Staff picks:
Who will win the Super Bowl? USA TODAY Sports’ NFL desk weighs in.
The USA TODAY Sports NFL staff makes its prediction for the Super Bowl champion:
Nancy Armour, Packers
All logic says Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Maybe Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who are peaking at the right time. But I watch the Green Bay Packers, who have no business being 13-3 and the No. 2 seed, and I can’t help but wonder if this is one of those charmed teams. No matter how bad they are, no matter how out of it they seem, they somehow find a way to win. If Aaron Rodgers and the offense find some consistency, look out. Jarrett Bell, Ravens Miami is a perfect place for Jackson’s coronation. He grew up in South Florida and is now poised to strike a championship pose there. The mission for a grand finale in Miami has been building for weeks, with the Ravens carrying a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs. And it begins with the running game as the Ravens are the first team in NFL history to average more than 200 rushing yards per game. The defense, rebuilt on the fly after losing five starters from last year’s No. 1-ranked unit, has matured into a bigplay unit. Plus, the top-notch special teams include the leg of the NFL’s best kicker, Justin Tucker. The Ravens can win in a lot of different ways.
Nate Davis, Ravens Jackson won’t be flummoxed by a fast-flowing dime defense like the one the Chargers used successfully a year ago. Baltimore has the fiercest ground attack in league history, a defense that’s now playing up to franchise standards, home-field advantage in the AFC … and, oh yeah, Jackson, the presumptive league MVP. Unless a team like Kansas City can put Baltimore in a significant hole, the Ravens should be exceedingly tough to knock out.
Jori Epstein, Ravens
The Ravens have an almost perfectly balanced run-pass attack (206 by ground per game to 201.6 per air) that allows them to control the clock (league-best 34:37 average) and keep defenders guessing who or what they’ll threaten with next. Jackson and Co. have mojo. The Baltimore defense can create takeaways. And the Ravens proved in the regular season they can outlast potential playoff foes like the Patriots or 49ers.
Mike Jones, Saints
My preseason pick was New Orleans over Kansas City. But I didn’t anticipate Jackson having such a major impact in Year 2, or the 49ers taking such a significant leap this season. But I think I’m going to resist the urge to switch to them because the Saints boast the leadership of Drew Brees and Sean Payton. And because of the way the Chiefs are seemingly rounding back into form at just the right time, I feel like maybe, just maybe, we’ll see this prediction come to fruition. That playoff experience edge the Saints hold over the 49ers could be huge. And if the Chiefs’ offense and defense are both executing at a high level, then they should edge Jackson and the Ravens. So, I’m sticking with it. Saints over Chiefs.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Saints
This is the third consecutive year that I’ve been on New Orleans’ bandwagon, but I’ll stick with my preseason pick. Payton’s crew showed rare resilience earlier this season by staying on track after Brees’ thumb injury, and the offense appears to be clicking after averaging 40 points per game in the final four weeks of the season. Save for some injuries in the secondary, the defense looks steady, too. And a team that has had little trouble on the road should be a serious threat if it has to win away from New Orleans to book its trip to South Florida.
Jim Reineking, Chiefs With the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots relegated to an unfamiliar wild-card weekend game, this year’s playoffs seem more wide open than usual, especially in the AFC. This is a very welcome development. After coming tantalizingly close to reaching the Super Bowl last season, this time around it seems as if Kansas City is hitting its stride at the right time.
Lorenzo Reyes, Saints Their path did become a little more difficult with the Saints getting the NFC’s third seed despite tying for the best record in the conference at 13-3, but New Orleans has shown it has the pieces to compete for a Super Bowl championship. New Orleans has a wizard at quarterback in Brees and the best wide receiver in football in Michael Thomas. Running back Alvin Kamara is finally hitting his stride this season. But New Orleans’ defense, especially its run defending and pass rush, should make life difficult for teams like the 49ers and the Packers. Experience is another factor that can’t be overlooked. And, after getting so close in last year’s NFC Championship Game only to have it taken away on a no-call, something tells me the Saints are going in with a little something extra to prove.