The world is just a day or two away from the start of the regular NFL season, which kicks off on September 8th, with the Super Bowl defending champions, the LA Rams, taking on the Buffalo Bills at the SoFi stadium, in Inglewood, California. The excitement is already building for the clash, and fans will be just as much looking forward to the half-time entertainment, as the prince of darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne, will be performing. The legendary British rocker and hellraiser has an album scheduled for release the following day.
Just how will the season go? Who can fans expect to perform well? Which teams look as if they might turn things around? Below is a look at some of the teams and players that could give the NFL a surprise in 2022.
Detroit Lions
Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Green Bay Packers may rule the roost in the NFC North, which could be for some time more as the quarterback agreed to play for another three years and the team has one of the best defenses in the NFL. However, the Detroit Lions will be gunning for this throne harder than ever. All eyes will be on Jared Goff, who the LA Rams traded to the Lions in January 2021 and will feel he still has something to prove after the trade deal wasn’t particularly skillfully handled.
Goff is brimming with confidence and looked good preseason against the Atlanta Falcons. With his personal quarterback coach, he’s worked on his footwork and throwing mechanics, and he also invited teammates to his training sessions to build up rapport with the rest of the team. He’ll be hoping to take the Lions team to a title. They haven’t won a divisional one since 1993, but this could be the year that all changes.
Buffalo Bills
In the race for the Super Bowl, the Buffalo Bills are always a strong contender. Although the road to the Lombardi Trophy is never easy, this season the sportsbooks fancy them to go all the way, having given them NFL odds of around +600, depending on the sportsbook.
The Bills will be returning with most of their key players in the offense, including their star quarterback Josh Allen. After being dumped out of the playoffs last season by the Kansas City Chiefs, they’ll be wishing to make a statement and hoping Allen can deliver for them. Last season, he became one of only six quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to accumulate more than 5,000 offensive yards and 42 touchdowns (36 throwing, 6 rushing) in a single season.
Some have tipped Allen as a frontrunner for League MVP, given the fact the Bills are displaying a dominance the Patriots once used to display. Let’s see if he performs again.
Denver Broncos
Losing seasons seems to have become a way of life for the Denver Broncos, who haven’t had a winning season since 2016. Some pundits think that could all be about to change though, however. The trade of Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks in off season to the team will surely turn things around. Wilson is used to winning and was on the winning side at least 10 times in eight of his 10 seasons with the Seattle team.
He’s also like Jared Goff in that he has something to prove. It somewhat rankles him how much his Super Bowl appearances with the Seahawks are associated with the team’s “Legion of Boom” and Marshawn Lynch more than with his play. Experts have already noted the improvement in the team since his arrival. Wilson’s deep ball has been a big asset and transformed the Broncos’ passing offense into an explosive one. The team will be desiring more of that this season, and the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking over their shoulder in the AFC West.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens could become one of the best teams in the whole of the NFL. Last season, they won eight games without their star players. Starting running back JB Dobbins, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, left tackle Ron Stanley and quarterback Lamar Jackson all return to the team this season.
Teams are still trying to work out how to stop the Raven’s unstoppable offense. The Baltimore boys possess one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL. If the Ravens are to make their mark on the league, the passing offense must be able to keep up.
An exciting NFL season lies ahead, and the teams above could deliver some electrifying performances as they all fight to make it to the Super Bowl. Only one team can lift the trophy. Following the journey to see who succeeds will be enthralling. Of that you can be sure.
