Caleb Wolfe
Associate Sports Editor
Though the NFL is only halfway through the 2020 season, a majority of teams can already be ruled out as true contenders for the championship. Instead a few, select organizations remain as viable Super Bowl teams. These teams may vary in their odds of winning a Super Bowl, but all deserve a mention on this list. NFC East fans beware; you won’t find much reading material here.
Buffalo Bills:
Starting on the AFC side of the league; the Buffalo Bills are working hard to establish a new dynasty in the AFC East. Gone are the days of Patriot supremacy. It’s safe to say that dynasty died when Cam Newton fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter on Sunday (it’s also safe to say that dynasty died much earlier in the season). Meanwhile the Bills are forming something great up in Buffalo. Though their odds are lower than others on this list, there’s still a good chance they make a Super Bowl run.
Kansas City Chiefs:
The Chiefs are quite possibly the best team in the NFL. Therefore they have the best odds of winning the Super Bowl, again. Patrick Mahomes is proving week after week that he is inhuman. Just last Sunday he threw for five touchdowns while also not giving the ball over to the defense once. The recent addition of Le’Veon Bell only bolsters their already dominant offense. Speaking of dynasties, we may be watching another one conceived with the Chiefs.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The only undefeated team remaining in the NFL is the Pittsburgh Steelers, yet nothing about this team stands out as overtly phenomenal. Both their offense and defense are good but not great. However that same sentiment has made for a consistent team who deserves to be undefeated. The Steelers may be one of the most entertaining teams to watch moving forward, as it will be interesting to see how long they can stay unbeaten.
Baltimore Ravens:
The Baltimore Ravens immediately follow the Pittsburgh Steelers on this list purposefully so. They currently come across a worse version of their division rivals. Though this team is good, their reliance on Lamar Jackson is crippling; especially now that he has regressed to rookie form. For them to win a Super Bowl title Lamar Jackson is going to have to rise from the ashes like a phoenix of his 2019 self.
Seattle Seahawks:
To start the NFC side of the list, let’s talk about the best team in the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks have looked tremendous every single week. Russell Wilson is in MVP form, and the offense as a whole is monstrous. The enormously sized thorn in the Seahawks side however is their defense. Improvements to the defense need to be made to further their Super Bowl chances.
Arizona Cardinals:
The Arizona Cardinals are oddly similar to the Baltimore Ravens currently. They are overshadowed by a better team in their division, rely too heavily on a young and inconsistent quarterback, and possess a defense that struggles at times. The main reason the Cardinals persist as a serious Super Bowl contender is their league best offense, but that may not be enough to win it all.
Green Bay Packers:
There’s an argument to be made that both the Packers and Bears deserve a spot on this list. There’s also an argument to be made that neither team deserves a spot on this list. However the middle ground between those two extremes is the inclusion of only Green Bay as a mentioned contender. Though the Packers hold a 5-2 record, their team is shrouded in inconsistency and doubt (similarly to the aforementioned Bears). Hopefully they will look like a much stronger team as injured players for the Packers heal, but only time will tell.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Tom Brady continues to do what Tom Brady always does, win. The only difference this season is that he’s gifting those wins directly to the city of Tampa Bay. Though the Buccaneers almost lost to a laughable New York Giants team on Monday, their season as a whole is still dominant enough to earn them the title of contender.
New Orleans Saints:
The Saints have not looked like a Super Bowl contending team for most of the season, but things are starting to change for the better down in the bayou. Alvin Kamara is single-handedly earning the Saints one of the best rushing offenses in the league, and the return of the previously injured Michael Thomas should elevate the passing offense as well. However, the concerns of an aging Drew Brees, and overall lackluster defense remain.
