There are two things I am cursed with in this life (red hair is not a curse ok) – 1). something going wrong with my food order at a restaurant, e.g., completely wrong order, it’s late, they are all out of hollandaise sauce, etc. etc. 2). my bets lose in the most miraculous ways. So,  here are my detailed predictions for Super Bowl LVI champion, AFC & NFC winners. I will quick fire list my prediction for each divisional winner as well. Alternatively, you can set your money on fire or throw it down the train. Wait until you see my hot take for my AFC Champion.

I was also going to review all my player predictions in this issue, but it was getting long AF. My player bets will come in Issue 4.

Super Bowl LVI & NFC Champs – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I can picture it, it’s February 13th, 2022, and Tom Brady is lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy yet again. Non-Brady fans leave out a collective sigh. The old dog in the new Sofi stadium gets the job done yet again. Analysts have given up saying that he is over the hill. Max Kellerman’s career has been a train wreck since he said Brady’s game had fallen off a cliff in 2016 (Brady has had a full Hall of Fame career since then, winning three Super Bowls, a league MVP and two Super Bowl MVPs). Some of my key reasons for their return to the Super Bowl are as follows.

1. They resigned all 22 of their starters, which is generally unheard of. This only means good things. The Bucs made a slow start to the 2021 season, with a X-X record after x games. The team needed time to gel and build chemistry amongst their current and new starters. With a full year and a chip under their belt, they should hit the ground running and go all the way.
2. The addition of Joe Tyron-Shoyinka through the draft. The 22-year-old, Washington Edge rusher has put on a clinic so far in his two preseason games, logging one tackle, two assists and a sack in the first half against the Titans. Adding depth to the Edge position will allow Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre Paul to save some of the heat for the post season. Tryon-Shoyinka is definitely a star in the making.
3. Thomas Edward Patrick Brady. Enough said.

No team has repeated as champion since the Patriots did it in 2003-04, when Tom Brady was under centre, but no champion has ever managed to bring back all 22 of their starters either. It’s very hard to look past a team of their quality, experience and desire.

Honourable mention – San Francisco 49ers.

The 2020 NFC winners were ravaged with injuries in their 6-10, 2020-21 campaign. Nick Bosa and George Kittle are now back fully healthy, which is a huge boost. The progress of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk at WR is hugely promising and the addition of new pieces like Trey Sermon should mean a strong bounce back this season. The 49ers will probably start slow and pick up speed as they go, so I see them making it through to the playoffs as a wild card but going all the way to the NFC Championship game, if they don’t meet the Bucs before that.

AFC Winners – Cleveland Browns

Please try not to throw your phone/laptop out the window after reading that section title, but I have the Browns to win the AFC Championship. THE BROWNS LIKE. But stay with me for a little bit. I actually can’t believe I am writing this, but here are my reasons for this hot take.

1. The Browns had their best season in decades in 2020-21, finishing with an 11-5 record in the regular season, making the playoffs as a wild card team. This is a serious improvement on their 2019-20 season, where they finished with a 6-10 record. They are on the up.
2. Kevan Stefanski and his coaching staff. The 2020 Coach of the Year, Stefanski lead the Browns to their first winning record since 2007, during his first year at the helm. Another year under his belt, some key players returning and the reduced chance of COVID hampering the team’s development and progress, and you can see him working even more magic this year. Another quick point to add, the Browns have one of the greatest O-Line coaches ever in Bill Callahan. Callahan has been a member of an offensive staff that has finished in the top five in the NFL in rushing or passing 11 times. The Browns finna pound that rock and be coached well, very well this coming season.
3. Defensive Upgrades. The Browns defence was bad in 2020-21, finishing as the 21^st ranked defence. The Browns added Jadeveon Clowney during the offseason, and his addition is huge for two reasons. Number one, he is a decent pass rusher. Not overly special, but definitely in the opposition team’s considerations. Number two, he is going to allow Myles Garrett to flourish. Garrett hasn’t had a decent number two pass rusher with him in his career so far, so teams have been able to focus their entire attention on him. This year is different, and with Garrett back to full fitness, following his struggle with COVID-19, they have an excellent pass rushing defence. Additionally, the Browns got an absolute steal in the 2021 draft, securing Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with the 52nd pick. JOK was talked about as clear cut first round pick leading up to the draft, but somehow fell to the second round. JOK made national headlines with his play as a junior, winning the Butkus Award as the country’s top line-backer, so he is definitely a well needed upgrade at the position. Finally, the addition of John Johnson III at safety and Greg Newsome at corner should help fill some glaring gaps in the secondary.
4. Insane offensive talent. One of the best O-Lines in the league, a bruising running game in the form of the dynamic Chubb and Hunt duo, Beckham Jr returning from injury and decent all round skill position players in Austin Hooper and Jarvis Landry has the Browns looking scary on offence, complimenting the improvements of defence, making them an extremely promising proposition to make the Super Bowl in 2022.

In order to win the AFC Championship, the Browns will need to beat the Chiefs. In 2020-21, they lost to the Chiefs in the divisional round, 22-17. The Browns bled points in the second quarter, losing that period 13-0. If they can get off the mark a little quicker this year when they meet, they have as good a chance as anyone in beating Mahomes and his crew.

Honourable mention – Kansas City Chiefs

It’s very hard to look past the Chiefs, as they have the best QB in the league, but they have had serious turnover with their O-Line, introducing eight new linemen to the roster. The Bucs blew out the Chiefs O-Line in the last Super Bowl, so only time will tell if the new one will hold up any better. Some experts have slight doubts.

Divisional Winners

AFC North – Cleveland Browns

AFC South – Tennessee Titans

AFC West – Kansas City Chiefs

AFC East – Buffalo Bills

NFC North – Green Bay Packers

NFC South – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West – Los Angeles Rams

NFC East – Washington Football Team

Now that you have my predictions for all of my Divisional and Conference winners, as well as my pick for Super Bowl LVI champion, it’s probably best to go out and back anyone but them.

As mentioned in the introduction, Issue 4 will look at my picks for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Muchas gracias.

J