The 2022 NFL season is finally upon us, and we’ve got questions.
There are, of course, the usual wonderings we've been asking every September since the beginning of time — questions like, who will win the Super Bowl? And, who will be named MVP? And, is this Tom Brady's last season? You get the idea.
But every year brings a new and unique set of questions — the answers to which might just hold the keys to the biggest storylines of the year.
So, with that in mind, here’s a list of the 22 most pressing questions we're asking as we embark on the 2022 NFL season.
1. Rams vs. Bills: Will the first two teams to take the field this season be the last two standing in February?
The NFL schedule-makers have really outdone themselves with a wild Week 1 this year, starting with a possible Super Bowl preview right out of the gates. With their championship core intact and ready to run it back, the Rams have Super Bowl-sized expectations once again. But despite what looks like a wide-open NFC ripe for the picking, you won't see this club coasting to the playoffs — they've got the league's toughest strength of schedule, and as we're reminded each year, back-to-back Super Bowl victories are incredibly tough to pull off.
The Bills, meanwhile, are the odds-on favourite to win it all and appear to have no weaknesses up and down their roster. Hardened by a heartbreaking (and thrilling) loss to the Chiefs in January, Buffalo is built to win right now and many are expecting them to do exactly that.
2. Last year was fun. Can Burrow and the Bengals do it again?
One year ago at this time, the thought of Cincinnati being crowned AFC North champs and making a run all the way to the Super Bowl felt… well… it wasn’t really a thought at all. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase now demand our attention as they look to shake off any notions of a Super Bowl hangover and prove that last year's success wasn't just a blip in the rebuild.
3. Can the Chargers shake off a history of heartbreak and make a splash in the playoffs?
Two years of watching Justin Herbert in the NFL has told us everything we need to know. He's the real deal, and he really needs to be in the playoffs. Yes, the Chargers have a long history of franchise heartbreak, but that's not relevant to these Chargers. With a revamped defence and an offence that looks capable of just about anything, the Super Bowl hype is real — can they live up to it?
4. What's harder: predicting the best or the worst team in the AFC West?
Answer: Both! Neither! It's impossible!
Seriously, just look at the field: Justin Herbert and a revamped Chargers defence; Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and an army of young receivers; Derek Carr and BFF Davante Adams; Russell Wilson and a Broncos squad brimming with potential. While technically, all four teams can make the playoffs thanks to the expanded wild card format introduced in 2020, the most likely scenario is that one of these clubs won't see the playoffs thanks to the overall strength of the entire AFC as a whole. This should be a seriously wild ride.
5. Trey Lance is starting the season for San Francisco... but does he finish it?
He’s been the talk of San Francisco football since he was selected third overall in 2021, and he hasn't even started a game yet. That changes this Sunday when the 49ers open a new chapter with who they hope is their new franchise guy. Only, with former starter Jimmy Garoppolo still in the building thanks to a restructured deal and an agreement to play second fiddle, it's worth wondering how long Lance's leash is — and whether we should be reading a little more into the fact that they ultimately chose to keep Jimmy G. (Was it all about the money, or a sense they'll need the insurance?) Everything about this club says it's ready to win now, so what if the new guy isn't?
6. How good is Tua, really?
And why does this question feel so familiar? It seems like we've been asking it for longer than two years, but as the 2020 fifth overall pick embarks on his all-important third season in the league, he's finally in a position to give us an answer. This summer saw Miami pull off a blockbuster for speedy superstar Tyreek Hill, who instantly changes the Dolphins' outlook opposite last year's first-rounder Jaylen Waddle. Rookie head coach Mike McDaniel, fresh out of the Kyle Shanahan system, brings a reputation for creative play calling that has these Dolphins generating a ton of buzz. And that's in addition to all the work that's been done building up Tagovailoa's offensive line, fleshing out his receiving depth, and bringing in a pair of running backs in Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert. It's time to see what Tua can do.
7. How does Lamar Jackson's contract situation play out?
As things stand now, he’s set to earn $23 million this year and will hit free agency at the end of the season. Jackson, who represents himself in all contract talks, told reporters on Wednesday the team has until Friday to talk numbers. After that, he’s betting on himself.
8. Which first-year head coach will have the greatest success?
Of the 10 head coaches embarking on their first year with a new club, half are rookie bench bosses taking on their first career head coaching stints: Nathaniel Hackett (DEN), Mike McDaniel (MIA), Kevin O’Connell (MIN), Brian Daboll (NYG) and Matt Eberflus (CHI).
Meanwhile, this isn't the first spin on the coaching carousel for Todd Bowles (TB) Dennis Allen (NO), Josh McDaniels (LV), Lovie Smith (HOU), or Doug Pederson (JAX), but all are in search of fresh starts and second chances with new clubs in need of a change in leadership.
9. Can Tom Brady and the Buccaneers overcome early o-line injuries?
Playing behind a beat-up o-line surely wasn't what Brady had in mind when he unretired this summer. If the past two decades have taught us anything, it’s to never doubt TB12, but this is certainly a story to watch if Brady is to make another run at a championship in Tampa.
10. How do the Browns — and their fans — navigate this season?
This isn't about wins and losses and waiting out Deshaun Watson's 11-game suspension handed down by the league in the wake of dozens of sexual harassment lawsuits against him. This is about alienated, heartbroken football fans questioning how to view the team they used to support — a team that, by trading for and signing Watson back in the spring without regard for anything outside the football field, made it clear that they didn't support them in return. For a lot of dedicated Cleveland football fans, this is the end of the road.
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11. Can a healthy Derrick Henry make a run at another rushing title?
Crowned back-to-back king of the run game in 2019 (1,540 yards) and 2020 (2,027), Titans running back Derrick Henry was well on his way to a three-peat in 2021 when he went down with an injury in Week 8 that ruled him out for the rest of the regular season. Division rival Jonathan Taylor ran away with the title in Indianapolis, and is a top contender to do so again. Now with Henry healthy and eying comeback player of the year, how much ground can he cover this season?
Henry, of course, is not the only high-impact running back being watched closely by fans (and fantasy managers). Christian McCaffrey took the NFL (and fantasy leagues everywhere) by storm in 2019 when he racked up 1,387 rushing yards and added 1,005 through the air to become just the third player in NFL history to reach the 1,000-1,000 club. Ever since, injuries have hindered him — and the Panthers overall — from building on that success. He's now healthy and says he feels "great," and head coach Matt Rhule knows the importance of being smart with his usage. With a new face behind centre in Baker Mayfield and a healthy Run CMC in the backfield — and both players eying redemption — can the Panthers return to relevancy?
12. Is Russell Wilson/Matt Ryan/Baker Mayfield the missing piece in Denver/Indianapolis/Carolina?
Look back at the past few years of Super Bowl champs, and you’ll see a pattern start to form. In 2020, Tom Brady joined a Tampa Bay team with a killer defence and some elite offensive weapons and guided them to victory on the biggest stage. In 2021, it was the Rams — a team that had everything but an arm to air out Sean McVay's playbook — who made a splash with the acquisition of Matthew Stafford to take them to the promised land. So, when we look at this summer's biggest transactions and see a handful of QB-needy teams forgo the draft route and land proven veteran QBs via the trade market… you know where this is going.
While Matt Ryan in Indianapolis and Russell Wilson in Denver are the most obvious cases of teams ready to win now with their new plug-and-play QBs, we shouldn't overlook Carolina (Baker Mayfield) and, to some extent, Washington (Carson Wentz). Mayfield may not have the extensive resume that Ryan and Wilson boast, but he’s got one hell of a chip on his shoulder, a run-first offence (feel familiar?) and a defence that just last year looked capable of doing wrecking-ball things before injuries struck.
13. Can the Lions capitalize on their Hard Knocks momentum and string together a winning season?
Dan Campbell’s team in Honolulu blue got rave reviews on the HBO series, and now have a huge opportunity to show what they can do on Sunday afternoons. (Follow-up: What gets better ratings, Detroit's offence or Campbell's post-game press conferences?)
14. Have we heard the last of Kyler Murray's study habits?
The answer to this question depends on which version of the Cardinals comes to play this year. Will we see the one that went undefeated through the first half of the season, or the squad that fell apart down the stretch and was M.I.A. in the wild-card game? Either way, we’ll all get a front-row seat to the action — and the study sessions — thanks to the HBO crew as we follow along with this year’s in-season Hard Knocks selection.
15. How's your elbow feeling, Matthew Stafford?
Rinse and repeat on a weekly basis for all 18, then turn up the volume in the post-season.
16. What does the post-Roethlisberger era look like in Pittsburgh?
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Steelers are starting a season without Big Ben at the helm. Roethlisberger’s presence in Pittsburgh brought a steady stream of on-field success, never finishing a season below .500. Head coach Mike Tomlin now hands the keys to Mitch Trubisky, but rookie first-rounder Kenny Pickett looms as backup. If Pittsburgh is to stay above .500 again, they’ll do so on the strength of their defence. But if they begin to falter, might Tomlin make a change at QB?
17. Which second-year quarterback will make the biggest leap?
Last year saw a bumper crop of rookie quarterbacks enter the league, with five drafted in the first round alone. Of those five, it was Mac Jones who enjoyed the most first-year success — not altogether surprising, considering his surroundings.
It's hard to pinpoint a standout moment from first overall pick Trevor Lawrence's rookie season considering the mess around him stirred up by Urban Meyer during his short tenure as coach. Zach Wilson earned mixed reviews and will have to wait four weeks to build on it after suffering an injury in training camp. We're about to get our first real look at Trey Lance as a starter, and Justin Fields is expected to make a jump under new leadership in Matt Eberflus.
18. Will Michael Strahan's (official) single-season sack record still stand by year’s end?
T.J. Watt, who tied the record (22.5, set by Strahan in 2001) last season, surely knows his answer. His AFC North rival, Myles Garrett, Super Bowl champ Aaron Donald, and the Bosa brothers out west would also like a word.
19. How many people need to pick the Eagles to win the NFC East — and reach the Super Bowl — before we can stop calling Philly a sneaky pick?
After earning top grades at the draft and making smart moves all summer, the Eagles appear to be the favourites, according to popular opinion, to take the NFC East thanks to their balanced attack and solid line play. Let’s all stop sneaking around and say it out loud: The Eagles are good!
20. So, uh, who is going to catch Aaron Rodgers' passes?
Asking for a friend in Minnesota. With so many weapons, a new head coach and an offence-first game plan, is this the year Minnesota takes back the divisional crown?
But seriously, about the Packers' passing game: Just when we thought Green Bay's receiving corps couldn’t get any shallower, they traded Rodgers' best weapon in Davante Adams. Rodgers has openly criticized his group of young pass-catchers on multiple occasions during camp, and a mysterious injury to Allen Lazard only adds another question mark to this one.
21. How long until Sean Payton has had enough of the broadcast booth and is back on the sideline as a head coach?
The answer depends on how well Mike McCarthy's Cowboys perform over the first half of the season. Let’s check in again around U.S. Thanksgiving.
22. Who will be this year's top quarterback-receiver duo?
Last year, it was Matthew Stafford and triple-crown winner Cooper Kupp. Who will emerge this year?
With Tyreek Hill down in Miami, does he link up with Tua to form the next best duo? And who does Patrick Mahomes zero in on as his WR1 in Hill’s place? The days of Rodgers-to-Adams are over — now it’ll be Derek Carr to Davante Adams, the college teammates and BFFs expected to be the next best thing after Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase brought their LSU chemistry to Cincinnati. Can Russell Wilson bring out the best in Jerry Jeudy? Will Brady help Julio Jones return to his glory days? Who will ease the early-season loss of DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona?
We can't forget, of course, the tried-and-true unions of Allen-Diggs and Cousins-Jefferson, and Justin Herbert and whichever of Mike Williams or Keenan Allen gets open first.
Bring on the highlight reels.
