As we stand just a couple weeks away from Christmas, NFL fans are beginning to think about the Super Bowl, or if you're a fan of a team like the Browns, Bears or Giants, you're already thinking about the draft and next season.
While there are 32 teams in the league, as far as legit Super Bowl contenders go, there may be only a handful of teams that have what it takes to be holding the Lombardi Trophy up at the end of the season.
1.Kansas City Chiefs- The Chiefs quest for a 3-Peat hasn't been an easy one. At 12-1, there actually seems to be more questions about Kansas City than answers. Here's what we know; Patrick Mahomes has turned his season around. At one time Mahomes had 8 touchdowns to 9 interceptions, he now has 20 touchdowns and 11 picks. It doesn't matter who is at wide receiver, Mahomes produces magic every week. His stats may not be as great as other QBs, but he definitely deserves MVP votes for the plays he makes through the air, as well as with his feet. He's a once in a generation player and the reason the Chiefs are poised to 3-peat. I can't forget about that defense. While the secondary has taken a hit, the rest of the defense is stacked. With Chris Jones leading the way, the likes of Nick Bolton, Justin Reid, George Karlaftis, and many others continue to shut down opponents. If teams have to go to Arrowhead in January, it will be a tall task to take down this deep, veteran squad with championship swagger.
2. Detroit Lions-At 12-1 with the top ranked offense and third ranked defense, the Lions will be an awfully tough out, especially at Ford Field. Jared Goff isn't flashy at QB, but he doesn't have to be. He has 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His confidence on the field shows each week and why shouldn't it with the great rushing tandem of David Montgomery (771 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Jahmyr Gibbs (1016 yards and 10 touchdowns). The duo of Montgomery and Gibbs is one of the best running back tandems in recent years. The Lions can not only score fast with the passing game, but they can grind it out with the run game. The defense is still stout minus Aidan Hutchinson who still leads the team with 7.5 sacks. If Dan Campbell can keep from taking too many risky chances, the Lions should walk into the NFC Title game.
3.Buffalo Bills-Buffalo is led by QB Josh Allen. At 10-3, Allen, an MVP candidate, has led the Bills to multiple big wins this season. Allen has 23 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. There were questions about talent when it came to the Bills weapons around Allen, but he has not only answered critics but put up stats unlike anything we've seen the last couple weeks. The Bills run defense is questionable after being exposed by the Rams, and I question Buffalo's ability to beat the Chiefs on the road in the playoffs. And don't give me the excuse, the Bills defeated Kansas City this season because the Chiefs and Mahomes in the playoffs is another type of monster.
4.Philadelphia Eagles- 2,105 is the number being discussed when it comes to those Birds in Philly. That is the number Saquon Barkley is trying to get to. Eric Dickerson currently owns the single season record for most rushing yards. In my opinion, this is one of the toughest records in all of sports. The punishment a running back takes week in, and week out is unreal. I honestly didn't think this record would be broken due to the amount of running backs a lot of teams use during a season. But, after coming over from the Giants, Barkley has put up numbers that make him the leading MVP candidate at the moment. Can he catch Dickerson? Barkley will need to average just over 120 yards per game in the final four games to break the record. As far as flaws go, the Eagles have a bad habit of starting slow, averaging barely over one point in the first quarter. Against a Detroit team in the playoffs, those birds won't fly.
Teams with outside shot:
Minnesota Vikings (11-2) Sam Darnold has resurrected his career, in what was thought to be a down year for Minnesota. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has put together great play calling and schemes, but the Vikings love to turn the ball over with 19 giveaways on fumbles or interceptions. That spells doom in the playoffs.
Green Bay Packers (9-4)-The Packers are great at creating takeaways, feasting off 24 during the regular season. Quarterback Jordan Love has gotten good protection by the offensive line but will turn the ball over when he tries to force the ball. Can Green Bay go into Detroit and win a playoff game? The Lions went into Lambeau and won by 10, then in Detroit, the Packers came up short, 34-31. I like the way the Packers play but just don't know if they have the firepower to hang with Detroit in January.
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)-That defense can take out any team. Mike Tomlin has built a team based on a rock-solid defensive core. My big question is about Russell Wilson. He has one playoff win since 2017. The final weeks will tell us a lot about the Steelers as they face Kansas City on Christmas at home and travel to Philly and Baltimore. The Chiefs may have nothing to play for at that point, but if Tomlin's crew can win 2-of-3 or better, I'm hedging my bets on Pittsburgh as a viable AFC threat to the Chiefs 3-Peat attempt.
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