Top 5 Super Bowl Contenders So Far This Season
As the holidays approach and the weather cools down, the Super Bowl contenders and pretenders in the NFL are starting to take shape. Let’s examine who the biggest contenders are this season to hoist the Lombardi trophy come February.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
To be the champs, you have to knock them out, and through 10 weeks and a grueling schedule, the reigning Super Bowl champs stand tall. While the offense has gone through some rough patches game to game, the toughness and ability to adjust in-game should not be overlooked.
The performance this season by Quarterback Jalen Hurts is also a big reason why the reigning champs possess the top seed in the NFC. The Super Bowl MVP has thrown for over 1,860 yards and 16 touchdowns through 9 games, while also adding an impressive 112 quarterback rating to boot. If the Eagles can get star Running Back Saquon Barkley back to his MVP-like play from a season ago, you can expect Philly to raise another banner this year.
2. Indianapolis Colts
Whether or not you fall into the crowd that doubts the Colts’ title contention status, you can’t deny it’s been a remarkable season for Indy. Both the career resurgence of Daniel Jones, combined with star Running Back Jonathan Taylor playing at an MVP level, have the Colts in a prime position to lock the AFC’s number one seed.
The Colts currently have the top offense in yards and points. While the defense is ranked in the middle of the pack at 17th overall, as long as Taylor continues doing his best LaDainian Tomlinson impression, the Colts will continue to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
3. Denver Broncos
While offense has been the name of the game for the Colts this season, the Broncos’ dominant defense has been theirs. Although Denver is no stranger to fielding great defenses, as it was just a decade ago that the legendary “No Fly Zone” Broncos led by Von Miller helped Denver win its third title in Super Bowl 50.
There are quite a few similarities between that all-time defense and the current iteration of it, such as an elite pass rush anchored by a fantastic secondary. Those two things have the Broncos in a prime position to get back to the Super Bowl yet again.
4. Detroit Lions
Perhaps no other team on this list has an offense as balanced as the Detroit Lions, who rank in the top 5 in both passing and rushing in the NFL. After the losses of coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, the Lions were widely expected to take a step back.
However, thanks to both a healthier defense and an impeccable coaching job by Dan Campbell, the Lions are perhaps in the best position they’ve ever been in to appear in their first-ever Super Bowl.
5. Los Angeles Rams
For a team that ranks as one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, the Rams have surprisingly not shown their youth this season. That is thanks in part to Los Angeles being coached by arguably the best coach in football, Sean McVay, who sits just 5 wins away from 100 career wins in just 8 years as a head coach.
Of course, it probably helps McVay that he has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Matthew Stafford. He is having his best season yet at 37 years old. The two-time Pro-Bowler has thrown for 2,427 yards and a league-leading 25 touchdowns through 9 games. The Rams have made the Super Bowl every three years during McVay’s tenure in LA. Maybe the stars have aligned once again for the Rams this season to raise championship banner number three in February.
Final Thoughts
There is still plenty of time for other teams to step up and show they’re more than capable of winning the Super Bowl, but as it currently stands, these are the 5 teams best positioned to win Super Bowl 60 come February.
