The divisional round of the playoffs is over, and the NFL's Final Four has been decided. The Kansas City Chiefs are playing in their sixth straight AFC Championship, and the San Francisco 49ers are in a similar situation as they are playing in their fourth NFC Championship in five years. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens are in this position for the first time since winning it all in 2013, and the Detroit Lions reach this stage in franchise history next Sunday as they make their first appearance since 1991. Only once.
So this weekend will feature teams on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of conference championship game experience, which should make for some interesting matchups heading into the big game. The Super Bowl is always fun and should be a national holiday, but let's be honest, some matchups have a story to them that makes them better than others.
Here's a ranking of how fun the four potential Super Bowl combinations are. Listed in descending order.
4. Chiefs vs. Lions
It wouldn't be a bad story if the 2023-2024 NFL season ended the same way it started with Kansas City vs. Detroit.
It will feature one of the best offenses in the league, the Lions, who rank fifth. 26.9 points per game — and the Chiefs are second in points allowed per game, so they have one of the best defenses (16.7).
It's going to be an exciting battle between Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kansas City cornerback Rajarius Sneed. Both have run great campaigns. It will also be a paid battle in the trenches with Jonah Jackson (unless he is unable to play due to a severe knee injury), Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow facing off against Chris Jones.
However, the battle between the Chiefs and Lions in the season opener was ultimately decided by poor football. Kansas City receiver Kadarius Toney's drop was particularly notable and ended up being the biggest story of Week 1, especially since one pass passed through Toney's hands for Detroit to get a pick-six. It became a line.
In other words, either the one-point game we saw in September won't be repeated, or the Super Bowl will be decided not by the number of plays but by the fewest mistakes, and both are better footballs to watch than the other options. I can't say that. .
3. Ravens vs. Lions
This matchup is sure to include some interesting battles on both sides of the ball.
Baltimore has one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, finishing the regular season with the most sacks and defeating opposing quarterbacks as a team. 60 times, which was three more than any other club.Leading the way was defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who set his career high. 13 bags Edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy contributed and were named second-team All-Pros. 9.5 and 9Each.
On the other hand, Detroit's offensive line was unable to produce results. 31 bags This season, it is tied for the fourth-lowest number. So this means which team will concede first, with offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker containing Clowney and Van Noy, while the aforementioned trio of Lions interiors try to contain Madubuike. It will be a battle of whether to do it or not. Adding fuel to the fire, quarterback Jared Goff has famously struggled with pocket pressure throughout his career.
On the other side of the ball, Detroit's running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmil Gibbs is a big threat to any defense. When he combines these two, Approximately 2,400 yards from scrimmage and 24 total touchdowns. During the regular season. But Baltimore may have the perfect linebacker duo to counter the two-headed monster in the Lions' backfield. Patrick Queen has established a reputation as the most athletic and best-coverage helper in the league, and Roquan Smith has become a perennial All-Pro over the past four years.
However, the Ravens defeated the Lions 38-6 in October, so this matchup doesn't have the significant history between the teams that the other two teams have.
2. Ravens vs. 49ers
Unlike Super Bowl 47, Jim is seeking an opportunity to return to the league after leading the University of Michigan to a national championship, John is working to add another trophy to his family's mission, and Harbaugh Neither brother plays sideline pace. However, a Super Bowl rematch would be an interesting matchup, especially considering the previous rematch was a close three-point battle. There have only been a handful of repeat Super Bowl matchups since the Super Bowl began in 1967, so in some ways this could be like watching history and rivalries begin to form.
Continuing the rematch theme, these teams played each other about a month ago on Christmas Day in what was aptly deemed a “Super Bowl preview.” The Ravens and 49ers were first in the conference at the time and finished as the No. 1 seeds in the playoffs.
San Francisco will be hoping to prove that the 33-19 loss was just a fluke. No one wants revenge more than quarterback Brock Purdy. It was arguably his worst performance of the season, with a completion percentage of 56.3 and four interceptions. Purdy's MVP award also appears to have been lost in this game, as the odds tilted in favor of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after the contest, increasing the intrigue of this matchup.
Plus, we'll see two of the best linebacker duos go head-to-head. As mentioned above, Queen and Smith are a couple of the best players at their respective positions, as are Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
But this matchup still won't be as interesting as the recent Super Bowl rematch.
1. 49ers vs. Chiefs
Super Bowl LIV became an instant classic. The game was tied at halftime, with San Francisco leading by 10 points entering the fourth quarter, but Kansas City scored 21 unanswered points to take home the Lombardi Trophy.
Unlike the second most fun matchup, this one features a lot of the same faces. Coaches Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan are still with the team. The 49ers will have a different QB, but the Chiefs will still have Patrick Mahomes behind center and will still face a defense led by Warner, Greenlaw and Nick Bosa.
This would revive Super Bowl rivalries like the Cowboys and Steelers of the 70s, the 49ers and Bengals of the 80s, and more recently the Patriots and Giants.
Additionally, San Francisco felt like Purdy and Josh Johnson were injured in last season's NFC Championship Game, leaving the team without a healthy quarterback. As a result, the Eagles advanced to a big game against the Chiefs, which Kansas City won, but 49ers fans were left wondering what happened.
So this matchup could finally put an end to those negotiations and give the soccer world the fireworks some were hoping for a year ago. Additionally, if San Francisco wins, those in the Bay Area could lay claim to having the best team in the NFL over the past two seasons, heading into what is already one of the highest-stakes sporting events of the year. The stakes will be even higher.
