Preseason: the Five Most Likely 2022 Super Bowl Champions

Many big names have joined new teams this offseason, helping some rosters and hurting others. The league is completely different now, so let’s look at the five teams that are most likely to win Super Bowl 57.

#5 - Green Bay Packers

Green Bay has been one of the NFL’s most consistent teams in recent years, with three straight 13-win seasons and three straight NFC Championship appearances. They have also been the NFC’s number one seed for the past two seasons, where Aaron Rodgers was NFL MVP in the back-to-back seasons. One constant in that was one of the league’s best wideouts, Davante Adams. Rodgers and Adams have been one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos the NFL has seen in a while, and the Packers lost a crucial piece in Adams via a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders. However, without Adams on the field since 2019, Aaron Rodgers has been 7-0 with a very impressive 19-1 touchdown-interception ratio. The team also averaged 31.6 points-per-game without Adams, showing they can still play at a high level despite one of the league’s best players no longer there. Life without Adams won’t be easy for Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, but it doesn’t close the Packers’ Super Bowl window.

#4 - Kansas City Chiefs

Like the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the most consistent teams in football over recent years, hosting four straight AFC Championship Games and winning two of them, along with a Super Bowl Championship in 2019. However, Kansas City too, lost one of the league’s best receivers this offseason in Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs are a team that continues to adjust behind the leadership of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes as things don’t go well. Last year, the team started off 6-4, and at one point Patrick Mahomes was the league leader in interceptions, but they managed to turn things around and nearly make it to their third straight Super Bowl. Tyrann Mathieu was a big loss for Kansas City, but the defense also adjusted and had their own turnaround throughout last season. Adversity and change aren’t new to Kansas City, and with players like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce still there, another deep playoff run wouldn’t surprise anyone.

#3 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With less than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter of their Divisional-Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay was down 27-3. In typical Tom Brady fashion, the deficit would be erased as the Bucs were able to tie the game 27-27 before a deep pass from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp set up Matt Gay’s game-winning field goal for the 30-27 victory as time expired. The game was another example that a Brady-led team can never be counted out in the playoffs. Injuries were amongst the Bucs’ biggest obstacles last year, notably wideout Chris Godwin’s ACL injury. With a healthy Godwin now tied to Tampa and Brady electing to unretire, a healthy Bucs team is amongst the top teams in the league to contend for the Super Bowl.

#2 - Buffalo Bills

Like the Buccaneers, Josh Allen’s Bills were inches away from advancing from the Divisional-Round to host the Championship Game. Buffalo’s season ended in a 42-36 overtime loss in an offensive shootout against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Cheifs. If the new NFL overtime rules were in effect last season, it’s very possible that the Bills could have beaten the Chiefs. Not only that, but the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams were both matchups that Buffalo was capable of winning. The acquisition of players like two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller greatly elevates the team’s defense, which was arguably their biggest hole last season. The play and leadership of Josh Allen are the biggest reason why people would pick Buffalo to win the Super Bowl, as the superstar quarterback possesses skills that few quarterbacks hold. The Bills have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, enabling them to be in an even better position for a Super Bowl run than in previous years.

#1 - Los Angeles Rams

What gives the defending Super Bowl champions the edge over a team like the Bills for this top spot is the potential road in the playoffs. The amount of top quarterbacks in the NFC versus the AFC is not even comparable. While the NFC still has Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Dak Prescott, the AFC has many more top quarterback names like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Russell Wilson, DeShaun Watson, Justin Herbert, Derek Carr, and Lamar Jackson. The road for the top NFC teams should be much easier than it’d be for AFC contenders. The Los Angeles Rams arguably have the most talented roster in the NFL, with superstars Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp both tied to the team for the foreseeable future (barring a possible Donald retirement down the line). Every question LA may have had entering the offseason has seemingly been answered. Odell Beckham Jr’s future with the team remains uncertain, but the addition of wide receiver Allen Robinson makes up for that as well as the loss of Robert Woods. Von Miller signing with the Bills was also recovered via the signing of veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. With the Rams addressing everything they may have needed, the reigning champions should be the top favorites to repeat.

Preseason: the Five Most Likely 2022 Super Bowl Champions

Third time’s a Charm: Another possible OBJ and Landry reunion?

Up For Grabs - Previewing QB Competitions Around the League