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5 Hot Takes for the 2022 NFL Season
#3 - Mitch Trubisky looks like an NFL franchise quarterback
Since being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL draft, Mitch Trubisky has been labeled a bust by many, mainly as Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were selected later in the first-round of the same draft.
After being released by the Bears in early 2021, Trubisky spent the 2021 season as Josh Allen's backup with the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 free agency period.
After Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, we can see Trubisky filling his shoes and showing the world that he can be a franchise quarterback.
We have seen this type of turnaround happen before, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill being released by the Miami Dolphins before joining the Tennessee Titans, initially as Marcus Mariota's backup. Tannehill soon got the starting quarterback job and led the Titans to a 12-5 record and the AFC Divisional round in 2021.
We can see Trubisky turning his career around, much like Tannehill, as he has shown glimpses he can be an NFL caliber QB by leading the Chicago Bears to the NFC North title in 2018.
Trubisky now joins one of the most stable NFL franchises in the Pittsburgh Steelers and should get a chance to be a starter again, with only Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph currently competing for the starting quarterback job.
#2 - Joe Burrow Wins NFL MVP
Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals all the way to Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season, the team's first Super Bowl appearance since 1988. Burrow and the Bengals won the AFC North, going 10-7, and his heroics helped them beat the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on their way to the Super Bowl.
Burrow was sacked 51 times in the regular season, a league-high, as well as an extra 19 times in the Bengals' playoff run. This included nine in one game against the Titans in the AFC Divisional Round, tying the NFL playoff record.
The Bengals have addressed this issue in free agency, revamping their offensive line by picking up center Ted Karras from the New England Patriots, guard Alex Cappa from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and tackle La'El Collins from the Dallas Cowboys.
With the much-improved offensive line, we can see Joe Burrow taking home MVP honors, as he's shown what he can do with a terrible offensive line, the sky is the limit for what he can do with good protection and more time to throw the football.
#1 - Los Angeles Rams win back-to-back Super Bowls
Here is the biggest hot take of the list. I have the Los Angeles Rams winning the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season in 2022. The feat of winning the big game two seasons in a row hasn't been done in the NFL since the New England Patriots won it in 2004 and 2005, but if anyone can repeat that achievement, it's Sean McVay and the star-studded Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams have lost a few key players from their Super Bowl winning roster, notably tackle Andrew Whitworth to retirement, Von Miller to the Buffalo Bills via free agency, and Robert Woods in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. However, they picked up Allen Robinson in free agency, who will help fill the void left by Woods.
In addition, they retained much of the Super Bowl winning team, with Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald all still in L.A. to hopefully help bring home another Lombardi trophy.
The NFC Conference looks weaker than ever, with Russell Wilson moving from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos, Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons to the Indianapolis Colts, and Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders. All these moves will come as good news for the Rams, as the NFC path to the Super Bowl becomes a lot easier without the aforementioned players to contend with.
