"The early September headline accompanying our 2025 NFL predictions Will it be Mahomes, Jackson or Allen in the Super Bowl? was the ultimate hedge. After all, what were the odds that one of them wouldn't emerge from the AFC? Then there was the reality. Mike Vrabel's dramatic turnaround of New England. The Bears transforming from worst-to-first in the NFC North under Ben Johnson. The first-half magic of Daniel Jones. The successful pairing of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold."
"What actually happened: Burrow lasted two weeks before turf toe erased most of his season. Cincinnati finished 6-11. Daniels was riddled with a litany of injures and completed only four full games. Washington was eliminated after Week 14. Meanwhile, 37-year-old Stafford was named MVP after the best season of his career. The 12-5 Rams reached the NFC championship game, a thrilling battle many will consider the real Super Bowl."
Preseason predictions favored Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen to reach the Super Bowl as the likely AFC representatives. Unexpected developments upended forecasts, including Mike Vrabel's dramatic New England turnaround, the Bears' worst-to-first NFC North shift under Ben Johnson, and Daniel Jones's strong first-half play. The Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold pairing produced results. Drake Maye emerged as an MVP contender. Injuries derailed expectations: Joe Burrow suffered turf toe after two weeks and Cincinnati finished 6-11; Jayden Daniels missed many games. Matthew Stafford rebounded to earn MVP and led the Rams to the NFC Championship.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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