Now that the Playoffs are over, we need to look at what teams surprised the NFL fanbase and what teams let everyone down. Every year, 14 teams make the playoffs to fight their way to win the coveted Lombardi Trophy; but only one team can truly be the best. There are always teams that disappoint and surprise NFL fans. What teams followed this trend?
The number 2 seed Dallas Cowboys from the NFC greatly disappointed NFL fans after being the first team in NFL history to lose to a 7 seed, that team being the 9-8 Green Bay Packers. They had one of the worst playoff collapses. It looked like the whole offense was never on the same page, missing throws, drops and communication. The Packers feasted on those mistakes, scoring 48 total points to the Cowboys 32 points scored. We have seen teams get upset, but for a team that was considered one of the best in the league and was supposed to make a deep playoff run, this was truly one of the worst playoffs collapses we have seen in a while.
Not everything is bad, with the Green Bay Packers surprising the entire NFL, making a deep playoff run when they were not even supposed to make the playoffs. They knocked off the number 2 seed and they fought a close game against the 49ers, losing 24-21. They have a young roster, and at times they really showed that, but that means they have a lot to look forward to as a young team. The Packers should not worry about this playoff loss.
Another surprise was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making a deep playoff push. That push was led by Baker Mayfield, who just last year was struggling to find a job in the NFL. He is now possibly the future of this Tampa Bay team. His whole story was incredible, being the number 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Having a great season with the Clevland Browns, and then being traded to the Carolina Panthers after an injury filled season. After not playing to a great standard and being cut by the Panthers, many people thought he would not have a job. Tampa Bay decided to take a chance on him, and it paid off.
A disappointing team was the Buffalo Bills. A team who seems to have the talent every year to make the Superbowl but always falls short of the AFC Championship. They have lost in the divisional round the past few years, and they continued that streak this year losing to the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time in a row. They cannot seem to cut out the mistakes late in the season, and that seems to affect them when going into the NFL Playoffs.
The Superbowl was certainly “A Superbowl of all time.” It started off incredibly slow, with the score being 10-0 going into the 2nd half. The 3rd quarter drug along, until the 4th. The game picked up in intensity, taking the game into overtime. The overtime quarter was filled with much controversy. The 49ers claimed they did not understand the overtime rules. The 49ers went downfield, but stalled out and only got 3 points out of the drive. That left the Chiefs to win the game, marching all the way downfield to score the game winning touchdown. All and all, the game was not the best Superbowl, but it was still full of plenty of fun plays.
