Latest news with #SethWalder
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ESPN predicts the Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl in a rematch vs. the Eagles
ESPN's Seth Walder recently revealed the latest 'Football Power Index' rankings. He lists the Kansas City Chiefs second, behind the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. 'Two of the past three Super Bowls have been between Kansas City and Philadelphia,' wrote Walder. 'Will it be three of four? The 4.2% chance of a Super Bowl LIX repeat is the greatest of any combination of teams in our Super Bowl matchup projections, slightly besting the 3.6% chances of Ravens- Eagles and Bills- Eagles matchups. Top combinations are listed below and rounded to the nearest whole number.' ESPN's 'Football Power Index' is an early rating and projection model for the upcoming season, with all indications suggesting that last year's Super Bowl will be repeated in 2025. Last season, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to reach five Super Bowls in a six-season span. Advertisement Both teams made significant roster changes during the offseason, so the early prediction will likely change by midseason. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: ESPN predicts the Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl vs. the Eagles
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN predicts the Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl in a rematch vs. the Eagles
ESPN predicts the Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl in a rematch vs. the Eagles ESPN's Seth Walder recently revealed the latest 'Football Power Index' rankings. He lists the Kansas City Chiefs second, behind the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. 'Two of the past three Super Bowls have been between Kansas City and Philadelphia,' wrote Walder. 'Will it be three of four? The 4.2% chance of a Super Bowl LIX repeat is the greatest of any combination of teams in our Super Bowl matchup projections, slightly besting the 3.6% chances of Ravens- Eagles and Bills- Eagles matchups. Top combinations are listed below and rounded to the nearest whole number.' ESPN's 'Football Power Index' is an early rating and projection model for the upcoming season, with all indications suggesting that last year's Super Bowl will be repeated in 2025. Last season, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to reach five Super Bowls in a six-season span. Both teams made significant roster changes during the offseason, so the early prediction will likely change by midseason.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN's Football Power Index has the New Orleans Saints ranked dead last
ESPN's Football Power Index has the New Orleans Saints ranked dead last Hey, there's nowhere to go but up. ESPN's Seth Walder shared a look at the first NFL Football Power Index (FPI) rankings ahead of the 2025 preseason, which has the New Orleans Saints at the very bottom -- ranking at No. 32 among the league's 32 teams. FPI, which is updated regularly in the offseason and daily during the regular season, is defined as "a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule." It's just the latest sign that the Saints have a lot of work to do in cleaning up their image. They need to prove their doubters (of which there are many) wrong and win a lot of games this year. But that's easier said than done, especially with a new head coach and no sure thing at quarterback. If you're curious about the rest of the NFC South, the Saints were joined in the bottom tier by the Atlanta Falcons (at No. 26) and Carolina Panthers (No. 28), but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 14) are expected to hold onto the division title. But did the FPI rankings get it right last year? They were too bullish on a San Francisco 49ers team that ranked first but suffered too many injuries and only won six games. Like everyone else, they ruled out the Washington Commanders (at No. 28) who stunned the football world by reaching the NFC Championship Game. And in the NFC South specifically, they called down years for the Saints (No. 26) and Carolina Panthers (No. 32) while overrating the Atlanta Falcons (No. 15), who went into the year with a comfortable lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 22). Maybe this year's story plays out differently.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Eagles land in all three of ESPN's most probable Super Bowl predictions
Eagles land in all three of ESPN's most probable Super Bowl predictions The Worldwide Leader in Sports has spoken, and the belief is the Eagles are the NFC's most likely representative in Super Bowl 60. Reaching the Super Bowl is tough. Every offseason, all 32 teams begin another quest with the same goal: to qualify for football's biggest game and win the Lombardi Trophy. Seeing as how only one team can accomplish that task, the probability seems slim, which makes the Philadelphia Eagles' accomplishments during the past eight NFL seasons more special. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1966, the Eagles have reached the grand stage five times. They've won two of their last three, and had there not been a slippery field in Super Bowl 57, we may be discussing six titles in total, three NFL Championships, and three Lombardi Trophies. If a repeat is in the cards, it seemingly won't be easy, but the Worldwide Leader in Sports seems supremely confident in the Birds' chances. ESPN names the Eagles as the NFC's representative in their three most likely Super Bowl 60 matchups. "The Philadelphia Eagles are the favorites to win Super Bowl LX -- but just barely, with a cluster of teams close to the reigning champs in terms of ability and chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy." Those are the words of ESPN's Seth Walder. He references the ESPN Football Power Index in his take on 2025 projections and Super Bowl chances. "The Eagles have a 12% chance to win the Super Bowl, according to the model, the lowest chance the preseason favorite has had to win it all since the model began outputting preseason projections in 2015." Philadelphia tops the 'elite tier' in the model. The familiar contenders follow them to round out the top five. For fans of numbers and stats, there's even better news. Philadelphia is the NFC's representative in the three most likely Super Bowl 60 matchups. They are as follows. Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens Eagles vs. Buffalo Bills The likelihood of them landing in all three of those games is 4%. The Eagles saw a mass exodus of talent during the free agency frenzy that began the league year in March, but they've retooled with inexpensive signings and a very impressive 2025 NFL Draft class. Most importantly, the roster's veteran and young core is intact, one that now has a championship pedigree. Chances at glory rest under the Birds' noses. All they seemingly have to do is work hard and give it a whiff.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Here's why ESPN gives 49ers best odds to win NFC West despite ranking Rams as better team
Here's why ESPN gives 49ers best odds to win NFC West despite ranking Rams as better team The NFC West title race will once again be a tight one in 2025. The Los Angeles Rams are defending champions, but the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals could be hot on their heels after retooling this offseason. ESPN's analytics department predicted the Rams and 49ers will be the top contenders for the division crown, but with an odd twist. While ESPN ranked the Rams slightly higher than the 49ers on their Football Power Index (plus-1.8 for L.A. and plus-1.3 for S.F.), the 49ers were given a better probability to win the division. The difference came down to, ironically, the fact that Rams will face a tougher slate of games in 2025 than the 49ers. "FPI narrowly has the Rams as the best team in the NFC West. But the favorite to win the division? That would (very narrowly) be the 49ers, with a 36% shot over the Rams' 34%," ESPN's Seth Walder wrote. "Why the discrepancy? Strength of schedule. No team enters 2025 with an easier slate than the 49ers, who not only get to face the NFC South and AFC South like the rest of their division, but also the Giants, Browns and Bears due to finishing last in the division in 2024. In comparison, the Rams must face the Eagles, Ravens and Lions as part of their first-place schedule." Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The Rams are a victim of their success and now will have a harder time defending their title against a healthier 49ers team. Head coach Sean McVay doesn't have a great history against Kyle Shanahan's 49ers squad, either. His Rams teams are 7-10 since 2017, although McVay did win the past three games dating back to the end of the 2023 season. At the very least, though, it'll be a fun race to the finish. The Rams play the 49ers in Weeks 5 and 10 this year.
