After its annual six-month hiatus, the NFL is finally back and the 2024 campaign is set to get underway. The Kansas City Chiefs will begin the campaign as they welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Arrowhead for this term’s kickoff game. The two teams met in the AFC Championship game last season, a clash that the Chiefs ultimately won on enemy territory in Maryland, and now Lamar Jackson and Co. will be on the hunt for revenge.
The 2024 season will of course culminate with Super Bowl LIX, the jewel in the American sporting crown and one of the biggest sporting events on planet earth – albeit not as big as the Americans would like you to think.
Over the years, the Big Game has had plenty of stories told. Back in 2008, the New York Giants made history by springing the shock and becoming the biggest-ever underdog to win the Lombardi, upsetting the perfect New England Patriots in the process. What stories will be told this season?
With the 2024 season finally here and the next instalment of the Super Bowl just around the corner, here is all you need to know about the Big Game.
Location
Super Bowl LIX will take place on February 9, 2025, at the iconic Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Known for its vibrant culture, music, and cuisine, the Big Easy provides a fitting backdrop for the grandeur of the Big Game.
The contest will mark a record-extending eighth time that the amphitheater has hosted the Super Bowl, taking it two clear of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It will also mark a record-tying 11th championship game that the city of New Orleans has hosted – also level with Miami – with games in 1970, 1972, and 1975 being held at Tulane Stadium.
Reigning Champions
The Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2024 NFL season as the reigning champions, having clinched victory at both Super Bowl LVIII last year as well as the year before. They managed to defeat the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with just three seconds of overtime remaining.
The incomparable Patrick Mahomes was the deciding factor in the victory, securing that last-gasp reception and the Lombardi that it brought with it in his third Super Bowl MVP-winning display.
The victory was a testament to the resilience and skill of the Arrowhead outfit, further solidifying their reputation as the NFL’s latest in a long line of dynasties. With a roster featuring prolific players, such as the mercurial Mahomes as well as Mr. Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, as well as a strategic mastermind in head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are undoubtedly a team to watch as they aim to defend their title.
Should they do that, then KC will become the first team in history to complete the vaunted three-peat. No other team has ever won three Lombardis on the spin, and should the Chiefs manage to do exactly that, then they will undoubtedly go down in history as the greatest team to have ever taken to the gridiron. The bookies certainly fancy their chances, with the latest odds on football betting at Bovada making them a +500 favorite for yet another crown this season.
Potential Contenders
While the Chiefs remain strong, the journey to Super Bowl LIX promises fierce competition. Their closest rivals are arguably the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that defeated the reigning champions back in the 2021 postseason to win the conference championship.
Last season, Cincy missed the playoffs altogether however, that was due to an injury to sensational quarterback Joe Burrow, but he has returned to full fitness and he is aiming to lead his side to the Lombardi for the first time.
Elsewhere in the conference, the AFC East has no fewer than three potential Super Bowl winners. Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills have been on the cusp of glory for half a decade now, but they have been unable to get past Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs.
The Miami Dolphins have been rejuvenated in recent years and arguably have the best wide receiving corps in the entire league in the form of Tyreek Hill and Jayden Waddle. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers has just returned from injury and he will be hoping to lead the New York Jets into the postseason for the first time in 13 years.
Over in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers are the team to beat. They won the conference last year before being downed heartbreakingly by the Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII. With running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle, the Niners have plenty of power, and that power is harnessed by quarterback technician Brock Purdy. They will be hoping to secure redemption after last season’s Big Game heartache.
