A second tier of Super Bowl contenders is being assessed after the top six favourites are ruled out, with teams including the Lions, Bears, Broncos, Vikings, Patriots and Bengals in focus.
01Summary
- 01The article excludes the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks from consideration.
- 02Detroit beat the Arizona Cardinals 45-21 on Sunday but still ranks last in total defence at 404.4 yards allowed per game.
- 03Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams has played one full game this season and accounted for four total touchdowns and 552 total yards in that outing.
- 04Minnesota are 5-0 with the NFL's best scoring defence, but their offence ranks in the bottom six with 283.0 total yards per game.
- 05Drake Maye threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns in New England's 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, while Cincinnati are 3-2 for their best five-game start since 2021.
02Why it matters
The piece shows that several teams outside the elite favourites still have a path to the Super Bowl, which matters for fans tracking dark horses and betting markets. It also highlights which teams have glaring weaknesses that could decide the season.
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