things tough for the Purple Gang. Gone is Kirk Cousins and in is Sam Darnold. J.J. McCarthy out for the season will hurt but Darnold is somewhat of a capable starter. I just question on how well he can succeed in the offense. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler were the prizes of free agency for the Vikes as they will help out fill the hole left by Alexander Mattison and Dalvin Cook. The issue for the Vikings is also whether or not the Bears and Packers can play well. If they do then its a log jam that the Vikings will likely see themselves in the basement. 

The NFC North might actually be the best division in the NFC with talent all around for all four teams. Indeed old school fans would like to see nothing more than a return to the Black and Blue division of the 1970's. 

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1st in NFC South): Tampa was somewhat of a surprise team in 2023. Baker Mayfield and the offense really kept the gravy train rolling where Tom Brady left off. Who would've thought that Baker Mayfield would be the successor to the goat. I'm kind of bullish on their defense and if they can keep their offense going they should find success in 2024. It depends on how well Baker Mayfield can keep it going. 

Atlanta Falcons (2nd in NFC South): The Falcons lacked the presence of a quality quarterback last year. They went out and got Kirk Cousins and apparently drafted his successor as well. Kind of a weird move to do that. Despite that, the Falcons offense should find some success on the same production level that they had when Matt Ryan was quarterback. The defense might get better or it could get worse. The shining light is Raheem Morris's ability to get more out of less. It could be a fight between the Falcons and the Buccaneers for the top spot. 

New Orleans Saints (3rd in NFC South):  We weren't sure what to make of the Derek Carr led Saints heading into 2023. Fortunately, they did live up to that expectation. They didn't do a whole lot on offense and the defense didn't make things interesting either. A lot of capital was spent on rebuilding the offensive line. The Saints did also get Chase Young to bolster the defensive line which could be an interesting move. A lot of risk in putting the Saints above anywhere but 3rd but they shouldn't be terrible to be in the basement. 

Carolina Panthers (4th in NFC South): Floor for the Panthers: 3-4 wins. Ceiling for them: 5-6. The Panthers were the worst team in football and they didn't even get the 1st overall pick in this spring's draft. A new year with a new head coach in Dave Canales who is quite the unknown if there ever was one. The offense should find themselves with some help in getting Diontae Johnson and picking Xavier Legette in the draft. The defense will likely stay the same but a tish worse now that Brian Burns is now a Giant. Won't be a successful year in Carolina but hopefully better than last year. 

Not a lot of solid teams for the NFC South. The shift from the Buccaneers and Saints to the Buccaneers and Falcons will make this a division where two teams will fight hard for. The Saints and Panthers will try to knock them down a peg but I don't see the two teams doing a whole lot this year. 

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (1st in NFC West): The big surprise I think will be a rebound year for the Rams. A risk that I feel will be worth it. The case for it: Matthew Stafford is healthy, the wide receiving corp will get better. The running game will get back to normal I feel with Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson. At least on a physical level. The case against it: Puka Nacua not being 100% throughout the season and Cooper Kupp having more of the same. The offense will need to step up. Aaron Donald retired and Raheem Morris became the head coach in Atlanta. While the Rams can't replace a sure-fire hall of famer in Aaron Donald, they did add Braden Fiske and Jared Verse as a replacement. 

San Francisco 49ers (2nd in NFC West): The 49ers were one score from winning it all in the Super Bowl. The case for them to make it there again is pretty strong. They did resign Brandon Aiyuk despite a long drawn out drama saga that almost felt like a soap opera. Trent Williams is a question mark for the start of the season with a holdout. Christian McCaffrey is a question mark with his health as well. The talent for the 49ers is unquestionably great. The rest of the division will get better and will look to knock the defending NFC champs off their pedestal. The key to a Super Bowl return is of course Brock Purdy. 

Seattle Seahawks (3rd in NFC West): A strange year incoming for Seattle. Pete Carroll is gone in favor of a younger staff. Mike MacDonald will take over as head coach. The book is still out on him but he should have somewhat of a decent roster to work with. Geno Smith will look to improve with a good receiving group with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The running game should get better as well. MacDonald's expertise is defense and he will look to improve a group that finished 25th in points against. A winning season should be expected for the new coach and his group. 

Arizona Cardinals (4th in NFC West): A down year for the Cardinals last year. In year 2 for Jonathan Gannon, he will need to see improvements. One of the improvements that should help right away is Marvin Harrison Jr. as a weapon for Kyler Murray to throw to. The upside for Kyler was that he should be healthy for the season, something that he didn't have at the start of last year. The defense is still a question mark heading to the year but at least fireworks should be prevalent as the offense should put up points on the board. It should be a better year than the 4-13 trainwreck that was 2023 but not quite a playoff year for the Cards. 

The NFC West is possibly the best division in the conference. Two of the last three conference champions were from the division. The Rams-Niners series will be intriguing. A lot of questions still remain. Can the 49ers reach the big game again? Can the Rams finally overcome big brother and dominate the division? How well will Mike MacDonald do in his first year? What is the ceiling for the Cardinals in 2024? So many questions. 

So for the NFC vs AFC debate. I think the power has shifted a bit back to the middle where the AFC and NFC are pretty level. The Chiefs are the likely favorite to do it all again while the Bills, Ravens, Dolphins and Texans hope to knock them off. In the NFC, the 49ers are trying to get back there again while the Packers, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys, Bucs and Rams hope to be the ones to reach the big game. 

Playoff Predictions

With 4-5 months of carnage that is the regular season finally reduces the amount of teams left from 32 to 14, teams can finally begin to start the 2nd season. Time to expect where the 14 teams stand and who makes it past the massive carnage and reach the ultimate prize. Let's start with the NFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams
3rd seed: Detroit Lions
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers
7th seed: Green Bay Packers

Super Wild Card Weekend

Rams over Packers
Lions over 49ers
Buccaneers over Cowboys

Divisional

Eagles over Buccaneers
Lions over Rams

Conference Championship

Eagles over Lions

Next is the AFC...

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd seed: Baltimore Ravens
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills
4th seed: Houston Texans
5th seed: Cincinnati Bengals
6th seed: Miami Dolphins
7th seed: New York Jets

Super Wild Card Weekend

Ravens over Jets
Bills over Dolphins
Bengals over Texans

Divisional

Chiefs over Bengals
Ravens over Bills

Conference Championship

Ravens over Chiefs

Super Bowl LIX Prediction

Drum roll please...

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ravens over Eagles

Yep you saw that correctly. I am predicting that the Chiefs will not three-peat. I repeat WILL NOT THREE-PEAT! I just think that the pressure will be too much on them and that everyone will be playing them a little harder to knock them off their perch. Time for a new champion to arise! 

Awards Predictions

With the preseason and playoff predictions out of the way, time for awards predictions. Here I will predict who will take Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year for the respective offense and defensive players, the Offensive and Defensive players of the year, Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year. One of my favorite parts of predicting. 

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dallas Turner
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt
Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson
NFL Most Valuable Player: Josh Allen
Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell

Hot Takes

Mike McCarthy will be let go as Cowboys head coach prior to the Super Bowl
Tyreek Hill will achieve 2,000 receiving yards. 
No team(s) will have 14 or more wins
We will have four quarterbacks throw for more than 4,000 yards

Alright. That's all for this post. Expect the Week 1 picks post sometime on Monday or Tuesday (I'm writing this portion on Saturday). With the picks post, the season gets going and the biggest seasons in sports gets underway as the National Football League is back! See you all soon!

-Tom

Rest in Peace Johnny Gaudreau (1993-2024) and Matthew Gaudreau (1994-2024)

NFL 2024 Offseason Thoughts

 Hello readers! Football is around the corner and the preseason is fully underway. With this, it is time to rehash some old storylines and some new ones and my thoughts on these storylines. Such storylines like Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Free Agency Carousel that transpired over the course of spring and summer of this year. Let's get to work! 

Tom Brady

We hadn't heard a whole lot from the retired, 7-time Super Bowl champion lately. The guy had taken the whole 2023 season off to get prepared to take on the role of Color Commentator for the NFL on FOX with lead Play-by-Play commentator Kevin Burkhardt. The word is still out on how well Tom Brady will do as a commentator but perhaps he can turn out well. Certain players in his caliber of championships hadn't done so well in the realm of television. One person namely was Joe Montana who lasted just a season on NBC before the realm of public opinion said that he's not going to last. One other example is Terry Bradshaw who went on to have a good career as a Color Commentator on CBS during when they had the NFC package and later as a Studio Analyst on FOX. The main ingredient for television is that you have to have a solid personality and you have to help teach the average viewer of what is going on. The average Jane or John Doe won't understand football lingo like I-Right 26 Power (which I looked up, its a run play where the running back runs to the right). They need to be shown that the running back went to the right and this blocker did this and that blocker did that and that's why the play was either a success or a failure. Greg Olson, the person that Tom Brady replaces, will move down to the #2 color commentator for FOX. In my opinion, I do like Olson and his explaining of things football. I hope he does well in his new role. He seems to not mind the demotion to #2 all that much. 

Bill Belichick 

Tom Brady's old head coach Bill Belichick is out of a head coaching job for the first time this century. The head coach agreed to part ways with the New England Patriots this past January. After that, the head coach was thought he would be landing a position as head coach and general manager shortly afterwards. After a few interviews with Atlanta and Washington, Bill was the odd man out. Suffice to say, Washington went with Dan Quinn, the former defensive coordinator with Dallas, and Atlanta went with Raheem Morris, who had worked with the defense with the Rams. I do think that the head coach will get some considerations during the next year's offseason. Some takes that I have is that Bill was asking too much for a team to bring him in. Being both the head coach and general manager might be good for a personnel standpoint (saving money with having two positions for one person) but in the last few years with New England, the personnel decisions by Bill were kind of questionable. The drafting post-Tom Brady was kind of questionable. One such example is drafting injury-prone Cole Strange in the 1st round in the 2022 draft when there was better players to get. The Mac Jones experiment was also a backfire that was partly the blame on Belichick for not giving Mac the tools he needed to succeed in New England. Despite no head coaching gig, the former head coach will get to play a role with the Pat McAfee show where he will be an analyst for the show. Suffice to say, his dating prospects are alright as well as he dates a woman that is a great deal younger than him. 

Free Agency Carousel and some trades

The NFL's Free Agency period is typically a crazy time. This past Free Agency period during the spring of this year was one of the most wildest in recent memory. It seemed like every hour had someone going to a new team for a period of weeks. Here is a reminder of where everyone went to: 

Jacoby Brissett: Washington to New England
Kirk Cousins: Minnesota to Atlanta
Gardner Minshew: Indianapolis to Las Vegas
Russell Wilson: Denver to Pittsburgh
Saquon Barkley: New York Giants to Philadelphia
Austin Ekeler: Los Angeles Chargers to Washington
Ezekiel Elliott: New England to Dallas
Derrick Henry: Tennessee to Baltimore
Josh Jacobs: Las Vegas to Green Bay
Aaron Jones: Green Bay to Minnesota
Zack Moss: Indianapolis to Cincinnati
Tony Pollard: Dallas to Tennessee
Devin Singletary: Houston to New York Giants
D'Andre Swift: Philadelphia to Chicago
Odell Beckham Jr.: Baltimore to Miami
Marquise Brown: Arizona to Kansas City
Gabe Davis: Buffalo to Jacksonville
Calvin Ridley: Jacksonville to Tennessee
Mike Williams: Los Angeles Chargers to New York Jets
Zach Ertz: Detroit to Washington
Gerald Everett: Los Angeles Chargers to Chicago
Jonnu Smith: Atlanta to Miami

This list is just for the offense alone. There is a lot of movement for defense. Such names like Christian Wilkins going from Miami to Las Vegas and Chase Young going from San Francisco to New Orleans. Bobby Wagner also got another team to go to as he went to Washington from Seattle. Stephon Gilmore went to Minnesota from Dallas. 

For the trade front, it was a bit interesting. The first big news was Mac Jones going to Jacksonville for a 6th round pick. Also that happened on March 13th was that Joe Mixon, Brian Burns, Diontae Johnson, Carlton Davis, Morgan Moses went to different teams in exchange for draft selections. The lone exception for that was Diontae Johnson going to Carolina for Donte Jackson and a 6th round selection. On April 3rd, the Bills traded to Stefon Diggs and a 6th round pick and a 5th round selection to Houston for a 2025 2nd round selection. Kind of a weird trade for the Bills to make as they gave up a bit of draft capital just to get a 2nd round selection for next year. The Bills did pick up Marquez Valdes-Scantling from Kansas City but kind of a mixed offseason for the Bills. 

Anyways, that's all for my thoughts on the offseason. The 2024 Preseason and Awards Predictions post will be coming up fairly soon. Once that post is posted, the Week 1 Picks post will happen shortly before Opening Night on Thursday, September 5th. Until then, see you soon folks! 

-Tom

The Super Bowl: The "Runners-Up"

 Hello readers! This post is about a "What-if?" scenario where rather teams that played in the Super Bowl in real life, the teams that were the runner-ups in the league/conference championship games, play the big game. For example, this past February's Super Bowl would've been Lions vs Ravens. I will be doing a what if scenario and I would predict who would've won those matchups. Let's have some fun! 

Super Bowl I: Buffalo Bills vs Dallas Cowboys
Joe Collier's Bills take on Tom Landry's Cowboys in the first Super Bowl. The Bills that year were 9-4-1 while the Cowboys had a 10-3-1 record. The Bills gave up 18.2 points per game in 1966, a bit more than their 1965 team that won the AFL championship. Dallas' offense in the late 1960's was a beauty with various offensive dazzle and a defense that could hit people. I think the Cowboys take care of business in this one with a 30-20 win. 

Super Bowl II: Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Oilers
Tom Landry's Cowboys return to the big game for the 2nd straight year while next door neighbor Houston Oilers get a crack in football's biggest stage. Landry's offense wasn't quite as good as they were in 1966 as well as their defense. Houston is lead by head coach Wally Lemm with a 9-4-1 record. The game is a defensive contest as neither team puts up a lot of points. The Oilers defense holds the Cowboys to 17 points but their offense doesn't put up enough to win. The Cowboys win 17-14 to give the NFL superiority over the AFL. 

Super Bowl III: Oakland Raiders vs Cleveland Browns
Two new teams in the Super Bowl. Blanton Collier's Browns take on John Rauch's Raiders. Collier's offense was solid but its the defense that lacked enough superstars. The Raiders offense and defense were ranked in the top-2 in 1968. It was their best shot at winning a title in the late 1960's. The AFL gets its first win in the Super Bowl as the Raiders defense causes havoc on the Browns running attack and cause two turnovers on the Browns. The Raiders win 28-10. 

Super Bowl IV: Cleveland Browns vs Oakland Raiders
Same two teams again for the last game before the 1970 NFL-AFL Merger. Blanton Collier's Browns make a return while the Raiders have a new guy by the name of John Madden coaching for them. Just go with it. The Raiders in 1969 were just as better as they were in 1968. The Browns had similar offensive numbers as last year but lesser great defense. The game is a bit more closer than the previous year but the Raiders are repeat champions by the score of 27-20. 

Super Bowl V: Oakland Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers
John Madden's Raiders reach their 3rd straight Super Bowl while Dick Nolan's 49ers reach the Super Bowl 11 years early, before Bill Walsh ever did. Madden's Raiders were not as good as the past two seasons while the 49ers namesake under Nolan was defense. The 49ers defense in 1970 wasn't quite as good as they would in later years as they gave up 19.1 points/game. Turnovers were a plenty in this game like the real life Super Bowl V. San Francisco beats their cross-town rivals with a 49ers game-winning kick from Bruce Gossett with a 20-17 win. There is no three-peat for the Raiders. 

Super Bowl VI: San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Colts
Dick Nolan's 49ers reach the Super Bowl again while Don McCafferty's Colts reach it after a disappointing 1970 season. The 49ers offense wasn't as good but the defense was better. Johnny Unitas finally gets his crack at a Super Bowl. The great quarterback has his finest hour as he helps the Colts win their first championship since 1959. The Colts win 24-20. The great quarterback rides off to the sunset and retires. 

Super Bowl VII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Dallas Cowboys
Chuck Noll's Steelers reach the Super Bowl for the first time and the Cowboys get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since January 1968. The Steelers in 1972 had the start of a great defense in the 1970's. The Cowboys offense wasn't quite as good either. The Steelers defense holds down the fort as their offense comes through with a 13-7 win over Dallas and give the Steelers their first championship in their 40th season. 

Super Bowl VIII: Dallas Cowboys vs Oakland Raiders
The 'Boys meet up against the Silver and Black. Both teams already have two Super Bowls to their name. Such a tough call as they really were good in 1973. I think the Cowboys at that time had the better running game than the Raiders. I think the Cowboys win by a field goal. 

Super Bowl IX: Oakland Raiders vs Los Angeles Rams
The Raiders return to New Orleans against the Rams. Oakland finishes the regular season with a 12-2 record, their best season since 1969. The Rams venture out of the basement in 1973 but would finish with a 10-4 record in 1974. Los Angeles gets to the Super Bowl on the strength of a great defense but an offense that finished 13th in scoring that year. I think the Raiders take the cake in this one. 

Super Bowl X: Los Angeles Rams vs Oakland Raiders
The same two teams meet again a year later. The Rams get slightly better on offense finishing 11th and have the best defense in the league. Oakland finished with a 11-3 record in 1975 but finish with 4th in points scored and 7th in points against. The Raiders seeking their 4th Super Bowl. Such a tough call. I think the Rams finally sneak past the Raiders in this one and win their 1st Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XI: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Los Angeles Rams
The vaunted 1976 Steelers defense against the defending champion Los Angeles Rams. I feel this game will be a defensive struggle as both teams that year possessed great defenses. Suffice to say I think Terry Bradshaw will guide the Steelers to a win. 

Super Bowl XII: Minnesota Vikings vs Oakland Raiders
The Vikings of the 1970's finally gets to the Super Bowl but the team of the 1970's will be in their way in the Oakland Raiders. Minnesota's best chance to win a Super Bowl would be in this one in the SuperDome. I think the Raiders take care of business and win their 5th Super Bowl as the Vikings in 1977 were a team that was good but not quite good enough. 

Super Bowl XIII: Houston Oilers vs Los Angeles Rams
Rookie Earl Campbell's Houston Oilers against Pat Haden's Rams. The issue with the Oilers glory years in the 70's was that they never had a great receiving target and their defense was somewhat suspect at times. The experienced Rams take down the Oilers. 

Super Bowl XIV: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Houston Oilers
The 1979 Buccaneers shock some folks and make it to the big game. Earl Campbell is looking to revenge last year's loss. The weakness for the Buccaneers in the first few years of their existence was their offense. Doug Williams tried but eventually the LeeRoy Selmon led defense bends to the Oilers and gives Houston their first Super Bowl win. 

Super Bowl XV: San Diego Chargers vs Dallas Cowboys
San Diego makes it to the Super Bowl for the first time while the Cowboys are back at it again. The 1980 Chargers team was overall a better team than the 1981 team. They had playmakers on offense and defense (Fred Dean really put the Chargers team on his back on defense). Cowboys will have Danny White at quarterback for this one. I think the Chargers team will be good enough to win by a field goal for their first Super Bowl win. 

Super Bowl XVI: Dallas Cowboys vs San Diego Chargers
Same two teams return to the big game. The 1981 Chargers would lose a lot of players during the season. Despite a dramatic win over the Miami Dolphins and pulling off a win in the Freezer Bowl. I think the Chargers would fall short of a repeat. The Cowboys looking to revenge for last year's loss. People kind of forget that the Cowboys had the chance to win the 1981 NFC championship game after "The Catch." They had time. 

Super Bowl XVII: New York Jets vs Dallas Cowboys
The New York Sack Exchange vs the Doomsday Defense. Richard Todd would have the best season of his career in the strike-shortened 1982. The Cowboys had a great defense despite losing some key pieces during their 1970's teams. Safe to say the Jets offense while playing really good football would be a bit too much as the Cowboys offense would balance themselves out while holding the Sack Exchange to a few sacks. Cowboys repeat. Safe to say it'll be a while until they make it to a Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XVIII: San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks
Bill Walsh's 49ers finally make it to a Super Bowl while the upcoming Seahawks make an appearance. The 49ers in those early years in Walsh's tenure really trended as a passing team than a running team. Walsh did utilize his running game but only sparingly. Rookie Roger Craig would be the exception as he scored eight touchdowns in 1983. The Seahawks went 9-7 in 1983 on the back of their offense. The Dave Krieg-Jim Zorn duo was somewhat lethal while Steve Largent was in his prime. Curt Warner for the Seahawks had 1,449 rushing yards in 1983. I think the 49ers stifle the Seahawks offense and run rampant against their 24th ranked Seahawks defense. 

Super Bowl XIX: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Chicago Bears
Chuck Noll's Steelers make an appearance while the '85 (or in this case '84) Bears make it to the big dance. Most of the key players on the 70's Steelers teams have left but still have John Stallworth, Mike Webster and Bennie Cunningham. A lot of the game centers around the health of Jim McMahon who didn't play in the NFC Championship game that year. I think the punky quarterback makes a start of it but isn't well enough to play. Steve Fuller steps in and does enough for the Bears to win, just barely. 

Super Bowl XX: Miami Dolphins vs Los Angeles Rams
Dan Marino's Dolphins and Eric Dickerson face off in a classic Super Bowl. The Dolphins had arguably a better team than the 1984 team as they did beat the Chicago Bears (who in real life won Super Bowl XX with that stellar defense). It will be Danny's best shot to win a Super Bowl and he would make the most of it. Outside of Eric Dickerson, the Rams offense wasn't that great. Dieter Brock was the leading passer for Los Angeles with 2,658 yards with 16 touchdowns. Miami had one of the best defenses in the 80's arguably with the Killer B's. I think the Dolphins win it by two touchdowns and gives Dan Marino his Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XXI: Washington Redskins vs Cleveland Browns
Joe Gibbs' Redskins make it to the Big Dance while the Brownies return. A lot of talk around the health of Jay Schroeder and whether or not Doug Williams would play. Joe Gibbs would name Doug Williams his starting quarterback as he has his "epiphany that Williams would help lead Washington to victory." Cleveland would make things tough as his offense was stacked finishing with 24.4 points/game. The Redskins in the 80's were a tough team to out as I think they take the win and get their first Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XXII: Cleveland Browns vs Minnesota Vikings
The Redemption Browns try again against the dark horse Vikings. The 1987 Browns were top 3 in both points scored and points against. A pretty good team given when they actually didn't shoot themselves in the foot. Minnesota in 1987 were the outside shot that won a playoff game in New Orleans, also upset the heavily favored 49ers (which had a 13-2 record in the strike shortened season) and really were one catch away from going to the big game. I think the Cinderella season ends for the Vikings as the Browns were way too good. 

Super Bowl XXIII: Chicago Bears vs Buffalo Bills
The Bears of the 80's return to the big game while the young and upcoming Bills make it to the big game. Chicago in 1988 weren't as good as they were in 1985 as their offense finished 18th in points scored. The defense was #1 however. Like Chicago, the Buffalo Bills in 1988 weren't as good on offense but did finish 14th in points scored. Buffalo finished 3rd in defense. The game feels like a copy of Super Bowl XXV as I think both teams would score points at a limited basis. I think the Bears take it. 

Super Bowl XXIV: Cleveland Browns vs Los Angeles Rams
The Browns make it back while the Rams look to play spoiler. Cleveland didn't play as well on offense than they did in 1987 but they were more of a defensive team that would carry them to the big game. The Rams had the 2nd best offense in 1989 (just behind the mighty 49ers). They had Jim Everett who threw for 29 touchdowns and Greg Bell rushing for 1,137 yards while getting Henry Ellard to 1,382 receiving yards. I think the Rams take it. 

Super Bowl XXV: San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Raiders
It is a San Francisco vs Los Angeles Super Bowl. The talk of the game is the health of Joe Montana and Bo Jackson. Steve Young would get the start as Joe's health was in question. He would prove to be the right choice as the 49ers would play well enough to put points on the board. The Raiders offense with Jay Schroeder was alright but not great. The defense was the one that would guide the Silver and Black to this game. I think the 49ers are too much for them. 

Super Bowl XXVI: Denver Broncos vs Detroit Lions
John Elway vs Barry Sanders in the big game! The Broncos during the Elway era was known for their offense but in 1991, they didn't have a top-5 offense. It was the Broncos defense with Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith leading the charge with five interceptions each in 1991. The Lions make it to the big game while beating the Beasts of the East in the Cowboys and Redskins. Barry Sanders had 1,548 rushing yards in 1991. The quarterback situation was somewhat of a mess as Erik Kramer had 1,635 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions while Rodney Peete had 1,339 passing yards with five touchdowns and nine interceptions. Safe to say, I think the Broncos take the game and give Elway his ring early. 

Super Bowl XXVII: San Francisco 49ers vs Miami Dolphins
Steve Young vs Dan Marino in an epic Super Bowl. San Francisco in 1992 was probably one of their best teams that didn't win a Super Bowl. They had to deal with the Cowboys that season. Miami wasn't a slouch either but they did finish with a 11-5 record in 1992. They manage to get past the Chargers and then the rival Bills to get here. I feel the outcome of the real Super Bowl XXVII and this game is pretty much the same as the 49ers rough up the Fish. Joe Montana takes his last snap with the Red & Gold. 

Super Bowl XXVIII: Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers
We finally get the Joe Montana vs Steve Young Super Bowl. San Francisco in 1993 weren't as good defensively as they were in 1992. They finished 16th in points against. Kansas City in Joe's first season wasn't his best season (at least to his standards) with 2,144 yards passing with 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. You have to keep in mind that this Chiefs team also had Marcus Allen. San Francisco would win this game outright but the Chiefs almost came back and won it and help end the comparisons in the Young vs Montana debate. 

Super Bowl XXIX: Dallas Cowboys vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Barry Switzer's Cowboys vs Bill Cowher's Steelers a year early. The Cowboys in 1994 didn't miss a beat than they did in the Jimmy Johnson years. The Trio was right there in 1994 and then some while retaining the players that they had in 1989 to 1993. Pittsburgh gets into the game with a defense that made Steelers fans reminisce over the 1970's Steelers teams. Their offense screamed anything but 1970's teams as Neil O'Donnell (much like in real life) was no Terry Bradshaw. I think the game was a carbon copy of the the actual Super Bowl XXX but maybe Charles Haley gets Super Bowl MVP or something. Enjoy this one Cowboys fans, you won't be making it back here for the rest of the post. 

Super Bowl XXX: Indianapolis Colts vs Green Bay Packers
Jim Harbaugh vs Brett Favre in the desert! The Colts in 1995 were a dark horse (get it... horse... I'll stop) as they went 9-7 and proceed to beat the Chargers, Chiefs and then beat the Steelers in Three Rivers. Jim Harbaugh threw 2,575 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. Marshall Faulk was the juggernaut for the Colts with 1,078 rushing yards with 11 rushing touchdowns. Green Bay in the 1990's were a juggernaut overall as a team. They had MVP Brett Favre, Edgar Bennet with a 1,067 yard rushing season while Robert Brooks had 1,497 receiving yards. A stacked offense but a defense that was just as good with the Minister of Defense Reggie White with LeRoy Butler captaining the secondary. I think the Cinderella season ends for the Colts as the Packers win. 

Super Bowl XXXI: Carolina Panthers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
You are reading that right, two 2nd-year expansion franchises making it to the Super Bowl. Carolina was a solid team in 1996 with a 12-4 record with 7th in points scored and 2nd in points against (they did have Sam Mills, Kevin Greene and Lamar Lathon on that defensive unit). Their road in getting here was the Cowboys and Packers (in cold Lambeau Field). The Jaguars in 1996 weren't as solid but they squeaked into the Super Bowl by beating the Bills, Broncos and Patriots. Certainly they had a chip on their shoulder. Jacksonville had a 9-7 record, 14th in points scored and 19th in points against. I think Carolina takes the cake. 

Super Bowl XXXII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs San Francisco 49ers
Bill Cowher's 2nd Super Bowl while it is Steve Mariucci's first Super Bowl. The 49ers in 1997 were a pretty good team. They were 5th in points scored and 3rd in points against. They had Steve Young who was still a solid quarterback with a rookie Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice. Going up against them is the Steelers who finished 11-5 with a 7th ranked scoring offense and an 11th ranked scoring defense. Kordell Stewart at the helm who had a good season with 21 touchdown passes while throwing for 3,020 yards but also threw 17 interceptions. The Steelers had Jerome Bettis who had a bounceback season in his 2nd year in the Steel City. He had 1,665 yards rushing for seven touchdowns. I think this is a toughie as both teams had really storied history. While I do think the 49ers were the better team, I'm going to go with Pittsburgh with the upset. 

Super Bowl XXXIII: Minnesota Vikings vs New York Jets
The 1998 Vikings vs the Cinderella Jets. The Vikings in 1998 were no joke when it came to offense. They scored 556 points (which was the NFL record until the 2007 Patriots did that) which was the #1 offense. Their achilles heel was their defense which was ranked 6th. The Vikes had Randall Cunningham in the twilight of his career with Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Robert Smtih. The team standing in their way was the upstart 12-4 Jets with Bill Parcells running the ship. Two years prior they were 1-15. In 1998, they were 12-4. Guiding the offense was journeyman Vinny Testaverde with Curtis Martin, Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet. The Jets finished with the 2nd ranked defense in 1998. The game plays out like the real life Super Bowl XXXIV (Titans vs Rams) with the Vikings up by a huge margin and then the Jets start to comeback but fall just short in the end. Vikings fans, your team won a Super Bowl! Go celebrate! 

Super Bowl XXXIV: Jacksonville Jaguars vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Battle of Florida! The 1999 Jaguars were a better team than the iteration that went to the game in 1996. They have an offense that could compete with anyone. People forget that this Jaguars squad sent Dan Marino packing in his last game. The Jaguars finished with a 14-2 record with the 6th ranked offense and the #1 defense. Standing in their way was the Big Bad Buccaneers with the awesome defense. Tony Dungy lead this squad to their first Super Bowl. Their defense had names similar to the 2002 squad that in real life won Super Bowl XXXVII. Such names like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber and John Lynch. The big concern in this one is the Buccaneers offense which finished with the 27th best scoring offense. Trent Dilfer gets to go to a Super Bowl a year early as well. The Buccaneers keep it close but the Jaguars offense would wear the Buccaneers out as they win their first Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XXXV: Minnesota Vikings vs Oakland Raiders
The Vikings make a return to the big game and the Raiders under Jon Gruden make it to the big game. Minnesota in 2000 weren't quite as good as they were in 1998 but they still had an offense that could put up points. Their defense in 2000 was the main concern as they were ranked 24th in scoring defense. They finished with an 11-5 record. Dante Culpepper threw 33 touchdowns and nearly threw for 4,000 yards in just his 2nd year. The Raiders make it back to the big game after a decade. They finished 2000 with a 12-4 record and had the 3rd ranked offense and 9th ranked defense. They were headlined with Rich Gannon throwing for 3,430 yards with 28 touchdowns. Tyrone Wheatley rushed for 1,046 yards with nine touchdowns and Tim Brown lead the team with 1,128 receiving yards. The defense had such names like Greg Biekert, Charles Woodson, William Thomas and Eric Allen who returned interceptions for touchdowns. Sorry Vikings fans, I think the Raiders were the better team and their defense will smother the Vikings. 

Super Bowl XXXVI: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Battle of Pennsylvania! The Steelers come into this one with a 13-3 record with the 7th best offense and 3rd best defense. The Eagles come with a 11-5 record and the 9th best offense and the 2nd best defense. Kordell Stewart would have an alright year in 2001 but not quite compared to 1997. His offense would be lead by Jerome Bettis who earned another 1,000 yard season in 2001. Plaxico Burress is on this team as well. Philly would be lead by Donovan McNabb in his 3rd year. The name Duce Staley echoes throughout this season. Todd Pinkston and James Thrash were the leading targets for McNabb. It feels like a low-scoring affair but I think the Eagles win a Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XXXVII: Philadelphia Eagles vs Tennessee Titans
Andy Reid and Jeff Fisher go at it as the Eagles look to repeat and the Titans look to play spoiler. The Eagles in 2002 were arguably better than the 2001 team as they finished 12-4 with the 4th best offense and 2nd best defense. The Titans weren't as good with a 13th best offense with a 11th ranked defense but finished with a 11-5 record. In truth, the Titans in 2002 were kind of lucky. They started 1-4 (including a 52-25 loss to Oakland) and then went on a 10-1 finish to end the regular season. Steve McNair was still quarterback of the team with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Eddie George had a good year with 1,165 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, I think the Eagles handle business and repeat. 

Super Bowl XXXVIII: Indianapolis Colts vs Philadelphia Eagles
Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning finally make it to the Super Bowl. The Eagles look to three-peat. Indy in 2003 had the 2nd best offense but had the 20th best defense with a 12-4 record. Philly in 2003 were not as great of a team but did finish with a 12-4 record with the 11th best offense and the 7th best defense. Donovan McNabb threw for 3,216 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Certainly not his greatest season. Peyton Manning had the better season with 4,267 yards with 29 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was also MVP as well. I think the Colts pull off the upset and win the big game as the pressure of the three-peat is too much for Philly. 

Super Bowl XXXIX: Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Michael Vick the veteran vs Ben Roethlisberger the rookie. Atlanta in 2004 finished with a 11-5 record and had the 16th best offense and 14th best defense. Vick threw for 2,313 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and his legs rushed for 902 yards with three touchdown runs. The team had Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler and Peerless Price in that offense. Not too shabby. The Steelers had the best season in their history in 2004 with a 15-1 record with the 11th best offense and the #1 defense. The team only lost to the Ravens that year (in a game where Roethlisberger didn't even start). Jerome Bettis was still playing and had a stacked wide receiver group with Antwaan Randle El, Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. The Steelers will take this one. 

Super Bowl XL: Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers 
The Battle of the Jake's as Jake Plummer of the Broncos take on Jake Delhomme of the Panthers. The Broncos make it after finishing with a 13-3 record with the 7th best offense and 3rd best defense. Mike Anderson lead the team in rushing yards with 1,014 yards with 12 touchdowns. The veteran Rod Smith was still playing with 1,105 receiving yards with six touchdowns while Jake Plummer threw for 3,366 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Carolina had a 11-5 record in 2005 with the 8th best offense and the 5th best defense. Jake Delhomme had 3,421 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. DeShaun Foster lead the team in rushing with 879 yards and two touchdowns but Stephen Davis was the big scorer with 12 touchdowns with 549 yards rushing. Steve Smith Sr. was the star for the Panthers offense with 1,563 yards with 12 touchdowns on the year. Both teams are really similar and the game I feel is a back-and-forth affair but I think the Broncos win by a field goal. 

Super Bowl XLI: New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots 
Tom Brady finally makes it to a Super Bowl! The 2006 Saints were kind of a Cinderella team. Hurricane Katrina happened the year before, the team was forced to play elsewhere, then the team revitalized the spirit of the city with the big Monday night win against the Falcons. The Saints went 10-6 with the 5th best offense and the 13th best defense. Drew Brees had a good year in his 1st year as the Saints quarterback with 4,418 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Deuce McAllister was the top guy in the backfield with 1,057 yards with 10 touchdowns while rookie Reggie Bush had 565 yards with six touchdowns. Marques Colston lead the team in receiving with 1,038 yards with eight touchdowns. New England in 2006 weren't quite as good as their 2003 and 2004 teams but they finished 12-4 with the 7th best offense and 2nd best defense. Brady threw 3,529 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Corey Dillon rushed for 812 yards with 13 touchdowns. Reche Caldwell was the leading receiver with 760 receiving yards with 4 touchdowns. The crux of the 2006 Saints was their defense, something that the 2009 team (that won Super Bowl XLIV in real life) would do better at. Tom Brady finally wins his Super Bowl! 

Super Bowl XLII: San Diego Chargers vs Green Bay Packers
Phillip Rivers and Brett Favre go at it in Favre's last game as a Packer. Number 4 had a solid season as he hit 4,155 yards with 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Green Bay had a 13-3 record with the 4th ranked offense and the 6th ranked defense. Essentially their best team in the 2000's. Ryan Grant was the leading rusher with 956 yards with eight touchdowns. Donald Driver had a great season with 1,048 yards with two touchdowns. Greg Jennings was the leading scorer on the team as he got 920 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. San Diego (weird even saying that) finished with a 11-5 record in 2007 with the 5th ranked offense and defense. Phillip Rivers did alright that season with 3,152 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. The juggernaut of the team was LaDainian Tomlinson who had 1,474 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns. Keep in mind, he was the MVP in 2006 with 1,815 yards and 28 touchdowns. Antonio Gates was the leading receiver with 984 yards with nine touchdowns. Safe to say, despite the Chargers beating the undefeated Patriots, the Packers take this one. 

Super Bowl XLIII: Philadelphia Eagles vs Baltimore Ravens
The Eagles are back at it again. Rookie Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh make it to the big game. Philly finished with a 9-6-1 record with a 6th ranked offense and 4th ranked defense. Donovan McNabb hit 3,916 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his 2nd to last year in Philadelphia. Brian Westbrook lead the charge with 936 yards rushing with nine touchdowns. DeSean Jackson had 912 yards receiving with two touchdowns. A new era began in Baltimore as John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco began their 1st years with the Ravens. Baltimore finished with a 11-5 record with a 11th ranked offense and 3rd ranked defense. Certainly helps when you have Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Le'Ron McClain lead the team with 902 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns while Willis McGahee rushed for 671 yards with seven touchdowns. Derrick Mason was the leading receiver with 1,037 yards and scored five touchdowns. I think this game will be like the real-life Super Bowl XLIII but I think the Eagles take it. 

Super Bowl XLIV: New York Jets vs Minnesota Vikings
An interesting matchup as Brett Favre takes on his former team the New York Jets. The Jets were a surprise team in 2009 as they went 9-7 and made a run that probably no one saw coming. They had a 17th ranked offense and the #1 ranked defense. The team went 4-6 after Week 11 and went on to a 5-1 run to get into the Wild Card. The team had Thomas Jones who had a respectable 1,402 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns. Jerricho Cotchery had 821 receiving yards with three touchdowns. Mark Sanchez would have a rough year as a rookie as he hit 2,444 yards with 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. I'd say probably the worst statline for a quarterback in this post. Minnesota had a dominating year on offense as they finished with a 12-4 record with the 2nd ranked offense and 10th ranked defense. Brett Favre in his first year with the Purple People Eaters was great. He hit 4,202 yards with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Adrian Peterson had a great year as he rushed for 1,383 yards with 18 touchdowns. Sidney Rice lead the team in receiving with 1,312 yards with eight touchdowns. Visanthe Shiancoe caught 566 yards with 11 touchdowns. I think the Vikings take it but the Jets defense keep it from being a blowout. 

Super Bowl XLV: Chicago Bears vs New York Jets 
Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan get another crack at a championship while Lovie Smith and Jay Cutler hope to win the big game. Chicago in 2010 had a 11-5 record with the 21st ranked offense and 4th ranked defense. Jay Cutler had 3,274 yards with 23 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. He did better this year than in 2009, his first year with the team. Matt Forte had 1,069 rushing yards with six touchdowns. Johnny Knox was the leading receiver with 960 yards with five touchdowns. The ever dangerous Devin Hester was on this team as well. New York had a 11-5 record as well and improved on offense with a 13th ranked offense while dropping a bit with a 6th ranked defense. Mark Sanchez hit 3,291 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. LaDainian Tomlinson almost had a 1,000 yard season at age 31 but he had a 914 yard, six touchdown season on the ground. Braylon Edwards was the leading receiver with 904 yards with seven touchdowns. Santonio Holmes had 746 yards with six touchdowns. I think the game will be a bit of an ugly one as turnovers are abound but I think the Jets win a Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl XLVI: Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers
The Harbaugh Bowl comes a year early. The 2011 Ravens were a better team than the 2008 team. They finished 12-4 on the year with the 12th ranked offense and 3rd ranked defense. At least they were better on record. Joe Flacco hit 3,610 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It was a breakout season for Ray Rice as he rushed for 1,364 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Two Ravens sported identical receiving numbers as Torrey Smith had 841 yards with seven touchdowns and Anquan Boldin had 887 yards with three touchdowns. The 49ers in 2011 had a reenergized year with first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. They finished 13-3 with the 11th ranked offense and 2nd ranked defense. Alex Smith was the #1 thrower as he hit 3,144 yards with 17 touchdowns and just threw five interceptions. Frank Gore (at age 28) had 1,211 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. Vernon Davis had a good year with 792 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns. Michael Crabtree lead the team in receiving yards with 874 and four touchdowns. Probably the biggest crux for the 49ers was that they turned the ball over quite a bit and they let teams hung around. I think the Ravens take advantage of the turnovers and John Harbaugh takes it over brother Jim Harbaugh. 

Super Bowl XLVII: Atlanta Falcons vs New England Patriots 
Falcons-Patriots comes four years early. The Falcons in 2012 finished with a 13-3 record with the 7th ranked offense and 5th ranked defense. Matt Ryan threw for 4,719 yards with 32 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Michael Turner lead the team with 800 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Roddy White lead the team in receiving with 1,351 yards with seven touchdowns. Julio Jones was also on this team and he scored 10 touchdowns with 1,198 yards. Tony Gonzalez was still playing as well. New England finished with a 12-4 record with the #1 ranked offense and had the 9th best defense. Tom Brady that year had 4,827 yards with 34 passing touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Pretty normal year for him. Stevan Ridley lead the team in rushing with 1,263 yards with 12 touchdowns. Wes Welker lead the team in receiving with 1,354 yards and scored six touchdowns. Rob Gronkowski had 790 yards receiving with 11 touchdowns. I think the game will be more of a shootout than the Super Bowl LI 28-3 extravaganza. That's fortunately the good news for the Falcons, the bad news is that the Patriots still win as they can't stop Rob Gronkowski. 

Super Bowl XLVIII: New England Patriots vs San Francisco 49ers
Tom Brady vs Colin Kaepernick. The 2013 49ers finished with a 12-4 record with the 11th best offense and 3rd ranked defense. Colin Kaepernick threw for 3,197 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Frank Gore didn't quite have the same numbers he did in 2011 but he did put up a respectable 1,128 yards rushing with nine touchdowns scored. Kaepernick to his own scored four rushing touchdowns with 524 yards. Anquan Boldin joined the Niners that season and put up 1,179 yards receiving with seven touchdowns. The big man Vernon Davis scored 13 touchdowns with 850 receiving yards. New England had a 12-4 record with the 3rd ranked offense and 10th ranked defense. Stevan Ridley rushed for 773 yards with seven touchdowns. Falling one yard short of him was LeGarrette Blount with 772 yards with seven touchdowns. Julian Edelman had a breakout year as the wide out had 1,056 yards receiving with six touchdowns. Rob Gronkowski had 592 yards with four touchdowns. I think it'll be a good game in New York but I think the warm weather 49ers pull it off for the upset. 

Super Bowl XLIX: Green Bay Packers vs Indianapolis Colts 
Aaron Rodgers vs Andrew Luck. Indianapolis in 2014 finished with a 11-5 record with the 6th best offense and 19th best defense. Safe to say, Andrew Luck carried this team to a Super Bowl. You have to remember that he was the losing quarterback to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game when they lost 45-7. Andrew Luck hit 4,761 yards with 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Trent Richardson would only muster a 519 yard, three touchdown rushing campaign in 2014. T.Y. Hilton lead the team with 1,345 yards receiving with seven touchdowns. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen had eight touchdowns receiving. Green Bay had a 12-4 record with the #1 ranked offense with the 13th best defense. Aaron Rodgers hit 4,381 yards with 38 touchdowns and five interceptions. Eddy Lacy had one of his best seasons in his short career with 1,139 yards with nine touchdowns. Granted his production fell of a cliff after 2014. Jordy Nelson had 1,519 yards receiving with 13 touchdowns. Randall Cobb had 1,287 yards with 12 touchdowns. I think the Cinderella season ends for the Colts as the Packers trample over the Colts. 

Super Bowl 50: New England Patriots vs Arizona Cardinals
Tom Brady and Larry Fitzgerald meet in the big game. New England in 2015 finished with a 12-4 record with the 3rd best offense and the 10th best defense. Another typical Tom Brady season with 4,770 yards with 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions. LeGarrette Blount had 703 yards rushing with six touchdowns. Rob Gronkowski was a beast in 2015 with 1,176 yards receiving with 11 touchdowns. Arizona makes it to the big game with a 13-3 record with the 2nd best offense and the 7th best defense. Carson Palmer had similar numbers to Brady with 4,671 yards with 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Chris Johnson was still in the league and had 814 yards rushing yards with three touchdowns. David Johnson had 581 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. Larry Fitzgerald was still playing at a high level with 1,215 yard, nine touchdown statline in 2015. John Brown had 1,003 yards receiving with seven touchdowns scored. The Patriots win this one as Brady collects ring #3. 

Super Bowl LI: Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger face off six years later. The Steelers in 2016 finished with a 11-5 record with the 10th ranked offense and defense. Ben Roethlisberger hit 3,819 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Le'Veon Bell had 1,268 yards on the season with seven touchdowns from the ground. Antonio Brown with a hallmark season with 1,284 yards receiving with 12 touchdowns. Green Bay had a 10-6 campaign in the "Run the Table" finish. Aaron Rodgers had 4,428 yards with 40 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2016. Ty Montgomery had 457 yards rushing with three touchdowns. Rodgers lead the team in rushing touchdowns with four. Jordy Nelson put up another solid season with 1,257 yards receiving with 14 touchdowns. Davante Adams had 997 yards with 12 touchdowns. The game is kind of a shootout but the Steelers take the Super Bowl as they ravage the Packers defense. 

Super Bowl LII: Jacksonville Jaguars vs Minnesota Vikings 
The Vikings get to be in a Super Bowl in their own stadium. Minnesota in 2017 finished with a 13-3 record with the 10th best offense and the #1 defense. Case Keenum was the leading passer for the Vikes, getting 3,547 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. People forget that this was supposed to be Sam Bradford's team but the quarterback was dealt with an injury early in the season. Latavius Murray was the leading rusher for the Purple Gang with 842 yards with eight touchdowns. Adam Thielen had 1,276 yards receiving with four touchdowns. Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph lead the Vikings in receiving touchdowns with eight to their name. Standing in their way to glory is the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars finished with a 10-6 record with the 5th best offense and the 2nd best defense. Blake Bortles had 3,687 yards with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Leonard Fournette had 1,040 yards rushing with nine touchdowns. Keelan Cole lead the team in receiving with 748 yards with three touchdowns. Marcedes Lewis lead the team in receiving touchdowns with five. I think the game will be a tightly contested one as the Vikings let the Jaguars hang around and eventually take a lead. Like the Minneapolis Miracle, the Vikings pull off a miracle out of their ass and win it. 

Super Bowl LIII: New Orleans Saints vs Kansas City Chiefs
Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes go at it. The Saints in 2018 had a 13-3 record with the 3rd ranked offense and 14th ranked defense. Drew Brees had 3,992 yards passing with 32 touchdowns with five interceptions. Alvin Kamara lead the Saints in rushing with 883 yards with 14 touchdowns. Michael Thomas had a solid year catching the ball with 1,405 yards and scored nine touchdowns. The Chiefs in 2018 had a 12-4 record with the #1 ranked offense and the 24th ranked defense. Patrick Mahomes in his first year as a starter had a stellar season with 5,097 yards with 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Kareem Hunt was the leading rusher for the Chiefs with 824 yards with seven touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had 1,479 yards receiving and scored 12 touchdowns. Travis Kelce had 1,336 yards with 10 touchdowns. Kind of a toss up as both teams are really similar. Ah what the heck, the Chiefs take it. 

Super Bowl LIV: Tennessee Titans vs Green Bay Packers 
The Titans and Packers face off in a Super Bowl. Tennessee went 9-7 in 2019 with a 10th ranked offense and the 12th ranked defense. Ryan Tannehill threw for 2,742 yards with 22 touchdowns with six interceptions. Tannehill started 10 of the games before Marcus Mariota got injured. Derrick Henry had 1,540 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns. A.J. Brown had 1,051 yards receiving with eight touchdowns. The Packers in 2019 had a new head coach in Matt LaFleur and didn't miss a beat as they went 13-3 that year. The Packers had the 15th ranked offense and the 9th ranked defense. Aaron Rodgers hit 4,002 yards with 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. Aaron Jones had 1,084 yards rushing and scored 16 rushing touchdowns. Davante Adams was the leading receiver with 997 yards and scored five touchdowns. The Titans get dismantled by the Packers as they create a gameplan to force Ryan Tannehill to throw the ball more as they stuff Derrick Henry. 

Super Bowl LV: Green Bay Packers vs Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen vs Aaron Rodgers. The COVID season would bring forth two teams with the top-2 offenses. The Packers in 2020 had a 13-3 record with the #1 offense and the 13th ranked defense. Aaron Rodgers had 4,299 yards with 48 touchdowns and five interceptions. Aaron Jones had 1,104 yards rushing with nine rushing touchdowns. Davante Adams had 1,374 yards receiving and scored 18 touchdowns. Robert Tonyan scored 11 touchdowns as a tight end. Buffalo also went 13-3 in 2020 as they had the 2nd ranked offense and 16th ranked defense. Josh Allen hit 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Devin Singletary lead the team in rushing as he had 687 yards with two touchdowns scored. For running backs, Zack Moss scored the most rushing touchdowns with four. Josh Allen racked up 421 yards and scored eight touchdowns. Stefon Diggs put the yardage in this season with 1,535 yards with eight touchdowns. Gabriel Davis scored seven touchdowns with 599 yards. The Packers are trying to for the repeat but I'm going to go against that as the Bills pull it off. 

Super Bowl LVI: Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers
Patrick Mahomes vs Jimmy Garoppolo a few years later. The Chiefs in 2021 finished with a 12-5 record with the 4th ranked offense and 8th ranked defense. Patrick Mahomes hit 4,839 yards with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Darrel Williams had 558 yards with six touchdowns, giving him Chiefs leading rushing honors. Not far from him was Clyde Edwards-Helaire with 517 yards rushing with four touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had 1,239 yards receiving with nine touchdowns. Travis Kelce had nine touchdowns and had 1,125 yards. San Francisco limped its way to the Super Bowl. They finished with a 10-7 record. Jimmy Garoppolo had 3,810 yards with 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Elijah Mitchell lead the Niners in rushing with 963 yards with five touchdowns. Deebo Samuel lead the Niners in rushing touchdowns with eight. Samuel lead the team with receiving yards with 1,405 yards with six touchdowns. George Kittle had 910 yards with six touchdowns. Much like the real life Super Bowl LIV and LVIII, the Chiefs face a deficit and then overcome it by taking advantage of 49ers turnovers. 

Super Bowl LVII: San Francisco 49ers vs Cincinnati Bengals
The 49ers and Bengals face off. San Francisco in 2022 finished with a 13-4 record with the 6th ranked offense and 1st ranked defense. Jimmy Garoppolo was the leading passer for the Niners despite not playing in the NFC championship game. Garoppolo hit 2,437 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. Brock Purdy would lead the Niners to the NFC championship game with 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Going into this game I'm going under the assumption that Josh Johnson would be the quarterback that would start for the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey was the leading rusher for the 49ers in the partial season he played for them (remember he was traded from Carolina) with 746 yards with six touchdowns. Brandon Aiyuk had 1,015 yards with eight touchdowns in 2022. Cincinnati finished with a 12-4 record with the 7th best offense and 6th best defense. Joe Burrow hit 4,475 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Bengals had Joe Mixon leading the ground with 814 yards with seven touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase had 1,046 yards receiving while scoring nine touchdowns. Tee Higgins wasn't too far behind with 1,029 yards with seven touchdowns. Despite the lack of talent in quarterback, I think the Niners carry the weight and survive the Bengals highly versatile offense as their defense keeps them in it to win it. 

Super Bowl LVIII: Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions
The Ravens and Lions get to meet in a Super Bowl. Baltimore finished with a 13-4 record and put up a 4th ranked offense and the #1 ranked defense. Lamar Jackson had 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the year. Jackson was also the leading rushing yards with 821 yards and five touchdowns. Gus Edwards had 810 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns. Zay Flowers was the leading receiver with 858 yards and five touchdowns. Mark Andrews lead the Ravens in receiving touchdowns with six. The Lions in 2023 went on a 12-5 record with the 5th ranked offense and the 23rd ranked defense. Jared Goff had 4,575 yards with 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. David Montgomery had 1,015 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns. Jahmyr Gibbs had 945 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown lead the Lions in receiving yards with 1,515 yards with 10 touchdowns. He joins Sam LaPorta with 10 touchdowns as well with 889 yards receiving. Ultimately, I think the Super Bowl matchup that I had wanted was this game as I felt that the Ravens were at least better than the Chiefs on paper. The Lions could've made it an interesting Super Bowl had they not in real life, gambled a bit too much and ultimately lost the game in the 2nd half. For this game, I think the Ravens take care of business and win it. 

Super Bowl Winners: 

Dallas Cowboys: 6
Oakland Raiders: 5
San Francisco 49ers: 7
Pittsburgh Steelers: 5
Green Bay Packers: 4
Philadelphia Eagles: 3
New England Patriots: 3
Baltimore Ravens: 2
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts: 2
Washington Redskins: 1
Kansas City Chiefs 2
Minnesota Vikings: 3
Miami Dolphins: 1
Carolina Panthers: 1
New York Jets: 1
Denver Broncos: 2
Chicago Bears: 2
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1
Buffalo Bills: 1
Los Angeles Rams: 3
San Diego Chargers: 1
Cleveland Browns: 1
Houston Oilers: 1

Surprises: 

Overall this was an interesting post to do. The research that I did for this was done on Football Reference and I judged the games based on the rankings and who I thought was the overall better team. Suffice to say there were some surprises. Here's the biggest ones: 

1. The New York Giants did not appear in any of the Super Bowl games. They've lost a Super Bowl but they have never lost a conference championship in real life. 

2. The fact that in 1996 we were close to getting two expansion teams in a Super Bowl in real life really was telling how helpful the expansion drafts and overall team composure of both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. 

3. Bill Walsh's 49ers only making it to just one Super Bowl in the 1980's when in real life they were the team of the 80's. They had more success in the 1990's and beyond in this post than they did in the 1980's. 

4. The Steelers in the 1970's making it to just two Super Bowls when they went to four of them in the 1970's. 

5. That the Lombardi Trophy might be called something totally different. Perhaps the Landry Trophy. 

Thanks for reading the post everyone. Got a few posts lined up to do for this month as I need to do a Offseason Thoughts post and a Predictions post for the 2024 season. Really excited to get started as Football is just around the corner. 

Until next time,

Tom