Eight teams remain alive in the race to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, which means there are 16 potential matchups for that game.
Which two teams would make for the best possible Super Bowl? Who would result in the worst? Let’s rank each of the possible pairings from worst to first.
16. Titans vs. Falcons: At least it would be two teams looking for their first-ever Lombardi Trophy, but we’re still talking about two wild cards that struggled for much of the year.
15. Jaguars vs. Falcons: There is sort of an immovable object vs. unstoppable force thing going on here, and the Jaguars in their first Super Bowl would be wild. But this would also be a disaster for NBC.
14. Titans vs. Eagles: Not a lot of sex appeal without Carson Wentz, but the Eagles’ quest to win their first Super Bowl with Nick Foles under center would make this unique.
13. Jaguars vs. Eagles: The Jags would put up more of a fight than the Titans, and they’d make it a little more novel.
12. Titans vs. Saints: Among the NFC teams still alive, Drew Brees and the Saints are by far the most entertaining.
11. Jaguars vs. Saints: Again, the Jags would put up more of a fight than the Titans, and they’d make it a little more novel.
10. Titans vs. Vikings: Minnesota would be the first-ever team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium, and both Tennessee and the Vikings would be gunning for their first Lombardi Trophy.
9. Jaguars vs. Vikings: And one more time: The Jags would put up more of a fight than the Titans, and they’d make it a little more novel.
8. Steelers vs. Falcons: There was a clear formula with the above matchups, all of which are extremely unlikely. The next eight all could easily happen. The Falcons trying to atone for last year would be compelling, but neutral viewers would prefer to see that happen against New England.
7. Steelers vs. Vikings: It’d be a rematch of Super Bowl IX. Two popular teams with Super Bowl talent, one of which would be playing in its home stadium in search of its first Lombardi Trophy.
6. Steelers vs. Eagles: The Battle of Pennsylvania in Minnesota would have a special feel to it.
5. Steelers vs. Saints: Great matchup between a pair of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and two Super Bowl-winning quarterback/coach duos trying to escape New England’s 21st-century shadow.
4. Patriots vs. Eagles: New England beat the hungry Eagles in a classic in Super Bowl XXXIX. So much on the line for both franchises (one trying to cement a dynasty, the other looking for its first-ever Super Bowl win), and you can’t go wrong with Boston vs. Philly.
3. Patriots vs. Vikings: Tom Brady and the Patriots looking for their sixth championship in what would essentially be a road game against the hometown Vikings. That’s gold.
2. Patriots vs. Falcons: Imagine how often we’d see and hear “28-3.” It’d also mark just the second time in NFL history in which we’d have the same Super Bowl matchup in back-to-back seasons.
1. Patriots vs. Saints: Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees? Come on, it doesn’t get much better than that, especially with both trying to cement legacies.
