As the regular season of the N.F.L. winds down, the playoff games kick into gear.
The first round of playoffs has six matches and two byes across the two sides of the bracket. Matches are set up so the highest available seed plays the lowest available seed, with the two one seeds, the Chiefs and Lions, getting byes in the first round. The first six match-ups consist of Broncos-Bills, Steelers-Ravens, Chargers-Texans, Packers-Eagles, Commanders-Buccaneers, and the last match being the Vikings-Rams.
The Bills are favored to win against the Broncos who have a rookie quarterback, Bo Nix, who is likely to fold under pressure at his first playoff appearance. The Steelers-Ravens rivalry is intense, with the favored Ravens likely to win due to their strong quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
The Chargers and Texans will be a close game, but the Chargers are thought to pull off a small upset due to the Texan quarterback, C.J. Stroud, having an off season after his strong rookie year. The Eagles will likely beat the Packers since the Eagles hold the higher seed and have a strong running back, Saquan Barkley.
The Buccaneers, having a home advantage with an especially loud stadium, are likely to beat the Commanders and their rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels. The Viking-Ram matchup is a toss-up but the Vikings should win after a hard fight.
Senior Shawn Dir is fond of this year’s Ravens, and he thinks they will pull off an upset to win it all. “They added Derrick Henry to an already strong roster with Lamar Jackson” which Dir believes is a winning combo.
Senior Zyan Westbrook is not sure of the winner, but is “confident the Packers will not make it past the first round.”
Senior Zain Khan is strongly against the Chiefs winning, and agrees with Dir that “the Ravens should win because of Lamar Jackson.”
Football defensive-back coach Christopher Lacy believes the Bills should win because of their strong quarterback, Josh Allen. Lacy believes the quarterback is the most important player on the field since “he is the only player on the field to touch the ball every play.”
With a few upsets likely to happen and the Ravens being favored to win, this year’s Super Bowl will be exciting for football fans as they cheer on their favorite team.
