We’re just over 20% through the 2022 NFL regular season, can you believe it? Digesting four weeks of football, we learned a lot: Cooper Rush looked like a franchise quarterback, Mitch Trubisky didn’t, and the New York Giants are a playoff lock. Maybe not, but the Giants’ 3-1 start is pretty impressive!
The Giants aren’t the only team to get off to a good start this season, and after four weeks we feel comfortable enough to try and separate contenders from contenders. There are eight teams with a 3-1 or better record going into Week 5. Which ones can afford to go all the way? We’ll take a look.
Competitors
Fly eagles fly. Nick Sirianni’s team is the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL for the first time since 2004. That year, the Eagles started 7-0 and reached the Super Bowl. Philly has been very impressive, being the seventh team in the Super Bowl era to start 4-0 while racking up 400 total rushing yards in every game. Four of the previous six teams have reached the Super Bowl.
The Eagles have the No. 2 offense in the league, averaging 435.5 yards per game. Don’t be surprised if they finish the regular season No. 1. Jalen Hurts is a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback playing his best football, Miles Sanders is on his way to a career year, averaging 89 yards rushing. rushing and about one rushing touchdown per game, and AJ Brown’s trade worked, as he caught 25 passes for 404 yards. He ranks third in the NFL in receiving yards in four games. Offense has been the obvious headline where the Eagles are concerned, but I think we should keep an eye on that defense.
The Eagles are the first team since the 2019 New England Patriots not to trail in the second half after four games. Philly has the No. 3 defense in total yards allowed per game (277.3), and this unit boasts multiple cleats. The additions of Haason Reddick and James Bradberry paid immediate dividends, and then linebacker TJ Edwards also deserves credit for the leap he made. For me, it’s that Eagles defense that can serve as the backbone of this team as it progresses through the regular season. The Eagles are legitimate contenders, and it helps that the NFC doesn’t look too strong right now.
The Bills were favorites to win the Super Bowl heading into the season, and they certainly watched the game for four weeks. Buffalo has the No. 1 overall defense and is averaging just 14.5 points per game — which ranks second in the NFL behind the San Francisco 49ers. The Bills also have the No. 3 overall offense and No. 2 passing offense in the NFL behind the Los Angeles Chargers.
Since the start of last season (including the playoffs), the Bills are 1-7 in score-decided games. They showed last week that they can pull off tough wins in tough environments, however, as Jordan Poyer knocked out Lamar Jackson in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, setting up what has been a game. winner against the Baltimore Ravens.
Now seems like a good time to buy some stock in the Bills, as they’ll soon be bringing several high school players back. 1 cornerback Tre’Davious White is on his way back from injury, Dane Jackson should be fully recovered from the frightening neck injury he suffered in Week 2 and rookie Christian Benford will also return at some point after undergoing hand surgery.
I’m sure everyone will agree the bills are pretenders.
The revamped AFC West doesn’t look as talented as we thought, and that benefits the Chiefs. The Las Vegas Raiders struggled to find that first win, the Denver Broncos were a big disappointment, and the Chargers began to crumble due to injuries. This could allow Kansas City to win the division for the seventh consecutive season. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 22-3 in his career in divisional play. This is the best record by a quarterback since 2000 (minimum of 10 games).
The Chiefs have a top-five offense, the No. 1 defense in the league and a large receiving body that has yet to reach its potential. Keep an eye out for rookies Skyy Moore at wide receiver and Isiah Pacheco at running back. Both could play bigger roles as the Chiefs continue to progress through the regular season.
The Chiefs have been contenders since Mahomes took the starting job, and even with the loss of Tyreek Hill that hasn’t changed in 2022.
I was fascinated by this Dolphins team before the start of the season, and I’m even more fascinated now. With Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion turmoil making headlines in Miami, we can’t ignore how impressive this team has been for four weeks. The Dolphins are No. 10 in total offense and Tagovailoa leads the league’s No. 3 passing offense. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle make a dynamic duo, as Hill leads the NFL in receiving yards with 477 yards and Waddle ranks sixth with 381 yards. They combined for five total touchdowns.
New head coach Mike McDaniel has brought a breath of fresh air to this franchise, although I expected the running game to be better. McDaniel is one of the best-managed schemers in the world, but Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds have yet to find a ton of success. Maybe it’s something that gets better as the year progresses.
Defensively, the Dolphins haven’t been great. Free agent signing Melvin Ingram has appeared in spots, versatile Jevon Holland is fun to watch and Jaelan Phillips has flashed at times. If that unit can find more consistency — especially when it comes to pass defense — then the Dolphins have a pretty high ceiling.
The AFC East throne may be reserved for the Bills, but the Dolphins are a team to watch with the amount of weaponry around Tagovailoa and with a legitimate Coach of the Year candidate.
I was really torn on this one. The Cowboys have a reputation for disappointing once meaningful football is played, but is it possible that the NFC’s top two teams reside in the East? It’s hard to believe compared to where we were two years ago, but it might be the truth.
Kudos to Cooper Rush, who is the fifth quarterback in the past 15 seasons to start his career 4-0 or better. I’m not saying there’s a quarterback controversy in Dallas, but he has the Cowboys offense much better than it was under Dak Prescott in the first quarterbacks of the season against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay. It’s “America’s team,” and they attract negative outside noise. Talking heads are going to go wild once Prescott throws that first interception on his return.
In the first few weeks, it was the Cowboys defense that stood out to me. The Cowboys have allowed just 15.5 points per game, which ranks them third in the NFL and have the second-highest pressure rating this season. DeMarcus Lawrence and the defensive line have been dominant, Micah Parsons looks like a Defensive Player of the Year favorite and Donovan Wilson is a rising star.
Good teams win and great teams cover. The Cowboys have done both, winning five straight road games and covering the spread in each one. They’re the NFL’s best 16-5 spread against the past two seasons — and if you’re not a player, that just means Dallas exceeded expectations. I don’t think the Cowboys are destined to lift the Lombardi Trophy this year, but in the weak NFC they’re going to have a chance to make a run.
suitors
I think Kevin O’Connell was a great rookie and Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Still, the Vikings aren’t ready to fight just yet. While Dalvin Cook is still going to have to battle a lingering shoulder injury this season, struggling on defense is the reason I’m no match for Minnesota.
The Vikings are 25th in EPA defense (-2.9), 27th in yards allowed per game (394.5) and 26th in yards per game (6.0). This team was simply outplayed by the Eagles in Week 2, let the Detroit Lions take a 14-0 lead on them before pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback in Week 3, then allowed Andy Dalton and a New Orleans Saints team. who didn’t have Alvin Kamara or Michael Thomas to stay in London. The Vikings are a solid team, but I don’t see them as a competitor.
The Packers have won 13 games in each of the past three seasons, but are 2-3 in the playoffs in that span. They’ve been beaten twice in the NFC Championship Game in the past three seasons, and last year they were upset by the 49ers as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. This offseason, the Packers offense lost a huge chunk in wide star Davante Adams, which still gives me pause when it comes to assessing their ceiling in 2022.
The Packers have the NFL’s No. 6 offense at the start of Week 5, although that’s largely down to Aaron Jones (408 scrimmage yards) and AJ Dillon (280 scrimmage yards). Green Bay actually has the No. 16 passing offense in the NFL, as the Packers average 232.5 passing yards per game. The Packers are also averaging just 18.8 points per game this season, which is the fewest points they have averaged over four games since 2006! He ranks 21st in the NFL.
I will say that I really like this Packers defense, and it will be the reason why Green Bay repeats itself as the NFC North champion. At receiver, Allen Lazard is usable and I’m thrilled with what Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are capable of, but Aaron Rodgers lacks that clear No. 1 he can rely on to orchestrate a game-winning practice. The Packers will make the playoffs, but how much of a threat are they really to winning a Super Bowl? If they sign Odell Beckham Jr., I’ll take them from suitors to suitors.
New York Giants
You have to credit the Giants for their impressive start to 2022. I think that’s one of the big headlines of the NFL season so far. New York is 3-1 in four games for the first time since 2011, when it won the Super Bowl. Brian Daboll is the first Giants head coach to start 3-1 or better since Tom Coughlin did it in 2004. Saquon Barkley is the main reason for the Giants’ early season success as he leads the NFL rushing with 463 yards. Additionally, the Giants lead everyone in rushing with 770 yards.
There are still questions around quarterback Daniel Jones, the offensive line and of course the wide receiving body. Unfortunately for the Giants, they are the third-best team in their own division, which means they fall into the “contender” category here. That said, Daboll’s rental looks great, and this franchise is on the right track.
