After a winter break hiatus, the DC Sports Staff is back with another weekly roundtable. This week’s topic is a simple one: who do we think will win the Super Bowl? The Super Wild Card Weekend gave us plenty of content to go off of, as some teams like the Bills and Rams had dominating wins. This upcoming weekend, we will see these squads, as well as No. 1 seeds Tennessee and Green Bay, face off in another intense week of playoff football. But who has what it takes to go to the promised land? Our team of writers give their takes:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evan Rodriguez
evan.2.rodriguez@uconn.edu
He/Him/His
Staff Writer
If there is one thing I have learned from watching the sport of football, it is to never count out Tom Brady. I’m going to stick with that lesson and pick him to go all the way. Even with the loss of Antonio Brown, Brady still has plenty of receiving options that include Mike Evans and the ever dependable Rob Gronkowski. You can’t forget about the defense either with plenty of options that will have quarterbacks with plenty of pressure. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts certainly felt that pressure when he threw for two interceptions in a loss to the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. While the Rams are certainly a great team, I certainly have questions as to whether they can grab a win over Brady and the Buccaneers. For now, I’m picking Brady to overcome not only the Rams, but also grab his second ring as a member of Tampa Bay.
Buffalo Bills
Cole Stefan
cole.stefan@uconn.edu
He/Him/His
Staff Writer
Many people were expecting a close game between the Bills and New England Patriots last Saturday. What we got instead was the best offensive performance in Bills history. Eight drives, seven touchdowns, zero field goals, turnovers or punts. Many people questioned the abilities of the offense because Josh Allen was the only rushing option, but Devin Singletary made a name for himself against the Patriots as well as just about everyone else. In addition to the offense, the defense forced Mac Jones to throw two interceptions and pressured him all game long. The Bills have a tall task ahead, taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC Championship rematch that left Stefon Diggs looking on as the Chiefs clinched another trip to the Super Bowl. Revenge will be brewing for the Bills, and if they can conquer the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, then there is a very real chance the Bills can win the AFC and take home a Super Bowl win on their fifth try.
Green Bay Packers
Jacob Sondik
jacob.sondik@uconn.edu
He/Him/His
Campus Correspondent
After years of jokes about falling short of the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers will break through this time and win the Super Bowl. With Rodgers likely to take home his second MVP in as many seasons, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon playing at high levels, combined with a vastly improved and now healthy defense with the returns of Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith explain why the Packers have been the most popular pick this postseason. A matchup with a banged-up Niners team in the divisional round favors the Packers, along with injuries in Tampa Bay on the offensive end and a Rams squad that has had letdowns in the past. If the Packers get to Sofi Stadium in February, they match up well with whoever comes out of the AFC, and Aaron Rodgers will finally get his second ring after years of coming up short.
Tennessee Titans
Ajeeth Vellore
ajeeth.vellore@uconn.edu
Campus Correspondent
This has been the most absurd year of football I have ever watched. It’s been such a weird year that, despite winning the first seed in a competitive AFC over versatile teams such as the Chiefs and Bills, the Titans are viewed largely as an underdog. This doesn’t make sense to me, because they have found a way to win despite missing important cogs in their machine, namely His Highness Derrick Henry. They’ve boasted one of the best run defenses in the league, and have managed to make do enough on the other side of the ball that they hold a top 10 scoring defense. And when you add Henry to a team like that, I think they can go far, especially if he’s at full strength and the defense continues its good streak. Do the math, people! The best run game in the league plus a top ten defense equals a title contender, period.
Cincinnati Bengals
Taylor Coonan
taylor.coonan@uconn.edu
She/Her/Hers
Associate Sports Editor
WHO DEY? Dey are going to be Super Bowl champs, thanks to Joe Burrow and the AFC North Champions–the WINcinnati Bengals. Joey B leads the NFL in completion percentage and in yards/pass attempts. This comes after he tore his ACL last season, and earned the Comeback Player of the Year award, which was incredibly well-deserved. However, it’s not just about a quarterback (although, Tom Brady could prove otherwise). Joe Brrr has Ja’Marr Chase, the wide receiver who has received so many passes that he’s also been the recipient of the Rookie of the Week award five times this season and is nominated for the Rookie of the Year award. Of course, tight end C.J. Uzomah is worth mentioning, as he just recently had one of the best games of his career during the Wild Card game, making six catches for 64 yards, contributing to the first postseason win for the Bengals since 1991. The Bengals rule not only the jungle, but the Super Bowl as well.
