Of the 32 NFL teams, a dozen are still without a Super Bowl title.
Sure, some have championships predating Super Sunday. The Cardinals won it all in 1925 and ’47. The Lions and Browns dominated the ’50s, winning six rings between them. In the American Football League, the Bills, Chargers and Oilers—now Titans—combined for five titles in the early ’60s.
Yet by Super Bowl standards, those six are part of a group along with the Vikings, Jaguars, Texans, Panthers, Falcons and Bengals in their quest for a Lombardi Trophy.
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Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Coming into this season, which are the best bets to finally break through and what is the path forward? Let’s break them down.
Atlanta Falcons
Coach Arthur Smith is widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the league, and now he has a defense bolstered by multiple additions up front, including David Onyemata and Calais Campbell.
In a weak NFC South, the Falcons could take control. Of course, the big question is at quarterback with veteran Taylor Heinicke and second-year man Desmond Ridder being the options. For Atlanta to make a playoff run, Ridder must live up to his potential.
Arizona Cardinals
Let’s be honest and admit this is a rebuilding year for the Cardinals and likely the first of a few. The best-case scenario is Arizona bottoms out with first-year coach Jonathan Gannon, finishes with the top pick in the 2024 draft and lands either USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
If that happens, the Cardinals can move off Kyler Murray and reset an organization struggling to find consistency since its inception more than 100 years ago.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have been very close to reaching their first Super Bowl since 1993 over the past three years, losing twice to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium before being rudely bounced by the Bengals in the divisional round in January.
For Buffalo, the big questions are the health of edge rusher Von Miller and whether the coaching staff can help quarterback Josh Allen navigate critical points in games. Last year, the Bills had far too many mistakes in the red zone. If Buffalo can eliminate those errors, its talent stacks up with anybody.
Carolina Panthers
It’s a new day in Charlotte. The Panthers had one of the league’s best offseasons, adding coach Frank Reich, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, receiver Adam Thielen, running back Miles Sanders and the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, quarterback Bryce Young.
Again, the NFC South is wide open. There’s real reason to believe Carolina could make a move and reach the postseason for the first time since 2017. While no rookie signal-caller has ever reached the Super Bowl, perhaps Young can take advantage of a bad division and weak conference.
Cincinnati Bengals
Of all the teams listed here, the Bengals have the best shot. They’ve reached the past two AFC title games and split those affairs with the Chiefs. Bringing back most of their core from last year, Cincinnati remains loaded offensively led by the trio of quarterback Joe Burrow, and receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
As important, few teams are better coached. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is arguably the best at his craft, mixing coverages and disguising blitz packages to harass even the best opponents. The Bengals are going to once again be a handful and along with Kansas City should be considered the favorites to come out of the AFC.
Cleveland Browns
In 2020, Deshaun Watson was phenomenal for the Texans, throwing for a league-high 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions. However, after sitting out the ’21 season amidst legal issues and a trade request, Watson returned from suspension last year to play six games with Cleveland and struggled.
If the Browns are going to challenge in the tough AFC North, it begins with Watson reestablishing himself as a top-flight quarterback. From there, Cleveland needs to improve defensively, specifically in additional pass rush alongside edge rusher Myles Garrett and on the outside wherever corner Denzel Ward is not.
Detroit Lions
For the first time in decades, the Lions have realistic designs on winning the NFC North and hosting a playoff game. The last time those things happened? 1993. Under third-year coach Dan Campbell, Detroit is loaded with offensive talent led by quarterback Jared Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Lions loaded up defensively this offseason with corners Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, along with star safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Detroit should also be a force up front, paced by second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who posted 9.5 sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a rookie.
Houston Texans
The Texans have far more questions than answers, now working under their fourth coach in as many years, DeMeco Ryans. The offseason was largely about the draft, as Houston didn’t sign anybody of note. In short, the reset continues.
All that said, the Texans have some young talents to build off in rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., running back Dameon Pierce, safety Jalen Pitre and corner Derek Stingley Jr. If this draft class can provide more talent as the 2022 group did, Houston could make significant progress.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence took off last season in his first year under coach Doug Pederson, throwing for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading Jacksonville to the AFC South and a wild-card win over the Chargers.
The Jaguars are the runaway favorite to repeat as division champions. Now the attention turns to whether they can run with the Chiefs, Bengals and Bills in the AFC. The x-factors for this could be a contract year for edge rusher Josh Allen and the return of receiver Calvin Ridley, who is coming off a one-year suspension for gambling on NFL games.
L.A. Chargers
Despite myriad talent across Los Angeles’s roster, the Chargers have consistently crumbled in big moments, whether it was the Week 18 elimination game against the Raiders two years ago or the loss in Jacksonville last year after leading 27–0 in the wild-card round.
For Los Angeles, winning the AFC West starts with handling the Chiefs. In Herbert’s career, he’s 2–4 against Kansas City, with one of those victories coming in a backup-laden Week 17 tilt. Additionally, the Chargers need to stay healthy, something which has eluded them for years. If they find answers in those two areas, they could contend for a Super Bowl.
Minnesota Vikings
Last year, the Vikings ranked tied for 29th in yards per play against (5.9). The unit was lit up in Minnesota’s wild-card loss to the Giants, allowing 31 points and 431 yards under former coordinator Ed Donatell. With Brian Flores stepping into that role, how great will the improvement be?
If the Vikings can field an average defense, the offense should be formidable behind All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson and rookie receiver Jordan Addison. Entering the final year of his deal, quarterback Kirk Cousins has the weapons. The big question is whether Cousins can perform in big moments.
Tennessee Titans
With new general manager Ran Carthon in charge, a youth movement is in full swing for the Titans. After moving on from veteran offensive linemen Nate Davis and Taylor Lewan, along with edge rusher Bud Dupree, Tennessee is fixing its salary cap and resetting the roster.
In Nashville, this season is about playing stingy defense to keep games close while allowing running back Derrick Henry to win late with his legs. Still, this is a limited team hoping to see its youth improve, specifically receiver Treylon Burks and corners Kristian Fulton, Caleb Farley and Roger McCreary.
