After the conclusion of the NFL Draft, rosters across the league are mostly finalized, so let’s take a look at the most likely Super Bowl matchups for 2022.
The Los Angeles Rams were victorious in Super Bowl 56 during the 2021 NFL season. Their “F them picks” mentality paid off. They were one of the first teams to win a Super Bowl this way, as they also relied on a top-heavy, superstar-loaded team as well.
The NFL is a copycat league, and we saw some of this copycat activity this offseason, as many teams traded away valuable draft capital to acquire immediate impact players.
Now, going into the 2022 NFL season, we fans are poised to see an incredibly competitive league, with parity throughout.
In the AFC, there’s an argument to be made that well over 10 teams could compete for the seven playoff spots this season.
The NFC is much weaker, but because of that, some teams who aren’t usually playoff clubs could sneak in.
In the NFC, the usual teams are set to still remain good. These would include the Packers, Rams, Buccaneers, 49ers, and maybe even teams like the Cowboys and Cardinals.
Look for the Packers, Rams, and Buccaneers to be the early Super Bowl favorites out of the NFC.
In the AFC, there are a plethora of teams that could make deep playoff runs.
The Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Bills, Bengals, Ravens, Titans, Browns, and even Colts are all poised to be among the league’s best.
The AFC is going to be a bloodbath in 2022, and whoever represents the AFC in the Super Bowl will have legitimately deserved it.
So, which Super Bowl matchups can we reasonably expect to see in 2022?
Way too early Super Bowl matchups for 2022
3. Bengals vs. Buccaneers
I like this as a potential Super Bowl matchup, but I don’t think it’s the most likely.
Obviously, both teams have very recently played in the big game. Tampa Bay won the whole thing in 2020, and Cincinnati went to the dance in 2021, after an improbable run.
Since tom Brady unretired, and since I do not think the Bengals are going to undergo one of those “post-Super Bowl disappointments,” I like this as a potential matchup.
It would be a lot like 2020’s Super Bowl, where the old man Tom Brady matched up against the future of the NFL in Patrick Mahomes.
Only this time, he’d have to get past Joe Burrow.
I like the Bengals as a better team than the Chiefs in 2022. I think they improved where they needed to. Keeping Joe Burrow upright with legitimate offensive line additions and keeping the defense together is going to go a long way.
I’d expect the Bengals to win 10-12 games and secure a home playoff game or two.
As for the Buccaneers, they kicked their offseason into overdrive once Tom Brady announced he was returning to the NFL.
They brought back their core, yet again, and will have a painfully easy NFC South division to get through, on top of a weaker than normal NFC.
I’m not sure anyone would be surprised if either club made it to the Super Bowl in 2022, so I think this would be a likely matchup.
Way too early Super Bowl matchups for 2022
2. Chiefs vs. Rams
Another matchup I can find to be very likely would be the Chiefs and the Rams.
Again, both teams recently played in the Super Bowl, and both won one as well. Even though the Chiefs traded away Tyreek Hill and lost in the AFC Championship game at home, they are still among the best teams in the league and should not be counted out.
They’ve made a decent investment in the wide receiver position since trading away Hill, signing Juju Smith-Schuster, Marquez-Valdes-Scantling, and drafting Skyy Moore.
Even with the absence of Hill on the Chiefs’ roster, expect them to still be lethal on offense.
It is likely that the offense could take a step back, but even a step back for the Chiefs is still better than most units.
As for the Rams, they’ve been good every year since 2017, so there’s no reason to believe that they can’t get back to the big dance. Matthew Stafford should become a more efficient and polished passer in 2022, and the additions of Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner will elevate both sides of the ball.
The Rams will surely have an easier time getting out of the much weaker NFC. Especially with the Cardinals getting a bit worse, the Seahawks trading away Russell Wilson, and the 49ers in some uncertainty with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, the Rams should have a clear path to a top seed in the NFC.
Way too early Super Bowl matchups for 2022
1. Bills vs. Rams
The Buffalo Bills are going to make a Super Bowl in the near future. They had a nearly perfect offseason in 2022, adding legitimate contributors to an already loaded roster.
They gave Josh Allen another stud along the offensive line in Rodger Saffold, another pass catcher in Jamison Crowder, and added a ton of talent to their front seven.
Buffalo has been doing things the right way for the last several years now, and the entire league is waiting for them to break through.
The past two postseasons, they’ve failed to get past the Kansas City Chiefs.
Methinks this might be the last time that happens, though. The Bills are a much better team than the Chiefs on paper, and Josh Allen is closer to Patrick Mahomes than perhaps any other quarterback.
In nearly every category, the Bills have a stronger unit of players than the Chiefs.
Perhaps this is the year that Buffalo can run through the AFC and into the Super Bowl.
In the loaded AFC, Buffalo appears to be the top team by a noticeable margin.
The best teams are the ones who win the most in the NFL. There are usually no major upsets in this regard. Expect the best teams to be playing in late January and February.
I’m not sure many would argue that the Bills and Rams are the two best teams in the NFL currently. While that could change, it’s a pretty solid bet now.
This could be an incredibly fun Super Bowl and surely one for the ages if it happens.