While the football season has only just begun, there has already been plenty of excitement and intrigue. From hot starts in the NFL for teams like the Miami Dolphins and hometown Ravens to rocky starts for teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, this season already has fans entertained.
Here at Marriotts Ridge High School, students and teachers have been enjoying the new football season so far. A popular team among students at MRHS are the local Baltimore Ravens, who have a 2-1 record so far this year. This solid start has given fans high hopes for the rest of the season, some expecting a potential playoff run for the Baltimore Ravens.
“Probably at least divisional round, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the AFC [American Football Conference] championship. Record-wise, I’d say eleven and six, or twelve and five,” said junior Saish Kankjanedala.
While Saish has reasonable expectations for a relatively talented Ravens team, which is seen as a wild-card hopeful among analysts, other Marriotts Ridge students have higher expectations .
“[The Ravens are going to be] so good, I think they’re gonna win so many games. I think they’re gonna win fourteen at least,” senior Macie Globerman said.
Fourteen wins would likely put the Ravens at the top of the AFC standings, and possibly make them Super Bowl favorites. Last year’s Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, also won fourteen regular season games.
While the Ravens are popular around the halls of Marriotts Ridge, there are people who are pulling for other teams as well. Social studies teacher and MRHS football coach Mr.Holzman is a supporter of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a rival of the Ravens.
When asked about his favorite player, Holzman replied, “I really like Nick Chubb. I feel terrible about what happened to him, but I think he’s really good. He just seems like a guy that doesn’t say a lot, but he’s really good.”
Nick Chubb, star running back on the Cleveland Browns, recently tore his MCL, most likely ending his season; however, many hope for his quick recovery. He has been a paragon of consistency, rushing for over 1,000 yards for five straight seasons before this year.
When asked about his predictions for the Steelers this year, Holzman said, “I think they will find a way to go .500, like they always do with Tomlin, but I don’t think they’re gonna make the conference final, because I don’t think Pickett is the guy.”
Mike Tomlin, Steelers head coach, has kept the team consistently competitive for over a decade. However, second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett has struggled so far. While he has lower expectations for his favorite team than a few Ravens fans around Marriotts Ridge, both teams are currently sitting with 2-1 records. They are yet to play each other this season, but their matchups are often highly anticipated due to their famous rivalry. The two teams may be fighting for playoff spots this year, especially in their stacked division, so those games will be as important as ever.
While some teams are fighting to make the playoffs, there are only a few teams every year that have a real chance of winning the Super Bowl.
Senior Jack Schwendeman gave his Super Bowl predictions,“Dolphins and Niners. The Dolphins have a pretty unstoppable offense and a competent defense. The Niners have an all-around good team, a dominant defense, and a good offensive system. I’ve got the Niners.”
Both teams are off to dominant 3-0 starts this year, with neither showing any signs of slowing down. The Dolphins are coming off a fifty point victory this weekend after walloping the Broncos by a score of 70-20. The 49er’s are coming off of their third straight game that they have scored thirty points in, while holding their opponents to a measly forty-two points over that time span. Both teams look excellent so far, but anything could happen.
Next, Schwendeman discussed his NFL MVP award predictions. The MVP award goes to the best player in the league, which is typically a quarterback.
“It is gonna be Mahomes again, honestly. I think he’s got a lot of momentum coming into this year, and he makes a lot of good plays. I think he’s a pretty good player overall,” Schwendeman said.
Patrick Mahomes, superstar quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, has already won two MVPs, including one last year, and is looking to add to his collection yet again.
With fourteen weeks remaining in the regular season, the year is far from over. The league is as talented as ever, and anything could happen in the playoffs. This NFL season has already given fans plenty to be excited about, and there is plenty to look forward to.