With the 2020 regular season now in the rear-view mirror, it is now time for one of the best times of the year: the NFL playoffs. With the new format the NFL has put into place, there are now fourteen total playoff teams. That leaves just one team from each conference with a bye week. Those teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers. This year has been extremely intense and exciting with the playoffs shaping up to be the same way. There are six great matchups for the “Super Wild Card Weekend” filled with teams hoping to make their playoff push.
Out of all of the possible intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups that could happen, we are all thinking of the ones we’d like to see most. I have put my three favorites together that would make for great television. With that, I give you my three most intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups.
Three Most Intriguing Super Bowl LV Matchups
Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
For my first choice, I am going with an obvious choice, Green Bay vs. City. A.K.A. The State Farm Bowl. The Packers and Chiefs are at the top of their respective conferences and are due for a Super Bowl LV matchup. We almost had this exact game last year, but the Packers got routed by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. Nonetheless, these are two different, and maybe even better teams than they were last year. And that’s saying something for the Chiefs. Coming off of their second super bowl in franchise history, they look to defend their crown this postseason.
Both of these teams have at worst, two of the top three MVP finalists at quarterback. The likely MVP, Aaron Rodgers, had his guys finish 13-3 for the second straight season. Only this year, nobody in their right mind is calling them the “worst 13-3 team of all-time.” Rodgers threw for the most touchdowns in the league this year (48). The second-most belonged to Tom Brady with 40. In addition, Rodgers posted the second-best passer rating of all time this year, only behind himself in the 2011 season. The Green Bay quarterback has proven he’s still got it and deserves his third-career MVP award.
On the other hand, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been his normal self, which is phenomenal. He finished with a 14-1 record as a starter and didn’t even play in the teams’ final game because they already had the one seed locked up. Only trailing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson for most passing yards in 2020, Mahomes has a serious case for the MVP himself. If it wasn’t for Rodgers looking like it’s 2011 again, he just may have earned himself the award.
These two high-potent offenses would put on a great show for the world to see. With both quarterbacks having a championship on their resume, the experience is there and would make for a great matchup. Although it’s the most-expected matchup, this game would go down as one of the greatest Super Bowls to ever be played. Among many reasons, that is why Green Bay-Kansas City is one of the three most intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups.
New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens
The second of the potentially intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups between the Ravens and Saints would be a highly-anticipated game. These teams have had their fair share of tough losses in the playoffs over the past couple of years.
In back-to-back years, New Orleans had two of the worst losses ever seen in the postseason. The first was when rookie Marcus Williams missed a tackle on Stefon Diggs which led to the infamous “Minnesota Miracle.” The second was perhaps the worst no-call in the history of sports. When Los Angeles Rams‘ Nickell Robey-Coleman blatantly hit Saints wide out Tommylee Lewis, no PI called. Sorry to bring back that memory, Saints fans. However, a second super bowl win for Drew Brees and Sean Payton would go a long way in the all-time rankings discussion.
Lamar Jackson currently sits at 0-2 for his young playoff career. With even just a mere trip to Super Bowl LV, it would erase the doubters saying that Lamar Jackson can’t win in big games. I think after just two games, it’s unfair to judge a player, no matter how bad they looked. I expect the Ravens to at least win a game or two to get that weight off of their backs.
New Orleans enters the playoffs as the two seed coming off of two great offensive performances. In the last two games of the season, they scored a combined 85 points and look to keep the streak going. With no bye for the two seeds this year, the Saints will need three wins just to make The Big Game. With people questioning whether or not Brees still has the fire in him, NOLA needs to make some noise in the postseason, or the skeptics will only get louder.
The Ravens come in as one of the hottest teams in the league riding a five-game win streak. In fact, their last loss came with Robert Griffin as starting quarterback. They have proven to be one of, if not the best running team in the league this year. In their last five games, they averaged just over 37 points a game and will need to keep that going throughout the playoffs. With expectations nowhere near where they were last year, I think Lamar and co. are a sleeper team this postseason. I expect them to make a lot of noise and maybe even upset a team like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs.
This matchup would be another shootout that would make for great ratings. A young quarterback trying to prove his worth versus a veteran quarterback who’s still trying to prove he’s got it. With two super bowl-winning head coaches on the sidelines, the experience is there. That’s why this game makes my list for one of the most intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Buffalo Bills
Think of this: the greatest quarterback of all time shockingly leaves his team, the New England Patriots, where he had been for his entire career. Then, he takes his new team to the super bowl only to face the team that overtook the crown of his former division. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Buffalo Bills. The media would drool over a matchup of this caliber. Both teams are playing great football right now and would make for a very intense game.
If Tampa were to just make Super Bowl LV, they would be the first team in NFL history to play The Big Game in their home stadium. Who else other than Brady would be able to accomplish a feat like that. It would only add to the already-stacked resume he has built up in his Hall of Fame career. Brady would also answer the questions of whether or not he needs Bill Belichick to be successful if he hasn’t done so already.
A chance for a seventh ring would put TB12 atop the list of all-time athletes, in any sport. His drive and passion for the game of football should be studied by young coaches and players all across the country. Brady’s work ethic is a huge part of the reason why he has such an accomplished career. Seeing Tom in the super bowl against his former divisional rival would be very fitting.
For Buffalo, could you imagine that city even if they just make the super bowl, let alone win it? Outside of Cleveland, I can’t think of a town more deserving of a great team than Buffalo. Their passion for their team has been there for years and they have finally got something. It all starts with quarterback Josh Allen. Allen, a now-serious MVP contender, has pushed this team well over the hump and has his guys at the two seed.
Allen and this offense have been almost unstoppable, especially of late. They have won nine of their last ten and would be riding a ten-game win streak if it weren’t for a Hail Mary by Kyler Murray. Some are saying this is the best team in football right now and that is definitely a serious argument. In addition to Allen, their new receiver, Stefon Diggs, has been everything they could’ve asked for. He led the league in both receptions and receiving yards. Remarkable. Bills Mafia is hoping this connection stays fresh and continue their dominance through the playoffs.
A Buccaneers vs. Bills Super Bowl LV would be one of the most hyped-up options we have. Both of these teams are clicking on all cylinders right now and expect that to stay the same in January. The media would have no problem advertising a Brady-Allen contest with the game’s biggest award on the line. That’s why I have Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo in one of my three most intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups.
Plenty of Intriguing Super Bowl LV Matchups
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other potentially great games that we could see in Super Bowl LV. That’s what makes the NFL the greatest sport in the world. Everything is so unpredictable and no one knows what will exactly happen. Nevertheless, if we did get one of my three most intriguing Super Bowl LV matchups, we would be in for a thriller.
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