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NFL 2022: Ranking the top five teams in the NFC for the 2022 season

By Lou Scataglia

NFL 2022: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the game against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 22, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
NFL 2022: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the game against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 22, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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NFL 2022
NFL 2022: Quarterback Carson Wentz of the Washington Commanders is introduced at Inova Sports Performance Center on March 17, 2022 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

In the weaker NFC, there are several surprise teams who could squeak into the playoffs for 2022. Who are the top teams, though, in this conference?

While the AFC has dominated the offseason headlines in 2022, the NFC has boasted the last two Super Bowl champions.  Even still, the NFC is a significantly weaker conference than the AFC and is a generally weak conference overall.

There just aren’t many good teams, and even the best ones have some holes.

It’s a giant difference from the AFC, where one could argue that 13 different teams could make the playoffs this season.

While the AFC tears themselves apart this season, the NFC appears to be wide open.

I’m not sure there are even seven legitimate playoff contenders, though there are several teams who are clearcut favorites and above the rest.

Look for the NFC to be minimally competitive.  Teams that have stood atop the NFC the past couple of seasons will continue to do so.

There may be a surprise team or two, but I would not expect them to win a ton of games anyway.

So, with all of that said, who are the top five teams in the NFC heading into the much anticipated 2022 NFL season?

Top five NFL teams in NFC heading into 2022

5. Washington Commanders

I am going to lightly put myself on the Commanders’ bandwagon before the season begins.

In 2021, the Commanders were expected to start Ryan Fitzpatrick.  He was injured early on, so Taylor Heinicke got the bulk of the reps, starting 15 games and going 7-8.  Heinicke was bad.  He threw for 20 touchdowns on 15 interceptions for a measly 85.9 rating.

If nothing else, he’s cemented himself as a very competent backup in the NFL, which is perfectly fine.

The Commanders, with the 23rd, ranked scoring offense and 25th ranked scoring defense managed to win 7 games, going 7-10 on the season.

The defense was the big story of their season; they endured a giant regression from being one of the best units in 2020.

For whatever reason, they weren’t nearly as good, however, they have a ton of insane talent on that side of the ball, along with an underrated offensive line.

They weren’t super active in free agency outside of a big trade for Carson Wentz, who is a clear and significant upgrade from their 2021 situation.

They also added Andrew Norwell to replace Brandon Scherff and brought back J.D. McKissic, Tyler Larsen, and Bobby McCain.

The Commanders have a really solid team all the way around, and I think they are going to shock people and compete for the NFC East crown.

One of the biggest improvements I think Washington will see is their offensive output.  In 2021, Carson Wentz threw seven more touchdowns and eight fewer interceptions than Heinicke. He quarterbacked the Colts to the 9th ranked scoring offense for 2021.

To me, that’s a big indication of what he can do with the Commanders, who have solid receivers, good running backs, and a solid offensive line.

I like the Commanders to win around 10 games in 2022 and shock some people.

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