Sports Illustrated September 2022

THE BENGALS’ making the Super Bowl after going 4-11-1 in 2020 could be written off as a once-in-adecade type run, but it could also be telling us that teams can rise and fall quickly in the modern NFL. I didn’t have Cincinnati on my list of possible champs last year—or Tampa Bay in ’20, for that matter. So in an effort to look less silly, in addition to these dozen teams that could actually win Super Bowl LVII, I’m allowing myself a 13th entry: the Eagles. 1. BILLS (+650 TO WIN SUPER BOWL) I feel like I’ve said this 1,000 times this offseason, but I’ll say it again: I see no holes in this roster. The biggest challenge for the Bills will be to replicate the play-calling rhythm of departed offensive coordinator…

1. BRONCOS AT SEAHAWKS Sept. 12 The first Monday-night game of the season will have revenge as its theme. Russell Wilson (near right), after 10 years as the Seahawks’ quarterback, returns to Seattle and the scene of his messy divorce from coach Pete Carroll (far right). 2. PACKERS AT BUCCANEERS Sept. 25 I am not a fan of describing games as QB vs. QB. But we’re really and truly running out of chances to see Tom Brady play against other elite quarterbacks—and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers certainly fits that bill. 3. CHIEFS AT BUCCANEERS Oct. 2 The last time we saw these teams on the same field, Patrick Mahomes was frantically trying to evade the Buccaneers’ pass rush in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs’ rebuilt offensive line is a direct response to how bad it…

PERHAPS THE MOST improbable under-the-radar stat put up by Josh Allen last year was his record calling coin tosses. The Bills quarterback was a perfect 9–0 in the regular season. But in the playoffs against the Chiefs, he went cold. First he was wrong on the opening toss. In overtime, he was unlucky again, and that cost his team dearly. Kansas City took the kickoff and drove for a touchdown, depriving Allen, who threw for 329 yards and four scores that day, of the chance to even touch the ball in OT. In the spring, the NFL changed the rules for playoff overtime; now each team is guaranteed at least one possession before sudden death kicks in. (The old format will still apply in the regular season: A TD on the…

TEN YEARS ago, amid concussion concerns, the NFL forbade teams from using more than one helmet, thinking that the fewer helmets the players needed to be fitted for, the better. This year the NFL will again allow teams a second helmet design for use with their throwback or color rush schemes. The Texans unveiled a bright alternate (above). The Patriots will welcome back their tricorne-wearing mascot of yore. And the Panthers will try an all-black look. “Whenever a team wears … black accessories,” edge Brian Burns told the team website, “it just brings out that dog in them.”…

1 WILL ANDERSON JR. Edge, Alabama NFL teams crave edge rushers, and Anderson (an NCAA-high 17Π sacks in 2021) is college’s best. 2 C.J. STROUD QB, Ohio State As a redshirt freshman last year, Stroud set 17 Buckeyes records at a school that’s had some good QBs. 3 JALEN CARTER DT, Georgia More than a few people like Carter more than former linemate Travon Walker, last year’s top pick. 4 BRYCE YOUNG QB, Alabama The defending Heisman winner may be only six feet tall, but he has a big arm and shiftiness to burn. 5 BRYAN BRESEE DT, Clemson The nation’s top recruit in 2020 will play hungry this year in his return from an ACL injury. 6 MICHAEL MAYER TE, Notre Dame The junior already owns Irish tight end records for receptions and yards in a season—and he can block. 7…

JASON KELCE Eagles Center His Mummers-inspired (and perhaps Bud Light–fueled) Super Bowl parade speech in 2018 may have placed him on our collective radar as a beyond-football personality, but the truth is that Kelce (left) has always been a thoughtful, deeply insightful individual who just so happens to play football. ANDREW WHITWORTH Former Offensive Tackle The longtime Ram and Bengal knows how to walk the line between polish and humility, and he is a big presence with a bear hug of a Southern accent that would grow on viewers over time. NDAMUKONG SUH Free-agent Defensive Tackle Suh regularly delivers fascinating insights on the intricacies of line play. He once described how watching Animal Planet made him a better player. MALCOLM JENKINS Former Safety Jenkins appeared on CNN as a political commentator after becoming the face of efforts…