Finally.
After 11 long, cold, dark, damp months, the NFL playoffs are back. Last year ended with a sour taste in many fans’ mouths, especially people that claim the Kansas City Chiefs, after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers curb stomped the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, 31-9.
Since then, we have witnessed one of the wildest and wackiest seasons in recent memory, including the Urban Meyer situation in Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Jaguars ending the Indianapolis Colts season, and a situation in which a tie would have meant both teams automatically made the playoffs.
But we did it. We persevered, and finally, the playoffs are upon us.
There is sure to be plenty of excitement in the early rounds, which include marquee matchups between the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Arizona Cardinals, and the San Francisco 49ers traveling to Dallas to play the Cowboys.
In the next moments, I will go over my predictions, which are objectively perfect.
On the AFC side of things, the wild-card round should go relatively according to plan, as I believe that all of the higher seeded teams will take care of business and advance to the Divisional round.
When that happens, the Bengals will dispatch the Titans, and the Chiefs will handle the Bills, creating a highly intriguing AFC Championship between two young, and high powered teams. Eventually, the young upstarts in Cincinnati will fall, and Kansas City will advance to their third consecutive Super Bowl.
The NFC will experience some more variety and surprises. I think the 49ers will upset the Cowboys, and the Cardinals will take down the Rams. Meanwhile, the Eagles will come close to the upset, but eventually the inevitable Tom Brady and the Bucs will take them down.
In the divisional round, the Packers will beat Arizona for the second time this season, led by the presumed MVP Aaron Rodgers, and the 49ers will win in their second consecutive upset, as Tom Brady’s previous backup Jimmy Garrappolo will help San Francisco advance to the NFC Championship.
Green Bay will spoil the 49ers hopes of a repeat of Super Bowl 54, and provide an extremely intriguing matchup between two of the most talented quarterbacks of all time, Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.
In the Super Bowl, youth will prevail over experience, and the Chiefs will take down the Packers in one of the greatest Super Bowl games of all time. Final score: Chiefs 38, Packers 35.
Cole Deutschendorf is a Hesston sophomore in General Studies. He’s the Collegian’s Co-Sports Editor
