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Another week is over and we are finally beginning to see clearer signs of who the Super Bowl contenders are and who they are not. Some teams that had caught fire at the beginning of the campaign, which had led to many pundits calling them Super Bowl contenders, have faded away.
Others have come back after a slow start to put themselves in the mix to be considered bonafide Super Bowl contenders.
We have ranked those who we think are the top five Super Bowl contenders at this time. We have divided these prospective Super Bowl contenders based on their conferences. Let's have a look at the teams here.
Super Bowl contenders from the AFC
#1 - New England Patriots
By the end of last season, as Tom Brady won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a quasi consensus had been reached that Bill Belichick was not all that he was made out to be. When the New England Patriots began the season with a 2-4 record with a rookie quarterback, the cacophony reached a peak and they were discounted from all Super Bowl considerations.
In fact, people had their doubts about whether they would make the playoffs at all.
They have since then silenced their critics, and how! They are currently the top seed in the AFC after having won seven games in a row and now have a 9-4 overall record.
The much vaunted Buffalo Bills, who were supposed to be genuine Super Bowl contenders and were supposed to pip the New England Patriots in the division, have since slipped to a 7-5 record and trail the Patriots in the AFC East. In Week 13, they lost 10-14 to the Patriots.
The New England Patriots have also scored 350 points and allowed only 200. Both are second best in the AFC after the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills respectively, and point to a team well balanced on both sides of the ball.
They are primed to go all the way.
#2 - Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs began the season as Super Bowl contenders but midway through the season, with a 3-4 losing record, discussion had turned to whether they had been exposed or not. Their own fanbase was in rebellion, leading to certain players labeling them toxic.
But nothing works better as a detoxifier than winning, and that is what the Kansas City Chiefs have recently been doing. They have won 5 straight games and sit with a 8-4 record.
They defeated the Denver Broncos 22-9 in Week 13 and their performance was no fluke. They had beaten better offenses like the Packers, Cowboys and Raiders in the preceding weeks, limiting all of them to below 15 points.
And that is what has turned them into legitimate Super Bowl contenders. While the Kansas City Chiefs have been known for their offense over the last few seasons, it is their defense that is stepping up to the plate now and making their mark.
Super Bowl contenders from the NFC
#1 - Arizona Cardinals
At the end of Week 13, as talk turned to who the Super Bowl contenders were and who they were not, people focussed primarily on the flavors of the week. There was talk of Bill Belichick rediscovering his touch.
There was talk of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, the perennial Super Bowl contenders, and justifiably so. The focus was on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs climbing their way back into contention.
But with all the brouhaha about the supposed new favorites as Super Bowl contenders, cold-hard statistics point to only one team being head and shoulders above the rest. The Arizona Cardinals have slipped from the consciousness of many observers ever since they stopped being the only undefeated team in the NFL.
But their 10-2 record is the best across both conferences and they won 33-22 against the Chicago Bears in their Week 13 outing. Their only losses this season have been against fellow Super Bowl contenders the Green Bay Packers and an ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers that could be considered an aberration.
#2 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nothing screams Super Bowl contenders more than Tom Brady. The perennial champion and the reigning Super Bowl champions are doing just as well as they had been expected to do this season and are many bookies' favorites.
They have scored 377 points on offense this season, more than any other team in the NFL, and have won their last three games. They defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30-17 in their Week 13 matchup and look primed to go all the way back.
Their trickiest fixture comes next week in the form of the Buffalo Bills.They finish their regular season playing games against the Saints, Panthers, Jets and the Panthers again and will be favored to win them all.
Just imagine a Tom Brady versus Bill Belichick Super Bowl!
#3 - Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers had a bye in Week 13 but are still considered one of the Super Bowl contenders this season. When the dust settled this week, their 9-3 record emerged as the second-best in the league this season, tied with the Tampa Buccaneers, trailing only the Arizona Cardinals and better than any team in the AFC.
What has been refreshing for the Green Bay Packers this season is that it has not required superhuman efforts by Aaron Rodgers to win games. Instead, their defense has stepped up and limited scores to where workmanlike performances from their star quarterback have been enough to pull them over the line in many instances.
Such efficiency is a hallmark of Super Bowl contenders, and the Packers have got it in spades. With a smart tactician like Matt LaFleur calling the shots, the Green Bay Packers will be looking to go one better than the last two seasons and make it all the way to the Super Bowl.
