It’s been over 200 days since a thrilling Super Bowl LVI that saw the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, and so much has happened in the NFL world since.
Buccaneers QB Tom Brady retired… until he didn’t. The wide receiver market exploded across the league, culminating in the trades of Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and A.J. Brown, just to name a few, while Adams signed a new deal with his new team, the Raiders, making him the highest-paid wide receiver by total value in the NFL.
Then there was the quarterback carousel that resulted in several marquee players on new teams, headlined by the Denver Broncos’ acquisition of nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson. Matt Ryan also went from the Falcons to the Colts, Carson Wentz is on his third team in as many years and Deshaun Watson was traded to the Browns and given a mammoth $230 million guaranteed deal, all while he remained under investigation by the NFL and will be suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season.
Of course, all this offseason activity is a long-winded way of explaining that as fans of the NFL, we have no idea what will happen next during the upcoming season.
But it sure is fun to guess what might happen.
Below, I continue my predictions for how the 2022 season may play out, previewing the division races in the NFC, as well as who could emerge from the conference and play for a Lombardi Trophy.
All statistics and records are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference unless otherwise noted.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-7)
2. Dallas Cowboys (9-8)
3. Washington Commanders (7-10)
4. New York Giants (4-13)
2022 will be a make-or-break year for third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the Eagles have done everything they can to provide a solid supporting cast to the 24-year-old. One year after drafting WR DeVonta Smith with their first-round pick, Philadelphia added another star receiver in A.J. Brown, giving Hurts two dynamic weapons on the outside. The Eagles also have another stout offensive line that will give both Hurts and running back Miles Sanders room to operate out of the backfield. If the defensive acquisitions that the Eagles made in the offseason – specifically LB Haason Reddick, LB Kyzir White, and CB James Bradberry – pan out as expected, the Eagles should be in prime position to return to the playoffs for the second straight season.
The Cowboys and QB Dak Prescott had the NFL’s highest-scoring offense in 2021 but did more subtracting than adding in the offseason, unloading WR Amari Cooper while allowing Cedrick Wilson to leave in free agency. The thought by Dallas could be that the subtractions will allow WR CeeDee Lamb and TE Dalton Schultz more room to operate in the open field, but that makes depth on offense an immediate concern. Another concern for the Cowboys is the health of the offensive line, with LT Tyron Smith once again set to miss time. The offense seems destined to take a step backward, particularly if they are unable to establish the running game, but if the defense – led by superstar LB Micah Parsons – can continue to wreak havoc and force turnovers, the Cowboys will challenge the Eagles for the division.
Washington will enter their first season as the Commanders with a new signal caller, as Carson Wentz comes over from Indianapolis looking to revitalize a career that once saw him garner MVP consideration. Outside of the quarterback position, however, much of Washington’s roster remains the same. The Commanders drafted speedy receiver Jahan Dotson to pair with established star Terry McLaurin, though the receiving corps will not play a huge factor if Wentz is ineffective. The Commanders' best chance at success seems to be through their defense, with a defensive line that includes Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, and Jonathan Allen. Unless Wentz takes a giant leap forward in both decision-making and efficiency, Washington’s ceiling remains in the 7–9-win range.
With a new head coach in Brian Daboll, the Giants are looking to turn around an offense that finished second to last in points per game last season. Much of that responsibility will fall on QB Daniel Jones taking a leap in his fourth season as the starter, but the offensive skill talent around him does not inspire much confidence. RB Saquon Barkley can be one of the most explosive runners in the league when healthy, but neither Kenny Golladay nor Kadarius Toney should be considered a top option at wide receiver. Those offensive questions, combined with a defensive unit that has an average ceiling at best, will likely limit the Giants’ growth in Daboll’s first season and result in another high draft pick.
NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers (13-4)
2. Minnesota Vikings (10-7)
3. Detroit Lions (6-11)
4. Chicago Bears (3-14)
Gone is star receiver Davante Adams from the Packers offense, but despite the loss of one of the most prolific pass catchers of the last decade, QB Aaron Rodgers and the Packers should still field one of the most competitive rosters in the league. Green Bay has two excellent running backs who complement one another well in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, while the veteran wideout trio of Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Sammy Watkins will look to form a stronger connection with Rodgers. Green Bay also has one of the best defenses in the league, with mostly every key contributor returning alongside new addition DT Jarran Reed. It may take Rodgers a few games to adjust to an offense sans Adams, but the Packers should remain a viable Super Bowl contender throughout the season.
It’s a new era of Vikings football with a new general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. Former Rams assistant Kevin O’Connell will be the man in charge of maximizing an offense that features elite playmakers in WR Justin Jefferson and RB Dalvin Cook. The hope in Minnesota is that O’Connell and new OC Wes Phillips will implement a more pass-heavy scheme with Kirk Cousins, allowing this offense to reach new heights. Should that happen, the Vikings will be able to weather some of the uncertainty surrounding their defense, which finished 24th in points allowed per game last season. The Vikings have several Pro-Bowl caliber players on the defensive side of the ball, though the strength of the unit could come down to the results from veterans such as CB Patrick Peterson.
After a 3-13-1 season in which Dan Campbell and the Lions did not win their first game until Week 13, many have pegged 2022 as a potential breakthrough season for them. While the QB position is not among the strongest in the league with Jared Goff, Detroit does have talented, young skill players up and down the roster, including RB D’Andre Swift, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and DE Aidan Hutchinson. Those players alone may not be enough to make the Lions relevant again, but positive progress from that core would set the Lions up to make a major leap into 2023 and beyond.
Another team that underwent significant change over the offseason, the Bears said goodbye to head coach Matt Nagy and brought in Matt Eberflus to help them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Unfortunately for Eberflus and his new staff, the roster that they inherit is one of the worst in football, as second-year QB Justin Fields will look to take a step forward with few reliable receivers and a shaky offensive line. The Bears look to be on track to lose double-digit games and potentially pick inside the top five next season.
NFC West
1. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
2. San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
3. Arizona Cardinals (9-8)
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-13)
The reigning Super Bowl champions return most of the nucleus that won 16 total games in 2021-22, including the powerful offensive duo of QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp. While it’s unreasonable to expect an identical season from last year out of Kupp, he remains in the upper echelon of wide receivers and is now joined by veteran Allen Robinson II. Sean McVay’s defense remains star-studded, led by DT Aaron Donald and CB Jalen Ramsey. Von Miller left in free agency, but the Rams were able to address his spot with former Seahawks star Bobby Wagner. The 2003-04 Patriots were the last team to repeat as Super Bowl champions, giving the Rams long odds of accomplishing the feat, but the talent and experience is there for the Rams to be prime contenders.
As the 49ers officially move into the Trey Lance era at quarterback, the 22-year-old will inherit one of the best rosters in football upon taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo. A dual-threat option with his powerful arm and rushing speed, Lance has a dynamic WR-TE combo with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, an underrated running attack and one of the best offensive minds in the sport in head coach Kyle Shanahan. With one of the best pass rushes in the league, headlined by edge rusher Nick Bosa, the 49ers were the only team in the league to finish within the top ten in both passing and rushing defense last season.
The Cardinals lost four of their final five regular season games last season and still managed to win 11 games, a testament to their hot start behind QB Kyler Murray. Hoping that late season collapse was a mirage, the Cardinals gave Murray a lucrative extension this offseason, while also adding WR Marquise Brown. With DeAndre Hopkins set to miss the first six games of the season due to a suspension, can the Cardinals get enough from their offense to offset a defense that may fall toward the middle of the pack? Much will be riding on the experience of the defensive line and their ability to stay healthy throughout the season and potentially into the playoffs.
In a division with two solid quarterbacks and a third that could break out this year, the Seahawks have taken a peculiar approach to their own QB situation, naming Geno Smith the starter after his preseason competition with Drew Lock. Neither player has inspired tremendous confidence over the past two seasons, but Smith will get the first crack at guiding the team behind one of the worst offensive lines in the sport. The defense could be another issue for the Seahawks, as there doesn’t appear to be a ton of talent on that side of the ball. Year one of the post-Russell Wilson era in Seattle may result in a high draft pick for the Seahawks and the potential for Pete Carroll to find his next franchise QB through the draft.
NFC South
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5)
2. New Orleans Saints (10-7)
3. Carolina Panthers (7-10)
4. Atlanta Falcons (2-15)
The NFC South is not the strongest division in football, and despite some red flags, the Buccaneers and Tom Brady should be able to coast to their second straight division title. It’s been 20 years since Brady missed the playoffs in a full season and this will not be the year that streak ends. However, the Bucs have had a tumultuous offseason, working around Brady’s leave of absence, injuries to several key members of the offensive line, and the retirement of head coach Bruce Arians and TE Rob Gronkowski. Their wide receiver group remains among the best in the league and a veteran defense will keep opposing offenses from exploding, but the Buccaneers will enter the year without too much margin for error or injury.
The defensive coordinator in New Orleans since 2015, Dennis Allen has earned the head coaching job with the Saints following Sean Payton’s retirement this offseason. It’s fitting that with a defensive-minded head coach, the Saints' defensive unit appears much stronger than the offense, led by the pass-rushing duo of Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport. There are a few questions in the secondary outside of CB Marshon Lattimore, but last year’s fourth-ranked defense should keep the team in most games. Whether or not they can win enough games to make the playoffs will come down to QB Jameis Winston and the availability of their key offensive contributors including Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas.
The Panthers made a splashy offseason acquisition by bringing in QB Baker Mayfield from the Browns to supplant Sam Darnold as the starting quarterback, though I’m skeptical that Mayfield alone will be able to paper over the rest of Carolina’s roster deficiencies. The offense line is weak on depth and will rely too heavily on rookie Ikem Ekwonu to turn the unit around. Outside of Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, there aren’t many other skill position players that will strike fear into opposing defenses. The Panthers do have a pair of talented defensive players capable of playing at an All-Pro level in DE Brian Burns and CB Jaycee Horn, but last season’s 21st-ranked defense did not make too many notable additions. The Panthers’ ceiling seems to be around 7-8 wins, though with injury luck and several breakout performances that number could climb in a weak division.
Finally, we have the Atlanta Falcons who much like the Seahawks and Bears in the other NFC divisions, will almost definitely lose a lot of football games in 2022. Marcus Mariota takes over at quarterback for head coach Arthur Smith, though Mariota appears to be a placeholder for either Desmond Ridder or a 2023 draft prospect. It’s hard to get too excited about any of the offensive players other than Kyle Pitts and Drake London, and the offensive line could be a trainwreck. Cornerback A.J. Terrell is a fun player to watch on defense, but there’s not enough talent elsewhere on the defense to make this Atlanta team competitive.
Playoffs
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Los Angeles Rams
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. New Orleans Saints
NFC Wild Card
Buccaneers over Saints
Rams over Vikings
Eagles over 49ers
NFC Divisional
Packers over Eagles
Buccaneers over Rams
NFC Championship
Packers over Buccaneers
Comments