By Kevin Perez
After one of the wildest NFL off-seasons in history, the 2022 season is set to kick off on Thursday, September 8th. The Buffalo Bills will travel to Los Angeles to take on the reigning champion, Los Angeles Rams, in the opening game.
The rest of week one has exciting matchups to offer for the first weekend of football. The revamped Miami Dolphins host their division rival, the New England Patriots in an early AFC East showdown. In the NFC, the first Sunday Night game of the year will feature Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are traveling to Dallas to take on the Dallas Cowboys.
For the second year in a row, the NFL will have 17 games on schedule after the schedule expansion agreed to last year added one more game to the regular season. With more highlight games, there are more opportunities for predictions that could hit the mark or fall short.
Here are six bold takes for the 2022-2023 season:
The Los Angeles Chargers will win the AFC West
The Chargers had one of the best off-seasons, as they acquired both star linebacker Khalil Mack and elite cornerback J.C Jackson. This team was on the verge of making the playoffs last season and with Justin Herbert only continuing to improve, they may have a legitimate chance to take the division throne from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Miami Dolphins will win the AFC East
Another team that had a notable off-season was the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins made early headlines through the signings of Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead. With new head coach Mike McDaniel at the helm, the offense is expected to make a huge jump with elite speed and better quarterback play from Tua Tagovailoa. If a few games go their way, the Dolphins will edge out the Buffalo Bills for the division title.
The Denver Broncos will miss the playoffs
This one might seem like a stretch, but it could happen. While yes, the trade for Russell Wilson and his recent extension are franchise shifting moves, the Broncos are arguably in the hardest division in the league. While the Broncos may finish with a winning record, the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders all have more offensive firepower that will be hard to keep up with. By finishing last place in their division, their chances of making the playoffs would all but disappear.
At least two head coaches will be on their way out this season
After last season, 10 new head coaches will take the field with their respective teams this week, tying a record that was set three times (2006, 1997, 1978), according to the NFL. While there seems to be a step back this season, there is still a possibility for openings. Coaches like Mike McCarthy in Dallas, Matt Rhule in Carolina, and Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland are among those who could be on their way out if their teams miss out on the playoffs and don’t show improvement.
The Philadelphia Eagles will win the NFC East
The Eagles have the third easiest schedule on record for the upcoming year according to CBS Sports and after an off-season of improvement, they are primed to take the division. With a good offensive line and another offensive weapon in A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts should make the jump needed to lead his team to a division title in the NFC East, a division with many questions outside of the Eagles.
Aaron Rodgers wins MVP for the third time in a row
Aaron Rodgers has won MVP for the last two years, but this year he is without first team All-Pro receiver Davante Adams. While nobody will deny this is a huge gap to fill, if anybody can make the most of their weapons it is Rodgers.
They have young talent in A.J. Dillon and Amari Rodgers, as well as playmakers like Aaron Jones and Robert Tonyan; all of them could elevate their game and give Rodgers the chance to be the second player in history to win the award three times in a row. The only other player to do so is a fellow Packers legend, Brett Favre, who did it between 1995 and 1997.
Seeing whether these predictions come true or not is part of what makes football so fun to watch. If last season proved anything, it’s that anything can happen any given week. The NFL is a rollercoaster, and the ride begins in just two days.
