NFL 2022 Season Predictions
Time for another round of predicting how NFL teams will finish and who is going to win the Super Bowl.
We're just four days away from the NFL 2022 season opener and, thus, it's time to roll out predictions for the coming year.
Last year, I had the Packers facing the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and, instead, we got the Rams against the Bengals. The Rams were a team I thought would earn a wild card berth and make the divisional round, while I didn't think the Bengals would finish near the bottom again.
It goes to show you that every set of NFL predictions is going to have misses, some greater than others. It also goes to show you that predictions are about having fun rather than trying to show everyone how smart and enlightened you are about the NFL.
Once again, I utilized an NFL Playoff Predictor to guess the outcomes of the games each week, and thus, came up with my predictions for overall records and how the playoff teams would be seeded. Here's how I see it happening.
AFC East
Buffalo (15-2, No. 1 seed)
New England (8-9)
Miami (7-10)
NY Jets (4-13)
The Bills are likely to be everyone's pick for the best team in the AFC, while the others may have varied opinions. The way I see it, the Patriots now have a tougher schedule, the Dolphins have questions to answer about the offense and the Jets may win a couple of games once Zach Wilson is healthy but are going to struggle. With the Jets, I have a harder time believing they follow the Bengals' path last year.
AFC North
Baltimore (13-4, No. 3 seed)
Cincinnati (12-5, No. 6 seed)
Pittsburgh (6-11)
Cleveland (5-12)
A healthy Ravens team is the best overall team in this division. However, the Bengals did a good job improving the team in the offseason and I believe they will make the playoffs. The Steelers simply need to get their quarterback situation settled, while the Browns are likely to struggle, to the point they'll be out of the playoff picture by the time DeShaun Watson returns.
AFC South
Jacksonville (11-6, No. 4 seed)
Indianapolis (8-9)
Tennessee (5-12)
Houston (3-14)
I wasn't prepared to declare the Jaguars a "worst to first" team, but it does appear Doug Pedersen has things going in a better direction and I believe Trevor Lawrence can take several steps forward. It was hard for me to figure out what to do with the Colts, but there's a chance they could do better than I project them. The Titans are a team I expect to take a fall. The Texans will probably keep some games close, but they're still looking at a top five pick in the NFL draft.
AFC West
Kansas City (14-3, No. 2 seed)
Denver (13-4, No. 5 seed)
LA Chargers (11-6, No. 7 seed)
Las Vegas (9-8)
I would imagine most of you aren't surprised that I pegged every team in this division to have a winning record. The Chiefs will do enough to win the division, with the Broncos and Chargers both pushing them. I just saw a couple of match-ups not favoring the Chargers as much as I did the Broncos, though those games will be close. If you were to swap the Raiders with the Jaguars, the Raiders would likely win the AFC South while the Jaguars would probably finish below .500.
NFC East
Philadelphia (13-4, No. 4 seed)
Dallas (11-6, No. 7 seed)
Washington (5-12)
NY Giants (2-15)
I'm bullish on the Eagles this year, but their performance depends on how Jalen Hurts improves. The Cowboys will do enough to make the playoffs and thus leave everyone to debate how much longer Mike McCarthy should get as head coach. I'm not confident about the Commanders and it's probably going to mean Dan Snyder cleans house. The Giants are most likely to finish with a top three pick in the 2023 draft.
NFC North
Green Bay (14-3, No. 2 seed)
Minnesota (8-9)
Chicago (7-10)
Detroit (4-13)
The Packers are the best team in a weak division and, while losing Davante Adams will hurt, I suspect somebody is going to emerge to keep the offense going at a high level. The Vikings have a chance to pull off an upset or two that gets them to the playoffs. I'm bullish on Justin Fields, though the offensive line worries me, but I believe he'll do enough to get the Bears more wins than some may expect. As for the Lions, they're likely to win enough games to keep them out of the running for a top three pick.
NFC South
Tampa Bay (13-4, No. 3 seed)
New Orleans (5-12)
Carolina (5-12)
Atlanta (2-15)
As long as Tom Brady is around, the Buccaneers are the best team in this weak division. I'm not as high on the Saints this year, largely because Sean Payton is gone. Though the Panthers win a few games, it won't be enough to save Matt Rhule's job. I have the Falcons finishing with a top three pick in the 2023 draft.
NFC West
LA Rams (14-3, No. 1 seed)
San Francisco (12-5, No. 5 seed)
Arizona (11-6, No. 6 seed)
Seattle (2-15)
For everyone talking about how loaded the AFC West is, let's not forget the same can be said about the NFC West. I have the Rams doing enough to win the division, while more matchups favor the Niners than the Cardinals. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are most likely destined for a top three pick in the 2023 draft.
As for my playoff predictions, here you go:
AFC Wild Card: Broncos over Jaguars, Ravens over Bengals, Chiefs over Chargers
NFC Wild Card: Eagles over Niners, Buccaneers over Cardinals, Packers over Cowboys
AFC Divisional: Bills over Broncos, Ravens over Chiefs
NFC Divisional: Packers over Buccaneers, Rams over Eagles
AFC Championship: Bills over Ravens
NFC Championship: Packers over Rams (mild upset)
Super Bowl 57: Bills over Packers
Maybe it's following the herd, but I do expect the Bills to break through, reach the Super Bowl and finally claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy. About the only thing I can see getting in the way of that is the injury bug.