For football fans, the NFL season can’t come soon enough each year. Fans buy tickets to see their favorites play live, or host watch parties to root for their teams at home. Over the 18-week season, the league’s 32 teams are narrowed down to two, who go head-to-head in the one game that matters most—the Super Bowl.

During the season, people wear vibrantly colored jerseys emblazoned with their favorite player’s last name and number. Fans often root for different teams, which can create tension, but they keep their eyes glued to their TVs, hoping for their favorites to win. Pre-season trades between teams can lead fans to alter their predictions on which two teams will make it to the Super Bowl.

Games started during the first week of September this year. During the first eight weeks of the season, teams have gone against each other in hopes of being the final 14 in the playoffs to the Super Bowl. 

On Oct. 27, the Baltimore Ravens played against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Ravens were victorious, with a score of 27 – 22. On Oct. 30,  the Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers 37-34. The game went into overtime, and according to the Charlotte Observer, quarterback Marcus Mariota helped set up the game-winning kick.

Quentin Miles, a sophomore psychology major and New York Giants fan, is always excited for the season. He says that his favorite time of year is Thanksgiving when he is surrounded by family members who root for different teams: “My whole family are Washington and Cowboy fans, so you can imagine what goes down in that house.” 

 A highlight of the season so far for Miles was the Giants’ win over the Green Bay Packers, with a final score of 27 – 22. Miles said that he initially thought they would lose, but was excited when they came out with a victory. He was also pretty happy that the Giants beat the Ravens: “It helps us put (the Giants’) name out there.” 

One team that Miles hopes will not make it to the Super Bowl is the Dallas Cowboys, because they haven’t won or made an appearance in the Super Bowl since 1995. 

Alex Rice, a senior and environmental studies major,  loves waiting for the NFL season to start, along with the off-season transactions. He likes this time of year because he played football in the past, and enjoys counting down to each game to see his team play. He is always eager to see his favorite team, the Las Vegas Raiders, play. On Oct. 23, the Raiders won against the Houston Texans with a score of 38 -20. 

Guilford senior and exercise science major Kemar Williams-McLaren also said he enjoys the hype of the football season more than anything. He loves the super-close games because he finds it hilarious and entertaining to see people on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what happens. 

According to NFL fans, it is never too early to guess which teams will be the final two standing. Rice’s bets are on the Bills and the Eagles. Of course, he wants the Raiders to make it, but he recognizes that the AFC has a lot of really good teams and players.

Williams-McLaren also enjoys guessing who will be in the Super Bowl. “It’s always fun trying to predict to see how your team will do,” he said. He added that many things happen during the off-season, but seeing what teams deliver is always rewarding and exciting.

There have been many wins and losses this season, but more is still to come. No matter the outcome, fans are excited to see who will come out on top during the playoffs, and later, the Super Bowl.