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The AFC has been the top-loaded conference in the NFL for the past decade and more. But it's the NFC that has been bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy home the past two seasons.
With that said, the AFC has seen some fantastic multiple-title runs. Tom Brady's New England Patriots won three titles in a five-year stretch, while Ben Roethlisberger's Pittsburgh Steelers won two. Peyton Manning's wins in Indianapolis and Denver have also come in the past 15 years.
Overall, the score since 2007 is an even 8-8 for both conferences.
Could 2022 be a pendulum swing of championship silverware back to the AFC? With Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and even an improved Mac Jones under Bill Belichick in the conference, there is certainly hope that it could be their year.
However, should the title return to the AFC, it is unlikely to be thanks to the exploits of these five teams.
5 biggest Super Bowl pretenders from the AFC in the upcoming 2022 NFL season
#5 Miami Dolphins
Until Tua Tagovailoa can prove healthy enough to stay on the field for the entire season, or at least 14 games, the Miami Dolphins will be considered pretenders in the AFC.
In the event of Tagovailoa's absence due to injury, Teddy Bridgewater could start for an extended stretch of the 2022 season. His poor performance for the Panthers in 2020 and lukewarm showing in Denver last season will put into doubt any thoughts that the Dolphins are for real.
Tyreek Hill's addition to a WR room featuring the 2020 NFL Draft's top receiver off the board in Jaylen Waddle is certainly impressive. However, it doesn't solve the issue of Bridgewater's minimal air-yard output.
The Dolphins could be talented enough to sneak into the postseason regardless of who is under center. But a fully healthy Tagovailoa is the only entity that could make Miami a contender in 2022.
#4 Tennessee Titans
The Tennesee Titans' championship window may have already closed after disappointing conclusions to both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
Derrick Henry's foot injury and A.J. Brown's departure to the Philadelphia Eagles are the primary reasons for that being the case. Robert Woods' arrival from the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams could mitigate the loss of Brown. But when the Titans landed Woods, he was only seen as the new WR2.
Henry could still enjoy the best-case scenario of having a comeback season for the ages and prove to be this generation's version of Adrian Peterson. While that is possible, the unsettling QB situation in Tennessee is one that could ultimately put a cap on their championship potential in 2022.
#3 Pittsburgh Steelers
It's going to take a bit of time before the Pittsburgh Steelers are fully past the Ben Roethlisberger era in the "Steel City."
Mitch Trubisky could turn out to be a fine fill-in option in the vein of a 2017 Case Keenum at best. Maybe he could even enjoy a year similar to that of the follow-up to Trubisky's 2020 season with Chicago at the worst.
However, much may still depend on Kenny Pickett proving to be the true and adequate successor to 'Big Ben.' Until then, the Steelers are likely to be a team that wins hollow regular-season contests but folds when it matters most in the postseason.
#2 Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns may have made one of the most bone-headed moves in the history of the NFL this offseason. They handed Deshaun Watson a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Watson sat out the entire 2021 season. But more importantly, the QB was in the middle of legal troubles that could very well jeopordize the foreseeable future of his NFL career.
Cleveland handsomely paid a player that might not suit up at all in 2022 if the public backlash grows fierce enough. They additionally did so at the expense of a former No. 1 overall pick in Baker Mayfield. Mayfield notably led them to their first postseason win in 2020 since they moved back to Cleveland in 1999.
If or, rather, when Watson misses games and Mayfield isn't there to save them, Jacoby Brissett may not be enough to lift them out of 'pretender' status in the AFC. That's not his fault, though, as it seems as though almost nothing will elevate them out of their 'clownshow' status as a franchise after this past offseason.
#1 Las Vegas Raiders
When your name is thrown into frequent debates alongside Kirk Cousins, your NFL QB candidacy is one that is seen as legitimate, but far from the top of the totem pole. That's how the Las Vegas Raiders' Derek Carr is currently viewed, but even then, he may be getting the benefit of the doubt.
Carr is 57-70 in his career, while Cousins is 59-59-2. The latter also has superior passing numbers across the board. Where Carr gets the benefit of the doubt is his lackluster offensive line, but that's just his own merits as a QB. The Raiders offense, including RBs Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, and rookie Zamir White out of Georgia, are also at the mercy of their poor protection.
Las Vegas as a whole will be hamstrung by their OL's inability to stop big plays from opposing defenses. A potential step forward in regular-season wins will not help them avoid an inevitable 0-1 AFC playoff record next January should they even get that far.
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