NFL 2024 Preview and Super Bowl LIX – NetNewsLedger

Hockey will always be the national sport of Canada – and hopefully, we will be able to celebrate another Stanley Cup triumph soon – but football is also very popular. The Canadian Football League is well-supported, particularly in the cities that host teams, but the NFL consistently draws big ratings.

The recent announcement from NFL Canada concerning viewing parties and flag football events proves that there is a huge appetite for the league even though there has never been a team based in Canada. Canadian teams are a more common sight in some of the other major North American sports leagues but NFL fans have had to make do with the occasional game and just wild rumors of an expansion team up until now.

But, until the emergence of a Canadian team, fans will continue to tune in and watch the biggest football league in the world. The new season will be starting soon and there is feverish anticipation about what football fans might be in for. Sports betting fans in Georgia might be happy with the new-found confidence in the Falcons but Canadian supporters have a more broader interest. With that in mind, here’s which teams we think might be worth keeping an eye on 2024.

Three-Peat Chiefs

No team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row. Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Dallas, and Denver have all managed to back-to-back championships but even the New England Patriots led by Tom Brady could never manage to achieve the fabled three-peat. Could the Chiefs break the record?

Patrick Mahomes is certainly one of the finest quarterbacks ever to take to the football field and constantly amazes NFL fans with his abilities. The Chiefs are also strong on both sides of the ball and have even been credited with bringing more fans to the game thanks to the ongoing relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. But winning three in a row is unprecedented. Kansas City might end up as AFC champions and be in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX next year but winning it all is a tough task.

Last Year’s Losers

So, if not the Chiefs, then who? Many pundits are predicting that San Francisco can dust itself off from that agonizing overtime loss last season and go all the way in 2024. The 49ers have a very impressive Super Bowl history of their own, of course. But this is a team that has lost its last two showpiece events and could still be hurting from Super Bowl LVIII.

That being said, the Niners look good on defense and will have no problems at all scoring points this season thanks to Brock Purdy. Even with both the Rams and the Seahawks looking like they will improve this year, it should be San Francisco that wins the NFC West – and it will take a very good team to stop the 49ers ending up as NFC Champs.

Best of the Rest

A clutch of Midwest teams looks like coming through strong again this season after the surprise postseason run of Detroit last year. The Lions will definitely be in with a chance of a divisional title, although Green Bay and Chicago – and at a push Minnesota – will make the NFC North one of the most competitive in the league.

Add to that, Joe Burrow returning for the Bengals and Cincinnati might have something to say when it comes to the postseason. This was a team that made it to the Super Bowl just two years ago and lost in the AFC Championship game in 2022. A 9-8 record last year was largely due to missing Burrow from week 11 onwards and a big improvement should be expected this term.

It feels as though Philadelphia and Buffalo may have missed their best shots at winning a Super Bowl recently. Both Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen are standout QBs, who deserve to own a Super Bowl ring, but have come up against better teams at the most crucial moments and have not always performed as well as they might have in clutch moments. That is not to say that either of these teams has no chance of winning Super Bowl LIX, but it seems unlikely at the moment.

Long Shots

We have already mentioned some of the NFC North teams that might surprise a few people this season – and there is a good chance that some of them might attract a few Canadian fans thanks to the close proximity of the cities to our southern border. But for more of a long shot, we’re looking elsewhere.

Two teams stand out in particular. Aaron Rodgers being able to last longer than four snaps this season could turn the New York Jets into a real Super Bowl challenger. The Jets defense is already one of the best in the league and Rodgers has the experience to take control of a championship game.

Another team with an outside chance is the Houston Texans. They almost went under the radar going from last to first in the AFC South last year and, in C.J. Stroud, have one of the most exciting young QBs in the NFL.

Super Bowl LIX

It does feel as though the race for Super Bowl glory could be more open than it has been for years in 2024. The big favorites will be tough to get past but there are some very talented players across the league for Canadian NFL fans to enjoy.

With around 30 Canadian players on rosters for the upcoming season, there will even be some local athletes to get behind. One day there might be a Canadian team but, for the moment, NFL fans in this country can just get ready for what promises to be a rollercoaster of a season.