The NFL season may have just ended, but it’s never too early to start looking at next season. The Super Bowl champiom Rams start with the top spot
As.comUpdate: Feb 14th, 2022 22:06 EST
Mark J. RebilasUSA TODAY Sports
It is much too early to know, or predict anything about any team in the NFL next season. Having said that, here are our way-too-premature NFL Power Rankings 213 days from Week 1.
1) Los Angeles Rams
They are the champs and will be until someone knocks them off. The Bucs proved this year that repeating is no east task. If they do repeat they will become just the 8th team to go back-to-back.
2) Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow and the Bengals look like they will be a force to be reckoned with for the next decade. They have a young team and a coach that is just as young. Watch out AFC.
3) Kansas City Chiefs
As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center and Andy Reid on the sidelines the Chiefs will always be a powerhouse in the AFC. They were a drive away from their third straight trip to the Super Bowl this year, and are an early favorite to get back next year.
4) Buffalo Bills
Is next year the year that Josh Allen and the Bills burst the bubble and break through to the Super Bowl? They have been close but they are getting anxious in Western New York.
5) Dallas Cowboys
Dak will be back and at full strength, while the receiving corp remains one of the top in the league. Mike McCarthy will be in his third year in Dallas, will that be enough time to take the Cowboys back to the promise land?
6) Green Bay Packers
The Packers place on this list, like so many other of the ridiculously early rankings, depends on if their top players stay. Aaron Rodgers didn’t sound too promising in his press conference after winning MVP, but the cheeseheads will be hoping to hang on to the future Hall of Famer.
7) Arizona Cardinals
There was a point in time where the Cardinals looked like the best team in the league. They crumbled after starting 7-0 but Kyler Murray is no joke, and Cliff Kingsbury will have his team ready to avoid another late season collapse.
8) Baltimore Ravens
Injuries plagues the Ravens season. Their backfield was decimated before the first snap of the season. Even still, Lamar Jackson had Baltimore prime for a playoff run until injuring his ankle in the final stretch of the season.
9) Tennesse Titans
The Titans won the AFC essentially without Derrick Henry. The most dominant player in the league will be back for Mike Vrabel, but they still don’t seem like a team that has all the pieces to win a Super Bowl
10) New England Patriots
Spirits in New England have to be sky high after Mac Jones gave Pats fans something to believe in again. Belichick will have a whole offseason to mold his young QB who had his team playing the best football in the league for a chunk of the season.
11) Los Angeles Chargers
LA missed the playoffs on the last snap of the NFL Regular season. With another year under his belt, Justin Herbert will have this team ready for a return to the playoffs.
12) Indianapolis Colts
The Colts inexplicably lost to the Jaguars on the last week of the regular season, and the rest of the AFC breathed a sigh of relief. This is a dangerous team with a great defense and maybe the best running back in the league.
13) Cleveland Browns
This year’s dark horse choice in the AFC failed to fulfill premonitions in large part due to injuries. One of the games top rushing attacks in the game was depleted as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt both spent time on the sidelines, while Baker Mayfield played more than half the season with a shoulder that was barley connected to his arm.
14) San Francisco 49ers
The Niners were minutes away from the Super Bowl, but now they have to start from scratch with a rookie QB after Jimmy Garoppolo’s departure. They still have a great defense and one of the most exciting players in the game in Deebo Samuel.
15) Las Vegas Raiders
What a year it was for the Raiders, who dealt with all sorts of off the field issues. When the dust settled, David Carr led the Raiders to the playoffs on some final week heroics. Can’t wait to see what Las Vegas is capable when they get to focus on just football.
16) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were one of the shocks of the season. A late surge up the NFC standings snuck them in the playoffs, which is no small feat for a team led by a second year QB. Jalen Hurts now has a playoff game under his belt and another year with a growing Philly offense.
17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There very well could be a steep fall from grace for the Tampa Bay Bucs, who saw Tom Brady retire at the end of the season. How do you replace the greatest football player of all time? That is what they are going to have to p out in the front offices at Raymond James Stadium.
18) Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league, and he’s got a rising super star in Justin Jefferson at receiver. They are still a few missing piece for the Vikes, but look for them to make a run for the NFC North title next year.
19) Denver Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater should have the keys to the car in the Mile High City going into next season. The Broncos were in the Wild Card hunt until the last few weeks of the season, but they are in one of the toughest divisions in football.
20) Washington Commanders
Washington were the darlings of the NFL season. Tyler Heinicke came under center and you would only imagine secured at least the right to be named next years starter barring anything foreseen. The have a new name, and now are looking to get back to their old stomping grounds in the playoffs.
21) Seattle Seahawks
There were a lot disappointing things about the Seahawks season. Russell Wilson hurting his finger and missing games in the middle of the season didn’t help, but even when he came back Seattle didn’t look like the same were are so used to seeing make a run for the Super Bowl.
22) Miami Dolphins
Who knows what’s going to happen with the Dolphins following the accusations of the front office bribing Robert Flores to lose game. They now start from scratch with a new coach, and a team that lost seven straight games last year. It’s true they also won seven straight, but it must be said admittedly the schedule treated them very kindly in that span.
23) Atlanta Falcons
Matty Ice gets another year older and the Falcons aren’t doing much to build a team to send Ryan in to his twilight years on a good note. Their first round draft pick Kyle Pitts went to the Pro Bowl. They will need some more impactful rookies and some offseason acquisitions to build a team around their aging QB.
24) Pittsburgh Steelers
The clock ran out for Big Ben. Rebuilding after the Roethlisberger era will not be easy, but Najee Harris is an up-and-comer and Dionte Johnson will be a dangerous weapon for whoever is under center in Pittsburgh next year.
25) Chicago Bears
A coaching change was not the only thing the Chicago Bears need. There needs to be a complete upheaval in the Windy City, which probably won’t have an immediate positive affect on rookie quarterback Justin Fields.
26) New Orleans Saints
The Saints have seen Drew Brees and Sean Payton leave New Orleans in back-to-back seasons. Those won’t be easy shoes to fill. Last year’s starting quarterback will be coming off of a serious knee injury and first time head coach Dennis Allen will have some decisions to make even before the first snap of preseason.
27) New York Giants
The pieces of the puzzle look like they are there for the Giants. They have the weapons on the offensive side of the ball that should make them a competitive team, at least more competitive than they were this season. The clock might be ticking for Daniel Jones in the Big Apple.
28) Carolina Panthers
Who knows what’s going on in Carolina. Not sure the front office knows what they want. They signed Sam Darnold hoping he’d be the face of their franchise. That didn’t work. They had a desperation mid-season move to bring Cam Newton back. That didn’t work either. This looks like a lost franchise with no identity at the moment.
29) New York Jets
Zac Wilson’s season was interrupted by injury, but on his return he looked like a completely different quarterback. That could be because his offensive line had a bit more time together and he was protected for longer in the pocket. The Jets may not be fighting for a playoff spot next year, but they will improve from this season.
30) Detroit Lions
The Lions were one of the most unfortunate teams in the league, losing a handful of games by one possession. They looked like an average team once they got their first win of the season, but average isn’t going to get Detroit back to the playoffs.
