5 Dark horse NFL teams to challenge Buccaneers for 2022 Super Bowl

Super Bowl 2022 dark-horse NFL contender No. 2: Los Angeles Chargers

Heading into the 2020 season, I was admittedly not bullish on the future of the Los Angeles Chargers. Moving on from Philip Rivers and then banking on rookie Justin Herbert as the No. 6 overall pick and quarterback of the future seemed to be an incredibly risky proposition that I thought would not work out well.

Herbert undoubtedly proved me wrong in that capacity. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was phenomenal once he was thrust into the starting job (by bizarre circumstances, no less) and the offense appears to be in tremendous hands. But former head coach Anthony Lynn continuously mismanaged the team and situations, leading to the Chargers falling short in the win column again.

Enter new head coach Brandon Staley, who could be a viable game-changer for this team in Los Angeles. The Chargers defense isn’t short on talent by any stretch, especially when Derwin James gets back onto the field. But they have lacked a coach who can maximize that talent. From his work with the Rams, Staley appears to be the guy to make that happen.

With the defense almost surely improving, Herbert possibly taking a step forward after a rookie season of experience and success, and the possibility to add better protection on the offensive line, the Chargers are in line to make a massive leap in the 2021 season.