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When NFL teams make deep playoff good runs in one season, they are often considered among the Super Bowl favorites the following year. Recent success is often one of the biggest factors in determining legitimate contenders, but they aren't the only teams in the mix for the ring.
The 2022 NFL season features several teams projected to take a massive leap forward from where they finished last year. Here are three teams that missed the playoffs last season but are among the Super Bowl contenders this year after making significant improvements to their roster during the 2022 offseason.
#1 - Cleveland Browns
In the two seasons since Kevin Stefanski took over as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, they have recorded a solid 20-15 overall record, including in the postseason. They made it to the playoffs during the 2020 season and advanced to the second round before coming up short in the 2021 season.
The Browns pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades of all time during the 2022 NFL offseason when they acquired Deshaun Watson via trade with the Houston Texans. He gave them a significant quarterback upgrade, leading the NFL in passing yards during the 2020 season. He is capable of elevating the Browns to the next level.
#2 - Denver Broncos
Along with the Browns, the Denver Broncos also pulled off one of the biggest moves of the 2022 NFL offseason when they landed Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos acquired a quarterback with a Super Bowl ring to lead them during the 2022 season.
Despite experiencing some of the worst quarterback production of any team during the 2021 NFL season, the Broncos still managed to finish the year with a respectable 7-10 record. Upgrading to an elite quarterback with a proven postseason experience like Wilson makes them a dangerous team this year.
#3 - Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers barely missed out on the playoffs last season. They needed a victory in their final game of the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders to make it to the postseason. Still, They lost an exciting matchup in overtime, falling just short of their goal of making the playoffs.
The Chargers are projected to do even better during the 2022 NFL season after adding two elite players to their defense, Khalil Mack and JC Jackson. They also have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Justin Herbert, who already has 9,350 passing yards and 69 touchdown passes in just two seasons in the league so far.
