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The 2023 NFL regular season is nearly in the books, which means it’s time for the real games to begin. All 14 playoff spots are finalized, and the race toward Super Bowl LVIII and the Lombardi Trophy is about to get underway.
Upsets and surprises are all part of the experience, so it’d be foolish to count on just about anything. But here’s how we’d rank all the contenders going into the tournament, from least to most likely to hoist the trophy on Super Bowl Sunday:
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
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Baker Mayfield deserves credit for exceeding expectations as their trial-run quarterback, and Todd Bowles’ defense has quietly clamped down in the last month, particularly against the run. But their old-school, ball-control brand has been more scattershot outside the NFC South, and Bowles’ group tends to lean painfully conservative in pivotal spots.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin
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Mike Tomlin has once again pulled a rabbit out of his hat, navigating staffing turmoil and quarterback injuries to keep Pittsburgh above water. But as sharp as Mason Rudolph’s been off the bench, this is the only playoff team with a negative point differential, and now the defense’s best difference-maker, T.J. Watt, is banged up. They’ll still be scrappy as always.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
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Has there ever been a team to start 10-1 the year after a Super Bowl bid, only to look this deflated? There are special players on this roster, but all the pizzazz of their 2022 run has vanished in an increasingly apathetic 1-5 stretch…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-playoffs-ranking-all-14-teams-to-make-the-postseason-from-dynamic-ravens-to-deflated-eagles/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2024-01-08 01:41:14
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