Who will emerge as the winner of the 60th Super Bowl? There is currently no clear top favorite, but an AI has already simulated all playoff games.
By Maximilian Kayser
The NFL playoffs promise a lot of excitement this year. Some teams that were considered favorites a few months ago are no longer there – including the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs.
There is currently no clear top favorite, although the two best teams in the regular season, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks, naturally have the best starting position in the playoffs. It starts with the Wild Card Weekend from January 10th to 13th.
But who will win the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the end? “USA Today Sports” now asked the AI Microsoft Copilot that. The virtual assistant simulated all playoff games as well as the Super Bowl itself – the artificial intelligence even selected an SB MVP.
Wild Card Round: Early end for the Jaguars?
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In the AFC Wild Card games, Copilot surprises straight away and predicts two seeding upsets:
Drake May and the Patriots defeat the Chargers because, according to the AI, they have “protection problems.” For the Jaguars, who are third in their conference, it’s over early: Copilot says they trust “Josh Allen‘s playoff reputation.” This despite the fact that Trevor Lawrence’s Jacksonville has now won eight games in a row.
Finally, the AI predicts a win for the Houston Texans, largely due to their “relentless” defense. In the NFC, however, there are no surprises:
The AI predicts a seeding upset, but the LA Rams are the favorites in this match despite a loss to the Panthers in the regular season. Copilot writes that the Panthers are missing “explosive plays.”
According to AI, the Bears’ victory came thanks to Caleb Williams’ late-game playmaking. In addition, the “vulnerable” Eagles are progressing due to the numerous injuries to the 49ers.
Divisional Round: AI predicts the Broncos’ exit
Will the Buffalo Bills go very far? The artificial intelligence points directly to another upset:
For Copilot, the reason for the Broncos’ elimination remains the same as in the previous round: the playoff experience of the Bills and Josh Allen. The AI predicts that Buffalo’s defense can slow down Denver’s offense enough to clinch the win. The Patriots narrowly win against the Texans.
The key against a strong Texans defense is Drake Mayes’ “efficiency.” The NFC’s first-place finisher, on the other hand, should advance:
According to AI, Seattle’s defense is a “tone-setter” – Copilot is sure that the Seahawks can put Matthew Stafford under enough pressure with a strong pass rush. In the close duel between the Eagles and Bears, Philadelphia’s “balanced attack” is crucial.
Conference Championship: Bills become AFC champions
It’s now clear: Copilot likes Josh Allen. This is what it looks like in the conference championship games:
The Bills are going to the Super Bowl as the sixth seed – the reason is again “experience in high-pressure situations”. The Patriots’ defense will make it a close game, but the Bills have a “higher ceiling,” according to the AI.
NFL Power Ranking before the playoffs: Top seeds Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks not at the top
NFL Power Ranking vor der Wild Card Round
18 teams are on vacation, only 14 are left and are fighting in the playoff tournament for a place in the Super Bowl. But who has the best cards? ran presents the power ranking before the first playoff game day.
14th place: Carolina Panthers (previous week: 19)
The Panthers jump five places – and into last place. Sounds paradoxical, but it is true. Despite losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina cheated its way into the postseason despite a negative record. They enter the race as underdogs, but the Rams beat them at home in the regular season.
13th place: Pittsburgh Steelers (previous week: 14)
The Pittsburgh Steelers made it into the playoffs by a similar margin; a missed field goal by kicker Tyler Loop from the Baltimore Ravens ultimately secured victory in the AFC North. Before that, there was a poor performance against the Browns. But at least: DK Metcalf is coming back.
12th place: Green Bay Packers (previous week: 13)
Yes, the Green Bay Packers only had their backups play against the Minnesota Vikings. Still, no one likes to go into the playoffs with three defeats in a row. Most worryingly, Jordan Love last played a game three weeks ago. Teams want to go into the postseason well-coordinated.
11th place: Los Angeles Chargers (previous week: 11)
The Chargers also decided not to let their starters play. Still, the backups did well against the Denver Broncos. Does that speak for the Chargers’ second guard or against the Broncos’ first guard?
10th place: Chicago Bears (previous week: 7)
The Chicago Bears didn’t spare the starters – which made their performance against the Detroit Lions all the more worrying. The division rival from Michigan managed to more or less shut down the running game. The Lions showed how you have to play against the Bears to win. The question is: Do the Packers have the personnel to do it?
9th place: Houston Texans (previous week: 9)
Next win for the Houston Texans, but one with an aftertaste: In the 38:30 win against the Indianapolis Colts, the otherwise highly praised defense left crater-sized gaps and made rookie Riley Leonard look like a Pro Bowler. This is not what fans were hoping for.
8th place: Philadelphia Eagles (previous week: 10)
The Eagles also left starters on the bench in the loss to the Commanders because the NFC’s third seed was virtually fixed. That could be an advantage against the San Francisco 49ers, especially with the running game slowly getting back on track.
7th place: Los Angeles Rams (previous week: 5)
A few weeks ago we were in first place, now only seventh. The Los Angeles Rams have made a few mistakes over the past few weeks. Although LA clearly won against the Cardinals in the end, they had a hard time with all of the starters for a long time. Plus two avoidable bankruptcies against the Falcons and Seahawks before. We have legitimate doubts about Sean McVay’s team.
6th place: San Francisco 49ers (previous week: 3)
From three to six: This is not necessarily due to the 49ers’ harmless offense against the Seattle Seahawks, but rather to the injuries that are simply increasing. The 49ers probably have the hardest path on the way to a possible home Super Bowl.
5th place: Denver Broncos (previous week: 4)
It’s truly remarkable how the Denver Broncos manage to adapt to the opponent’s level week after week. Both positive and negative. There was only a comparatively narrow win against the Chargers’ backups. We have concerns about the playoffs.
4th place: Buffalo Bills (previous week: 8)
The Buffalo Bills backups did a good job against the New York Jets. But what really stands out is that this team can score points even without Josh Allen, and previously against the Eagles the defense showed that it can also heroically prevent points.
3rd place: Jacksonville Jaguars (previous week: 6)
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the playoffs with eight wins in a row, the Tennessee Titans were just a source of self-confidence for Liam Coen’s team. The game against the Buffalo Bills will be a real highlight!
2nd place: Seattle Seahawks (previous week: 2)
Let’s be honest: The only reason the Seahawks aren’t in first place is – it has to be said so hard – Sam Darnold. The Seahawks are top at every other position, and the defense is probably the best in the league. But since Week 11, Darnold has been playing subpar football and quarterback is the most important position. That’s why first place goes…
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1st place: New England Patriots (previous week: 1)
… to the statistically best quarterback of the regular season, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. They flexed their muscles briefly against the Miami Dolphins and defeated the Fins 38:10. The offensive line and the running game also showed significant improvement. The fact that a game with Maye’s 129 passer rating is almost taken for granted and that it is rarely discussed just shows how good he actually is.
In the duel between Seattle and Philadelphia, Copilot sees the Seahawks ahead thanks to their defense: It is the “defining unit” of the NFC. According to the AI, Sam Darnold’s high passing quality should be enough against the Eagles.
Super Bowl 60: The Seahawks win thanks to defense
The Bills’ surprising series has to end at some point – according to the copilot, not until the Super Bowl:
The AI writes “Defense travels” – not even Josh Allen can help. Instead, this is slowed down by clever “changes of cover”. This forces the QB to have “hero ball” moments. In addition, Seattle has the better “balance”.
Copilot also predicts the final MVP: It should be Sam Darnold because he will have “a few important late throws” and “MVP voters historically tend to vote for quarterbacks.”
How correct the artificial intelligence prediction is will become apparent this weekend – then the Bills will have to make their first seeding upset.
