5 Bold predictions ahead of 2022 season

It’s been a year like no other so far for NFL fans.

So much has happened already in 2022. And a lot of it has been so unpredictable.

Infact, you would have probably been laughed at 12 months ago if you’d said the Bengals would make the Super Bowl, Tyreek Hill would join the Dolphins and Jacoby Brissett would be the starting quarterback for the Browns going into the new season.

After a crazy offseason with shocking news and rumors a plenty, will this trend continue on the field? Here are five bold predictions ahead of the new season:

Kansas City Chiefs miss the playoffs

We start with the boldest and the one that may make us look very silly at the end of the year. Could Kansas City really fail to make the postseason?

The Chiefs may have made the AFC Championship last season. But it was a far from rosy 2021 at Arrowhead. Mahomes struggled early and poor defensive play was to blame for the slow start.

With no Tyreek Hill to throw at, 2022 could prove even harder.

The AFC West is now the toughest division in football. All of the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders have improved significantly this offseason, while the Chiefs on paper have slightly regressed.

Still, on their day, the Chiefs are probably the most feared team in the league. They’ve got the most exciting playmaker in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes, who can win games on his own.

But this year could prove challenging even for him. With a tough division and a tough schedule, it’s going to be the hardest season of former Texas Tech star’s career to date.

Detroit Lions finish with a winning record

The Lions had a tough 2021. Just two wins, some agonizing defeats and not much to shout about.

But after a successful offseason, things are looking much more positive in Detroit.

The Lions are well primed to have a better season this year. The new additions look exciting (especially Aidan Hutchinson), their schedule is fairly weak and they’ve generally come on leaps and bounds as a unit this summer. With games against the uncertain Commanders, Vikings and Seahawks in three of their opening four games, Detroit could set themselves up for a great year with some early victories.

Detroit has slowly been getting more admirers, with Hard Knocks bringing them a new fanbase in 2022. Can they impress? These predictions are bold, but we are confident with this one. We think the Lions can exceed even their own expectations this year.

Dallas Cowboys finish with a losing record

On the flipside to Detroit, it’s been a difficult 2022 so far for Dallas. A poor offseason on the back of their disappointing playoff exit in January to the 49ers.

The injury of Tyron Smith is a huge setback, while losing the likes of Randy Gregory and Amari Cooper will also hurt. Question marks remain over their draft additions, with Dallas needing rookie Tyler Smith to make the transition from college to the NFL fairly quickly to help on their offensive line.

Divisional rivals the Eagles have massively improved, while the Commanders still pose a big threat.

They’ll win games, but it’ll be a tough year overall in Texas.

Lamar Jackson wins his second MVP

There are so many candidates seemingly in the race for this year’s MVP award already. Yet one name that has featured less in consideration is Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.

There are reasons for this. Bar Mark Andrews, Jackson lacks the receiving weapons that most other elite QBs do. Plus, there are still, justified or not, concerns about Jackson’s style as a long-term franchise quarterback.

But with the Ravens adding Tyler Linderbaum at center and bringing in other signings to help with the scheme focused on aiding Jackson puts the 2019 MVP in a great position going into the new season.

If he can stay fit, he can lead this well-built Ravens side to AFC supremacy in 2022.

Talk of a contract extension will only have spurred Jackson on to ball out in 2022. He’ll be more determined than ever to put the league on notice and show why he’s a top tier quarterback in the NFL.

Myles Garrett wins Defensive Player of the Year

Aaron Donald and T.J. Watt may be the biggest names defensively in football. But Cleveland’s Myles Garrett just keeps getting better and better.

16 sacks in 2021 was the former #1 pick’s best ever return as a pro. His win rate on the pass-rush was four times higher than T.J. Watt’s last season, whilst also picking up another career high in tackles with 51.

A first ever fumble recovery touchdown against the Ravens and a new 99 rating on Madden NFL are other highlights from a standout year for the star defensive end.

Garrett is already a superstar and has the potential to go to become one of the game’s greats over the next few years.