Rejoice! The NFL is back this week and we are bringing our new power ranking system, NFL 32. Whether it be Super Bowl contenders looking to make their mark or young teams looking to shock the world, there are 32 hopeful NFL teams all vying for one thing: The Lombardi Trophy.
The Contenders
- Los Angeles Rams
The defending champs are holding down the #1 spot on these rankings going into week 1, and for good reason. Even though Von Miller has left for the Buffalo Bills, the rest of the defense has been kept intact. The front office has kept the offense rife with talent as well, swapping Robert Woods with Allen Robinson. The main cause of concern for the Rams this season will be Matthew Stafford’s lingering elbow injury. He has been known to play through the pain in the past, but it would be wise to be concerned as to how he’ll perform. The Rams will be tested on the opening night of the season with the Buffalo Bills looking to make a statement.
- Buffalo Bills
It’s hard to believe, but the Bills got better in the off-season thanks to the addition of Von Miller to an already stacked defense that was considered the best in the league last season. The fact they also get Tre’Davious White back later in the season is just icing on the cake. What will be interesting to see this season is how the offense runs now that former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is now the head coach of the New York Giants and Ken Dorsey is running the offense. The Bills will have a chance to show everyone why this is their year when they open up the season this Thursday against the defending champion LA Rams.
*This article was written before Thursday night…how did my first two rankings work out?
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady un-retiring and coming back to the Bucs was the best thing that could have happened to them this off-season. Instead of thinking about a complete rebuild with new head coach Todd Bowles, the focus had shifted to reloading for what will most likely be one final shot at a title for the 45-year-old QB. The Bucs swapped out Antonio Brown and Gronk with Russell Gage, Julio Jones and TE Kyle Rudolph. Chris Godwin is also expected to return later on in the season as well. As long as the offensive line can keep him upright this season and the defense plays as well as it did last season, Tampa Bay should be a serious contender for the Lombardi Trophy this season.
- Los Angeles Chargers
Even though the Chargers didn’t make the playoffs last season, they have good reason to be this high in the rankings going into the season. For one, they have bolstered their defense by adding Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson to their defense. Couple that with star QB Justin Herbert and an offense that has one of the best WR combos with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and you have a recipe for a title run. The main thing working against them is that while they got better in the off-season, so has the rest of the AFC. We’ll find out whether the Chargers are contenders or pretenders this season and that starts with a Week 1 division game against a revamped Raiders team.
- Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs can never be counted out of the title chase as long as Pat Mahomes is leading the team. What is odd, however, is how the Chiefs went about their off-season. While the rest of the AFC (most notably their division rivals) added pieces to make themselves better, Kansas City lost star safety Tyrann Matheiu and cornerback Charvarius Ward and traded star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Granted, they did add Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdez-Scantling to fill in on offense, but the defense is still looking thin. The Chiefs will be tested Week 1 when they travel to Arizona to play the Cardinals this Sunday.
- Cincinnati Bengals
Expectations are high for this young Bengals squad after making an improbable Super Bowl run last season. During the offseason, the front office addressed the glaring offensive issues that were exposed during their playoff run and signed La’El Collins and two other veteran offensive lineman to keep him upright. The offense will be a problem for opposing defenses as Joe Burrow will theoretically have more time to find Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while Joe Mixon powers through for chunks of yards on the ground. Cincinnati will be looking to get an early division win when they welcome the Steelers on Sunday.
The Yearly Hopefuls
- Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys will start another NFL season with Super Bowl or bust expectations. Dak Prescott will have his work cut out for him this upcoming season, as Amari Cooper is no longer with the team and free agent addition WR James Washington is going to be out to start the season. CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup will need to step up and produce for this team if they are going to succeed. Defensively, Trevon Diggs is going to need to make major improvements in coverage and Micah Parsons will need to repeat his stellar rookie season if the Cowboys are serious about meeting their expectations.
- Green Bay Packers
It is an uneasy time for Green Bay. Trading star wideout Davante Adams to the Raiders took away Aaron Rodgers’ main target, leaving Rodgers with a WR core that doesn’t have much experience. It also doesn’t help that Marquez Valdes-Scantling was also lost in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs. The WR core now is led by Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb, who will have the tall task of trying to fill the void left by Davante Adams. With that said, as long as Aaron Rodgers is running the show, the Packers should still be considered division favorites. They’ll have a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the NFC North when they open up on the road against the Vikings on Sunday.
- Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas made a big splash this offseason by acquiring star WR Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers. Not only that, but they signed QB Derek Carr and DE Maxx Crosby to long-term extensions while signing Chandler Jones in free-agency as well. This offense has all the makings of a point-scoring machine, with Adams, Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Josh Jacobs all extremely capable of making big plays. They will need to, considering the rest of the division can score points at will.
- Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore should have bounce back from last season, considering that half the team isn’t on the IR to start the year. Even through the main focus has been QB Lamar Jackson’s contract extension (or lack of an extension, really), what other teams are seeing is that Baltimore’s WR room is thinner than it was last year. This comes after the Ravens traded Marquise Brown, arguably their top wide receiver (Mark Andrews is tight end, remember) to the Arizona Cardinals. A heavy dose of run-oriented offense and lockdown defense has brought them success before, and that seems to be their plan going into 2022. They will have an opportunity to see if that strategy can work against the New York Jets on Sunday.
- Philadelphia Eagles
The fate of Philly’s season rests in the hands of Jalen Hurts. The front office gave him a WR 1 this offseason by acquiring AJ Brown from the Titans. The combination of Brown, DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert gives Hurts the playmakers that he needs to improve in the passing game. There’s no doubt that their running game, led by Miles Sanders, Is still a strength of this offense. Philly’s defense, anchored by Fletcher Cox and Darius Slay, should still prove to be formidable this season. With all of that said, if the Eagles are looking to take the leap to Super Bowl contender, Hurts will have to get the ball downfield to his receivers. He’ll get the chance to show us he’s ready to make the leap when the Eagles travel to Detroit to face the Lions.
- Denver Broncos
The Broncos made themselves a legitimate playoff hopeful by acquiring QB Russell Wilson in a blockbuster trade this offseason. He gets paired with young talented wide receivers in Jerry Jeudy and Cortland Sutton with Javonte Williams leading the charge on the ground. Their already stout defense, led by Bradley Chubb and Pat Surtain II, was bolstered with the addition of Randy Gregory. This should be a team that can make quite a bit of noise in the highly competitive AFC West. They’ll get the opportunity to start the season on a high note when they travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
- Arizona Cardinals
It’s difficult to see the Cardinals as contenders, considering last season ended with late season collapse and a brutal first round exit. QB Kyler Murray looked and played like a superstar in the first half of last season, but faded away when the team needed him most. Now that he has a brand new contract extension, Arizona needs him to be the superstar that he was drafted to be. Despite losing star wideout DeAndre Hopkins for 6 games due to suspension, AJ Green and newly acquired WR Marquise Brown should be able to fill the void until he comes back. Additionally, the defense that was one of the best in the NFL last season will surely welcome the return of a healthy JJ Watt. Despite all of this, in this quarterback driven league, the Cardinals’ season relies on Murray’s consistency throughout the entire season, not just the first half. Until the Cardinals show us that they can be consistent throughout the entire season, they will continue to be pretenders.
- Indianapolis Colts
The last time we saw the Colts in action, they were just finishing an epic collapse against the Jaguars that saw them out of playoff contention in the final week of the season. This season, however, feels different in Indy. The driving factor behind this change is the addition of Matt Ryan at quarterback. Ryan has always been consistently good throughout his time in Atlanta, and his consistency should do wonders for this season’s Colts team. Star RB Jonathan Taylor will continue to provide a rushing attack that proved to be a game changer, and the offensive line is one of the league’s best. The Colts also have stars at each level on the defensive side of the ball, whether it be DeForest Buckner in the front four, Shaq Leonard at linebacker, or Stephon Gillmore at DB. Despite being relatively thin at wide receiver, should Matt Ryan play in Indy like he did in Atlanta, the Colts could be a dark-horse title contender.
Wildcard Weekend or Bust
- Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are just exploding with talent on the offensive side of the ball. Dalvin Cook continues to be a rock at the running back position and a consistent playmaker. Star WR Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen give quarterback Kirk Cousins a deep threat and a consistent safety blanket, respectively. Defensively, linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter look to build upon last season, where the Vikings defense kept them in games despite the offense’s well-noted shortcomings. If Kirk Cousins can be a consistent quarterback for a complete 18 week season, the Vikings have a chance to de-throne the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North division title.
- New England Patriots
New England is in a weird place when it comes to the hierarchy of the AFC. On one hand, they have arguably the greatest coach to ever live, Bill Belichick, still running the show and QB Mac Jones still running the offense. The rushing attack will still be strong, with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson leading the charge. Nelson Agholor, DeVante Parker, and Hunter Henry offer Jones a serviceable receiving corps to attack opposing defenses with. Belichick is still calling the defense, so it’s expected to be a strong point as well. On the other hand, other teams have surpassed them via offseason acquisitions and stand to have a better chance of a title run than the Pats. If Mac Jones takes a leap from average to great this season, this team may be capable of a deep playoff run.
- Cleveland Browns
Jacoby Brissett is now the man of the hour for the Cleveland Browns, now that Deshaun Watson has been suspended for the majority of the season. Brissett will have plenty to work with on the offensive side of the ball. Nick Chubb and Kareem Jackson should expect to see a heavy workload to keep defenses from pinning their ears back and rushing the QB at will. Newly acquired WR Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and TE David Njoku round out a talented receiving room that should make Brissett’s life considerably easier. Defensively, star DE Myles Garret and Jadaveon Clowney still stand to cause havoc for opposing QBs, which should keep the Browns in most games. All Brissett has to do is keep the Browns in the hunt for a spot in the NFL playoffs by the time Watson is slated to come back to the team. Considering the strength of the rest of the AFC, however, that is no small task to accomplish.
All eyes are on Tua Tagovailoa this season in the Miami. After the Dolphins went out and traded for star WR Tyreek Hill and paired him with budding star WR Jaylen Waddle, it’s up to Tua to make the most out of it. Not only that, Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert join the team as a 1-2 combo at RB that can work both on the ground and as a safe checkdown option in the passing game. Xavien Howard and Melvin Ingram III serve as pillars for this defense that needs to keep opposing offenses in check. The problem here is that the offensive line still hasn’t seen much improvement from last season, which could undo all of the work that Miami did in the offseason. For the Dolphins to have a shot at keeping up with the Bills in the AFC East, Tua is going to need to step up and show everyone that he means business.
- Tennessee Titans
Tennessee is in quote a precarious position this season. After last season’s rather untimely exit after being the #1 seed last season, the team traded away star receiver AJ Brown and lost Julio Jones to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Not only that, the team’s top edge rusher Harold Landry III has been lost for the season after tearing his ACL in practice. Lastly, it remains to be seen how healthy superstar RB Derrick Henry will be after missing most of last season and having a limited effect in their playoff game. QB Ryan Tannehill will have his work cut out for him, but should be rise to the occasion and Derrick Henry returns to form, the Titans could see themselves back in the thick of the playoff hunt.
On the edge of the Playoffs
- Pittsburgh Steelers
The big question mark for the Steelers this season is unfortunately at football’s most important position: is Mitch Trubisky going to start for or is first rounder Kenny Pickett going to get the nod? Whoever it is, they will have plenty of talent at the skill positions, with Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and fellow rookie George Pickens offering a multitude of ways to score TDs. Additionally, star second-year back Najee Harris stands to continue where he left off last season and provide some desperate relief from blitz-happy defenses by keeping them honest. The one major problem for either QB is the offensive line, which has struggled through the preseason and was towards the bottom of the league in pass protection last season. If the O-Line can’t smooth out their issues, no matter who the QB is, the team will be stuck towards the bottom half of the league.
- New Orleans Saints
The return of Jameis Winston from his ACL injury last year is a welcoming sign for the Saints, who fizzled out last season after he tore his ACL. The Saints went out and signed veteran Jarvis Landry and drafted Chris Olave to shore up the receiving corps that is led by a returning Michael Thomas. The running back position may be a weak point, depending on Alvin Kamara’s punishment for his offseason legal troubles. Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye join a defense led by star DE Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis. With a defense set to be as stingy as it was last year, the Saints will march to the tune of Winston. If he returns to his early 2021 form, New Orleans is going to be a tough team to beat.
- San Francisco 49ers
Don’t get it twisted: the 49ers are still loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. On offense, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk can give opposing defensive coordinators fits. Defensively, the combination of Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Fred Warner in the front seven can cause absolute havoc for opposing offenses. However, everything comes down to the play of Trey Lance, the new starter for the 49ers. The 49ers will go as he goes. If he surprises everyone and comes out swinging, the 49ers have the chance at the postseason, where just about anything can happen. If Lance struggles to start the season, the 49ers may end up in a hole that they simply can’t climb out of. Considering that he only played 20 college games and Week 1 will be his first NFL game, there is a strong possibility that we see him struggle to adjust, which could spell trouble for San Francisco.
- Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers took a step in the right direction this off-season by trading for disgruntled QB Baker Mayfield and making him the starter under center. Mayfield has a decent set of weapons around him at WR with DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson both capable of making plays. Having All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey healthy is a huge help as well, as opposing defenses have to respect his ability to make them pay both through the running game and in the passing game. It should also be mentioned that Baker has a huge chip on his shoulder this season after being cast aside by his former team in favor of controversial QB Deshaun Watson (in a contract year, no less). Head coach Matt Rhule must get the most out of Mayfield, or both of them will be in search of a new job next off-season.
- New York Giants
The 2022 season serves as a crossroads for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. Despite Jones having an impressive rookie season, the former #6 overall pick must now put up or find a new home after the Giants declined his 5th year option this offseason. For this team to sniff a playoff chance, Jones must be able to connect with WRs Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney on a consistent basis, while RB Saquon Barkley must be consistent (and stay healthy) for this offense to succeed. Additionally, the offensive line (namely Andrew Thomas and rookie Evan Neal) must be able to provide protection that was sorely lacking last season. If this team doesn’t at least compete for the last wild card spot, the Giants will be looking for a QB again.
Will Need a lot of Help
- Washington Commanders
Things just don’t seem to go right for Washington, despite trying their best to make improvements. The Commanders’ main cause for concern is the health of star edge rusher Chase Young, who was already set to miss the start of the 2022 season before possibly re-aggravating his knee injury at Von Miller’s pass rushing camp. In addition to that setback, promising rookie RB Brian Robinson was shot while trying to fend off an armed robbery attempt. On the bright side for Washington, they have upgraded at the QB position by bringing in Carson Wentz. Despite the well documented shortcomings that he had down the stretch last season, Wentz should be able to provide a boost to this offense. Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Antonio Gibson should have better production this season. For this team to have a shot at the playoffs, they will need to.
- New York Jets
It always seems as though the Jets take one step forward, only to have to take two steps back. Gang Green had themselves an offseason, signing Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah and drafting CB Sauce Gardner and WR Garrett Wilson. Coming into training camp, there was genuine excitement about what Zach Wilson could accomplish with young, talented WRs in Elijah Moore and Garrett Wilson and an RB duo of Michael Carter and Breece Hall. However, as is the Jets’ luck, Wilson went down with a knee injury in the preseason and tackle Mehki Becton is essentially out for the season (again). Once Wilson comes back, Jets fans can only hope that he improves upon his rather disappointing rookie season which was plagued by inaccuracy and poor decision-making.
- Detroit Lions
Major improvements seem to be on the horizon for the Detriot Lions. They have a motivated and fiery head coach in Dan Campbell, who wants his players to give it their all (and then some) every game this season. QB Jared Goff has new weapons to throw to, as the Lions have added DJ Chark and Jameson Williams to play alongside Amon Ra St. Brown. Defensively, #2 pick Aidan Hutchinson stands to give life to the front four and hopefully force QBs into making mistakes by getting pressure. As long as Goff executes plays cleanly and the defense can bend and not break, the Lions can prove to be a challenge this upcoming season.
- Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars should have some hope for improvement this season after last year’s failed Urban Meyer experiment. After all, Jacksonville brought in Doug Pederson to right the ship and to help Trevor Lawrence get back on track after a disastrous rookie season. Having Christian Kirk at WR and Evan Engram at TE should help him move the ball down the field with a bit more ease. RB Travis Etienne returning from a season-ending injury should help alleviate some pressure as well. Granted, considering the strength of the conference, it is rather difficult seeing the Jaguars win more than 5-6 games this season. That said, they won’t exactly be a pushover this season and could cause problems for any team that might overlook them.
They aren’t Eliminated Yet?
- Atlanta Falcons
After trading longtime QB Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, the main question now is Atlanta is this: how long until Desmond Ridder is starting under center? Right now, it appears that Marcus Mariota will be the opening-day starter at QB. However, with a bad offensive line and a lack of talent at wide receiver outside of Drake London, it wouldn’t be shocking if Mariota struggles early on. Additionally, the defense is expected to be an issue this season with rookies Arnold Ebiketie and Troy Anderson being thrown into the fire. Suffice to say, the Falcons won’t be winning many games this season. Truthfully, the main goal for the Falcons this season should be to see whether Desmond Ridder is capable of being a serviceable starting QB.
- Seattle Seahawks
The 2022 Seahawks offense can be compared to giving a Ferrari to a 15 year old kid who just watched The Fast and the Furious: without the right driver, the car may as well be worthless. There is no doubt that Seattle is extremely talented at WR with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett being more than capable of giving defensive coordinators nightmares. With that said, having 2 QBs that are average at best to horrendous at worst isn’t an ideal scenario for Pete Carroll. Paired with an offensive line that can’t keep either Geno Smith or Drew Lock upright and a defense that constantly struggled last season, and you have a recipe for disaster in Seattle.
- Houston Texans
There’s no sugarcoating this: the Houston Texans are in the mix for the #1 pick for the 2023 draft. With that being said, they could be at least a tough out for opposing teams. QB Davis Mills was a nice surprise last season, as he outperformed the expectations that were set for him. The WR corps is led by Brandin Cooks and Phillip Dorsett, who are viable options for him when it comes time to move down the field in a hurry. However, considering the lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball and the sheer difficulty of winning games in a loaded AFC conference, the Texans should use this year to see if they need to spend a high draft pick on a QB or to see if they found their quarterback for the foreseeable future.
- Chicago Bears
It’s going to be a rough rebuilding year for the 2022 Chicago Bears. With top WR Allen Robinson signing with to the Rams, the WR corps is looking pretty thin, which isn’t ideal for QB Justin Fields’ second-year development. What is also going to set Fields back is a completely new front office, complete with a first year head coach and a new offense to learn. Couple that with the aforementioned thin WR depth and a porous offensive line that struggled mightily last season, and it will be hard to fairly evaluate Fields as he goes into his sophomore season. It wouldn’t be shocking if defensive leaders Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith end up with new teams and the Bears set themselves up with a plethora of draft picks for the 2023 draft.