Tom Brady also led a top offense in his MVP season, finishing with a 133 regular-season record. Seattle Seahawks +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total), Will we see the first-half Seahawks (6-1, 34 points per game! A better offensive line will help Cousins out immensely, especially with playmakers like Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielenand Irv Smith. Burrow should be ready by Week 1, and has an impressive cast of receivers that will make the Bengals passing game even more lethal in 2021. The Chiefs defense also surrendered 31 points. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? 55) Super Bowl XLVIII (2013) The 2013 Seahawks were able to take advantage of this game to solidify themselves as an all-time NFL defense. Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris took over the game from there. Id have to guess the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, they had to go head-to-head with arguably the greatest defense of all-time in the '85 Bears. The Lions are in the first year of a rebuild, as Dan Campbell looks to change the culture of a franchise that has just one playoff win over the last 63 years. The Chiefs rank No. In the playoffs, Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt had to have a meltdown of epic proportions to send the Steelers to the Conference Championship and cover up for Bettis' fumble earlier in the contest. Minnesota Vikings +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total), I want to like Minnesota as a buy-low team after rebuilding its defense.. (Hey, at least it worked out for them with Trevor Lawrence being available.). Even without Wentz, the forecast for that stretch is better than one might guess; on average, the Colts win 2.2 of those games, and the chances that they start 0-5 is just over 1 in 20. The Titans thrust themselves into Super Bowl contention with the offseason addition of Julio Jones, a massive upgrade over departed free agent Corey Davis. It was easily the sloppiest Super Bowl of all-time. Kansas City's middling defense (No. Then Jim was thoroughly outcoached at every point by Sean Payton. Adding Patrick Peterson, Xavier Woods, Sheldon Richardsonand Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency improves this unit -- which also gets Danielle Hunter back from a neck injury. OK, so this game was never in doubt, this was Bill Walshs 49ers dynasty at its apex. Dan Marino's lone Super Bowl and this team was his best shot. Stefon Diggs is one of the game's best wide receivers and Gabriel Davis is one of the underrated young wideouts in the league. Dallas Cowboys +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total), Realistically, Dallas is in the second tier of teams that could win the Super Bowl.. Here are the 10 most likely Super Bowl LV matchups: The Green Bay Packers are clearly Super Bowl contenders. Oh, and they had Terrell Owens, who was a superstar. The agony of defeat. It seems odd to think of Terry Bradshaw as a problem, but in 1974 he took over for Joe Gilliam. They took down what was supposed to be the greatest team in NFL history and instead became one of the least likely Super Bowl champions in recent memory. Eli Manning did it to the Patriots again. And in these two cases, both quarterbacks will have below-average pass protection in front of them, and both will be trying to compensate for their teams' defenses, which both rank in FPI's bottom six. The Colts have the third worst odds at +15000, while the Texans have the worst overall odds at +30000. Its more fun to speculate on the Bears QB race than it is their actual Super Bowl chances., 24. Plenty of star power like Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Aaron Donald, and Ndamukong Suh. Brett Favre had 35 passing touchdowns and Dorsey Levens ran for 1,435 yards. A 124 record and a solid defense? Buffalo Bills +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total), They went 15-2 against teams not named the Kansas City Chiefs last year, but via Warren Sharp, heres an incredible stat: The Bills had the good fortune of facing three West Coast teams last season at 1 p.m. Sure, but it did not make for an entertaining game up until the end. People think of Kerry Collins when they think of this 124 Giants squad, but this defense was the real story. It was never even close as the Seahawks dominated from the opening snap. Joe Namath may have guaranteed a Super Bowl III win over the Baltimore Colts, but he didn't say anything about being the best team of all time. All Rights Reserved. The Tennessee Titans are one of 12 teams in the NFL to have never won a Super Bowl, and according to one writer, they are the furthest away from doing so of those dozen teams. Super Bowl LIV (Source: KC Kingdom) Chiefs won the Super Bowl with a 31-20 score, their first since Super Bowl IV and after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Lions are the next-most likely team to earn the No. Despite the strength of the division, the 49ers play one of the easiest strength of schedules in the league (SOS rank: 29th). FPI has created preseason projections every year since 2015, and the 2021 Chiefs rank third out of the seven favorites, behind the 2017 Patriots (32%) and 2020 Chiefs (22%). Two good-but-not-great teams playing an uncompetitive game with an unforgettable MVP? Not having Wentz is certainly a downgrade: FPI's predictive quarterback rating system believes backup Jacob Eason's mean projected season is roughly on par with Wentz's (poor) 2020 campaign. Brett Favre was brilliant in his only Super Bowl win. This year, theres a chance theyre 4-0 heading into a week five game against the Cowboys. and Im sorry, but Dan Campbell is not winning the Super Bowl this year., 30. Green and Rondale Moore at wide receiver. The 1970s Steelers gave us one last entertaining Super Bowl before its dynasty ended. New York Giants +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total), The market doesnt like the Giants, but they were 9-5 ATS as an underdog last year. But itll face Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, Matt Ryan, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers before Halloween. First place on this list scored 140 points in my grading system. Just how goofy was this game? The game itself may not be memorable but Marcus Allens 191-yard performance, which included the greatest run in Super Bowl history, pushes it into the top-30. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens featured one of the most stifling defenses ever assembled, allowing only 970 rushing yards all season and five rushing touchdowns. Adding Marvin Jones to a young receiving unit that already includes Laviska Shenault Jr. and D.J. Meanwhile, the Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks all rank in the top half of the most difficult schedules. Ron Jaworski, Harold Carmichael, and Wilbert Montgomery all had a part in this offense. The Cowboys first Super Bowl win was a snooze-fest. What should have been a great quarterback matchup Marino vs. Montana turned into a blowout as the Dolphins gunslinger couldnt keep up with the 49ers surgeon. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson don't lack confidence at NFL combine, Bettors are backing Bears, Lions, Jets to make, win Super Bowl, NFLPA report cards show link between player-friendly coaches and winning, Georgia's Nolan Smith turns heads with blazing 40 at NFL combine, Alabama QB Bryce Young confident in abilities, downplays questions about frame, Stroud opposes Bears drafting him, defends Fields: 'That's his team', Sharp: Ravens have themselves to blame for not getting Lamar Jackson help, 49ers offseason preview: Potential Super Bowl team must figure out QB spot. Jeremy Fowler polled a panel of more than 50 coaches, execs, scouts and players to come up with top-10 rankings for 2021: Edge | Interior DL | LB In a 122 season, this team only surrendered more than 20 points once during the regular season. Although they have one less win, there stats still propel them ahead of the '86 team. The most interesting thing about this Super Bowl remains Hank Strams micd up footage. Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. This is how good the NFC West is: There's a 37% chance that three of the four teams reach the playoffs, and there's even a 3% chance that all four get in. Unfortunately for them, that stopped in the playoffs and in the Super Bowl. The Vikings uncharacteristically had a poor defense in 2020, ranking 29th in points allowed after finishing as a top 10 unit the previous five seasons. And they do return all 11 starters on offense and defense., If they get by the Rams in Week 3, theyll be favored in every game the rest of the way, and youll regret not taking a flier that you can potentially hedge later., 2. It took just seven wins for Washington to top the NFC East last season, and FPI still doesn't think much of the division a year later. 51. 13. They are part of the legacy of the biggest game in sports, and they had fought hard an entire winning season. There's enough depth to get by. ELEVEN! Detroit has some work to do on the defensive side of the ball, a monumental task for new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (gave up a league-worst 112.4 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks in 2020). Tennessee Titans +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total), Probably the favorites in the division given the Colts' injuries, but Im leery of taking the bait. For starters, the NFC has nine road games this season, so a team from that conference was always likely to occupy the top spot. Putting that unbelievable anecdote aside, the 49ers stumbled into the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals, and Montana did what Montana seemingly always did. A 15-1 team, losing to the Atlanta Falcons by a single touchdown, the 2015 Carolina Panthers were a dominant offensive force with an underrated defense. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Here is a quarterback guru who never could quite develop a quarterback as a head coach. Yeah, this one wasnt compelling for neutral viewers. Head coach Bill Cowher would get Super Bowl redemption the next decade, but this 115 team was pretty great all around. Jalen Hurts will not pull a Houston Texans +20000 (bet $10 to win $2010 total), Lowest win total on the board, uncertainty at QB, and a defense that cant stop a nose bleed.. The Bucs, despite not being quite on Kansas City's level, remain the favorite in the NFC and are the only other team to cross double digits in terms of chances to win the Super Bowl. To show you how wildly that fluctuates, in those categories the year before, Miami ranked 29th, 24th, and 27th.. 2007 Giants, 2007 Patriots, 2006 Colts, or the 2009 Saints, with a 25th overall defense, could say they were all the worst defensive teams to win a New York Jets +10000 (bet $10 to win $1010 total), The Jets have the longest playoff drought in the NFL (10 years). Id have to guess the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. They had an outstanding defense, and thats what won them the Superbowl, but they didnt score many touch Pittsburgh Steelers +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total), Their win total is 8.5, yet Mike Tomlin has never finished under .500 as coach of the Steelers. Unsung, their defense only allowed 17.1 points per game. The same model expects Wentz to improve considerably off last season but not all the way back to pre-2020 levels. Arizona has the potential to shock the NFL and win 11-plus games, emerging victorious in a strong NFC West. Because there is a salary cap. When teams win the players want raises forcing teams to lose some players. This is what is happening to Green Bay an Cleveland hasn't been in a position to win a Super Bowl since Bernie Kosar led the franchise to consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances in the mid-1980s. Arizona still needs more help in the secondary, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has man-cover corners to fit his scheme. A 142 record with the seventh best defense in points scored against in the league. Zaven Collins has strong NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year capabilities and Isaiah Simmons is expected to take a huge step in his second year. Cincinnatis late onside kick attempt failed and deprived us of what could have been a classic ending. That decision is based on two factors: Garoppolo is generally believed to be the favorite over rookie No. One team (Patriots) in the last 25 years has been to three straight.. San Francisco finished the regular season at just 10-6, and the leading receiver was none other than Roger Craig. Miami Dolphins +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total), Miami led the NFL in two categories that they are unlikely to duplicate: takeaways (29) and 3rd down defense (31%); they were also seventh in red zone defense. How much this defense will improve under first-year head coach Brandon Staley will be an indicator whether the Chargers are playoff-caliber. You won't believe how good some of these teams were. This contest was more important than nearly any other as it asserted the AFL's legitimacy as a league and proved it could contend with the NFL year in and year out. After power was restored, the 49ers turned what looked to be another big game blowout into a nail-biter that Baltimore won thanks to a goal line stand and some questionable San Francisco play-calling. 23. Baltimore is well balanced, with a projected offense and defense (and special teams!) Seriously, I get the Super Bowl is one of the worst in history, but this team was really great with an underappreciated defense. I'm sure fans in Baltimore still curse Joe Namath's Super Bowl guarantee. The Bengals should be better, but they aren't close to competing for a championship yet -- especially residing in the AFC North. The 2005 Steelers are a prime example. The Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos have been involved in some of the worst Super Bowls, but so have the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. At 133, this defense was nasty by forcing 31 turnovers. If the Kansas City Chiefs didn't have a generational quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and a Hall of Fame head coach in Andy Reid, the Bills would have reached their first Super Bowl in 27 years. Los Angeles Chargers +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total), The world loves the Chargers after Justin Herberts incredible rookie year (record-setting 31 TDs). Same goes for this one. There are quite a few contenders to win their first Super Bowl in 2021, and the two favorites reside in the loaded AFC. But the outputs are all the same: We're still talking football -- and about the chances of each team's success -- which now includes 17 regular-season games and an expanded playoff field. Here's everything we know, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Sources: Patriots tell QB Hoyer he's being cut, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, Jones: Not fixated on Cowboys' drought, just '23, Sources: Raiders plan franchise tag for Jacobs, WR Addison to Steelers' Pickett: 'Come get me', Wolverines' Turner wows with 4.26 40 at combine, Top QB prospect Levis eager to unleash 'cannon', Everything you need to know about Geno Smith's contract negotiations. Plenty of fans were made because the 1998 Minnesota Vikings are the best team of all time to never make a Super Bowl. Now the Colts will need to stay afloat while he recovers from foot surgery, which likely will cause him to miss the beginning of the season. The AFC is considerably tougher than the NFC. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at That was by design. A 142 season, and the best offense in the league led by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt, and Isaac Bruce. A fullback even if it was Hall of Famer Larry Csonka winning MVP tells you just how entertaining this one was. The game was a blowout but did give us one of the most iconic moments in Super Bowl history: Don Beebe chasing down a prematurely celebrating Leon Lett. The best chance they had and they were wide right. WebThe Los Angeles Rams won in Super Bowl LVI versus the Bengals on February 13, 2022. W. 23-20. Gruden did bring the Raiders back from almost a decade of ineptness and he did win a Super Bowl against the Raiders, but the rest of his career he was pretty much a .500 coach. With a 131 record, this Oakland Raiders team would be higher, but not as good as some of the other late '60s losing teams. NFL fans would have to get used that kind of ending. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Los Angeles was a heavy underdog but actually took a lead into the fourth quarter. The first five weeks of Indianapolis' schedule are rough, as the Colts host the Seahawks and Rams before hitting the road to face the Titans, Dolphins and Ravens. With Aaron Rodgers' future in limbo, the Vikings could be primed to win the NFC North. Let's start in the 1980s, with a team led by Hall of Famers like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young For a franchise that was so consistently dominant in the 1980s, the 1988 version of the San Francisco 49ers sure seems mediocre. Defensively, they were 22nd in points scored against, and it showed in the Super Bowl. Their defense only gave up 9.5 points per game in a 14-game season. They faced perfection, so how can you be harsh when talking about them? We cant put a Super Bowl featuring Rex Grossman too high on the list, but Peyton Manning winning his first ring salvages this one. A great defense and front seven, but their running game hit on all cylinders with 2.305 total team rushing yards. They went 7-3 in one-score games last year and led the NFL in turnover margin (+11). And the Chiefs would hold at least a 3.5-point edge over every team outside of the Bucs, Bills and Ravens. He also has the most game-winning drives and tied for the most fourth-quarter comebacks in that span. Houston would be much higher on this list if Deshaun Watson's future with the team wasn't uncertain. and quarterback rating (112.4). Green, but for a young team with a young coach, locker room leadership was needed last year down the stretch when they lost five of seven and missed the playoffs.. Osi Umenyiora was the team's only starting Pro Bowler and the Giants trailed in every postseason game they played. Yet I can see the defense making a Washington-type leap, and the offensive weapons are there for whoever wins the starting job. The game was won with Ben Roethlisbergers perfect pass to Santonio Holmes, who somehow got two feet down in the back of the end zone. TEAM DATE ROUND TM OPP RESULT W TD 1DWN OFF OPP OFF 3DWN% 4DWN% Los Angeles Rams: 2/13/2022: Super Bowl: LAR @ CIN. Buffalo is on the doorstep of reaching the league championship game, thanks to the emergence of Josh Allen as one of the game's best quarterbacks.