This is why we play the games! Any given Sunday can send shockwaves through the league and change how we feel about how the rest of the season will play out, and boy did this last Sunday do a doozy on our preconceived notions of the NFL in 2022.
A Jimmy Garoppolo foot injury has taken the 49ers out of Super Bowl contention, or vaulted them to the title under Brock Purdy, depending on who you ask. Hell, he might even be back for the playoffs, so stay tuned! Maybe the Tennessee Titans are not capable of running with the elite teams, or at least the Eagles. Perhaps the Cowboys offense is the best in the NFL. And now the New York Giants are fading, soon to be replaced by the Washington Commanders. And wait, what’s that? By golly that is the Cincinnati Bengals music! It all adds up for a thrilling stretch run, and that is before you wonder if the Las Vegas Raiders can crash the party (they won’t).
Note: These are not power rankings. These are not picks based off any analytical data or insider knowledge. These are picks based off what I have seen during the season so far. I could be wrong, just like I could be right. Either way, I will be back again next week to offer an updated projection to cover any of my past mistakes.
Check out the projections from weeks past here:
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12
AFC
1 Seed: Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) AFC West Winner
The good news for the Chiefs is they won’t have to play the Bengals in Cincy in the playoffs. Probably. The bad news is that didn’t matter last year and you know that is on their minds.
2 Seed: Buffalo Bills (13-4) AFC East Winner
It has been quite a ride for the Bills, but they looked as dialed in as they could be in their Thursday night win over the Patriots. Is Josh Allen’s elbow an issue? Doesn’t seem to matter.
3 Seed: Cincinnati Bengals (12-5) AFC North Winner
Ja’Marr Chase is back. Joe Burrow looks locked in, and this team is looking very 2021-ish right now. Are the Bengals the team no one wants to face right now? Maybe not THE team, but a team for sure.
4 Seed: Tennessee Titans (11-6) AFC South Winner
You know things are going well when you fire your general manager amidst a playoff run. Definitely no need to worry if you are a Titans fan. Everything is fine.
5 Seed: Miami Dolphins (11-6)
A bad game from Tua has fans tense in South Beach. Then again a good game from Tua would still have fans tense in South Beach. Just very tense fans in Miami. Trust me on this one.
6 Seed: Baltimore Ravens (10-7)
The Ravens’ future is built on the knee of Lamar Jackson, which means this might be a bit of a reach to assume they can still make the playoffs. And then re-sign Lamar Jackson. And then be good next year. So much reaching here.
7 Seed: New York Jets (9-8)
I imagine the conversations Jets fans have about Mike White and Zach Wilson are similar to the conversations that 49ers fans have about Brock Purdy and Trey Lance. Except worse because everything is always worse with the Jets. Even the good things.
NFC
1 Seed: Philadelphia Eagles (15-2) NFC East Winner
Divine intervention might not even be enough to keep the Eagles from winning this conference, so imagine the ego Jerry Jones would have if the Cowboys prevented that instead.
2 Seed: Minnesota Vikings (14-3) NFC North Winner
Are the Vikings good enough to resurrect their proud tradition of being blown out in the Super Bowl? Maybe not quite, but they’re definitely good enough to resurrect their proud tradition of miserable playoff exits.
3 Seed: San Francisco 49ers (11-6) NFC West Winner
Brock Purdy has one job: don’t suck THAT badly. Okay two jobs because the other one is throw the ball four yards to Christian McCaffrey every play. Until he gets hurt, THEN he has one job.
4 Seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) NFC South Winner
“Don’t count out TB12 in the playoffs, though” means nothing if the rest of his team is very much worth counting out. They won’t have the Saints to rally back against in the playoffs.
5 Seed: Dallas Cowboys (14-3)
What does it say about the Cowboys’ offense that adding OBJ might be a negligible addition at best? That offense is more loaded than, well, a Cowboys fan during the playoffs.
6 Seed: Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
There are a lot of Brock Purdy fans in Seattle right now.
7 Seed: Washington Commanders (8-8-1)
In a battle of teams no one wants to take seriously, somehow the Commanders and Giants made fans care even less about both of them.
AFC WILD CARD ROUND
(2) Bills over (7) Jets
This would be the funniest playoff upset of all time if it did happen but it won’t.
(3) Bengals over (6) Ravens
I can’t even promise the Ravens will even be in this game, much less win it.
(5) Dolphins over (4) Titans
The Dolphins may be in some choppy waters, but Mike McDaniel can still get this team up to win this game. Maybe Dolphins fans will chill out a bit after beating old friend Ryan Tannehill.
NFC WILD CARD ROUND
(2) Vikings over (7) Commanders
Commanders getting what amounts to a participation playoff appearance.
(5) Cowboys over (4) Bucs
Tom Brady cannot pass the ball and pass block, which unfortunately means the Bucs probably won’t be able to keep up with Dallas.
(6) Seahawks over (3) 49ers
Maybe the moment IS too big for Brock Purdy. Let’s see 49ers fans want him over Trey Lance after this upset.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
(1) Chiefs over (5) Dolphins
I want to pick the Fins to win this so bad, but I cannot pick against Andy Reid in the playoffs after a bye versus a team still learning where the playoffs even take place.
(2) Bills over (3) Bengals
Five lead changes in the last two minutes I want to feel like that bear from that new movie coming out watching this game.
(1) Eagles over (6) Seahawks
“We’ll be back next year!” Geno Smith says after the game. 49ers fans await the narrator voice saying otherwise.
(5) Cowboys over (2) Vikings
Re-runs are never as fun as when you see it the first time.
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
(2) Bills over (1) Chiefs
We could not live with the fact that the Bills are not cooked, and where did that leave us? Back to here.
(1) Eagles over (2) Cowboys
The Cowboys will outplay the Eagles all game until that one dumb thing that happens costs Dallas an NFC Title. Maybe the dumb thing will be a catch that wasn’t. Maybe it’s a bad call because Jerry Jones did not write a big enough check. Whatever it ends up being that denies the Cowboys, it’s going to be freaking hilarious.
SUPER BOWL
(2) Bills over (1) Eagles
Admit it, you want to know what O.J. Simpson will do if the Bills win it all this year. We already live in the worst timeline, so why not make it worse.
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