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Football is here, and we are all the way back.
Who does the Arrowhead Pride staff foresee making the playoffs, reaching conference championship games, and winning Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas? Scroll to find out, and be sure to leave your own picks in the comments.
Participating analysts: Price Carter, Nate Christensen, Maurice Elston, Ron Kopp Jr., Rocky Magana, Kramer Sansone, Jared Sapp, Stephen Serda, Matt Stagner Bryan Stewart, Dakota Watson
Maurice Elston
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Ravens (AFC North) 3. Jets (AFC East) 4. (AFC South)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Bengals 6. Bills 7. Chargers
NFC Division winners: 1. 49ers (NFC West) 2. Eagles (NFC East) 3. Saints (NFC South) 4. Vikings (NFC North)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Packers 6. Cowboys 7. Lions
NFC Championship: 49ers over Cowboys
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Ravens
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over 49ers
Winning back-to-back Super Bowls is challenging to achieve. It has only happened eight times in NFL history. Chiefs had a chance in 2021 but fell short to the Buccaneers. They now will attempt to do it again. With all the rookies that played for the Chiefs last year going into Year 2 and many of the Chiefs receivers having a second year in the offense, the Chiefs are poised and set to continue to dominate on offense while having a top-15 defense. Did I mention they have the best quarterback and head coach in the NFL? Only the Chiefs can stop the Chiefs.
Bryan Stewart
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Steelers (AFC North) 3. Jaguars (AFC South) 4. Jets (AFC East)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Bengals 6. Bills 7. Titans
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. Seahawks (NFC West) 3. Saints (NFC South) 4. Packers (NFC North)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. 49ers 7. Lions
NFC Championship: 49ers over Seahawks
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Jets
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over 49ers
Hardest year ever to pick AFC playoff teams? For my money, yes. However you decide to sort it all out, though, we have a pretty good idea of the six to eight teams truly vying for that Lombardi Trophy this year. It's been too long since a team went back-to-back — almost 20 years, to be exact — and no team is better equipped to finally accomplish the feat than one led by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Nate Christensen
AFC Division winners: 1. Bengals (AFC North) 2. Chiefs (AFC West) 3. Bills (AFC East) 4. Jaguars (AFC South)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Ravens 6. Dolphins 7. Chargers
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. Seahawks (NFC West) 3. Vikings (NFC North) 4. Saints (NFC South)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. 49ers 7. Lions
NFC Championship: Eagles over Cowboys
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Bengals
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over Eagles
I know what you're thinking; having a repeat Super Bowl matchup is almost impossible. The last time a repeat matchup occurred was in 1994. However, as I look at the landscape of the NFL, I think the two best teams are still clearly the Chiefs and Eagles. The NFC is weak enough for the Eagles to where I still have them in their own tier vs. the rest of the conference. I think the Cowboys push the Eagles, but I trust the Eagles coaching staff and roster more in the playoffs. For the Chiefs, I'm not betting against Mahomes and Reid anymore. I did last year, but it won't happen moving forward. I expect to pick the Chiefs almost every year as long as they're together.
Price Carter
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Bengals (AFC North) 3. Bills (AFC East) 4. Jaguars (AFC South)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Steelers 6. Jets 7. Chargers
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. Seahawks (NFC West) 3. Packers (NFC North) 4. Saints (NFC South)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. 49ers 6. Cowboys 7. Panthers
NFC Championship: Eagles over Cowboys
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Jets
Super Bowl LVIII: Eagles over Chiefs
I posted on X during Super Bowl week in February that both teams (Chiefs and Eagles) were returning next year. For the Chiefs, it's the strength of being built through the draft and the surge of second-year players from their 2022 draft class. With the holy trinity of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid still intact, they're a threat to go to the Super Bowl every year. The Eagles managed to keep all their strengths intact while adding a top 3 talent in the 2023 draft. They were able to retain several key pieces in free agency and retirement (Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce). I think the Eagles get it done this year, but it comes down to the wire.
Stephen Serda
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Bengals (AFC North) 3. Jets (AFC East) 4. Jaguars (AFC South)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Ravens 6. Bills 7. Chargers
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. Seahawks (NFC West) 3. Saints (NFC South) 4. Lions (NFC North)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. 49ers 7. Giants
NFC Championship: Eagles over Cowboys
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Jets
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over Eagles
I really struggled to pick my Super Bowl teams for the upcoming season. Selecting the Chiefs and Eagles to repeat as Super Bowl opponents seems like an awful bet. That said, I still believe this is the best top-to-bottom roster Kansas City has put around Patrick Mahomes. That logic, mixed with the fact the NFC is seriously lacking in talented teams, makes me believe as long as both of these teams stay healthy, they can make it back for another epic football game. The Chiefs' depth across the board is what will be the deciding factor. While the Eagles should boast one of the NFL's most dominant pass rushes once again, the Chiefs offseason additions along the offensive line will come up big in Super Bowl LVIII.
Dakota Watson
AFC Division winners: 1. Bengals (AFC North) 2. Bills (AFC East) 3. Chiefs (AFC West) 4. Jaguars (AFC South)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Chargers 6. Jets 7. Ravens
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. 49ers (NFC West) 3. Lions (NFC North) 4. Saints (NFC South)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. Vikings 7. Giants
NFC Championship: Eagles over Vikings
AFC Championship: Bengals over Chiefs
Super Bowl LVIII: Eagles over Bengals
This really hurts to make this prediction. But history says that the Chiefs will have a very difficult road to repeating as Super Bowl champions, and even though I do believe the Chiefs and Eagles are still the best two teams entering the season, a Super Bowl rematch has not occurred in consecutive seasons for almost 30 years. The Chiefs will get every single opponent's best shot, and in a stacked AFC, it will be tough to make it back. If the Chiefs were in the NFC, I wouldn't hesitate to pick them to repeat. The Bengals are essentially in their last year with the current core, as they'll be unable to resign all their young talent. I think they make one final push to the Super Bowl, only to lose to the most complete team in the NFC. I hope I'm made a fool for picking against Mahomes and Reid.
Ron Kopp Jr.
AFC Division winners: 1. Bills (AFC East) 2. Jaguars (AFC South) 3. Chiefs (AFC West) 4. Ravens (AFC North)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Chargers 6. Bengals 7. Jets
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. Seahawks (NFC West) 3. Saints (NFC South) 4. Packers (NFC North)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. Lions 7. 49ers
NFC Championship: Eagles over Cowboys
AFC Championship: Bills over Chiefs
Super Bowl LVIII: Bills over Eagles
I'll get straight to the point: I won't predict a repeat championship for the Chiefs. It's extremely hard to do as is, but the conference they play in is extremely hard, and their best defensive player is nowhere to be found a week before the season opener.
I believe the Bills made a significant change this offseason that will help them get to the next level: replacing defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier with head coach Sean McDermott. The Bills' defense is still talented, but Frazier's stagnant, static scheme was getting exploited. McDermott is going to be more unpredictable, and that will pair with an explosive offense to finally break through. I also think they'll handle the AFC East easier than most project.
Matt Stagner
AFC Division winners: 1. Bills (AFC East) 2. Bengals (AFC North) 3. Jaguars (AFC South) 4. Chiefs (AFC West)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Steelers 6. Chargers 7. Jets
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. Lions (NFC North) 3. Saints (NFC South) 4. 49ers (NFC West)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. Seahawks 7. Packers
NFC Championship: 49ers over Eagles
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Bengals
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over 49ers
It's not easy to repeat in the NFL— we've seen that over the span of the Chiefs current version of a dynasty. But it's also not easy to find a generational quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is just starting to reach the height of his powers, and with that comes the ability to cover up other issues on the roster. Don't get me wrong, I do think this is the deepest roster the Chiefs have assembled in recent years, and the youth at receiver, EDGE, and defensive back should give us a lot of hope that they are only getting better. But, at least for a while, this team will have to win without their best defensive player, so it will add a little more pressure on the offense. Good thing they have the best quarterback/head coach combination in the league and enough young talent around them to make another Super Bowl run.
Rocky Magaña
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Bengals (AFC North) 3. Jaguars (AFC South) 4. Jets (AFC East)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Bills 6. Ravens 7. Steelers
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. 49ers (NFC West) 3. Lions (NFC North) 4. Falcons (NFC South)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. Seahawks 7. Packers
NFC Championship: Eagles over Lions
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Jets
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over Eagles
The road to the Super Bowl is a murderer's row of talented teams. This year feels like the culmination of the AFC trying to play catch up to the Chiefs. Five teams could win the Super Bowl from this conference. The only team in the NFC that gives me any pause is the Eagles. If they trip up in the playoffs, I think the Chiefs win the Super Bowl by 10+ points over whoever else they play against. I predict the Chiefs will successfully run it back. Teams who face Kansas City in the playoffs a second time seem to experience diminishing returns, so although it will be a tough game, I'm banking on Andy Ried showing up with all the answers to the test in round two.
Kramer Sansone
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Ravens (AFC North) 3. Bills (AFC East) 4. Jaguars (AFC South)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Bengals 6. Jets 7. Raiders
NFC Division winners: 1. Eagles (NFC East) 2. (Vikings NFC North) 3. Saints (NFC South) 4. 49ers (NFC West)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Lions 6. Cowboys 7. Seahawks
NFC Championship: Cowboys over Saints
AFC Championship: Bengals over Ravens
Super Bowl LVIII: Bengals over Cowboys
This is the year the Cincinnati Bengals finally get it done, and Joe Burrow gets to hoist the Lombardi trophy. It is hard for a team to repeat in the NFL which is why I didn't pick the favorite of the Eagles and Chiefs. I believe the Bengals have all the right players in place to win it all.
Jared Sapp
AFC Division winners: 1. Chiefs (AFC West) 2. Ravens (AFC North) 3. Jaguars (AFC South) 4. Bills (AFC East)
AFC Wild Card winners: 5. Bengals 6. Jets 7. Dolphins
NFC Division winners: 1. 49ers (NFC West) 2. Eagles (NFC East) 3. Lions (NFC North) 4. Saints (NFC South)
NFC Wild Card winners: 5. Cowboys 6. Vikings 7. Seahawks
NFC Championship: 49ers over Eagles
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Jaguars
Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs over 49ers
The 49ers will play with a chip on their shoulder all season, believing multiple quarterback injuries prevented them from an opportunity to avenge their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. However, they will find this year that the gap between Brock Purdy (or whoever finishes as their starter) and Patrick Mahomes is much larger than the gap four years ago between Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo. The Chiefs will weather a difficult schedule and arrive battle-tested as the AFC's top seed before becoming the first team in a generation to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.
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