So, the 2022 NFL regular season is in the books. It was an eventful 18 weeks that saw a whole host of upsets and shocks and the current champions, the LA Rams, not even making the postseason at all.
As fans across the world start to get ready with their online Super Bowl bets, here is a guide to where we are now – and what to expect from the next month and a half of playoff American football. It looks like anything could happen this season, so get ready for some exciting weekends coming up.
Number One Seeds
It wasn't quite as predicted at the start of the season. But we have the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one teams in the AFC and NFC respectively. The Chiefs came past a rocky start to end up with a 14-3 record, while the Eagles went eight games unbeaten to slow down towards the end of the season to finish with their own 14-3 record.Two losses in the last three games for Philly has seen their odds lengthen, as American football fans begin to believe that the good times are about to end. The Eagles will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but it is the AFC teams that are now thought to have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl.
Surprise Teams
It was always going to be a long shot for the Rams to win back-to-back Super Bowls. After all, no team has managed that since the New England Patriots in the 2004 season. But not even making it to the playoffs was a little surprising. Having the 49ers and the Seahawks in their division is tough, but just five wins all year is a huge disappointment for the reigning champs.Good results for the two New York teams were something of a surprise too, after years of mostly abject failure. Only the Giants sneaked into the postseason in the end – but they will fancy their chances against Minnesota. That's because the Vikings have won almost every game this season by a single score. There are huge questions over whether they can go any further – even playing at home in January.
The other shock was the Titans relinquishing the AFC South to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee have won the division for the past two years and were 7-3 at one point. But seven straight losses mean it will miss out on the playoffs. There is one team in the postseason with a losing regular season record though. Tampa Bay made it as winners of the NFC South. Who now would put it past Tom Brady to take the Bucs all the way?
Home Field Advantage and a Possible Neutral Site
So if Philly make it to the Super Bowl, they will have had the good fortune of playing two playoff games at the intimidating Lincoln Financial Field. The weather can be pretty cold there for teams used to a warmer climate – and if the snow doesn't get at you, the Eagles fans surely will.But Kansas City already know that they will only get to play one postseason game at Arrowhead Stadium this year. Because of the awful incident at the Bills-Bengals game in week 16, where Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field, the game was cancelled. Because home field advantage is such a big thing when it comes to the playoffs, it has been agreed that any potential AFC Championship game between the Bills and the Chiefs will be played at a neutral site. That's because Buffalo may well have been the number one team in the AFC had they been able to finish the game and win.
