We’re finally through the gauntlet that is the NFL regular season, and we’ve pared down the competition to just the top six teams in both the AFC and NFC Conferences. (Although, saying they’re the best, while omitting the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins in favor of the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions makes “the best” a misnomer.)
Looking at the 2017 NFL Playoffs Picture, here are the 12 teams we’re looking at, including their seeds and who they’re playing in the first round:
2016 AFC Playoffs
No. 5 Oakland Raiders at No. 4 Houston Texans
No. 6 Miami Dolphins at No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 1 New England Patriots
No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs
2016 NFC Playoffs
No. 6 Detroit Lions at No. 3 Seattle Seahawks
No. 5 N.Y. Giants at No. 4 Green Bay Packers
No. 1 Dallas Cowboys
No. 2 Atlanta Falcons
So now, let’s take a step back and fill out a wish list of the five best Super Bowl matchups we’d love to see!
Wish List: 7 Best 2017 Super Bowl Matchups
These aren’t necessarily the games that will most likely happen, by any means, but they are games we believe will have the best storylines behind them, including some of the best characters in the game.
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1/7
1. New England Patriots vs. N.Y. Giants Pt III
If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it? These two teams have given us some of the best Super Bowls of the past 30 years, and with Eli Manning and Tom Brady both leading these squads (even though most of the rest of the rosters have been turned over), it should make for some awesome lead-up stories. Plus:
Bill Belichick was a Giants assistant coach back in the day.
The Giants ruined the Patriots’ undefeated 2007 season.
Bill Parcells was a head coach at both spots, taking both teams to the Super Bowl in different decades.
The Patriots have never beaten the Giants in the Super Bowl.
If Tom Brady wins this game, does he pull a Peyton Manning and retire?
David Tyree Photo Credit: New York Daily News Archive, Getty Images
2/7
2. Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots
The new America’s Team vs. the old America’s Team? Maybe not. But this would be an interesting matchup from the perspective of the Patriots being a team whose dynasty is nearing an end (assuming after both Brady and Belichick retire) versus the Cowboys being a team whose dynasty appears to be starting.
I’d love to see how Belichick schemes the Patriots defense up against the best offensive line in football.
Also, we can see just how awesome Dak Prescott is, if he cannot fold under Super Bowl pressure and become the very first rookie quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl win.
Dak Prescott Photo Credit: Rich Schultz, Getty Images
3/7
3. Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Let’s do a ‘70s throwback Super Bowl! These two teams were the best, going back 40 years, and they built themselves into NFL powerhouses while beating up on each other. (The Steelers won both Super Bowls against the Cowboys in the ‘70s, but Barry Switzer’s Cowboys beat Neil O’Donnell and Co. in 1996.)
Fantasy Football owners would absolutely love seeing Le’Veon Bell duel Ezekiel Elliott for Super Bowl rushing dominance. Maybe we can name the winner the top pick in 2017 Fantasy Football drafts? (Arizona’s David Johnson could be a nice interview during Super Bowl week, too!)
Fox will broadcast Super Bowl LI, so having Troy Aikman as a color guy in the booth, with Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson in studio, will be awesome from a history perspective on this game, too.
Terry Bradshaw Photo Credit: Focus On Sport, Getty Images
4/7
4. New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
Speaking of rematches, would there be a better one than a rematch of one of the most recent blockbuster Super Bowls?
You think Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson wouldn’t want another chance to erase the nightmare of that goal-line pass to seal the deal in 2015?
Sure, plenty of the characters from a couple years ago have moved on, like Marshawn Lynch, Max Unger, Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, but the Seahawks bring Jimmy Graham to the table, and the Patriots have Martellus Bennett in place of an injured Rob Gronkowski.
Malcolm Butler Photo Credit: Focus On Sport, Getty Images
5/7
5. Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots
Matt Ryan has been off the charts this season, and he’ll probably win the 2016 NFL MVP Award for his outstanding season. The Falcons and Matty Ice would bring in the top scoring offense in the NFL (33.8 points per game), and the Patriots would try to stifle Ryan with the NFL’s top scoring defense (allowing just 15.6 points per game).
Matt Ryan Photo Credit: Scott Cunningham, Getty Images
6/7
6. Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Yeah, we’re one year off from the 50th anniversary of the first Super bowl, but why not get the two original Super Bowl teams back in there 51 years later?
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was an assistant under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay from 1992 to 1998, during Brett Favre’s Super Bowl years. Aaron Rodgers, of course, took over for Favre eventually.
It would also be nice to see Rodgers (Pick No. 24 in the 2005 NFL Draft) go up against QB Alex Smith (Pick No. 1 in the 2005 NFL Draft). Imagine how the 49ers’ world would have changed over the past decade or so if they either a) drafted Rodgers, or b) held onto Smith rather than go with Colin Kaepernick.
Aaron Rodgers Photo Credit: David Bergman, Getty Images
7/7
7. Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Another fun matchup between two former Super Bowl foes, this would surely be one of the most entertaining ones -- leading up to the game at least.
Rodgers has two NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl win (against Big Ben’s Steelers) and while Roethlisberger doesn’t have any NFL MVP awards, he does have two Super Bowl wins (one more than Rodgers).
Two of the league’s premier franchises, dating back decades, going against each other for a second time in seven years sounds fun to watch – but would the Packers be able to do enough on the ground to keep it competitive?
Ben Roethlisberger Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images
1/7
1. New England Patriots vs. N.Y. Giants Pt III
If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it? These two teams have given us some of the best Super Bowls of the past 30 years, and with Eli Manning and Tom Brady both leading these squads (even though most of the rest of the rosters have been turned over), it should make for some awesome lead-up stories. Plus:
Bill Belichick was a Giants assistant coach back in the day.
The Giants ruined the Patriots’ undefeated 2007 season.
Bill Parcells was a head coach at both spots, taking both teams to the Super Bowl in different decades.
The Patriots have never beaten the Giants in the Super Bowl.
If Tom Brady wins this game, does he pull a Peyton Manning and retire?
David Tyree Photo Credit: New York Daily News Archive, Getty Images
2/7
2. Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots
The new America’s Team vs. the old America’s Team? Maybe not. But this would be an interesting matchup from the perspective of the Patriots being a team whose dynasty is nearing an end (assuming after both Brady and Belichick retire) versus the Cowboys being a team whose dynasty appears to be starting.
I’d love to see how Belichick schemes the Patriots defense up against the best offensive line in football.
Also, we can see just how awesome Dak Prescott is, if he cannot fold under Super Bowl pressure and become the very first rookie quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl win.
Dak Prescott Photo Credit: Rich Schultz, Getty Images
3/7
3. Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Let’s do a ‘70s throwback Super Bowl! These two teams were the best, going back 40 years, and they built themselves into NFL powerhouses while beating up on each other. (The Steelers won both Super Bowls against the Cowboys in the ‘70s, but Barry Switzer’s Cowboys beat Neil O’Donnell and Co. in 1996.)
Fantasy Football owners would absolutely love seeing Le’Veon Bell duel Ezekiel Elliott for Super Bowl rushing dominance. Maybe we can name the winner the top pick in 2017 Fantasy Football drafts? (Arizona’s David Johnson could be a nice interview during Super Bowl week, too!)
Fox will broadcast Super Bowl LI, so having Troy Aikman as a color guy in the booth, with Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson in studio, will be awesome from a history perspective on this game, too.
Terry Bradshaw Photo Credit: Focus On Sport, Getty Images
4/7
4. New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
Speaking of rematches, would there be a better one than a rematch of one of the most recent blockbuster Super Bowls?
You think Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson wouldn’t want another chance to erase the nightmare of that goal-line pass to seal the deal in 2015?
Sure, plenty of the characters from a couple years ago have moved on, like Marshawn Lynch, Max Unger, Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, but the Seahawks bring Jimmy Graham to the table, and the Patriots have Martellus Bennett in place of an injured Rob Gronkowski.
Malcolm Butler Photo Credit: Focus On Sport, Getty Images
5/7
5. Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots
Matt Ryan has been off the charts this season, and he’ll probably win the 2016 NFL MVP Award for his outstanding season. The Falcons and Matty Ice would bring in the top scoring offense in the NFL (33.8 points per game), and the Patriots would try to stifle Ryan with the NFL’s top scoring defense (allowing just 15.6 points per game).
Matt Ryan Photo Credit: Scott Cunningham, Getty Images
6/7
6. Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Yeah, we’re one year off from the 50th anniversary of the first Super bowl, but why not get the two original Super Bowl teams back in there 51 years later?
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was an assistant under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay from 1992 to 1998, during Brett Favre’s Super Bowl years. Aaron Rodgers, of course, took over for Favre eventually.
It would also be nice to see Rodgers (Pick No. 24 in the 2005 NFL Draft) go up against QB Alex Smith (Pick No. 1 in the 2005 NFL Draft). Imagine how the 49ers’ world would have changed over the past decade or so if they either a) drafted Rodgers, or b) held onto Smith rather than go with Colin Kaepernick.
Aaron Rodgers Photo Credit: David Bergman, Getty Images
7/7
7. Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Another fun matchup between two former Super Bowl foes, this would surely be one of the most entertaining ones -- leading up to the game at least.
Rodgers has two NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl win (against Big Ben’s Steelers) and while Roethlisberger doesn’t have any NFL MVP awards, he does have two Super Bowl wins (one more than Rodgers).
Two of the league’s premier franchises, dating back decades, going against each other for a second time in seven years sounds fun to watch – but would the Packers be able to do enough on the ground to keep it competitive?
Ben Roethlisberger Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images
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