Ranking Every Potential 2024 Super Bowl LVIII Matchup from Worst to First
We're down to the elite eight for the 2023 NFL season, with just the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans standing in the AFC and the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers remaining in the NFC.
That leaves 16 potential matchups for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Four potential rematches remain possibilities, three of which include the Chiefs. And of course, we could see the Lions and/or Texans become the 29th and/or 30th team(s) ever to play in the game.
With that in mind, and with a focus on player/coach matchups as well as rivalry dynamics and team strength and popularity, let's rank all of the potential matchups from worst to first.
16. Buccaneers vs. Ravens
1 of 16
With all due respect to this Bucs team, it doesn't move the needle close to as much of most of the other teams remaining in the playoff field. Baker Mayfield and Todd Bowles against a Ravens team that would have a good chance of executing a blowout won't do much for fans across the country.
15. Buccaneers vs. Texans
2 of 16
This one is slightly upgraded over Bucs-Ravens because you'd have C.J. Stroud attempting to become the first-ever rookie starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl. There's also a better chance this would be a close game. Both were middle-of-the-pack teams this season in terms of defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA).
14. Buccaneers vs. Chiefs
3 of 16
A lot has changed since they met in 2020, especially in Tampa. And not really for the better in either case. But this stays out of the bottom couple of spots because you'd be witnessing another moment in the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid legacy quest.
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13. Buccaneers vs. Bills
4 of 16
Again, not much love for the Bucs in this exercise. But the Bills chasing their first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy three decades after losing four consecutive Super Bowls is a hell of a narrative for sports fans across the country.
12. 49ers vs. Texans
5 of 16
The Texans remain appealing because they'd also be seeking their first Super Bowl, and with rookie C.J. Stroud at quarterback. The Stroud-Brock Purdy dynamic would be fun here, but the blowout potential is quite high as well. The 49ers are a much better team on paper.
11. Packers vs. Ravens
6 of 16
Baltimore was so dominant at times late this year that I'd worry about the blowout potential, but it's a high-profile national team against one of the sport's most electrifying quarterbacks. The ingredients are there to keep it out of the bottom bunch.
10. Lions vs. Ravens
7 of 16
This edges out Packers-Ravens because the Detroit Super Bowl slump factor would make it a little more special. Still, it could be a blowout and neither team is overly popular on the national stage.
9. Lions vs. Texans
8 of 16
Two franchises that have never won before, the rookie quarterback/coach factor for Houston, and potentially a close game because the two teams aren't too far apart in terms of quality. Pretty good for a non-high-profile matchup. But neither team has much of a national following.
8. Packers vs. Texans
9 of 16
You have to love Jordan Love vs. Stroud. Two first-year starters going head-to-head for teams that nobody expected to come close to the Super Bowl? That's fun. It also doesn't get closer than this in terms of DVOA (Houston ranked 12th, Green Bay 13th).
7. Packers vs. Bills
10 of 16
Anything involving the Lions or Bills gets extra credit because of how long those franchises have waited. In this case, you've also got the wildly popular Packers with Jordan Love shocking the world.
6. 49ers vs. Bills
11 of 16
Same deal here except with an even more heavyweight-like matchup considering how much better San Francisco is than Green Bay on paper. On the other hand, that could result in a blowout.
5. 49ers vs. Ravens
12 of 16
There isn't a huge rivalry here, but these teams did meet in the Super Bowl 11 years ago and there's little doubt they've been the best two teams in the NFL this season. It would be a true heavyweight tilt, and both quarterbacks have a ton of narrative appeal.
4. 49ers vs. Chiefs
13 of 16
A rematch of a good 2019 Super Bowl matchup with many of the same faces would make for a hell of a game, especially because the 49ers would likely be favored this time with many legacies on the line. We're also looking at two of the best defenses in the sport.
3. Lions vs. Chiefs
14 of 16
The David vs. Goliath factor would be awesome, especially because it'd be hard to pick a clear favorite in reality despite the fact the Chiefs are the most dominant team of this era and the Lions have never even been to a Super Bowl.
2. Packers vs. Chiefs
15 of 16
A rematch of the very first Super Bowl, with so much interest in both franchises, with so much at stake for legacies belonging to Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, and with Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur attempting to spoil that? It's beautiful, and unlikely to be a blowout considering how much the Chiefs have struggled this season.
1. Lions vs. Bills
16 of 16
These teams have both been around for the entire 57-year Super Bowl era, and they're a combined 0-114 in their quests to win it. A matchup between two long-term lovable losers would be incredible, especially because both are extremely talented and exciting now. It's not like we'd be witnessing sloppy football between two mediocre teams that lucked into the game.
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