NFL 2021/22 Season Early Predictions: Playoff Teams and Super Bowl 2022 Winner
There is great excitement surrounding the 2021/2022 NFL season. After a year of limited fan attendance due to the Covid-19 global health pandemic, this year marks the true return of live football games. The NFL season has also been expanded to 17 games.
We’re taking a look ahead to see which teams are primed and ready to make a run at Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022. Who has what it takes to make it to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California? Here are our early predictions for the NFL 2021/2022 season.
AFC Division Predictions
The AFC looks as though it will be dominated in 2021 by some familiar teams. Namely, the Kansas City Chiefs could make another strong run at the NFL championship game. Here’s a look at the probable winners of each division.
AFC East – Buffalo Bills
There is little reason to doubt that the Bills will not return to playoff contention in 2021. Buffalo finished with a 13-3 record last season, and their playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was nothing to be ashamed of. The team will bring back a talented squad on both offense and defense.
Look for Ed Oliver to continue to make a huge impact at defensive tackle. Josh Allen may be one of the best young quarterbacks in recent memory, and his mobility is a plus. The Buffalo Bills should win their division with ease.
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AFC North – Baltimore Ravens
We won’t say that the Ravens will have an easy time of it in 2021, but the pieces could come together for this tough football team. There are still a few spots where the Ravens need help, and big salaries will make that challenging. The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t play dead, either, and Cleveland could finally get over the perennial stigma of being a losing football team.
The key to success for the Baltimore Ravens is Lamar Jackson. The Ravens’ QB has the arm and the running ability to be a game-changer. He’s young, and his health is crucial. As long as the Ravens can keep Jackson under center, expect Baltimore to make a strong showing.
AFC South – Indianapolis Colts
There just really isn’t much to get excited about in the AFC South. Indianapolis will likely run neck-and-neck with Tennessee throughout the season, and either team could legitimately win the division. We will give the nod to the Colts because of experience and the addition of Carson Wentz.
Everybody knows that Indianapolis has a problem at quarterback, but the team is betting on Wentz to solve it. It’s a risk, but one that could pay huge returns if the former Eagles’ QB stays healthy. Our guess is that Carson can produce a deep playoff run given the offensive weapons at his disposal.
AFC West – Kansas City Chiefs
The question really isn’t whether or not Kansas City will dominate their division. It’s more a question of how the team will rebound after losing Super Bowl LV to Tom Brady and Tampa Bay. All the signs point to the creation of a dynasty in Kansas City, and nothing this year looks capable of changing that.
It’s all about Pat Mahomes. The QB has plenty of playoff and Super Bowl experience under his belt, can manage a decent comeback in the late stages of a game, and has plenty of targets. It will also be up to coach Andy Reid to keep the chemistry balanced, because this team is stacked with talent that all want a chance to shine.
NFC Division Predictions
With several shake-ups affecting NFC teams in the off-season, a return to NFL normality in 2021 could be difficult. Familiar faces like Drew Brees will no longer be present under center, and teams like the New York Giants are rebuilding. Here are our predictions.
NFC East – New York Giants
Let’s be honest. This is the weakest division in professional football right now. That’s exactly why the New York Giants could win it. Yes, the Giants need a good draft and a little luck, but they really have little competition.
New York has a good quarterback in Daniel Jones, and they also have direction and purpose. Those things have been missing for a while in the Big Apple.
NFC North – Green Bay Packers
With a strong showing in 2020 to remind everyone that the Packers are still legit, Aaron Rodgers and crew can make another deep run in 2021. Who knows? Home field advantage in the playoffs and some serious snow can be the downfall of a team like Tampa Bay.
Green Bay will get a little competition from Minnesota, but they should be able to handle Chicago and Detroit with no problems.
NFC South
Make no mistake, if Tom Brady is in uniform this team has to be taken seriously. It doesn’t seem to matter how old he gets, and there is plenty of help around him to once again make the Bucs a Super Bowl contender.
Devin White should continue to make an impact on defense, and this team could go far on defensive prowess alone. The bottom line is that Brady may not even need to be his best for Tampa Bay to succeed, and that’s scary.
NFC West
The Los Angeles Rams look to be back in 2021, and they have an excellent chance to win their division. Coach Sean McVay has proven himself to be an offensive master, and he has plenty of talent to make a run at Super Bowl LVI.
There is plenty of room for improvement over the 10-6 record posted by the Rams in 2021. A lot of that improvement will hinge on the draft and development of existing young talent.
Super Bowl LVI Prediction – Tampa Bay Buccaneers VS. Kansas City Chiefs
We fully expect that Super Bowl LVI is going to look a lot like Super Bowl LV. We see another pitched battle between Mahomes and Brady, but this time we’re giving the edge to the young gun. Mahomes has been under the bright lights a few times now, and Brady can’t outrun Father Time forever.
WINNER: Kansas City Chiefs.
