The 2021 NFL season came to a conclusion Sunday night with the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals. But the season’s culminating game should serve as inspiration for the rest of the league entering 2022, considering how the final two teams got there. Cincinnati rose quickly from the ashes, riding young playmakers to an unexpected title bid. Los Angeles spent big on proven veterans, securing a Lombardi Trophy by going bold. In other words, there are multiple ways to contend in a hurry.
With that in mind, which teams are poised to make a big leap in 2022? Here are five that come to mind:
2021 record: 8-9
If Aaron Rodgers stays in Green Bay, they still have a ceiling in the NFC North. And there will surely be hiccups with Kevin O’Connell, 36, instituting a new regime. But the defense can’t be much more porous than it was during the final stages of Mike Zimmer’s run, and most importantly, O’Connell knows…
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