As a young girl, thanks to my father’s expertise on the ins and outs of the game, I grew up a football fan. We never missed a televised game, even sometimes supporting our hometown team in the seats of their own stadium. No matter the outcome, we eagerly geared up to see which two teams would stay alive for two additional weeks, and tackle their way into the Super Bowl. After 17 weeks, those two teams were the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. This matchup came unexpected, as the New England Patriots have made it to the Super Bowl for the past three years. For hardcore fans, this was a disappointing feat. For others, it was a refreshing sight to see two teams, who have worked their way up to being honored at such a major event in American culture, gain their rightful position in this year’s Super Bowl.

The 49ers defense is armed with Rookie of the Year, Nick Bosa. The Chiefs offense is dominated by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and players such as his go-to receiver, Sammy Watkins, or his star tight end, Travis Kelce. It is clear why these two teams were able to outshine the others. Before we discuss this matchup, we must not ignore the accomplishments of multiple teams from both the AFC and NFC division. I want to shine light upon the teams and notable players, whose chances of proceeding any further were cut short despite an amazing season.

1. Baltimore Ravens

This team entered the 2019-20 postseason with the highest scoring offense and defense. The Ravens have the star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, whose abilities were initially doubted by many. In 2018, he was the team’s last pick in the first round of the NFL draft. Two years later, he is now the third youngest winner for the MVP award, winning by a unanimous vote. The only other player to be chosen unanimously for MVP was Tom Brady. This season Jackson became the first player in league history to produce over 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing. This star first caught the attention of football fans around the world in the season opener when he landed a touchdown strike to Marquise Brown with a phenomenal 83-yard pass. In this game, Jackson threw five touchdown passes and claimed a perfect passer rating of 158.3, ultimately leading his team to 59-10 victory. Seemingly unstoppable, he continued to prove why he deserved to be named this year’s MVP. But, in a 28-12 upset loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional round, Baltimore’s dazzling prosperity came to a woeful end. The team’s outstanding season performance just wasn’t enough to lead them to victory. Still, the Ravens have great potential and I believe this won’t be the last time we see the levels to which Lamar Jackson can take his team.

2. Tennessee Titans

This year the Titans became a hot topic. Their 2019-20 season unfolded a story of perseverance that all starts with one person, Ryan Tannehill. He was traded in the 2019 draft from the Miami Dolphins to the Tennessee Titans, as a backup quarterback. Given a chance early in the season, Tannehill was able to drive his new team and personal career to newfound levels of success. With him, they only lost three of the next 10 games. Then, in a wild card game, the team made history. With CB Logan Ryan’s pick-six, they succeeded in dismantling the Patriots in a 20-13 feat. Then, despite being the suspected underdogs, Tennessee’s defense and RB Derrick Henry’s 195 rushing yards garnered the team a 20-13 win over the league’s top team. Going on to face the Chiefs, the Titans were one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately the team’s euphoric winning streak ceased. The Chief’s offense was indestructible and the game resulted in a disappointing 35-24 loss. In spite of this dismal end, many stars arose from this team. Derrick Henry, who has been with the Titans for his first four years in the league, finished the regular season with 446 rushing yards and was named Ground Player of the Year. Ryan Tannehill deservingly earned Comeback Player of the Year. Despite the heartbreaking loss, their hope never faltered.

3. Buffalo Bills

Though they receive less spotlight, this team had many accomplishments in the 2019-20 season. Assisted by one of the best defenses in the league and an adept second-year quarterback, Josh Allen, the Bills were able to take their talents and run to new heights. In the 2019 NFL draft, the team picked up free agents WR John Brown and Cole Beasley, then rookie RB Devin Singletary in a third-round draft pick. The team’s new additions proved rewarding, each making propitious moves for the team. Brown had 1,060 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Beasley had 778 receiving yards as well as six touchdowns. Singletary accrued 775 rushing yards. The team showed major improvement from years prior and surpassed many milestones. For the first time in three years, the Bills clinched their spot in the playoffs with a 17–10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 15. Once the playoffs began, they were only able to survive for one round, before ultimately being defeated by the Texans in a close-scoring wild card game; the final score was 22-19. Nevertheless this team is packed with talent. By the end of the season, the team had 10 wins, which is the most in franchise history since winning 11 in 1999. This team will continue to display their adroitness on the field. For fans, the Bills forthcoming seasons will be highly anticipated and, for now, seem promising.

4. Houston Texans

I speak unbiased when I say the Houston Texans had an excellent 2019-20 season. For the second year in a row, they won first in their AFC division. The absence of defensive end J.J. Watt for eight games seemed to hinder the team’s defensive performance. Where the defense lineup lacked, quarterback Deshaun Watson stepped up. With his overall extraordinary passing rate, he is a dominant force behind a majority of the team’s success. First-year running backs, Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson, both surpassed career-highs in yards this season. Carlos Hyde amassed 1070 yards while Duke Johnson reached 410 yards. Another great addition to the team was WR Kenny Stills. In only his first season with the Texans, he had caught 40 passes for 561 yards. WR DeAndre Hopkins, per usual, was a prominent pawn in each game. Perhaps the team’s biggest feat, came early in the season when they shockingly beat the Patriots 28-22. They were able to make it past the wild card round and into the divisional round of the playoffs. This game set up a rematch between the Texans and The Chiefs, whom they defeated earlier in the season. At first, it seemed that the Texans had secured a game win, when they were up 24-0 at halftime. Unfortunately, in a record-breaking comeback, the Chiefs put up 51 points on the board, allowing them to advance. Despite this devastating loss, there’s no denying the Texans are praiseworthy. With a few adjustments and further training, this team can set their sights on a Super Bowl in the near future.

February 2nd, 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs faced the San Francisco 49ers in the 54th NFL Super Bowl. Prior to the game, the Chiefs seemed to be the fan favorite and projected winner. After the game kicked off, it seemed like this may not be the case. The 49ers defense had certainly put pressure on QB Mahomes, and at halftime the score was only tied 10-10. This was thanks to 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s 15-yard touchdown. With this play he became the first player that attended Harvard to score a TD in the Super Bowl. It was also the first touchdown scored by a fullback in the Super Bowl in 17 years. QB Jimmy Garrapolo aided his team in putting another ten points on the board and fans cheered for what seemed like a promising win. But, when the ball landed back in the hands of Mahomes, the game took a turn. With plenty of time left, the Chiefs offense shut down the 49ers defense. The team climbed back on top by adding 21 points to their score in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs had won 31-20 and were crowned the Super Bowl champions. So the game goes, as in life, there are those who get to feel the thrill of victory while others must endure the agony of defeat.