The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl last year, but it really felt like the Cincinnati Bengals were the story of the 2021 season. This team rebounded from early losses to the Chicago Bears and New York Jets to not only win the AFC North for the first time since 2015, but make it all the way to Super Bowl LVI.
While Cincy ultimately came up short, the majority of the NFL world now views this franchise very differently compared to last year. Which NFL team will shock in 2022? There are a couple of young quarterbacks who may be ready to break out, and a couple of teams that will be much better than people expect.
What does it mean to “shock?” Well, for this list, we won’t use any of the teams that Caesars Sportsbook has inside the top 10 of shortest Super Bowl odds. Teams like the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, for example, finished last in their respective divisions in 2021, but many expect them to be contenders in 2022. Let’s talk about some real sleepers in the NFL this season.
I’m high on this team, and will be betting them at +105 to make the playoffs. A main reason why people don’t seem excited about the Saints from a national perspective is because they lost head coach Sean Payton. There’s no doubt that is a loss, but Dennis Allen is a nice replacement. He’s been with the organization for seven seasons, and is the defensive coordinator that has defeated Tom Brady four straight times in the regular season since he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This defense can be a top five unit, but I’m excited about the offense. The leading wide receivers for New Orleans in Week 1 last year were Deonte Harty, Marquez Callaway and Chris Hogan. Now, the Saints have added Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave, plus Michael Thomas is back healthy. Some may see this as a non-serious stat since he started just seven games last year before injury, but Jameis Winston had the fourth-best win percentage among all Week 1 starting quarterbacks last year. He isn’t the same signal-caller with poor eyesight who tossed 30 interceptions with a broken thumb on his throwing hand and a torn meniscus back in 2019. Throw in the versatile Alvin Kamara to go along with the revamped passing game, and this team is set to shock.
There are many reasons to believe the Dolphins could shock the NFL world in 2022. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has new weapons in Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson Jr., a revamped…
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