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Can defenses really win championships? Analyzing the path to a Super Bowl win.

The phrase, “Defense wins championships,” is often tossed around when debating if a team can contend for a Super Bowl in the NFL. Supporters of this argument cite examples of historically dominant defenses that became the focal point of championship-winning teams. Examples include the Legion of Boom, the nickname of the mid-2010s Seattle Seahawks defense, which led them to two Super Bowl appearances. Another is the 1985 Chicago Bears defense known as the Monsters of the Midway, which led Chicago to its first-ever Super Bowl win. These legends make a strong case that defense does, in fact, lead to championships; however, we need to look at a greater sample size to determine how accurate this statement really is.

Graph by @tejfbanalytics

This graph by data scientist,Tej Seth, shows the offensive and defensive rankings of teams that appeared in the Super Bowl between 2012 and 2022. The immediate takeaway from this data is that having a top 15 offense is essential for Super Bowl contention. Other than the 2015 Denver Broncos who were a significant outlier in NFL history with the struggling Peyton Manning-led offense constantly bailed out by the defense, every other Super Bowl team had a top-tier offense. This makes logical sense as football is a quarterback-oriented game in which teams win by scoring points.

Additionally, the range of defensive rank presented here is much wider and seemingly less impactful than the high offensive standards these teams have. When taken at face value, this graph suggests that the statement “Defense wins championships” must be false and that the offensive line-up is the ultimate decider of regular-season and playoff performance.

As I dived deeper into the topic and looked at more specific examples, I realized that this graph may not tell the whole story as it only looks at teams that appeared in the Super Bowl. While some of these teams may have had poor defensive performance in the regular season, they likely excelled in every other category, including coaching and playoff performance. Looking at more specific examples of teams that missed the playoffs altogether, as in the chart below by Opta Analyst, we start seeing an interesting picture that highlights the importance of defense. Consider the 2024-25 Cincinnati Bengals.

Chart by Opta Analyst

The Bengals are the most recent and well-known example of a defense blowing a team’s season. Led by MVP finalist Joe Burrow and triple crown winner Ja’marr Chase, it seemed inevitable that this team would end up in the playoffs. Despite putting up a dominant offensive performance week in and week out, the Bengals defense allowed more opposing team points than they could score, leading to loss after loss, and ultimately a 4-8 record. This has happened numerous times throughout NFL History, notably to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, who lost games despite having the best offense in the league.

I would argue that while having a strong defense doesn’t necessarily correlate to winning championships, having a weak defense may cost a team the opportunity to try. To me, a team who wants to contend for a Super Bowl should prioritize finding their franchise quarterback and then follow up by creating a solid defense. Judging by recent history, we know it’s almost impossible to win a Super Bowl without an elite quarterback; a strong defense, on the contrary, while it isn’t make or break, does improve the odds.  

So, does defense win championships? Maybe not, but a team with a strong balance of offense and defense will always stand a much greater chance than one who leans heavily to a single side of the ball.

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NFL

Amid contract chaos, the Bengals have many decisions to make

The Cincinnati Bengals have faced a rollercoaster of an offseason, with many unique and ongoing contract situations that have been the center of attention. In March, the Bengals’ front office re-signed wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, an outcome that most NFL fans and analysts viewed as unlikely due to the wide receivers’ high market value, along with the tight salary cap restrictions the Bengals face. The contracts of Joe Burrow, Jamarr Chase, and Tee Higgins now take up 44% of the Bengals’ salary cap space in 2025, leaving them with very little room to improve the rest of the roster. 

This has all led up to the drama the Bengals have faced surrounding their superstar edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks last season with 17.5, still has a year left on his contract but wants an extension now. It has been somewhat unclear what exactly the Bengals have offered Hendrickson, but he is unhappy with it as he has been sitting out of mandatory minicamp. Although I want to side with the front office on this issue, it is very difficult considering Hendrickson’s claims that they had no communication with him for two months following the NFL Draft. Hendrickson has clearly expressed his anger and it seems as though he is willing to sit out as long as it takes. The Bengals need to make a decision as soon as possible whether they are willing to pay him the money he is asking for, and if not, they need to find a trade destination for him. To me, the Bengals must re-sign Hendrickson. Considering that the Bengals had a bottom-five defense last season which ultimately led to them missing the playoffs, Hendrickson was one of the few bright spots. Since the Bengals did practically nothing to improve the defense during free agency, I believe that it is very important that they retain Hendrickson if they want any chance to compete for a playoff spot. 

It is no secret that the Bengals owner, Mike Brown, has been historically cheap when it comes to paying players, but it feels as though since entering the Joe Burrow era, that narrative has flipped. To me, it seems as though the Bengals are willing to spend the money but now just want to win the argument with Hendrickson, which has ultimately been a distraction to the team’s offseason. 

Although the front office’s approach in handling the Hendrickson situation has been questionable, I completely side with them in their other heated negotiation that being rookie defensive end, Shemar Stewart. The Bengals drafted Stewart out of Texas A&M with their first-round draft pick this year in an effort to improve their defense. It has now been two months since drafting him and they are yet to agree to his rookie contract. For the most part, rookie contracts are fairly straightforward as the salary they receive is determined by the draft pick that they were selected with. The issue Stewart has with his contract has nothing to do with the money and rather has to do with the language in which the contract is stated. The Bengals have included a clause that essentially allows them to void future guaranteed money if Stweart were to break team rules or face trouble with the law. Stewart is arguing that the Bengals’ previous first-round draft picks, Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims, did not have this clause in their contract. The Bengals however, are trying to set a precedent for all future contracts to include this clause. Although the Bengals are getting heat from the media for once again being difficult in their contract negotiations, it is important that the Bengals stand their ground. The “void clause” is becoming more common in NFL contracts throughout the league, and top rookies in this year’s class, including Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter have signed the clause. Although some ridiculous situations have been thrown around where Stewart can re-enter the draft next year and join a different team, I believe he will sign eventually. If the Bengals give in and remove the clause, they will never be able to include it again as their future rookies could also sit out. Over time, Stewart will sign the contract as there is no chance he will pass up the money that comes with being a first-round draft pick.

The Bengals front office is facing a very difficult offseason, but if they can re-sign Hendrickson and stay patient with Shemar Stewart, they will have all their distractions behind them and they can lock in on making another Super Bowl run.

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Amid a historic season, Joe Burrow deserves the MVP award

Entering week 18 of the NFL season, the AFC playoff race has heated up significantly as the Broncos, Bengals, and Dolphins, are all fighting for the final spot. Despite the drama, the Broncos look to have the easiest path as they will likely be playing the Chiefs backups in their playoff-clinching week 18 matchup. This would leave the Bengals out of the playoffs for the second straight year, despite the historic quarterbacking season Joe Burrow is having. On pace for 5000 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, and under 10 interceptions, Burrow is leading the league in every important quarterback statistic. Despite all this, Burrow is not the MVP favorite as he trails behind Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. 

         This is a very unprecedented situation as the Bengals have the best offense in the league. Yet, their historically bad season is costing them a playoff spot and Burrow an MVP. So far, the Bengals have six losses when scoring 25+ points which has never happened before. Given an average defense, the Bengals would be vying for the one seed in the AFC, instead, however, they are fighting to even qualify for the playoffs. Although there are many other reasons for their underachieving record such as starting the season slow, poor coaching, and injuries, the defense has taken the most significant blame. 

         Now on a four-game win streak with a rejuvenated defense, MVP talks for Burrow have been heating up. Historically, Drew Brees is the only quarterback in NFL history not to win MVP when passing for 45 or more touchdowns (and he only lost it because Aaron Rodgers passed for even more). Looking at the other two candidates Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, they are both also having historic seasons, however, they have help as both their team’s defenses are top ten in the league. Ultimately, if Burrow were given Buffalo or Baltimore defense, not only would they be the best team in the NFL, but he would also be a unanimous MVP. 

If the NFL truly gives the MVP award to the league’s most valuable player, Burrow would be the perfect candidate. First off, the MVP is an individual award, not a team award. Additionally, the Bengals are proving that wins are not a quarterback exclusive statistic. If you replace Burrow with a league average quarterback, the Bengals would be lucky enough to win three games. If you apply the same conditions to Baltimore or Buffalo, both teams would remain as playoff contenders. Burrow is the definition of the Most Valuable Player.

         Ultimately, Burrow is not only having the best quarterbacking season this year, he’s having one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of the NFL. If the Bengals pull off the most unlikely comeback and qualify for the playoffs, it would be a league failure to not give the MVP to Burrow.

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The New York Giants need to make significant changes this offseason

The New York Giants are a disaster. Last week, they released quarterback Daniel Jones, who they had signed to a $160 million extension before the season. It was featured on their offseason edition of Hard Knocks, that the Giants could either re-sign Saquon Barkley to a relatively expensive salary for a running back, or they could re-sign Daniel Jones. They chose the latter and just 10 weeks into the season, they have had enough. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley, now a member of Giants division rival Philadelphia Eagles, is on pace for one of the greatest statistical seasons for a running back ever. Following releasing Jones, the Giants lost to the Buccaneers 30-7, and as a result their rookie star wide receiver, Malik Nabers, has had enough. I would not be surprised if he wants out by the end of the season.

If anything is clear, the Giants need a franchise quarterback as soon as possible. Although it would be ideal for them to increase their offensive line and defensive strength before investing in a quarterback, with young talent like Malik Nabers uneasy, their priority must be to draft a quarterback.

Now that any playoff hopes are thrown away, the Giants need to tank for the first overall draft pick, which they can use to select Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Although this upcoming draft is not very quarterback-strong, Sanders is the outlier as he has been elite throughout his entire collegiate career. Along with his skills, Sanders brings in confidence that the Giants organization lacks. Drafting Sanders would not only satisfy Malik Nabers, but it would also mean more wins for the Giants.

The other move that will be necessary to turn the franchise around is to fire head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen. Although Daboll won coach of the year in 2022, he is not competent enough to lead the team to be a playoff contender again. As a replacement, the Giants need to go all in on the Ben Johnson sweepstakes. Johnson is the current offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and one of the most anticipated head coach candidates for some time. His offensive play calling along with potentially Shedeur Sanders and Malik Nabers could make for one of the strongest offenses in the NFL. For GM Joe Schoen, he is making moves too safely and avoiding any risky decisions that could be beneficial to the team. 

It is important that the Giants make these decisions as soon as the regular season ends or the entire fanbase and organization will lose hope. Now that Daniel Jones is gone, that was the first move of many needed to bring the Giants back to being a contender.

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Patrick Mahomes is holding back the Chiefs from returning to the Super Bowl

         At this point in the NFL season, there are clear Super Bowl contenders and pretenders emerging. For the NFC, the Detroit Lions have established themselves as the favorite, but the AFC is still a toss-up. After a miraculous win vs. the Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs are 9-0 for the first time in the Mahomes era. Beating the Broncos on a blocked kick in a game that they ultimately shouldn’t have won sums up their season. Seven of their nine wins have been within one-score games. Although some argue that the Chiefs just know how to win close games, Patrick Mahomes’ play this season gives another perspective. So far, Mahomes is statistically off to the worst start to a season of his career, already having nine interceptions. For comparison, in the 2007 Patriots undefeated season, Tom Brady passed for 50 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, winning the league MVP. In the last decade, the team that won the Super Bowl almost always has had a top-five quarterback in the NFL. 

         For the Chiefs to return to the Súper Bowl, they will have to face elite quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. Without a competent quarterback, the Chiefs will stand no chance against those teams, and it will be proven this weekend in their game against the Buffalo Bills. Given that Mahomes has been playing like a bottom-five quarterback, the Chiefs will be exposed as a fraudulent team by the time the playoffs come around in January.

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2024 NFL Draft has an Unprecedented Amount of Offensive Talent

Ever since the final seconds ticked away and the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl title, NFL fans have had the draft marked on their calendars. The weeks that precede draft day are often among the most deceptive times of the year, filled with false rumors and misinformation. This year has been no different, as almost every draft selection remains up in the air.

Despite the mysteries still surfacing about the draft, one thing is certain: the Chicago Bears will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. This has been nothing but a guarantee since the Bears traded former quarterback Justin Fields one month ago. While Bears fans are sure to be excited, the rest of the NFL fans wait in anticipation for the picks following the Bears’ selection.

This year’s draft is filled with players who play offensive positions, notably featuring many quarterbacks. Other than Caleb Williams, elite quarterback prospects include Drake Maye from UNC, Heisman winner Jayden Daniels from LSU, and J.J McCarthy from Michigan. Conveniently, the teams with the next two picks are both in search of their next franchise quarterback. 

For the Washington Commanders, who hold the number two overall selection, it would be a consequential mistake to not draft Drake Maye. In recent years, the Commanders have had a quarterback carousel, unable to settle on their guy. Despite the rumors that they are highly interested in McCarthy and Daniels, Maye is on a different level. His ability to throw the ball at a high level combined with his athleticism enables him to create big plays which sets him apart from the rest of the pack. Even though Caleb Williams has been advertised as the unanimous number-one selection, Maye is not far behind. 

With the next selection, the New England Patriots will be on the clock. Whoever they select will have nothing given to him, as the Patriots face a challenge offensively. In all honesty, the Patriots should trade down to accumulate more assets, which would ultimately provide their future quarterback with a smaller challenge. Drafting Jayden Daniels or JJ McCarthy would be a mistake, both players rely on strong systems around them. For the Patriots to succeed, the front office must accept that their flaws run deeper than just at the quarterback position.

If there’s one message the Arizona Cardinals need, it is to take the best player available. Holding the fourth overall pick, the Cardinals are in a position to draft a generational wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. Son of the hall of fame receiver Marvin Harrison, Harrison Jr. is without a doubt the number one prospect in this entire draft. The Cardinals will be lucky enough to have him on the board while they are on the clock. Given his size and athletic ability, Harrison Jr. dominated during his time at Ohio State and will change the direction of the franchise that drafts him. For weeks, it has been rumored that the Cardinals will trade this pick to the Minnesota Vikings who are eyeing J.J. McCarthy. While this would be a huge success for the Vikings, trading this pick could be viewed as an all-time missed opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals.

The following draft selections will ultimately be determined by how the top four picks occur. The offensive talent, however, does not end there. Another notable prospect includes wide receiver Malik Nabers from LSU, an elite playmaker who arguably is as skilled as Marvin Harrison Jr. Also, tight-end Brock Bowers from Georgia has been deemed by many draft analysts as the greatest tight-end prospect of all time. Other top-tier prospects in the draft include wide receiver Rome Odunze, offensive tackle Joe Alt, and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.

The NFL Draft is always filled with elite prospects, but this year is being held in higher regard offensively. While it is too early to tell, undoubtedly there are numerous players with hall-of-fame ceilings. In the end, the player’s success is dependent on the team that selects them, and how they handle the situation they are given. After months of anticipation, fans and players will be excited to see how the draft plays out.

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Despite Joe Burrow’s Season-Ending Injury, The Cincinnati Bengals Are Eyeing a Playoff Spot

Both the Cincinnati Bengals and NFL fans were devastated midday Friday when it was announced that quarterback Joe Burrow was ruled out for the rest of the season. In a critical divisional matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, Burrow left the game with an unknown wrist injury. While most Bengals fans were frustrated with the 34-20 loss, reality set in after the game. Their franchise quarterback injured his right throwing wrist. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that Burrow had torn a ligament and is out for the season. This is a significant blow for a team that had been dominating, defeating Super Bowl contenders in the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills.

Despite the widespread belief that the Bengals cannot make the playoff without their MVP caliber quarterback, recent history shows that they can still compete. Burrow is the sixth quarterback to face a season ending injury. Along with those six, nine other quarterbacks have missed time with injuries this season. Many backup quarterbacks have entered the scene and proven they can win. Significant examples of this include Vikings’ quarterback Josh Dobbs, and Bears’ quarterback Tyson Bagnet. There are many parallels between the Vikings disaster when Kirk Cousins went down with injury, and the Bengals current situation. The Vikings proved that it is possible to dominate even with a new quarterback under center.

Jake Browning, likely the Bengals quarterback moving forward, may not be Joe Burrow, but he brings his own skills to the table. Browning’s play-extending skills and ability to utilize his legs were shown in his limited opportunities against the Ravens. Along with this, he also showed confidence as a passer given the situation, he was put in. The play-extending skill and pocket passing accuracy Browning has been very Joe Burrow-like. While he is obviously not near Joe Burrows level of talent, the offense should have no problem adapting to Browning at quarterback. While there has been speculation about signing a bigger-name quarterback like Matt Ryan or Nick Foles, Browning’s playstyle aligns well enough to give him a chance. Being with the team all offseason, Browning is already an expert on the system. The success will ultimately be determined by if Browning can deliver consistent execution on a week-to-week basis.

Currently 1.5 games out of the playoff picture, the Bengals should not throw away this season. The winning culture in Cincinnati is real and will thrive if Browning plays well enough. With the plethora of offensive and defensive weapons, this team is built to be a playoff team, with or without Joe Burrow at quarterback.

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NFL

2023-24 NFL Season Awards and Super Bowl Prediction

          With training camp coming to an end and the preseason starting this past week, the NFL regular season is now only weeks away. Around this time of year, all 32 NFL teams have some sense of hope, and while they may not all be super bowl contenders, week one is a reset point for every team. Anything that happened in the prior season no longer matters because every team starts fresh with a 0-0 record. Many intriguing storylines lead NFL fans to wonder, which players will stand out and contribute to a Super Bowl push.

NFL Most Valuable Player: Joe Burrow, QB Cincinnati Bengals

When casual NFL fans think of the modern-day NFL quarterback, they tend to describe the physical traits of the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Ridiculous speed, superhuman throw power, freakishly athletic. These words all accurately describe the quarterbacks mentioned above. The NFL has evolved to a point where these physical traits are ideal for most offensive plays to reach their full potential. The truth is Joe Burrow does not have that one athletic trait that makes him stand out. Burrow, however, has enough athleticism to help him escape from pressure when needed. Burrow is also the best at what quarterbacks are intended to do, which is passing the football. Entering just his 4th season, Burrow already has the highest completion percentage in NFL history. In addition to this, Burrow has led the Bengals to two AFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl berth. Burrow has a loaded receiving cast in Jamarr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, which will only help him succeed even more. The one thing that has been missing for Burrow is a solid offensive line. The Bengals’ offensive line has been so awful that Burrow has been sacked the most out of any quarterback for the last three seasons. This offseason, the Bengals signed Pro Bowl left tackle, Orlando Brown Jr. with the hope to fix their long needed offensive line support. If the Bengals offensive line can be above average at the minimum, Joe Burrow will be in for a huge year.


NFL Offensive Player of the Year: Travis Kelce, TE Kansas City Chiefs

History does not suggest that Travis Kelce has a chance to win this award. In the past, every Offensive Player of the Year has been either a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver. Tight ends have never received the respect that they deserve. To paraphrase Kelce, traditionally, a tight end is that wide receiver that isn’t fast enough and that tackle that isn’t strong enough. It’s safe to say that Travis Kelce has flipped the negative narrative on tight ends recently as he has proved to be one of the best offensive weapons in the last decade. Coming off his 7th straight, thousand-yard receiving season, Kelce is in position to make his strongest case yet to be the Offensive Player of the Year. As the Chiefs are more limited than ever at their wide receiver position this season, Patrick Mahomes will happily give Kelce the most targets in his entire career. This could result in Kelce having over 150 receptions and 1500 yards, which would be enough to capture the voters’ attention. If his touchdown numbers are high, which will be no problem with the Chiefs’ electric offense, Kelce should finally be named the Offensive Player of the Year.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, DE Cleveland Browns

It is shocking that Myles Garrett is yet to be honored with the Defensive Player of the Year award. Garrett has had one role his entire career – to sack the quarterback. Aside from turnovers, sacks are the most significant and impactful play a defender can make. In the past three seasons, Garrett has had a league-leading 44 sacks. Along with this, almost every Pro Football Focus rating show Myles Garrett is the best defensive player in the NFL. When it comes to defenders, stats don’t lie, and they show Garrett to be the most impactful defender in the entire NFL. Entering his 7th season, it is time that Myles Garrett takes home this award.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bijan Robinson, RB Atlanta Falcons

Many called it a reach when the Atlanta Falcons selected running back Bijan Robinson with the 8th overall pick in the draft. Amid recent debate about the devaluing of the running back position, it seemed like a major risk to select Robinson so early in the draft. Running backs have the shortest average career length among all NFL positions, with an average span of 2.57 years. Historically, elite running backs will be stars immediately, but then will have a quick career decline soon after. Much of the time it is due to injuries, as running backs take more hits than any other position. We saw this sudden rise to stardom and steep career decline in former Cowboys running back, Ezekiel Elliott. Taking the NFL by storm, Elliott led the NFL in rushing yards in his rookie season. Elliott was so dominant, he even received MVP votes in his phenomenal rookie year. Since that season, Elliott was never the same as he dealt with injuries and suspensions that derailed his career. His career fell apart so much that he was eventually released by the Cowboys. Other running backs with career paths like Elliott are former Chiefs player Kareem Hunt and former Rams running back Todd Gurley. With all this said, Bijan Robinson is in a unique situation. In NFL history, there has never been a running back prospect as highly graded and hyped up as Bijan Robinson. While it is unknown how his career will shape following his rookie season, Bijan Robinson is looking like he will be an unprecedented running back for defenses to face. I would not be surprised if Robinson follows the steps of former rookie running backs and leads the NFL in rushing yards to start his promising career.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Will Anderson, LB Houston Texans

Will Anderson was the top prospect in this past NFL Draft and was selected third overall by the Houston Texans. His three-year college career in Alabama proved why he deserves such praise. It was his sophomore year that really made him stand out as one of the best prospects in the entire country. Anderson led the defense with 17.5 sacks on the Alabama team which would eventually make it to the national championship game. Anderson is freakishly athletic and not a single offensive line was able to stop him in college. The only question that remains is if his skills will translate to the NFL level. Given that he has the athleticism and the mechanics to be elite on an NFL field, this seems likely.

Super Bowl Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Seattle Seahawks

More than half the teams in the AFC are Super Bowl contenders. The conference is loaded with more talent than ever before. While any team could win the AFC, I think the teams with the better quarterbacks will prove to have the advantage they need to win playoff games. The Cincinnati Bengals have the most stacked roster in the entire AFC along with potential MVP Joe Burrow, so they are my pick to win the AFC. To accomplish this, they must avoid the unforced errors that caused their downfall last season. The Bengals have a lot of young talent to be excited about, but once again the center of attention will be their wide receivers. Jamarr Chase will attempt to make his case as the best wide receiver in the NFL this year. Last playoffs, we saw Tee Higgins play like a superstar receiver, and he will take an even bigger leap this season. On almost any other team, Tee Higgins would be a wide receiver-one. The offense will no doubt be great, however their newly renovated defense leaves many unknowns. While the departures of safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates do hurt, the front office managed this well by bringing in a lot of young talent for the secondary. Much of the talent comes with the linebackers and defensive line. With an emerging talent in Logan Wilson and an elite defensive line headlined by Trey Hendrickson and DJ Reader, this defense is one of the most underrated in the NFL. As we’ve seen in previous years, the Bengals defense needs to step up in critical situations to win playoff games.

        The NFC champion is almost as hard to predict for the opposite reason. Compared to the AFC, the NFC is the weakest it has been in a long time, giving many lower tier teams a chance to contend. The Philadelphia Eagles are the heavy favorite to repeat as NFC champions; however, injuries may derail the party for them. The Eagles rely on their extremely successful system created by head coach, Nick Sirianni. It is mainly focused on read option rushing attacks mixed with some passing attacks. The passing game is heavily reliant on the Eagles two superstar receivers, and the rushing attack needs the Eagles league-best offensive line to be fully healthy. While they were relatively healthy last season, the offense has very little depth, and injuries to any players of significance could tear apart a very talented team. Another team that many people believe will win the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers. In recent seasons, the 49ers have faced constant injuries. Many argue that if the team can stay healthy, they are a super bowl lock. While I agree that this 49ers team will make the playoffs, I don’t think Brock Purdy as quarterback will be enough for them to win the conference. While a sleeper team, the Seattle Seahawks have all the tools needed for a Super Bowl run. Seattle’s offense is led by veteran quarterback entering his 10th season, Geno Smith. While for much of his career he was a backup, Smith took advantage of his opportunity last year and had a pro bowl season. This was no fluke as Geno Smith had the highest completion percentage in the NFL, along with throwing for over 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns. The Seahawks superstar receivers in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett provided a lot of help for Seattle’s offense. The Seahawks added to their wide receiver core this offseason, by drafting wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. If the passing game is ever having an off day, the Seahawks have running back Kenneth Walker in the backfield. Walker, entering his second season, is coming off a sensational rookie season proving he is one of the best running backs in the league. While this offense sets high standards, the defense will not disappoint. The defensive line is nothing to be very excited about, however the Seahawks secondary might be the most electric in the NFL. Cornerbacks including second year sensation Tariq Woolen and 5th overall draft selection Devon Witherspoon will turn heads. Seattle also has proven star safeties, Quandre Diggs, and Jamal Adams. Quarterbacks will be sure to avoid throwing towards this elite group of defenders. 

         This Super Bowl matchup would be intriguing to many but ultimately there is one major difference between these two teams. The Seahawks and Bengals have very similar teams; however, one team has Joe Burrow and the other does not. Geno Smith is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he is not close to the level that Joe Burrow is on. Burrow will give the Bengals more opportunities at impactful plays, which will ultimately win Cincinnati their first ever Lombardi Trophy.

Super Bowl LVII Champions: Cincinnati Bengals

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NFL

Top Three Potential NFL Breakout Stars

Every year, there are many breakout stars in the NFL. Breakout stars can come in many different forms. Last year it was Jamarr Chase, Cooper Kupp, Jonathan Taylor, Deebo Samuel, and many more. These players take their game to the next level for many different reasons. Sometimes their team can get better around them. Also it could just be them putting in the work to reach their maximum potential. I have picked three players who I think could take the leap to the next level in 2022.

  1. Trey Lance(QB)

The 49ers selected Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Most of his rookie season, Lance was sitting on the bench behind Jimmy Garoppolo. As he sat there, he watched the 49ers make it all the way to the NFC Championship game. The 49ers, as expected, have decided to end the Gorrapalo era in San Francisco. Now Lance will have his chance as the 49ers starting QB. Lance has a very strong arm that almost reminds me of Patrick Mahomes. It might be a stretch, but if you watch his NFL or college highlights, you would see the connection. However, Lance being an athletically gifted QB will not be the only thing contributing to a possible breakout season. Trey Lance is getting put in possibly one of the best situations in the NFL. I mean to start, he is in Kyle Shanahan’s run-heavy offense, which will take a lot of the pressure off of him. Secondly, he’s being put with all-pro level weapons around him. He will have Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to throw to(assuming Deebo resigns). Also he will have an elite offensive line, headlined by all-pro tackle, Trent Williams. Alongside these elite players, he will also have very solid players such as Brandon Aiyuk at wide receiver, and Elijah Mitchell at running back. It’s looking good for Trey Lance’s first year as a starter.

  1. Joseph Ossai(EDGE)

You might not know a lot about Joseph Ossai, but you will after this season. The Bengals drafted the edge rusher in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. In the 2021 preseason, Ossai had 7 pressures, two run stops, and a sack. To add to it, his one sack was on Tom Brady. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any more of Ossai due to a season ending injury in the preseason. Ossai is a very athletic rusher who will always try his best to get to the quarterback. In college at University of Texas, he was an All-American First Team player. We will definitely see a lot of Ossai this season, and he will probably play a key role in the Bengals defense. A lot of people were convinced that the Bengals would either draft or sign an edge rusher to pair with Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard, however they didn’t. This shows that the Bengals are committed to Ossai being the future at that position. If I am correct, Ossai could prove to have been the steal of the 2021 draft. Expect to see a lot of Joseph Ossai this coming season.

  1. Rondalle Moore(WR)

Rondalle Moore showed flashes of being elite in 2021. In his second ever NFL game he received for 114 yards and a touchdown. However the rest of his rookie season was very inconsistent. Moore was targeted just 64 times which was tied for 4th on the Cardinals. That number should skyrocket up now that Christan Kirk, the Cardinals leading receiver, signed to the Jaguars. Also Deandre Hopkins got suspended for 6 weeks which will just help him even more. Moore won’t be the Cardinals number one receiver in 2021 due to the Cardinals trading for Hollywood Brown, but he will definitely be number 2. Also Moore will have an elite quarterback in Kyler Murray throwing him the ball. Moore is definitely poised for a breakout season.