2022 Go Long NFL Predictions!
Are you ready? Blare that Hank Williams because football is finally here. Our staff season picks are inside: Super Bowl matchups, MVPs, division winners, breakout players, disappointing players.
Here’s how Week 1 played out exactly one season ago.
Hold on. This is going to feel like getting sucked into another solar system.
The Green Bay Packers were curb-stomped by the New Orleans Saints, 38-3, and it was fair to wonder if Aaron Rodgers was all-in after an offseason of discontent. (Green Bay would go on to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and Rodgers won his fourth MVP award.)
Josh Allen was shut down at home by the Pittsburgh Steelers in an offensive performance that took its toll on the collective eyeballs of Western New York. (By season’s end, no quarterback was hotter. Allen had the Bills 13 seconds away from hosting the AFC title game.)
The Tennessee Titans were embarrassed by the Cardinals, 38-13. (Tennessee earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC.)
Russell Wilson threw for 254 yards, four touchdowns and only five incompletions against a tough Indy defense, renewing title hopes in Seattle. Last Dance-like magic was in the air. (The Seahawks finished 7-10, Wilson was traded to Denver and, now, Geno Smith is the starting quarterback.)
You get the point. As difficult as it is, we must all try not to rush to conclusions Monday AM.
The season is a marathon. When it comes to picks, it’s best to envision how teams will look five months from now.
We lead our 2022 season predictions with this reminder because, frankly, nobody should be surprised if the Minnesota Vikings knock off the Packers at home on Sunday. The dome will be (very) loud. The Vikes will be letting off steam that’s eight years of Mike Zimmer coaching in the making. And Green Bay will be trying to figure out its offense without Davante Adams for the first time. Still, the thinking here is that the Packers are finally… once and for all… after a decade of banging their heads against the wall… equipped to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2010. GM Brian Gutekunst has done a bang-up job rebuilding this defense with angry, ornery personnel.
If Rodgers is OK winning the 20-14 game — and he’s smart enough to sign off on this approach at 38 years old — the Packers can easily win 13 games for a fourth straight season. A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones are the best 1-2 punch at running back in the league and we all know Sammy Watkins will be manifesting some 100-yard games through his astral realm of subconsciousness the night before games.
Over in the AFC? The Cincinnati Bengals are getting a speck of the respect Buffalo is but we should not forget what this unit did to Patrick Mahomes — twice! — in the second half of games last season. Maybe the Bills’ shaky corner situation steadies by the postseason, but we’ve tangibly seen Chidobe Awuzie, Jessie Bates, Mike Hilton, Eli Apple and Vonn Bell turn a prolific offense into mush when it matters most. One week after he stunned the Bills, Mahomes totally short-circuited. On the offensive side of the ball, Joe Burrow (25 years old) and Ja’Marr Chase (22 years old) could grow into an all-time connection. Bank on Cincy getting creative schematically with Chase in Year 2.
The cherry on top is a completely reconstructed offensive line.
That’s why I like the Bengals over the Packers in Super Bowl LVII. Rest assured Buffalo and Wisconsin followers: Bob McGinn is taking the Bills over the 49ers and Jim Monos likes those Packers over the Bills.
All of our takes are sizzling below at 425 degrees.
Please let us know what YOU are thinking in the comment section. Thanks, everyone, and enjoy the games.
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TYLER DUNNE
DIVISION WINNERS
AFC East: Buffalo
AFC North: Cincinnati
AFC South: Indianapolis
AFC West: Kansas City
NFC East: Philadelphia
NFC North: Green Bay
NFC South: Tampa Bay
NFC West: San Francisco
AFC WILD CARDS: Denver, Pittsburgh, Miami.
NFC WILD CARDS: Minnesota, L.A. Rams, Arizona.
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Cincinnati, Buffalo, Kansas City, Miami.
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Green Bay, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Minnesota.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Cincinnati over Buffalo.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Green Bay over Tampa Bay.
SUPER BOWL 57: Cincinnati over Green Bay.
NFL MVP: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo.
NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TJ Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh.
NFL FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay; Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami; Cameron Dantzler, CB, Minnesota; James Cook, RB, Buffalo; Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver.
NFL FIVE DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas; Mac Jones, QB, New England; David Montgomery, RB, Chicago; Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland; JC Jackson, CB, L.A. Chargers.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike McDaniel, Miami.
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: George Pickens, Pittsburgh.
NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit.
NFL MOST SURPRISING TEAM: Miami.
NFL MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM: Dallas.
NFL WORST TEAM: Chicago.
IN ORDER, NFL COACHES ON THINNEST ICE: Mike McCarthy, Dallas; Lovie Smith, Houston; Pete Carroll, Seattle; Matt Rhule, Carolina.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN MOST YARDS GAINED: Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Kansas City, Miami.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN FEWEST YARDS ALLOWED: San Francisco, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh.
NFL RUSHING LEADER: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis.
NFL PASSER RATING LEADER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati.
NFL RECEIVING YARDS LEADER: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota.
NFL SACK LEADER: TJ Watt, Pittsburgh.
BOB MCGINN
DIVISION WINNERS
AFC East: Buffalo
AFC North: Baltimore
AFC South: Tennessee
AFC West: LA Chargers
NFC East: Philadelphia
NFC North: Green Bay
NFC South: Tampa Bay
NFC West: LA Rams
AFC WILD CARDS: Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Kansas City.
NFC WILD CARDS: San Francisco, New Orleans, Dallas.
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Buffalo, LA Chargers, Baltimore, Cincinnati.
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: LA Rams, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, San Francisco.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Buffalo over LA Chargers.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: San Francisco over Tampa Bay.
SUPER BOWL 57: Buffalo over San Francisco.
NFL MVP: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati.
NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Derwin James, S, LA Chargers.
NFL FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Christian Barmore, DT, New England; Charles Cross, T, Seattle; Robert Hainsey, C, Tampa Bay; Drake Jackson, DE, San Francisco; Tariq Woolen, CB, Seattle.
NFL FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS: Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay; Khalil Mack, OLB, LA Chargers; Za’Darius Smith, OLB, Minnesota; Connor Williams, C, Miami; Russell Wilson, QB, Denver.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay.
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Charles Cross, T, Seattle.
NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit.
NFL MOST SURPRISING TEAM: Detroit.
NFL MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM: Arizona.
NFL WORST TEAM: Atlanta.
IN ORDER, NFL COACHES ON THINNEST ICE: Matt Rhule, Carolina; Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona; Mike McCarthy, Dallas; Arthur Smith, Atlanta; Lovie Smith, Houston.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN MOST YARDS GAINED: Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Buffalo, LA Chargers.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN FEWEST YARDS ALLOWED: San Francisco, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Green Bay.
NFL RUSHING LEADER: Nick Chubb, Cleveland.
NFL PASSER RATING LEADER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati.
NFL RECEIVING YARDS LEADER: Cooper Kupp, LA Rams.
NFL SACK LEADER: Nick Bosa, San Francisco.
JIM MONOS
DIVISION WINNERS
AFC East: Bills
AFC North: Ravens
AFC South: Jaguars
AFC West: Chargers
NFC East: Giants
NFC North: Packers
NFC South: Panthers
NFC West: 49ers
AFC WILD CARDS: Miami, Cincinnati, Kansas City.
NFC WILD CARDS: Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Arizona.
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Buffalo, Baltimore, Cincinnati, L.A. Chargers.
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Green Bay, San Francisco, Minnesota, Arizona.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Buffalo over Baltimore.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Green Bay over San Francisco.
SUPER BOWL 57: Packers over Bills
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers
NFL FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Davis Mills, QB, Houston; Javonte Williams, RB, Denver; Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo; Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina; Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City.
NFL FIVE DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS: Mac Jones, QB, New England; Matthew Stafford, QB, L.A. Rams; Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas; AJ Brown, WR, Philadelphia; DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco.
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston.
NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kayvon Thibodeaux, OLB, New York Giants.
NFL MOST SURPRISING TEAM: Carolina.
NFL MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM: L.A. Rams.
NFL WORST TEAM: Seattle.
IN ORDER, FIVE COACHES ON THINNEST ICE: Matt Rhule, Carolina; Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona; Mike McCarthy, Dallas; Pete Carroll, Seattle.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN MOST YARDS GAINED: Buffalo, Kansas City, LA Chargers, Cincinnati, Green Bay.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN FEWEST YARDS ALLOWED: Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, San Francisco, Cleveland.
NFL RUSHING LEADER: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis.
NFL PASSING RATING LEADER: Josh Allen, Buffalo.
NFL RECEIVING YARDS LEADER: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota.
NFL SACK LEADER: Myles Garrett, Cleveland.
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As usual, talent + performance + luck with injuries + peaking at the right time = championships. All the favorites mentioned probably will deliver the first two. It’s the last two that are the great equalizers. That said, I wonder if anyone picked the Rams at this point last season?
I think touchdowns will happen