As the NFL playoffs get underway this weekend, pundits around the nation are firing off their takes about who is going to come out on top in Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans. As you would expect, most people are going with the Kansas City Chiefs or the Detroit Lions, the top seeds in their respective conferences. Some people are also taking the Buffalo Bills or the Philadelphia Eagles, who are the No. 2 seeds.
However, there is another team that has been playing their best football lately and has the talent on both sides of the ball to make a run. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are red hot coming into the playoffs, and Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 is picking them to win it all, he said on Wednesday's First Things First.
“This is the year [Lamar Jackson] gets over the hump,” Broussard said. “Not only does he play well in the playoffs, he leads the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory. Not just appearance, victory. Lamar Jackson has been so good this year. He's struggled in the playoffs. … He's been so good, he's also got Derrick Henry who's obviously gonna help, and he's got better receivers.”




Jackson has played the best football of his career in 2024, finishing the regular season with 45 total touchdowns and just four interceptions. As a result, he is in a two horse race with Josh Allen to win his third MVP and his second straight honor as the league's top player.
Alongside Jackson, Henry has given the Ravens an explosive running game that they can rely on down to down each and every week. The legendary running back is still one of the best ball carriers in the league and has had one of his best seasons this year, finishing the regular season with 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
The weakness of this Ravens team for most of the season was the defense, but even that unit has turned it around. it took some time for new defensive coordinator Zach Orr to get this group to mesh, but the decision to move Kyle Hamilton back to free safety combined with the emergence of rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins has turned this into a completely different unit.
The Ravens have a big challenge in front of them to bring home the title, as they will likely have to win two games on the road against the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs to even make it to the Super Bowl. However, with the star power that they have on both sides of the ball and the balance that they play with, there is no team that will be happy to see them on the schedule this postseason.