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Earlier this week we asked you which 2021 playoff teams you thought would NOT make it back to the playoffs in 2022, and the voting showed four strong candidates. Oddly for a Cowboys blog, the Cowboys led the vote with 35%, followed by the Cardinals (26%), Eagles (18%) and 49ers (13%). You’ve got to wonder whether the recent Jason Peters signing would change the tally for the Cowboys, but that’s perhaps a question for another day.
Which brings us to today’s question: Which new teams do you expect to make the playoffs for the NFC this season?
The following nine teams are candidates to make the playoffs in 2022 after failing to make the playoffs in 2021; I’ve ranked the teams by their Super Bowl odds, and I’ve included The Athletic’s 2022 win projection for each team, along with each teams’ record in 2021.
| Team | Super Bowl Odds | Athletic Proj. Wins (NFL Rank) |
2021 Record |
| New Orleans | +4000 | 9.4 (14th) | 9-8 |
| Minnesota | +4000 | 9.7 (11th) | 8-9 |
| Washington | +8000 | 8.2 (22nd) | 7-10 |
| NY Giants | +10000 | 6.6 (26th) | 4-13 |
| Carolina | +12500 | 7.5 (23rd) | 5-12 |
| Detroit | +12500 | 6.9 (25th) | 3-13-1 |
| Chicago | +15000 | 5.9 (29th) | 6-11 |
| Seattle | +20000 | 6.0 (28th) | 7-10 |
| Atlanta | +25000 | 5.8 (30th) | 7-10 |
For your reference, the Cowboys have +2000 Super Bowl odds (ranked 10th) and The Athletic projects 10.6 wins for them, the third-best value in the league.
We’ll put all nine teams up for a vote below, even if the chances of some teams appear to be pretty slim. In previous years, 10 wins have usually meant a playoff berth, but with the expanded playoff field, nine wins may be enough (both #7 seeds last year had nine wins). Though for many of the teams above, improving to nine wins will likely be quite a challenge, let alone making it all the way to the Super Bowl.
Who’s your pick to make it back to the playoffs this season after not making it last year?
Place your vote in the attached poll. If you can’t see the poll on your device, feel free to leave your take in the comments section below.
Poll
Which new teams do you expect to make the playoffs for the NFC this season?
This poll is closed
-
34%
New Orleans
(190 votes) -
41%
Minnesota
(231 votes) -
1%
Washington
(11 votes) -
1%
NY Giants
(7 votes) -
8%
Carolina
(48 votes) -
7%
Detroit
(39 votes) -
2%
Chicago
(12 votes) -
0%
Seattle
(4 votes) -
1%
Atlanta
(10 votes)
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