Ever since the NFL season kicked off in September, teams have been competing and battling to secure a spot in the Super Bowl. Early in the season, Webbies were asked, and most of them answered with biased, yet somewhat accurate answers based on their favorite teams.
New England Patriots Powerhouse
Despite growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, Maksym Graham (‘23) is an avid follower of the New England Patriots, who believes the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl for the next five years.
“I’ve been a Patriots fan since the day I had seen my dad screaming at the T.V. when the Patriots had won Super Bowl 49 back in 2015,” Maksym said. “Once the Patriots had gotten used to Cam Newton being their quarterback, they’ve been on fire!”
In fifth grade, Maksym’s dad gave him a Patriots sweater. Maksym loves the Patriots so much that he has kept the same Patriot’s sweater his dad gave him when the team went to the Super Bowl. He has cherished it ever since.
“You have to remember this is the Patriots we’re talking about. With one of the best coaches ever, [Bill Belichick], and Cam Newton, the Patriots are practically unstoppable,” Maksym said. “Just watch and you will see, the Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl this year.”
These predictions might be a little stretched since the Patriots have a 6-7 record and are ninth in the American Football Conference (AFC).
At the start of the season, the Patriots had a record of 2 wins and 1 loss, with their only loss being to the Seahawks, until the Kansas City Chiefs, with a record of 10-1, swept the Patriots, causing the Patriots to lose their momentum and go on a three-game losing streak in the following weeks. This could possibly be due to their star quarterback Cam Newton contracting COVID-19 and not being able to play; many compare the Patriots to the Baltimore Ravens, due to their QB-reliant offense.
The Baltimore Ravens are currently 8-5, leaving them in third place in the AFC North. The Ravens heavily rely on their 23-year-old reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Although Jackson had to miss playing the Steelers on Thanksgiving Night, due to testing positive for COVID-19, he returned with high spirits and trampled Dallas on Tuesday night with a 17-point victory.
“Although I think the Atlanta Falcons are the best team to every play football,” Daniel Serna (‘23) said. “I think that the Ravens might have a good shot at winning too.”
Pittsburgh Steelers Local Hopefuls
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been dominating the league; without a doubt, the Steelers will be a Super Bowl Contender. Having only lost one game to the Washington Football Team, the 10-2 Steelers have proved they have got what it takes to win the Super Bowl.
The last time the Steelers were in the playoffs was back in 2017, when they were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. The following year, they narrowly missed the postseason with their nine wins, six losses, one tie record.
The Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs are the only two AFC teams who have secured a spot in the playoffs. In the National Football Conference (NFC), the only team that has secured a playoff spot is the New Orleans Saints.
Los Angeles Rams Underdogs
Although the Rams have been struggling to stay article the top seed of the NFC West, they have been able to remain afloat. With their 9-4 record, the Los Angeles Rams are currently tied with the 9-4 Seattle Seahawks.
“I’ve been watching the Rams all throughout my childhood,” said Ethan Caldecott (‘21), quarterback of the WSC football team. “This year looks promising. I know they’re going to the Super Bowl this year. This is the best I’ve ever seen the Rams before.”
While admitting that he might be slightly biased, Ethan still stands by his claim and predicts that the Super Bowl will be between the Rams and the Chiefs.
“The Rams are a totally new team now with Jared Goff in his prime. I don’t see a team beating the Rams in the playoffs or in the Super Bowl,” Ethan said.
With the playoffs being four games away, each game is becoming more crucial. Will the 10-1 Steelers beat the reigning Super Bowl Champions? Is a new team going to emerge and shock the NFL? Amidst the craziness this year has bought, this Super Bowl race will go down in history due to the magnitude of power diversity in this year’s NFL teams.
