NFL Playoffs: Remaining Teams’ Shot At The Super Bowl Ranked
— 8 January 2019

NFL Playoffs: Remaining Teams’ Shot At The Super Bowl Ranked

— 8 January 2019
Jay Bowden
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Jay Bowden

1. Saints

An experienced, top-tier quarterback in Drew Brees. A near-impossible-to-tackle versatile back in Alvin Kamara. A star wide receiver in Michael Thomas. And an impassable secondary lead by Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple. Not to mention Sean Payton, one of the NFL’s finest coaches.

The Saints are probably the only team right now that I can see winning the NFL Super Bowl. Their roster is impossibly good and their flashy offence is tempered by their strong defence. With good leadership and creativity, the Saints may just make it through the playoffs and win the Super Bowl.

2. Colts

The real NFL season starts in December. The Colts are a team that started the season 1-5. Since then, Andrew Luck has steadily been restored to health and his offensive line has protected him like no other team has protected their QB.

In a playoffs picture stacked with flashy, young teams, the Colts are a refreshing entry. In what was supposed to be a ‘rebuilding’ season, they’ve delivered early and I believe that they could be the quiet achievers that take the NFL Super Bowl.

3. Chiefs

I hesitate to put the chiefs this high on the list but with an MVP-level quarterback and an equally impressive offensive repertoire surrounding him, I don’t doubt the Chiefs can at least match the best.

Andy Reid is an old-school coach leading a new-school team. If Patrick Mahomes can stay healthy and Tyreek Hill can stay open, the air game for the Chiefs is potentially impossible to cover throughout the remainder of the playoffs.

4. Eagles

The stars are aligning for the Eagles in a strikingly similar fashion to last year’s NFL Super Bowl winning season. Nick Foles is on fire and this team has what someone like the Ram’s are lacking: heart and soul.

Like the Colts, the Eagles are red hot. They came away with a very fortunate win against the strongest defence in the league in the Bears and heading to New Orleans next week, I’m not ready to discount the Eagles’ chances during the playoffs just yet.

5. Chargers

The chargers are all about depth. There are no huge flashy names but their first-string guys, second-string guys, and beyond can all ball. Philip Rivers is having one of his best years in the twilight of his career and the team are beyond due for a NFL Super Bowl ring.

And that’s why I can’t see them actually getting one. Their playoffs win over the Ravens was narrow thanks to a struggling Lamar Jackson and they’ll need to bring their best heading to Gillette Stadium to face the Patriots.

6. Patriots

The Patriots are the Collingwood Magpies or the Melbourne Storm of the NFL. You love them or you hate them. I hate them.

Tom Brady’s twin Super Bowl losses to Eli Manning and the Giants put a smile on my face and I have to say that the Patriots’ star quarterback’s steady decline this year has pleased me equally as much. With Gronk’s demise just as steady, this team is run on experience, the best coach in the League, and a surprisingly solid secondary defence heading into the later weeks of the playoffs.

7. Cowboys

The arrival of Amari Cooper from the Raiders has made a real impact to the Cowboy’s offence and a traditionally strong defence crept them into the playoffs. Their gritty win over the Seahawks was enough to get them out of the last place on this list.

But a team that relies too heavily on one player – Ezekiel Elliott – is not a NFL Super Bowl team. When the Cowboys run the ball well, they win. When their run game fails, they lose.

8. Rams

AKA the ‘Hollywood Rams.’ Here’s a team that is all show. They’re young, they’ve got charisma, and when their offence works, it’s pretty. But to me, this team is missing the heart of the more experienced and traditional football teams.

Jared Goff isn’t playing at his best, and the other teams have caught up to them as the season has progressed. They are the inverse to Drew Brees and Saints who have a well-rounded mix of young and old. I don’t believe the Rams are a playoff team, and certainly don’t think they’re a NFL Super Bowl-winning team. Not yet, at least.

As always, this is just my opinion. But it’s a damn good opinion.

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