Opinion: These are the top matchups we'd like to see for Super Bowl LIV
Many consider the divisional round of the NFL playoffs to be the best weekend in pro football.
It pits the final eight teams left standing in the field and gives fans a glimpse of what’s to come in the conference championships and then even into the Super Bowl. The final eight are littered with all-pros and possible individual award winners like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and coach of the year candidates like the Ravens' John Harbaugh and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers. In the end, fans want to see stars in February.
So here are the four dream matchups we’d love to see in Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
49ers vs. Ravens
Fans already tasted what this Super Bowl would look like, in a rain-soaked Week 13 Ravens win that came down to the final seconds. It wasn’t high scoring, just 20-17, but it was a back-and-forth battle that saw three separate ties and four lead changes. It offered highlight jukes from Jackson and teams that are similar in many ways.
Both have aggressive defenses led by their secondaries and pass rushers. The Ravens were the NFL’s leading rushing team (206 yards a game) and the Niners ranked second (144.1). Both coaching staffs are loading with tacticians who analyze the opposition and look to exploit weaknesses. And both offenses are as creative as they are versatile.
Those offenses, too, have stars, none bigger than Jackson. A Super Bowl that contains the presumptive league MVP is a good Super Bowl.
Packers vs. Chiefs
This matchup is juicy, if only for the stellar quarterback play that would come from it. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers has long been one of the more gifted passers in the NFL, whipping his throws at inventive arm angles, and escaping the pocket to improvise and fling passes deep down field. If any player has come close — if not has looked like he can surpass Rodgers’ wizardry — it’s Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP.
Mahomes similarly has a controlled freelance element to his game, dipping into an unorthodox approach of no-look, left-handed, jump-pass throws to get the ball into his playmakers’ hands. Fans were deprived of this matchup earlier this year in Week 8, when Mahomes missed the game with a knee injury. Even then, it was still an exciting game with Green Bay winning, 31-24. Add Mahomes — and a much-improved Chiefs defense that has banded together — and it should be a thriller.
And, as if this matchup needed any more juice, it’s a very modern rematch of Super Bowl I, in which the Packers smashed the Chiefs, 35-10.
VIKINGS-49ERS: Kirk Cousins takes on Kyle Shanahan
TITANS-RAVENS: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry put run games in spotlight
TEXANS-CHIEFS: Patrick Mahomes vs. Deshaun Watson could provide fireworks
SEAHAWKS-PACKERS: Can Seattle triumph again on road?
Packers vs. Ravens
This would be an awesome game just because of how different these offenses are from each other. Baltimore leans heavily on the pistol formation, which is similar to the shotgun in that the quarterback lines up a few yards behind the line of scrimmage, but has a running back lined up a few yards behind him. Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman has taken the formation and has crafted a scheme that highlights everything that Jackson does well.
The Packers, however, rely on a much more traditional approach. And while Rodgers and the Packers have been a little inconsistent at times under Matt LaFleur, Green Bay has gotten a lot more production out of running back Aaron Jones. Plus, it would be so much fun to watch Baltimore cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters try to bait Rodgers into throwing interceptions.
Seahawks vs. Chiefs
The last time these two faced off, it was a high-scoring battle filled with plenty of action. In Week 16 last year, Seattle escaped with a 38-31 victory. And, again, it was all about the quarterback. Both Mahomes and Seattle QB Russell Wilson each threw for three touchdowns.
These two teams are slightly different from where they were last year, but each has enough talent on defense — the Chiefs with safety Tyrann Mathieu, defensive tackle Chris Jones and corner Kendall Fuller, and the Seahawks with linebacker Bobby Wagner and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Still, a Mahomes-Wilson quarterback duel would be a treat because neither team is truly ever out of a game when either is under center.
Follow Paste BN Sports' Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.
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