It’s the future. You just tricked your AI boss into letting you go early. A minute later you’re on the street in a full sprint for reasons that are twofold. First, you don’t want to be late. Second, an entire unit of police robot dogs is chasing you, courtesy of Boston Dynamics. You reach into your coat pockets, pull out a few handfuls of USB sticks filled with meat JPEGs, and toss them on the floor. As the dogs devour the digital treats, you slip away to your friend’s underground bunker where all your friends have gathered to watch the Super Bowl between the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions. Today is February 11, 2024.
Bettors think this scenario can happen. At least the Jets vs. Lions part. Three of the NFL’s perennial doormats — all of whom opened 100 to 1 or more to win the 2022 Super Bowl — are tied with the Green Bay Packers for ninth-shortest odds to win the Lombardi Trophy in 2023. Jets, Lions and Jaguars are each listed 25 to 1 on BetMGM to win Super Bowl LVIII.
Jacksonville is one of four AFC teams never to play in the big game. They got closer five years ago but lost a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Dark times followed, kickers were ejected, and the Jags had the embarrassing pleasure of holding the first overall pick in back-to-back drafts. Then came Doug Pederson and a spending spree to turn the ship around and moor it in the 2022 playoffs, where they erased a 27-point deficit to shock the Chargers. Kansas City eliminated Jacksonville from the playoffs the following week. A statement had already been made, however. Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne and Christian Kirk are gigantic cogs in an extremely dangerous offensive machine that should add Calvin Ridley next season. This franchise is just a few defenseless pieces away from being a serious contender.
Without a decent quarterback, the Jets won’t sniff out the Super Bowl in 2023. Should they land one, though? Sniff the city. New York has been linked with Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson in recent days. Plug in a former MVP alongside Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore, and boom goes dynamite. Robert Saleh’s defense is already championship-caliber, ranking fifth in the DVOA last season. It’s been a dozen years since their last playoff win and over half a century since their lone title.
The Lions are the only NFC franchise to never play in a Super Bowl. They have lost eight straight playoff games, their last playoff victory being 31 years ago against the Cowboys. Dan Campbell was hired to usher in a new era in Detroit. A time when fans recycle their brown paper bags after trips to the grocery store instead of saving them for Sunday headwear at Ford Field. The Lions may not have earned a playoff berth under Campbell yet, but they fell to a kneecap in 2022. The return of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and a healthy Jameson Williams could bolster Detroit’s offense even higher than fifth-place DVOA of 2022. Although their defense improved in the second half of the season, they still ranked 28th and appear to be nowhere near competing for a Super Bowl.
Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference, StatMuse and Football Outsiders.
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