Here are the best possible Super Bowl LVIII matchups
source: Getty Images People are going to watch the Super Bowl no matter what, but not all Super Bowl matchups are created equal. With a total of 49 possible Super Bowl matchups remaining, only so many are going to be truly watchable. Considering seeding, history, narratives, and outright entertainment, this is a deep dive into all the best possible Super Bowl matchups for 2024.
10. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions
source: Getty Images Opening and closing the season with the same matchup is fascinating. Two awesome defenses, two interesting offenses.
The Chiefs aren’t the Chiefs, but it still plays like a David vs. Goliath matchup.
Who doesn’t love one of those?
9. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers
source: Getty Images Seven seeds have never won an NFL playoff game (0-6, we love small sample sizes) but this one particularly seems like a fun Super Bowl matchup. Green Bay’s offense vs. Pittsburgh’s defense is a legitimately fantastic matchup, while the flipside is an extremely stoppable force and an extremely moveable object. Bound to be fun. Plus, something something lucky sevens, something something Vegas.
8. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
source: Getty Images It’s not necessarily about the rematch itself (which would still be entertaining).
It would be more about the path each of these depleted teams took to get there.
7. Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
source: Getty Images Revenge games don’t get much sweeter than this. Baker Mayfield squaring off against his former team, whose spot in the game is in spite of their $230 million alleged sex-pest quarterback.
6. Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys
source: Getty Images A real narrative game for both quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson has been doubted at nearly every point of his career, and Dak Prescott has had his job called for despite being top-ten in the league. Two MVP-caliber quarterback seasons with two of the league’s best offenses and defenses.
5. Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions
source: Getty Images It feels fitting for the two darling teams from the 2023 NFL season to square off in the final game of the year. Everyone bought into the Dan Campbell Lions and their first division title in 30 years, while the new-look Ravens offense helped propel Baltimore to become the league’s most dominant all-around team. Might be a little lop-sided of a matchup, but a nice narrative close to the year.
4. Miami Dolphins vs. San Francisco 49ers
source: Getty Images If you like offense, this is the matchup for you.
Mike McDaniel squaring off against his former team and longtime mentor Kyle Shanahan is a nice wrinkle, but this game is probably the most star-studded from a name-recognition perspective.
3. Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys
source: Getty Images The cathartic release of so many decades of playoff yips. The Cowboys break their 28-year drought of NFC Championship appearances, win the game, then run into a Buffalo Bills team that hasn’t made a Super Bowl since Jim Kelly’s 0-4 run?
2. Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
source: Getty Images The objective best-on-best matchup.
The two teams with the best records in football.
Two MVP-candidate quarterbacks squaring off. Two elite defenses.
Doesn’t get much better than this.
Except…
1. Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions
source: Getty Images C’mon, imagine? The two most hapless NFL franchises squaring off in a winner-take-all matchup.
Just picture the Browns and Lions descending on Vegas for Super Bowl weekend.
Chaos. Beautiful, beautiful, chaos.