NEW ORLEANS — The very best quarterback often wins.
It’s a soccer adage that’s as true within the Patrick Mahomes Period because it was within the Bart Starr Period.
However there are different “finest” paths to the Tremendous Bowl than the one which the Chiefs use — because the Eagles have proven by profitable the NFC 3 times since 2017.
Listed below are the NFL’s finest place teams — three of which will likely be represented in Tremendous Bowl 2025:
Finest Quarterbacks: Chiefs
Let’s be sincere: It’s all concerning the starter.
As soon as in a blue moon a Tom Brady or Kurt Warner emerges from decrease on the depth chart — or a Jeff Hostetler or Nick Foles can hold an awesome crew going after an harm — however most groups are doomed if the backup quarterback is required.
So, Mahomes, a two-time MVP and three-time Tremendous Bowl champion, makes the Chiefs the clear selection over the Payments, Ravens and Bengals quarterback rooms.
Mahomes’ 89 regular-season wins are essentially the most by a quarterback earlier than age 30 — despite the fact that he sat nearly his total rookie season. Add in a 16-3 document and 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio within the playoffs.
Carson Wentz, a former Professional Bowler with 94 profession begins, is Mahomes’ third totally different backup previously three years (Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert).
Finest Working Backs: Lions
The Lions turned the primary crew in NFL historical past to have two working backs and two receivers every attain 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
The electrical Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 1,412 yards on a mean of 5.6 per carry. He led the NFL in speeding touchdowns (16) and touchdowns from scrimmage (20).
David Montgomery missed his second straight 1,000-yard speeding season due to a three-game harm absence, however he nonetheless completed with 755 and 12 touchdowns on the bottom.
No disrespect to the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, who turned the eighth member of the two,000-yard speeding membership and is about to interrupt Terrell Davis’ single-season data for speeding yards and yards from scrimmage (common season and playoffs mixed) within the Tremendous Bowl.
Finest Tight Ends: Ravens
Keep away from recency bias: Mark Andrews (55 catches for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns) remains to be one of many NFL’s finest regardless of his fumble and dropped cross within the AFC Championship sport.
Are there higher No. 1 choices? Certain, the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and 49ers’ George Kittle are all-timers, and the Lions’ Sam LaPorta (Second-Staff All-Professional as a rookie in 2023) and Raiders’ Brock Bowers (First-Staff All-Professional as a rookie in 2024) make sure the place’s future is shiny.
What elevates the Ravens is that backup Isaiah Seemingly (42 for 477 and 6) would begin for about half the league, too. Add in third-stringer Charlie Kolar to get 18 whole landing catches from one group.
Finest Receivers: Bengals
There are numerous nice duos: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams (Lions), Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison (Vikings), D.Ok. Metcalf and Jaxson Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), Drake London and Darnell Mooney (Falcons), A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (Eagles) and Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson (Jets).
However Ja’Marr Chase gained the receiver’s Triple Crown (127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns) whereas having to share targets with Tee Higgins (73 for 911 and 10 in simply 12 video games) and Andrei Iosivas (36 for 479 and 6).
Higgins is arguably the very best free agent at any place in 2025, so this trio’s days may be over.
Finest Offensive Line: Eagles
Think about shedding a future Corridor of Famer taking part in at a First-Staff All-Professional degree (middle Jason Kelce) to retirement and nonetheless being the very best.
Proper deal with Lane Johnson, middle Cam Jurgens and left guard Landon Dickerson had been named Professional Bowlers. Johnson, a franchise icon, and stable left deal with Jordan Mailata have been bookends collectively since 2020.
Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s magic contact is seen by his turning Jets draft bust Mekhi Becton into an in a single day high-level proper guard regardless of Becton’s unfamiliarity with the place.
The road is the explanation for the success of the NFL’s most unstoppable play: The Tush Push.
Finest Defensive Line: Steelers
Name them “defensive ends” or “exterior linebackers.” You select.
Backside line: When combining edges with tackles to type a defensive position, no crew compares to the Steelers, even when T.J. Watt has a relative “down 12 months” of 11.5 sacks. Alex Highsmith added six sacks in 11 video games on the opposite facet.
And defensive deal with Cam Heyward loved a renaissance in his age-35 season, making First-Staff All-Professional for the primary time in three years after recording eight sacks and a outstanding 11 passes defended.
The Steelers boasted Professional Soccer Focus’ No. 1 defensive position — and it wasn’t shut.
Finest Inside Linebackers: Commanders
How did the Commanders go from 4-13 to 12-5 and the NFC Championship sport in a single 12 months’s time?
By altering homeowners, head coaches and quarterbacks.
However the fourth-biggest transfer might need been signing free brokers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu — each of whom had been named Second-Staff All-Execs. It was Wagner’s eleventh straight season as a First- or Second-Staff All-Professional, and his play rubbed off on Luvu (career-high eight sacks).
Finest Secondary: Eagles
A longtime weak spot for the Eagles now could be one in all their largest strengths, even with $38 million man James Bradberry sidelined
How did that occur? In a single offseason, the Eagles signed ballhawk C.J. Gardner-Johnson (six interceptions) and hit dwelling runs on first- and second-round draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Six-time Professional Bowler Darius Slay nonetheless had sufficient left within the tank to be a superb No. 2 cornerback as Mitchell stepped into the lockdown function.
The Eagles allowed the fewest passing yards and fewest internet yards per cross within the NFL, tied for sixth-fewest touchdowns allowed and ranked twelfth in interceptions.
Specialists: Cowboys
Brandon Aubrey’s robust leg put the Cowboys in scoring place simply after crossing midfield. He made 85.1 % of his area targets, together with 11 of 14 from 50-plus yards.
The Cowboys had been the one crew within the NFL with three punt or kickoff return touchdowns. Two belonged to KaVontae Turpin.
Bryan Anger ranked eleventh by averaging 42 internet yards on 62 punts.