The game of football is and has been embedded in our country for over 150 years. A staple as some may say. No matter what anyone says about the game, whether it’s, “the game is so rigged”, or even, “if you don’t watch football you’re lame.” The game is meant to bring us together. We do not need to love it or hate it, rather we should enjoy the people around us, and be thankful for the game’s entertainment. 

Now, for the main event.The 25-26 NFL season as playoffs come to a close, and the Super Bowl grows closer. The hype is through the roof!

So far, the playoffs have been much more diverse than previous years. What I mean by that is, it is not all the same teams. There are many teams that we have not seen in the playoffs for a few years. For example, the Chicago Bears (last playoff clinch was 2005). And the Carolina Panthers (last playoff clinch was 2017). 

The bracket this year is a very interesting turn of events when it comes to favorites and underdogs. The Colorado Broncos clinched number one seed for the AFC, while the Seattle Seahawks clinched the number one seed for the NFC.

 The match ups for the AFC are as follows- The Buffalo Bills vs. The Jacksonville Jaguars with the Bills coming on top with a score of 27-24. The Los Angeles Chargers vs. The New England Patriots with the Patriots winning in an upset score of 16-3, Cameron Dicker got the only points for the Chargers. Are the Patriots back? Is Drake Maye the new Brady? Those are questions for another time. The Houston Texans vs. The Pittsburgh Steelers with the Texans pulling through with a blow out 30-6 victory. 

Now for the match ups for the NFC are seen here- The Los Angeles Rams vs. The Carolina Panthers with a 34-31 win by the Rams. The Green Bay Packers vs. The Chicago Bears was an incredible matchup as the Packers had almost a 20 point lead going through more than 3/4th’s of the game. But the Bears created an insane upset for the Packers and their fans as Caleb Williams and the Bears pulled through for the win 31-27. And finally the Philadelphia Eagles vs. The San Francisco 49’ers with the 9’ners taking a 23-19 victory. 

Even though the Broncos and Seahawks are the number one seed, they may still lose. Even though the Bears or 49’ers are not expected to get past round two, who knows maybe they will and one will go to the superbowl! That’s what’s incredible about the game of football. Even if it is classified as entertainment, think about the players who work so hard to fulfill their role on their team. It’s truly an amazing sport, and once again, a staple in this country’s culture. I can’t wait to see what the end of this year’s football season turns out to be. 

Everyone tune into the playoff games and superbowl if you can, and get ready for next year!!