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This may favor the league's bourgeoisie teams. The top squads now ave time to get things together in a given season. That could almost guarantee certain teams making the NFL's second season in January.
These are 5 NFL teams that are guaranteed to make the playoffs in 2022
Los Angeles Rams
With Cooper Kupp being the latest NFL wideout to get the proverbial bag this offseason -- who signed a three-year, $78,500 extension on Wednesday -- and Allen Robinson signing his own three-year, $46 million unrestricted free-agent contract, the Rams have figured out the post-Robert Woods plan in the WR room.
Couple that with the return of Aaron Donald, and you have a Los Angeles group that is infinitely more dangerous in Year 2 of the Matthew Stafford-era than they were in Year 1.
Let's not forget that the opening salvo of Stafford's stint in Tinseltown resulted in a Super Bowl LVI victory at their home stadium. While a repeat is far from guaranteed and, quite frankly, unlikely, the Rams will certainly get close enough to make pundits believe it's possible.
Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles' Super Bowl LVI opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, should also be expected to return to the postseason after a big step forward in 2021. To Cincinnati's credit, their step was more of a leap than the Rams, who had been flirting with the Vince Lombradi trophy a few years prior. Until this past January, the Bengals hadn't won a postseason game since 1991.
The Bengals benefit from having a weakened AFC North by way of Ben Roethlisberger retiring and the Browns shooting themselves in the foot with their quarterback drama of Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield both being in danger of sitting out the season for vastly varied reasons. Baltimore, with a healthy Lamar Jackson, should take a step forward themselves from last season, but the Bengals have the ball rolling with Joe Burrow fulfilling the potential that his rookie-year injury curtailed in 2020.
Buffalo Bills
Currently, the Buffalo Bills have the best odds of winning Super Bowl LVII next February. As Around The NFL writer's Nick Shook notes, Josh Allen's ascension as a dual-threat has been instrumental in Buffalo's offensive explosion:
"Allen finished second in rushing yards gained over expected with +310, trailing only Jonathan Taylor, and he ranked among the top five on designed quarterback runs in a number of categories: carries (third), yards (third), touchdowns (tied for fourth) and rush yards over expected (fourth).
Allen posted the second-best pressure evasion rate in the NFL (24.3 percent) while also carrying the ball on scrambles 50 times (third most) for a league-high 494 yards and 210 RYOE. His 54.9 rushing expected points added were the most among quarterbacks, proving he's not just dangerous with his arm -- his legs are scary, too."
Combined with the Bills' dominant defense, which gave up the fewest points and passing yards of any of the NFL's 32 franchises, the Bills are a near certainty to take down the AFC East (Zach Wilson, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones' improvements be damned) and punch their ticket to a fifth postseason in six years.
Green Bay Packers
Losing Davante Adams will sting, but there's no evidence Aaron Rodgers won't create a new star receiver with those that still remain in the Green Bay Packers WR room.
The defense has not been this strong since the Pack's last Super Bowl appearance following the 2010 season, but Rodgers is also copacetic with the front office in a way he hasn't been during his MVP seasons the last two years.
The NFC North has almost never threatened to sweep all six games and comes into the 2022 season with Kirk Cousins standing in the way of another conference crown. You might as well punch Green Bay's postseason ticket now.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There are plenty of distractions the Buccaneers must not dwell on since the start of the year, ranging from Antonio Brown's walkout, Bruce Arians' re-signing as head coach, and Tom Brady's retirement/unretiring.
The first two issues are 2021 NFL season problems, but there is a very real concern surrounding Brady's reluctance to return for the upcoming campaign. We all know the 44-year-old had designs to be the Dolphins signal-caller instead.
Still, even during the darkest days of the Brady-Bill Belichick duo, the Patriots periststed past the pain and made it to the postseason. Todd Bowels should have a focused QB with a slew of weapons and a defense that added former Brady teammates in New England, Akiem Hicks and Logan Ryan.
