Liam’s Take:
Where do we start? Through the upsets, game-winners, flashy plays, and heartbreakers, this was an amazing NFL season to look back on.
The season began with the defending champion Chiefs hosting the Lions, which looked like it was going to be another win for the Chiefs, yet ended up being an upset by the end of it as the Lions won. The Lions immediately proved they were a real threat in the NFC. (This trend continued throughout the playoffs as well, as you’ll find later in this article.) On the other hand, the Chiefs were looking ready to have an off-year with a sloppy start. But, after all, it isn’t how you start; it’s how you finish. Throughout the season there were many surprising victories, some more lopsided than others. The Eagles, Cowboys, and 49ers looked like contenders throughout the regular season, but come the postseason things went downhill quickly for both the Eagles and Cowboys.
Along with amazing plays, there are the inevitable sad ones as well. Injuries are a part of the game, but sometimes it’s more than a game for a player like Aaron Rodgers, who just couldn’t catch a break on the new-look Jets. Daniel Jones and Kirk Cousins couldn’t stay healthy either, which may have fueled their respective teams, believe it or not. Joshua Dobbs came into Minnesota with an unhealthy Justin Jefferson and one goal: to win. Dobbs looked promising and conversations started around ‘Cinderella’ teams. Speaking of Cinderella runs, New Jersey’s own Tommy DeVito shined in a few games for the Giants, leading them to a three-game win streak towards the end of the year. Some of these injuries may have strengthened teams, to be quite frank. With Deshaun Watson injured late in the year, the best decision for the Cleveland Browns was to turn to veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. He then managed to pull off some key victories late in the year fueling a playoff birth.
Flacco also managed to win Comeback Player of the Year, which brings us to the NFL awards. On the defensive side of things for Cleveland, Myles Garrett had a monster year, taking home Defensive Player of the Year. Over on the sidelines, Kevin Stefanski managed to win Coach of the Year for the Browns as well. After many years of humiliation and losing seasons, it was a great year to be a Browns fan! The Defensive Rookie of the Year was Will Anderson Jr., the third pick in the recent draft, for the problems he caused against opposing linemen. His teammate, CJ Stroud, won Offensive Rookie of the Year as well for leading the Texans to a miraculous playoff run – ultimately proving something is brewing in Houston. Christian McCaffrey won a well-deserved Offensive Player of the Year after staying healthy for the second year in a row and putting up unbelievable numbers, including tying the record for most games gone consecutively with a touchdown. McCaffrey added to the 49ers and its playoff run, which ended at the Super Bowl. Finally, after dominating the league throughout the regular season, which continued for a bit in the postseason, Lamar Jackson earned his second Most Valuable Player award after leading the Baltimore Ravens to multiple key victories.
So what’s next for America’s sport? How will struggling teams rebuild during the offseason? Will the young teams continue to improve? Maybe teams with high hopes from this year will bounce back next season and be better than ever, or the best teams could continue to be victorious again. Really, though, can anyone get in Kansas City’s way?
Colin’s Take:
The playoffs proved to be even more exciting than the regular season, culminating in a Super Bowl that couldn’t have been more perfectly scripted… I mean couldn’t have gone more perfectly. In the NFC, the Buccaneers upset the Eagles, putting a violent end to a season that went downhill quickly. Adding to the upsets, the Packers and Jordan Love dismantled the Cowboys to continue the dominance in the playoffs that Aaron Rodgers previously held. Once again, the Cowboys received much playoff hype, but could not go anywhere following their stellar regular season. Finally, the Lions hosted the Rams for a rematch of quarterbacks against their former teams: Stafford against the Lions and Goff against the Rams. In a tightly contested game, the Lions squeaked by in the best game of the weekend.
In the following week, the Lions easily handled the mismatched Buccaneers. Then, the Packers held a lead and controlled the game against the top-seeded 49ers, but blew the chance at a Cinderella run towards the end. Then, an epic showdown between the Lions and 49ers became the NFC Championship game. At halftime, the Lions held a 24-7 lead. However, the scrappy team fell apart to the 49ers stacked offense which mounted a huge comeback in the second half, leading them to the Super Bowl. The 49ers had unfinished business from last year, going into the biggest game of the year hungrier than ever since its season was cut short by the Eagles last year.
In the AFC, there were more interesting storylines. Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco faced off against Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud, in a game between two underdogs. The Texans came out on top, getting their first playoff win since 2019. Two of the highest-powered offenses matched up in the Dolphins and Chiefs, as Tyreek Hill faced his former team. The game was close, but the Chiefs held firm control with their tight defense on the quick Dolphins players. The Bills also easily handled the Steelers, who barely scratched a way into the playoffs.
That set up another playoff matchup between the Bills and Chiefs. From years of rivalry that always ended with a Mahomes victory, this one was the same. The Ravens easily handled the young Texans team, looking formidable as the top seed. Then, MVP Lamar Jackson and former MVP Mahomes faced off to head to the Super Bowl. The Ravens looked to be controlling the game, but costly turnovers in the red zone plagued chances at scoring, and Mahomes instead found himself heading to his second straight Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl matchup itself couldn’t have angered more fans, but also appealed to so many casual NFL fans and newcomers alike. While some hated the Chiefs dominance, or Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, others despised the arrogance and cockiness with which the 49ers had played with all season.
The game was boring and sloppy, to say the least, in the beginning. No points were even scored in the first quarter after the 49ers fumbled in the Red Zone and the teams traded punts. Then, the Chiefs fumbled in the Red Zone, resulting in more punts, but finally a 49ers touchdown and a Chiefs field goal sent the game to halftime at 10-3. After an out-of-character wild deep shot by Mahomes was intercepted, more punts ensued to start the second half. The Chiefs then got a field goal, making the game 10-6, and still a snoozefest. At the end of the third quarter, the 49ers muffed a punt, giving the Chiefs an easy touchdown and the lead. From there, the scoring went back and forth. The 49ers scored a touchdown, but the Chiefs blocked the extra point, making it 16-13. After three consecutive traded field goals, regulation ended at 19-19, and the game was exciting.
The 49ers won the coin toss in overtime, choosing to receive the ball first. The referee explained the changes to playoff overtime, in which each team would get a chance to score, even if the first team scored a touchdown. This change followed a controversial Bills and Chiefs playoff game, where the dynamic Josh Allen was not even given a chance to score. Regardless, the 49ers got close to a touchdown, but decided to take the field goal, giving the Chiefs an opportunity to win with a touchdown. In a classic and melodic Mahomes’ drive, the Chiefs drove down the field with ease for its second championship in a row.
While the broadcast panned to Kelce singing “Viva, Las Vegas,” Andy Reid and Mahomes celebrated winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. They vowed that they were coming for their third. Mahomes won the Super Bowl MVP, while the 49ers were left ringless once again.
The season couldn’t have culminated in a better way. Although this wasn’t the greatest Super Bowl because of the first half, it did have one of the greatest endings, even if it was as predictable as a Hollywood movie. We’ll see you next year for more “7 hours of commercial-free football” and countless Sunday, Monday, and Thursday night games. Congratulations to the Chiefs!