Too-Early Super Bowl Predictions
It’s August, and preseason professional football is in full swing. Anything can happen between now and February. In some cases, last season’s performances may not matter at all. This is a clean slate, and recent standouts will still have to work to prove themselves on the field. Be that as it may, we can still make predictions based on what we know. But I would love to be proved wrong, and enjoy a season full of surprises. This is who I think will be playing in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. NFC Champion — San Francisco 49ers Though the 49ers lost in the Super Bowl, they were objectively the best team in the league last season. Truthfully, their greatest opponent in Super Bowl LVIII wasn’t the Kansas City Chiefs — it was themselves. If San Francisco can keep their lethal offense intact, and head coach Kyle Shanahan learns from his mistakes, I don’t see why they can’t make another run for the Lombardi Trophy. As of the offseason, the 49ers have a 25% chance to reach the Super Bowl, and a 16% chance of winning it. These are the best percentages of any other team. In recent years, the AFC is a more competitive conference than the NFC, which is slightly weaker on average. Of their conference competitors, the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions have the best shot of making things difficult for the 49ers. In my opinion, if another team could give San Francisco a run for their money, it would be the Lions. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I’d like to see the Lions capitalize on their groundbreaking, drought-ending 2023 season. After a heartbreaking loss to the 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship game, I’d like to see them win the NFC this year, and go to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. After an offseason with major additions and minimal subtractions, the Lions should have the 49ers worried. AFC Champion — Baltimore Ravens This is a tough one. A handful of AFC teams have been at each other’s throats for the last few seasons, namely the Chiefs, Ravens, Bengals, and Bills. As the standouts, these teams, these quarterbacks, are constantly compared to one another. Just beating each other in the regular season earns bragging rights. The Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals are running out time. Professional football moves fast — you can’t keep the same team together forever. If you have an elite team, you have to take advantage of it. Players get hurt, traded, offered more money, and they retire. Notably, the average retirement age for football players is lower than other sports, due to its physically-demanding nature. In the case of quarterbacks, if Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow want to solidify their legacies, they need to act now. A quarterback’s late 20s are bittersweet. It can be their prime, but also when their abilities begin to decline. A quarterback can play well into their thirties, but adjustments have to be made. If these players want to win a Super Bowl, it needs to happen now. Otherwise, it’s only going to get harder. The worst part? Enemies are closing in. It’s not just themselves they have to worry about anymore. The Browns, Texans, and Dolphins are on the up and up. With all of this in mind, I think the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens will return to the AFC Championship game. And perhaps this is more wishful thinking, but I believe the Ravens will emerge victorious. Though this is an insulting thing to say about a team that just won their third Super Bowl in five years, the Chiefs aren’t the well-oiled machine they once were. Cracks in the foundation are starting to show, from drama behind the scenes, to offensive blunders, to aging superstars. The thing about the Chiefs is they’ve known how to finish strong, even if their previous performances were lackluster. After a few years of watching their outstanding season performances amount to nothing, I think the Ravens have the best shot of learning how to make the postseason count and finishing stronger than Kansas City. Their consistency has proven itself in comparison to the Bills and Bengals. Join SCA Promotions this football season! With the professional football season right around the corner, there are endless opportunities to take advantage of. SCA Promotions offers sponsor activation ideas, like the field goal kick and target toss, and team activation ideas, like athlete and team incentives. Event-based rebates, digital gamification, and social media contests are also on the table. SCA Promotions will customize your company’s promotions to make an idea a reality. Download our free guide to football promotions today at https://scapromotions.com/football-promotions/. Source:
