It’s not long to go now before we buckle up for another season of NFL action, with the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, kicking off the campaign against the Detroit Lions on September 8th.
With a settled side under head coach Andy Reed and with quarterback Patrick Mahomes pulling the strings, the Chiefs once again look to be the team to beat this season.
Mahomes Still Hungry
After beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl last season, Kansas City Chiefs are ready to go again for the brand new campaign.
The excitement is growing about what this Chiefs side can achieve this year, as Mahomes looks to emulate the achievements of the great Tom Brady at the New England Patriots.
With a team challenging and winning titles between 2001 and 2018, the Pats became one of the great teams in the history of the NFL.
The Chiefs had a strong side in the late 1960s but have returned to the top of the game in recent years with Super Bowl visits in the 2019, 2020 and 2022 seasons.
Winning two of those Super Bowl encounters, including a 38-35 win over the Eagles last season in Glendale, Arizona, expectations are high going into this new campaign.
Motivation will certainly not be an issue for Mahomes, with the Chiefs playmaker hungry for a third Super Bowl ring.
“Yeah, I think it’s just keeping the guys hungry,” Mahomes told Ari Wolfe and Trent Green in a sideline interview. “It’s always great to win with a lot of young guys — but now these young guys have to deal with success.
“We had a little bit of experience with it a couple years ago — and I think what we learned from that is you have to stay hungry the entire year. I want to preach that to these young guys and tell them to take that next step. We have to be better this year if we want to go back and win that Super Bowl again.”
Mahomes hungry for a third Super Bowl title
Eagles Ready To Go Again
After the heartbreak of losing the Super Bowl last season, the Philadelphia Eagles must dust themselves off and be ready to go again.
Under head coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles impressed on their way to the showpiece event, with quarterback Jalen Hurts emerging as a real star.
A talisman on and off the field, Hurts will have learnt plenty from last season and will be hoping the Eagles can overcome the final hurdle this time around.
Hurts has the game to trouble teams on the ground, while the playmaker has a number of weapons at his disposal.
With a wide-recieving unit that consists of the likes of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles should be a threat in the air.
Added to that, Hurts, Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny in the running game, and Philly look like they can again be contenders in the NFC this season.
Hurts emerged as a real star last season
Bills Can Be In The Mix
After years of near misses on reaching the Super Bowl, perhaps this could be the season the Buffalo Bills finally fulfil their potential.
From a side that struggled for so many years in the shadow of the Patriots in the AFC East, the Bills are the new dominant force in the division.
Winning the AFC East for the last three seasons, the last two campaigns have ended in defeat in the Divisional playoffs.
It was the Chiefs who edged out the Bills in the 2021 season with a heartbreaking 42-36 defeat in overtime, before a 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last term.
Quarterback Josh Allen is the star of the show at Buffalo and once again he will have a big role to play if the Bills are to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.
Allen produced an impressive 35 touchdown passes during 16 games in the last regular season and similar stats should go a long way towards another push for Super Bowl glory.
Allen's form will be crucial for the Bills
49ers Eyeing A Return To Glory Days
A team who were once a dominant force in the NFL in the 1980s, the San Francisco 49ers are looking to return to those dizzy heights this season.
There are foundations in place for a successful campaign and a big year awaits quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 23-year-old is set to be the starter for the 49ers this season and the man who played college football for Iowa State has plenty of pressure on his shoulders to deliver, with Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen waiting in the wings.
Former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was supposed to be the star to finally take the 49ers back to the top but injury hindered his time in San Francisco.
With Garoppolo having since moved to the Las Vegas Raiders, the stage is set for Purdy to try to take this franchise forward, as they look to challenge the Chiefs, Eagles and Bills for the big prize.
Big year ahead of Purdy
Bengals Hope to Realise Potential
A team who have made great strides in recent years, the Cincinnati Bengals will be eager to finally realise their potential this season and claim a first Super Bowl title.
After years of being one of the whipping boys of the NFL, the Bengals have come on in leaps and bounds of late and even reached the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, only to lose to the Los Angeles Rams.
Quarterback Joe Burrow again has a big role to play and another impressive season from the 26-year-old playmaker could see the Bengals back in the mix for the Super Bowl.
Burrow is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and head coach Zac Taylor will be hoping to give him the weapons needed to make a real go of things in the AFC Conference.
The Bengals have won the AFC North the last two seasons and are again outsiders worth keeping an eye on for the big prize this year.
