Time for the Playoffs
I have yet to cover the NFL in a blog post, so why not show some love to the boys in the National Football League? Yesterday marked the end of an incredible season, so here are some thoughts and takeaways before Wildcard Weekend kicks off.
An MVP Race for the Ages
Fans were blessed with an incredible MVP race this season. Yes, once again, it looks like a quarterback will walk away with the award, but the level of play from the four top contenders was amazing to watch.
Josh Allen was easily the most dominant player, and he made it look effortless. Lamar Jackson (my favorite player) was exactly who we expected him to be—an MVP-caliber player—but then he somehow played even better than his MVP season from a year ago. In 2023, Jackson threw for 3,678 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. This season, he improved to 3,955 passing yards and 39 touchdowns. He also rushed for 852 yards, beating last season’s total of 821 rushing yards.
Next up is Joe Burrow, a man who would likely be the favorite for this award had he made the playoffs. Burrow led the league with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. He kept Bengals fans’ playoff hopes alive until Week 18 but ultimately missed the postseason because the Broncos won their game. The Bengals started the season 2-4 but finished with a five-game winning streak, a run that can be credited largely to Joe Burrow.
The last contender in this race is our only non-quarterback, Saquon Barkley. Barkley nearly broke the single-season rushing record and would have done so this past weekend had the Eagles not rested him. Barkley averaged 125.3 rushing yards per game and finished the season with 2,005 rushing yards on 378 carries. He also scored 13 touchdowns.
This MVP race has been nothing short of spectacular for everyone watching. However, it ultimately boils down to two players: Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Burrow missed the playoffs, Barkley didn’t break the record, and the MVP has essentially become a quarterback award—leaving Allen and Jackson as the final two.
Prediction: Josh Allen will win his first MVP this year. He is the heavy favorite, and what he has done for Buffalo this season—especially after the departure of Stefon Diggs—has been nothing short of incredible.
Historic Seasons for the League’s Best Teams
This NFL season also saw dominant performances from some of the league’s top teams. The two No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC both finished the regular season with an impressive 15-2 record:
Detroit Lions (NFC No. 1 seed)
Kansas City Chiefs (AFC No. 1 seed)
For both teams, this marks the best regular-season record in their franchise's history.
Right behind them are the No. 2 seeds:
Buffalo Bills (AFC, 13-4 record)
Philadelphia Eagles (NFC, 14-3 record)
The Bills finished with the sixth-best record in franchise history, while the Eagles finished with the third-best in theirs.
All four teams are deep in the conversation as Super Bowl favorites. While many analysts have their predictions, here are mine:
In the AFC Championship, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Baltimore Ravens—a game the Chiefs will win for the third year in a row.
In the NFC Championship, the Detroit Lions will play the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 1 vs. No. 2). The Lions will win their first-ever NFC Championship, sending them to their first-ever Super Bowl.
As for who wins the Super Bowl? I’ll save that prediction for later. But for now, I firmly believe these will be the two teams competing for the Lombardi Trophy.
Brian Thomas Jr. Got Snubbed from the AFC Pro Bowl
Before wrapping up this NFL blog post, I need to talk about one of the biggest snubs in this year’s AFC Pro Bowl selections: Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr.
When discussing Pro Bowl snubs, you have to not only make a case for the player who got snubbed but also talk about who didn’t deserve to make it in their place. In this case, the undeserving selection is Zay Flowers.
Let’s compare their stats:
Zay Flowers (Ravens): 74 receptions, 1,059 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns
Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars): 87 receptions, 1,282 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns
Thomas Jr. finished third in the NFL in receiving yards, while Flowers ranked 19th.
Thomas Jr. joins an elite group of rookies to finish a season with 1,200+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns. The only other players to accomplish this?
Ja'Marr Chase
Randy Moss
Odell Beckham Jr.
That’s legendary company.
And here’s the kicker—Brian Thomas Jr. didn’t even have an MVP-caliber quarterback throwing him the ball. He had to split reps between Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence, making his production even more impressive.
I think Brian Thomas Jr. was wrongfully snubbed, and the only way he’ll get into the Pro Bowl is if one of the four AFC wide receivers selected either plays in the Super Bowl or suffers an injury. Let’s hope he gets the spot he deserves.
