The 2022 NFL season is now well underway and football fans have already been treated to a plethora of immense football action featuring the best teams and respected athletes that the game has to offer, leaving many to question on which teams are viewed as a ‘lock’ to make the playoffs and whether there are any dark horse contenders that could surprise a few fans and analysts alike.
The NFL is the country’s most popular sporting league and has always provided its rowdy fanbase with a flurry of highlight plays and names that are now recognized all across the country as one of its brightest star celebrities.
Last season ended with a frantic playoff race on the final game week that featured an astonishing upset of the Colts in Jacksonville whilst long-time rivals Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens squared off to earn the final wildcard slot which the Steelers completed in dramatic fashion.
Another high-profile contest saw the Las Vegas Raiders narrowly defeat the LA Chargers in overtime to book their place in the AFC postseason leaving many to question on what sort of action we could be treated to on the opening week of the new season following on from a lengthy offseason featuring numerous high-profile trades.
Heading into the new season, these are the very best teams that are expected to make the playoffs from both conferences as well as some potential wildcard contenders:
- The best teams from the NFC:
Fans of the NFL can place their bets with DraftKings as the popular sportsbook now offers a listing of the latest NFL futures and outright for every team including their potential appearance in the post season.
The perennial favorites to make the playoffs in the NFC feature the likes of the Green Bay Packers (-320), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3500), LA Rams (-250) and Philadelphia Eagles (-475).
The Packers have remained as a major contender in the NFC since their Superbowl XLV win back in 2011 and with the recurring excellent service of reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers.
This year’s Superbowl winners, the LA Rams, are still expected to remain a hotly favorited team due to their catalogue of immense talent in the form of Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey amongst other All-Pro caliber talent.
Despite the worries of Tom Brady heading into retirement, the Buccaneers will remain a contender in the NFC due to Brady announcing that he will return for another season whilst the Eagles are sighted to round off the final guaranteed playoff spot thanks to their talented QB Jalen Hurts and a rugged defensive line.
- The best teams from the AFC:
The AFC is stacked when it comes to talent and championship caliber names meaning that fans who are tuning into the various AFC divisional encounters and marquee matchups are sure to be in for a treat.
The most favorited team to reach the postseason this year is without question the Buffalo Bills (-3500), closely followed by the Kansas City Chiefs (-700), LA Chargers (-250) and Miami Dolphins (-165).
With the amazing talents of Josh Allen at QB and the latest addition of Von Miller, the Bills are now favorited to win both the AFC Championship and the Superbowl by many analysts, with the Chiefs being perhaps their most worthy challenger in the conference due to Patrick Mahomes’ continuous excellence.
The LA Chargers also bolster another spectacular young QB in the form of Justin Herbert with the Miami Dolphins quickly emerging as a major contender thanks to the acquisition of Tyreek Hill at Wide Receiver.
- Wildcard contenders in the NFC and AFC:
The Cincinnati Bengals surprised many by earning passage to the Superbowl game last season before narrowly falling short to the eventual winners in the LA Rams, however the Bengals have had a poor start to the new season and look set to potentially miss out on a guaranteed playoff spot, leaving them to potential settle with a wildcard slot if they do not resolve their growing offensive line issues sooner rather than later.
With the addition of Davante Adams in the sin city, the Las Vegas Raiders now look set to be a potential playoff challenger with Derek Carr also looking to showcase his wider talent at QB.
The Titans will once again rely solely on Derrick Henry with the Minnesota Vikings looking to remain a force in the NFC North following on from their impressive victory over the Packers on the opening game week.
Following on from the injury sustained to QB Dak Prescott, the Cowboys are under pressure to make the playoffs but should still be capable of earning wildcard slot in his absence.
Finally, the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens all remain viable contenders in their respected division and resulting conference to make a push towards the post season this year.
