The NFL playoffs are coming to a close. The Super Bowl is just around the corner.

49ers vs Seahawks: Complete Domination

The playoffs started on January 14th, kicking off with the Seahawks vs 49ers game. At the first half of the game the 49ers were playing poorer than usual and the Seahawks went into halftime with a 1 point lead unexpectedly. In the second half, the 49ers finally became the niners that the people know and love. They dominated the Seahawks by scoring 25 points and holding the Seahawks at 7 points. The game ended with San Francisco coming out on top, pummeling the Seahawks with a score of 41-23.

Chargers vs Jaguars: The Ultimate Comeback

Later that night, the Jaguars faced off against the LA Chargers. At one point, the Jaguars were down 27-0,. With the help of Trevor Lawrence throwing 4 interceptions, the Chargers went into halftime with a lead of 27-7. The Jaguars clawed their way back into that game by outscoring the Chargers in the second half 24-3. The Jaguars completed the 3rd largest comeback in NFL postseason history by beating the Chargers 31-30.

Bills vs Dolphins: No Tua? Large Problems!

The next day, the Dolphins faced off against the Bills in the 10 o’clock time slot. 3rd string QB, Skylar Thompson, was starting for Miami; Tua Tagovailoa was still in concussion protocol from the Packers game on Christmas, and Teddy Bridgewater had a dislocated pinky. With this being said, Skylar faced one of the best defenses in the NFL and did his best to help Miami. His 2 top 10 wide receivers kept dropping passes they normally take for a touchdown and the running game was not working (like usual).

The Miami defense and special teams kept the game close by getting 3 turnovers on Josh Allen and the punt returner, Cedric Wilson, got some nice punt returns. The final score of the game was 31-34 with Buffalo coming out on top and advancing to the divisional round.

Giants vs Vikings: Are The Vikings Frauds?

During the day game on the 15th, the Vikings played the New York Giants (who actually play in New Jersey). The game was very close throughout and it was a struggle for both teams. The offenses played well and each scored more than 20. Daniel Jones was the leading rusher with 78 yards and he also threw for over 300 yards, the best game of his career.

Kirk Cousins also played well, but the only play people will remember is the final play where he threw a 3-yard checkdown on a 4th and 8, which ultimately ended their season. The Vikings’ defense was suspect throughout the regular season and that was seen in this game because the Giants do not have a true number 1 wide receiver, but Isaiah Hodgins caught 8 balls for 105 yards against them. The Vikings lost to the Giants 31-24.

VI. Bengals vs Ravens: Without a Key Player, You Lose Your Way

The final game on that Sunday was a highly anticipated matchup. That matchup being the Bengals vs the Ravens. Some believed this game was over before it began because the Ravens were without their QB1, Lamar Jackson, who is the heart and soul of the Ravens’ offense. This may be true, but the Ravens fought for the win until the end, but fell just short of the win. Late in the 4th quarter the score was tied at 17 each.

The Ravens marched their way down the field, then Tyler Huntley, who was the QB for the Ravens, went high for the QB sneak instead of going low underneath the linemen. This error cost the Ravens the game, while stretching the ball for the goal line, Sam Hubbard, a defensive end for the Bengals returned Tyler Huntley’s fumble 98 yards for a touchdown, which effectively ended the game. The Bengals won by a touchdown with a final score of 24-17.

VII. Cowboys vs Buccaneers: Tom Brady’s Final Game? FINALLY!!!

The game that closed out the Wild Card round was the Cowboys vs the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers had a losing record in the regular season, but won their division because no one in the NFC south had a winning record. This allowed the Buccaneers to clinch the home playoff game. The Cowboys were heading into the playoffs with an embarrassing loss to the Commanders in week 18. In this game, however, the Cowboys blew out the Buccaneers by scoring 5 touchdowns and winning 31-14.

Dak Prescott torched the Buccaneers’ defense for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns, with the addition of him rushing for 1. They rushed for 128 yards on 35 attempts. Even though they were getting held to 3.66 yards per rush, they rarely strayed from the running game, which helped them make it easy for Dak to throw for as many yards as he did. Brett Maher, the Cowboys kicker, set a record by missing the most PATs in a single game by missing 4 out of his 5 attempts.

VIII. Jaguars vs Chiefs: At Least You Made It To The Playoffs?

The divisional round of the playoffs started on Saturday, January 21st at 1:30 when the Jaguars faced the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs were the one team in the AFC to have the first-round bye for the playoffs because they had the best record in the AFC during the regular season. The Jaguars came into this game very hot and the Chiefs were well-rested. Going into the half it was a 7-point game in the Chiefs’ favor.

Both defenses played well against the pass, but the Jaguars’ performance was very impressive because they held one of, if not the best, QBs to under 200 yards passing and to 6.5 yards per pass attempt. Neither team played well against the run with the Chiefs giving up 7.6 yards per carry and the Jaguars giving up 4.8 yards per carry.

The final score of the game was 20-27 with the Chiefs coming out on top, without losing the lead once they gained it in the second quarter. Even though the Jaguars lost, they proved that their future is bright, with their young QB and just overall young team, that if developed correctly, as they have been, will be contenders for a long time.

IX. Giants vs Eagles: Yet Another Dominant Eagles Win

The night game for Saturday was the NFC East matchup that ended the regular season, Giants vs Eagles. The Eagles had the first-round bye for the NFC because they finished the season 14-3 and had the best record in the NFC. The Eagles utterly dominated the Giants throughout this game. They held Daniel Jones to 135 passing yards and they intercepted him once.

The ground-and-pound style of offense the Eagles employed in this game was absolutely brutal. The Eagles rushers had 268 yards and 6.09 yards per carry with 3 of the 4 rushers having a touchdown. Both teams played the pass well, neither team let up more than 155 yards passing. The Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley only got to carry the ball 9 times, but he got 6.8 yards per carry. The Giants as a whole only carried the ball 20 times even though the Eagles gave up 6.65 yards per carry. The Eagles’ domination was evident in their 38-7 win over the Giants.

X. Bills vs Bengals: Is This How Monday Night Would Have Gone?

The final AFC divisional game was a rematch of a game that happened earlier in the year, Bengals vs Bills. This was probably the most anticipated matchups of the weekend because of what occurred in their first matchup and because it is a matchup of 2 top 5 QBs. Their previous game did not finish because of a freak accident that sent Bills safety Damar Hamlin into cardiac arrest.

This game was in Buffalo and had the Bengals be dominant for all 4 quarters. On their first 2 drives the Bengals scored touchdowns and never lost the lead after their first touchdown. Joe Burrow threw for over 250 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Joe Mixon had one of the best games of the year with 105 rushing yards for 5.2 yards per carry.

The Bengals’ defense was very good against the Bills, holding rushers to 3.27 yards per carry and holding Josh Allen to 6.31 yards per pass attempt. The previously dominant Bills team was effectively useless against the Bengals on Sunday. They lost to the Bengals with a score of 27-10.

XI. Cowboys vs 49ers: Laughable Last Play

The final game of the divisional round was the Cowboys vs the 49ers. Both of these teams had 35 playoff wins heading into this game, both tied for #1 all-time. Both teams were dominant in the 1990s and neither team had won a Super Bowl since their era of dominance.

Dak Prescott’s last performance was not repeated against the best defense in the NFL. He threw for 206 yards on 37 attempts with 2 interceptions. This game was very defensive, neither team scored over 20 and neither team had more than 320 yards of total offense. This was very uncharacteristic for the 49ers’ offense, who often achieve 300 yards of offense passing plus more on the ground. The Cowboys’ offense was nullified by the 49ers’ defense.

Dalton Schultz made a critical error by not dragging his toe in bounds, which resulted in an incompletion on a play that, if he dragged his toe, would have been a 15+ yard gain, which made it almost impossible for Dallas to come back.

The final play of the game was a showcase of offensive masterminds. RB Ezekiel Elliot lined up at center, with no other lineman. He was plowed into the crust of the Earth within seconds and Dak Prescott threw the ball 8 yards and his receiver got tackled immediately, ending the game.

The final score of the game was 19-12 with the 49ers coming out on top and claiming the most postseason wins by one franchise. After the 1990s, Dallas and the playoffs did not mix well.

XII. Eagles vs 49ers: 49ers Need a Hospital

Championship weekend started off at 12:00 PST with the 49ers playing the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Eagles came out of the gate swinging. On their first drive, they marched down the field for 66 yards and a touchdown. The first half of this game saw utter domination from the Eagles.

Brock Purdy got hurt, so the 49ers were forced to put Josh Johnson at QB. The Eagles went into halftime with 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and a 14-point, 21-7, lead. The first drive coming out of the half, Josh Johnson hit his head on the turf, causing the 49ers to be out of options, they put in Brock Purdy back at QB.

The regular season saw the 49ers starter, Trey Lance hurt his leg, which brought in Jimmy Garapollo, who got injured in week 9 against the Dolphins, which brought in Brock Purdy. The start of the 3rd quarter was punt after punt after punt after punt, very defensive quarter, until the Eagles marched down the field for 90 yards and got a QB sneak touchdown by Jalen Hurts.

The 49ers costly defensive and special teams penalties cost them this game. The 49ers could not throw for the whole game because they were putting in their 4th string QB and then their injured 3rd-string QB. In the second half, Brock Purdy could not throw the ball when he went back in. It was later revealed that he tore his UCL in his throwing arm.

Christian McCaffery did all he could as he led the team in all-purpose yards, rushing yards, touchdowns, and receptions. He was responsible for half of the team’s offensive production, but without a QB throwing the ball it is hard to win a game. Domination to the finest degree in Philadelphia by the Eagles. The final score was 31-7.

XIII. Chiefs vs Bengals: Chiefs Final Vanquish The Beast

The final real game before the Super Bowl was the Bengals vs the Chiefs in Kansas City. Leading up to this game players were calling Arrowhead Stadium, which is the home of the Chiefs, Burrowhead stadium. This caused drama between the Bengals players and the Chiefs players, which led to a great game with tough hits on the field.

The first half was very defensive because neither run game could get anything going and the Chiefs held Joe Burrow to under 150 yards passing. The Chiefs were the first to score and the first to find the endzone. Towards the end of the half, the Chiefs were running a zone defense scheme which Joe Burrow torched with ease, marching down to the endzone, but came up short just getting a field goal.

They went into halftime with a score of 13-6 and the Chiefs receive the second-half kickoff. Joe Burrow was getting constant pressure throughout the game racking up 4 sacks in the first half alone, but in the second quarter he was getting the ball out faster allowing less time for the Chiefs’ pass rushers to get to him. The Chiefs’ pass rushers only got 1 sack in the second half because of Joe Burrow getting the ball out faster and just overall better pass protection from his o-line.

Cincinnati marched down the field to tie the game at 13 with a great Tee Higgins receiving touchdown. Even on a lame ankle, Patrick Mahomes is still running around the pocket and running away from defenders, like it is backyard football. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, an offseason free agent pickup, was a massive factor in this game, he had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Bengals did a great job stopping the run, but against the pass was a different story.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs finally beat the Bengals with a score of 23-20. Before this game, Chris Jones played in 14 playoff games and had a total of 0 sacks in those 14 games. Chiefs pass rusher and Defensive Player of the Year candidate, finally got his coveted playoff sack, he had 2 in this game.

XIV. Pro Bowl

There is a one-week break in between the championship games and the Super Bowl. During this week’s break, the Pro Bowl takes place. This is the NFL’s version of an All-Star game. There are skills competitions, where players show their talents in carnival-type games, and at the end of the week there is a flag football game.

The coaches for the Pro Bowl are the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli. They are coaching the conferences for which each of them played. Peyton played on the Colts and Broncos, both in the AFC, and Eli was drafted by the Chargers, but never played a snap, and played for New York Giants, which is an NFC team.

XV. NFL Honors Awards

Before the Super Bowl, the NFL issues awards for excellence to coaches, players, and executives. These awards include the MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and many other respectable awards.

Many believe that Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes will win the MVP. Outside of Chris Jones, the other two Defensive Player of the Year candidates were not getting to the QB and getting sacks. In three playoff games, Nick Bosa was held to 0 sacks, and in two games Micah Parsons had 1. Both of those stats are very uncharacteristic for those 2 superstars.

All five of the Coach of the Year candidates were playoff coaches, one being in the Super Bowl; many believe the award will go to Giants head coach, Brian Daboll instead. John Maimone, an avid Giants fan, thinks that Brian Daboll can win the award explaining, “[Brian Daboll] could win Coach of the Year. He helped Daniel Jones improve to a 67% completion percentage and turned the team around.” The Giants finished the season with a 9-7-1 record, and go to the playoffs, after having 4 straight losing seasons. Their first-round QB Daniel Jones finally had a good season, thanks to the offensive game plan of Daboll.

XVI. Super Bowl: Predictions, Location, and Preview

Many people before the season predicted that the Chiefs would face off against the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Those people would be correct as this Super Bowl is the Chiefs vs the Eagles. John Maimone, put aside his bias against the Eagles, and agrees with the majority of people who think the Eagles will win. He was quoted as saying, “I am not a Philadelphia fan, so I am rooting for the Chiefs, but the Eagles are just stocked. In order for the Chiefs to win, they need to bring their A++. ”

They both have one of the Kelce brothers on their team and Andy Reid has coached both teams, so the Super Bowl is already being called the Kelce Bowl and the Reid Bowl. They are both the first seed of their respective conference and had the first-round bye. The last first seed to win the Super Bowl was the 2017 Eagles. Will the Eagles be the next first seed to win the Super Bowl or will it be the Chiefs?

This year, the Super Bowl will take place on February 12th, 2023 in Glendale Arizona. This is the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals, who had a massively disappointing season. The Super Bowl stadiums are set in place before the season starts, and besides the past two Super Bowls, the regular season team to play at the stadium has never played at their home stadium and won, let alone played at their home stadium.

All of the statistics found in this article were found via ESPN.com