Finally, only two remain on the battlefield. This is it. The final battle. The grand finale. The duel of the fates.
The Super Bowl.
It will be a thrilling battle for the ages, but first, let us look back at those who fell on the battlefield, those who fell in their quest for the Lombardi Trophy.
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Seattle Seahawks
LOST Wild Card vs. 49ers, 23-41
No one expected the Seahawks to be here. After Russell Wilson was traded away to bring undercooked food to Denver, pundit predictions regularly placed the Seahawks near the bottom of the league. The captains of Tank Bowl?
Well, in the immortal words of Geno Smith: "They wrote me off, I ain't write back though".
Courtesy of the Wilson trade, the Seahawks have a high draft pick and a hopeful future. This Wild Card loss was not ideal, but still exceeded their season's minimal expectations.
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Los Angeles Chargers
LOST Wild Card vs. Jaguars, 30-31
The Atlanta Falcons have never heard the end of 28-3, and now the Chargers will never hear the end of 27-0. You had the Jaguars on the ropes, made Trevor Lawrence look like a disaster, and what did you do with your commanding lead? Squander it all away in the most Chargers way possible and watch your playoff hopes sink into a Florida swamp.
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Miami Dolphins
LOST Wild Card vs. Bills, 31-34
This was supposed to be a bloodbath at the Dolphins expense, but the Dolphins refused to go out without a fight. Still, even with Josh Allen's mistakes, the Dolphins couldn't quite finish the job. Quarterback injuries and never-ending concussions to Tua Tagovailoa saw to that. The Dolphins need stability at the quarterback position if they hope to make a deep playoff run next season.
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Minnesota Vikings
LOST Wild Card vs. Giants, 24-31
Worst thirteen win team in the history of the NFL. How do you get thirteen wins and finish with a negative point differential? Win narrowly or get completely blown out. Such was the story for the Vikings this season, and it came back to torment them in this game. The Giants emerged as a fierce opponent and would accept no talk of another Minneapolis Miracle. But no, the worst part of this season for the Vikings was the end of it. Need eight yards to stay alive? No problem, Kirk Cousins will throw a short slant pass...for three yards. Minneapolis Miracle? Minneapolis Mushroom Cloud, more like.
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Baltimore Ravens
LOST Wild Card vs. Bengals, 17-24
Is this why the Seahawks didn't run it on the goal line in XLIX? The Ravens did it this year and promptly fumbled it away for a record-setting Bengals return and touchdown.
Quoth the Raven...
"EAT MY SHORTS"
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
LOST Wild Card vs. Cowboys, 14-31.
Tom Brady can only wield so much dark magic. The defense has always been a crucial factor for Brady and it clearly failed this year, even more so than last year's late debacle against the Rams. We've likely seen the last of The Tom Brady Show. Do not believe the retirement talk until he is truly unable to throw a football.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
WON Wild Card vs. Chargers, 31-30
LOST Divisional vs. Chiefs, 20-27
Throwing turnovers against the Chargers was bad enough. Throwing turnovers against Mahomes and the Chiefs? That's a good recipe for disaster.
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New York Giants
WON Wild Card vs. Vikings, 31-24
LOST Divisional vs. Eagles, 7-38
Surprise? Not particularly. The Giants defeated a hapless Vikings team, but were no match for the absolute buzzsaw of the Eagles. The Eagles were Phil Swift, and the Giants the boat. Now that's a lotta damage!
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Buffalo Bills
WON Wild Card vs. Dolphins, 34-31
LOST Divisional vs. Bengals, 10-27
That the Bills did not annihilate the Dolphins should have been an immediate red flag. If the Super Bowl favorite of the AFC could barely scrape by against a seventh seed, what chance did they stand against an upstart Bengals team? None. None at all. Joe Burrow marched in during a Buffalo snowstorm and coldly destroyed the Bills. This year was possibly the best shot at a Super Bowl title for the Bills, and they had all the motivation for it too after Damar Hamlin. Instead, it will simply be chalked up as yet another disappointment. If not Patrick Mahomes, then Joe Burrow. An ever growing list of obstacles standing between Buffalo and the Lombardi Trophy.
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Dallas Cowboys
WON Wild Card vs. Buccaneers, 31-14
LOST Divisional vs. 49ers, 12-19
What, are the Cowboys turning into the Green Bay Packers of Texas? Can't defeat the 49ers in the playoffs? It's bad enough this team is allergic to victory when the 49ers drop by, but even worse is that they can't even advance to the NFC Championship anymore. One way or another, the Cowboys consistently set their expectations high only to have them mercilessly shot down. A shame, too. Had the Cowboys won this battle, it would have set up the Armageddon of Eagles vs. Cowboys in the NFC Championship. Oh, what could have been...
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San Francisco 49ers
WON Wild Card vs. Seahawks, 41-23
WON Divisional vs. Cowboys, 19-12
LOST Championship vs. Eagles, 7-31
What a horrific end to an incredible season. The 49ers story was enthralling: plagued by injuries to their top two quarterbacks, the 49ers third string quarterback was a gold mine named Brock Purdy who led the 49ers to a huge and months-long winning streak that solidified their place as a Super Bowl favorite. And then the injuries struck. Again. Purdy and Josh Johnson both fell with injuries and rendered the 49ers offense powerless even with the likes of Christian McCaffrey. Worse, the 49ers took penalty after penalty and became easy prey for the Eagles. Even the 49ers defense, ranked #1 in the league, was torn to pieces by a ferocious Eagles offense. The brawl towards the end of the game was the cherry on top of the 49ers trainwreck.
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Cincinnati Bengals
WON Wild Card vs. Ravens, 24-17
WON Divisional vs. Bills, 27-10
LOST Championship vs. Chiefs, 20-23
The refball was questionable (not quite Rams-Saints bad) but the Bengals did plenty to destroy their own hopes of back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Burrow lobbing costly turnovers and a ravaged O-line held together by duct tape and Swiss cheese does not a Super Bowl contender make. All in all, it's just another way to scare the Arrowhead curse away.
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And now, the grand finale. Super Bowl LVII. The final showdown in Glendale, Arizona is set:
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The team with Kelce will win.
Both these teams have won Super Bowls in recent years, but only one will walk out of the Sonoran Desert with another Super Bowl ring.
How the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl
The Chiefs are no stranger to playoff football this time of year. This is their third appearance in recent years, but they would rather recall their glorious comeback victory in LIV over their embarrassing non-effort in LV.
Even without Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs remain a strong and formidable force. The one-two punch of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce is a cannon capable of decimating any defense. Indeed, the Chiefs boast the league's highest scoring offense, scoring 496 points. Their potent offense and solid defense was good for the top seed in the AFC.
It was a tough but surmountable path for the Chiefs these playoffs. They tamed the Jaguars and then escaped the claws of the Bengals. As the Chiefs return to the Super Bowl, they now face their most dangerous opponent yet.
How the Chiefs can win the Super Bowl
Against an absolutely ruthless Philadelphia Eagles squad, the Chiefs need their one-two Mahomes-Kelce punch more than ever. If the Chiefs cannot stop the Eagles offense, then Mahomes must score touchdowns on all or most drives. Anything less — field goals included — and the Chiefs will look like helpless salmon to the circling Eagles. Survive a shootout and the Chiefs can win it.
Defensively, the Chiefs need to find a way to break through the Eagles O-line. No small feat, given the Eagles O-line is at maximum strength, unlike the Bengals O-line. But the Chiefs must find a way to break through. Without that pressure, the Chiefs will never be able to stop Hurts.
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How the Eagles reached the Super Bowl
The Eagles are a fascinating case. Five years ago, they won the Super Bowl over Tom Brady and the Patriots. Two years ago, they were in the basement of the league, a hapless 4-11-1 and a shell of their former glory. Today, they are truly the final boss of the league.
The Eagles soared to an 8-0 start before encountering some trouble later this season, especially around Christmas and the new year. The late season struggles led to some questions. Are the Eagles truly worthy of the #1 seed in the NFC? Are the Eagles doomed to another playoff disappointment?
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense simply ignored such questions and promptly steamrolled their way to the Super Bowl. It began with a 38-7 demolition of the New York Giants, and continued with a 31-7 destruction of the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles reduced the league's top defense to ashes. Any doubts about the Eagles were erased after the NFC Championship.
How the Eagles can win the Super Bowl
The Eagles have a huge arsenal of weapons to decimate the Chiefs defense. Jalen Hurts can attack from the air while the likes of Miles Sanders can bowl through opponents on the ground. The Eagles have a versatile offense and should be able to respond to any Chiefs threat. Above all, the Eagles offense just needs to avoid any poor mistakes or costly turnovers. Such blunders have a high cost in the biggest game of the year.
Defensively, the key to stopping the Chiefs is to breach their O-line. Neutralize Mahomes and the Chiefs will have traumatic flashbacks to Super Bowl LV.
FINAL PREDICTION
Victory can only be won through overwhelming firepower. Jalen Hurts on one side, Patrick Mahomes on the other. Both will ensure this game is a high-scoring war of attrition. The victor will be determined by which team will break first, and it will come down to the wire.
And the Eagles will soar across the sky.
