“He’s at the 10! The 5! The 1! And he’s in for a Touchdown!”
The 2014-2015 NFL season has been a roller-coaster ride for most teams. Some teams that were expected to perform at unthinkable levels fell short, and others that were predicted to have another terrible season didn’t perform as badly as expected. The playoffs are a gateway to success. They lead to the Super Bowl, which is the final game of the NFL season – winner takes all. Now, a question rockets around in every football fans’ head: Which teams will make the NFL playoffs?
The American Football Conference (AFC) is filled with rivalries and drama and competitive spirit. Currently, the two teams that will potentially advance into the playoffs are the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. The New England Patriots (8-2) have the best record in the AFC; their exemplary quarterback, Tom Brady, has carried the team and has thrown 24 total touchdowns this season. His main receivers, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman have been superb lately; fans look forward to similar performances later on. On the other side, the Denver Broncos’ future in the post season also looks bright. Lead by their starting quarterback, Peyton Manning, their record is 7-3. Manning has now thrown 521 touchdown passes. With stellar receivers like Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, and Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos’ offense is astounding.
Some of the teams in the AFC – like the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and the Kansas City Chiefs – are eagerly fighting for a Wild Card spot for this season. The Ravens has its Pro-Bowler wide receiver Steve Smith and its starting quarterback, 2012 Super Bowl MVP, Joe Flacco to compete for the spot, while the Colts’ has its quarterback Andrew Luck and its outstanding wide receiver T.Y. Hilton to compete against the other teams.
Vamsi Talasila’18, a passionate football fan, shares his opinion on the teams: “I believe that the Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers will make the playoffs. Because of the Packers’ players’ strong relationships, both on and off the field, they are in a position to excel. Even though both teams are very spectacular, I don’t believe that either of the teams will make the Super Bowl this year. In Peyton Manning’s long career as an NFL quarterback, he has had trouble performing to the best of his abilities when he is uncomfortable. For example, last year, when they played the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl here in New Jersey, Peyton Manning played horrendously because of the cold. And the Green Bay Packers [have] proven in the past, that [they] tend to “choke,” in must-win games.”
Now, let’s head over to the NFC.
The National Football Conference (NFC), filled with about as much (if not more) rivalries as the AFC is, consists of the top six teams: the Eagles, the Cowboys, the Packers, the Bears, the Seahawks, and the 49ers. The Philadelphia Eagles, backed up by their star running back Lesean McCoy, are looking forward to advancing into the playoffs and facing the Detroit Lions in the NFC Semi-Finals game, after they obliterate the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Game.
Who will potentially face the Arizona Cardinals the NFC Semi-Finals? The answer should be the Green Bay Packers since their defense will put a lot of pressure in the Eagles during their match. As we saw in Week 11, the Packers dominated the Eagles during their match which yield the expectation that there would be a same result in the Conference Finals.
Mr. Brush, an Honors Algebra II and CP Calculus teacher here at Ridge shares his opinion on which two teams from each conference will make the playoffs this year: “I believe that the New England Patriots (AFC) and the Green Bay Packers (NFC) will make the playoffs this year because of their consistency of winning games and they continue to improve, and I believe that will carry on to the postseason. Both teams have strong leadership and they have a great coach. They are both playing exceptionally well, and they continue to improve each week, which is what you want to see in a football team.”
Wit mix thoughts and bias view, the question remains hanging: Who will win the Super Bowl? Only time will tell.