Super Bowl LVI MVP – Rams’ Cooper Kupp
Completes Generational Performance
Eighth Wide Receiver to be named MVP

Rams’ Cooper Kupp capped off a breakout season with an MVP performance in Super Bowl LVI. Kupp’s 1-yard TD reception with 1:25 left became the winning score in the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Bengals. He was justifiably named Super Bowl MVP after catching 8 of 10 targets for 92 yards and two TDs. He became only the eighth receiver to win Super Bowl MVP. QB Matthew Stafford finished 2^nd in the balloting while DT Aaron Donald finished 3^rd in the award. Stafford threw 3 TD passes and orchestrated a brilliant game plan with savvy throwing and good decision making. Donald was invisible the first three quarters being regularly double teamed, but came on late with two big sacks to close the victory.

Draft Insiders’ predicted a Rams Super Bowl victory prior to the start of the 2021 season in our 2021 forecast

On the game winning drive, Kupp also converted a fourth-and-1 with an 8-yard run on a jet sweep with five minutes left. It was probably the critical play of the game. He caught four passes for 34 yards on the Rams’ game-winning drive. Earlier, he also caught an 11-yard TD reception early in the second quarter gave the Rams a 13-3 lead.

Kupp won by the NFL’s most prolific offensive player off a rare generational 2021 triple statistic performance of receptions, yardage and TDs. He recently became the first wide receiver to receive a regular season MVP vote since Randy Moss in 1998. He finished third behind Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, the latter of whom won his fourth MVP award and 2nd in a row. rd.

The veteran 28 year-old receiver led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and TD receptions during the regular season. His 147 receptions and 1,947 receiving yards were the second-highest regular-season totals in league history. He became the first receiver in league history to surpass 2,000 receiving yards in a season during the Rams’ win over the Cardinals in the wild card round of the playoffs. In 21 games this season, including the postseason, he totaled 178 receptions for 2,425 yards and 22 TDs. He was the catalyst on an injured receiving corps that lost vet Robert Woods early in the season and late addition Odell Beckham who was injured in the first half of the Super Bowl. Kupp’s production helped deliver the Rams’ first Super Bowl win as a Los Angeles-based team.

Kupp won the wide receiver triple crown as he led the league in catches (145), yards receiving (1,947) and touchdowns (16). He averaged 114.5 yards per game, which was also tops in the league. His run after the catch ability is incredible with both speed and power to break tackles and run away from defenders.

NFL Draft 2022 – 1st Round Mock Draft -3.0

Feb Newsletter – available now
* Underclassmen –   Selection order after Super Bowl   

All underclassmen had until Jan. 17th to declare for the NFL Draft 2022. Players had three days to rescind their decision and return to school and still retain their college eligibility. No underclassmen rescind their decision.

Special Package Offer available – Order Today

1st Round
#   Team           W/L      St Sch      Player        Pos      Ht/Wt      School
1 Jacksonville             3-14      .512           Aidan Hutchinson      DE       6-6/265             Michigan
2 Detroit                     3-13-1   .528          Kyle Hamilton            S          6-4/220             Notre Dame
3 Houston                   4-13      .498          Kayvon Thibodeaux   DE       6-5/260             Oregon
4 NY Jets                    4-13      .512          George Karlaftis        DE       6-4/275             Purdue
5 NY Giants                4-13      .529          Ikem Ekwonu            OT        6-4/320             N. Carolina St
6 Carolina                   5-12      .512          Kenny Pickett            QB       6-3/220             Pittsburgh
7 NY Giants (Chicago) 6-11      .524          Derek Stingley           CB        6-1/195             LSU
8 Atlanta                     7-10      .476          Drake London            WR       6-5/210             USC
9 Denver                     7-10      .484          Devin Lloyd               ILB       6-3/235             Utah
10 NY Jets (Seattle)       7-10      .519          Tyler Linderbaum      C          6-3/290             Iowa
11 Washington              7-10      .529          Matt Corral                QB       6-1/205             Mississippi
12 Minnesota                8-9        .507          Jermaine Johnson     DE       6-5/265             Florida State
13 Cleveland               8-9        .517          Charles Cross         OT        6-5/310           Mississippi St
14 Baltimore                 8-9        .528          Evan Neal                 OT        6-7/350             Alabama
15 Phil (Miami)              9-8        .464          Nakobe Dean            ILB       6-0/225             Georgia
16 Phil (Indianapolis)     9-8        .495        Garrett Wilson           WR       6-0/190             Ohio State
17 LA Chargers             9-8        .510          David Ojabo              DE       6-5/250             Michigan
18 New Orleans             9-8        .512          Malik Willis                QB       6-1/220             Liberty
19 Philadelphia             9-8        .472          DeMarvin Leal           DT        6-4/290             Texas A&M
20 Pittsburgh                9-7-1     .521          Ahmad Gardner         CB        6-3/200             Cincinnati
21 New England            10-7      .481          Christian Harris         ILB       6-2/235             Alabama
22 Las Vegas                10-7      .510          Treylon Burks            WR       6-3/225             Arkansas
23 Arizona                    11-6      .490          Kenyon Green           OG       6-4/325             Texas A&M
24 Dallas                      12-5      .491          Jordan Davis             DT        6-6/340             Georgia
25 Buffalo                    11-6      .472          Jahan Dotson            WR       5-11/185            Penn State
26 Tennessee            12-5      .472          Trevor Penning          OT        6-7/320          Northern Iowa
27 Tampa Bay              13-4      .460          Roger McCreary        CB        6-0/190             Auburn
28 Green Bay                13-4      .479          Jameson Williams      WR       6-2/190             Alabama
29 Miami (San Fran)      10-7      .500       Andrew Booth           CB        6-0/195             Clemson
30 Kansas City              12-5      .538          Travon Walker           DE        6-5/280             Georgia
31 Cincinnati               10-7      .472       Bernhard Raimann     OT       6-6/305           C. Michigan
32 Detroit (LA Rams)     12-5      .483          Perrion Winfrey         DT        6-4/305             Oklahoma

NFL Draft 2022 Selection Order – The Jaguars are ‘On the Clock’ (Again)!

Rams Win Super Bowl LVI and will select last in each round

Jaguars Lions, Texans, Jets & Giants Hold Current Top 5 Selections
Eagles Hold Three #1 Selections,
Giants & Jets Hold Two #1 Draft Choices

The Jacksonville Jaguars are ‘On the Clock’ with the first overall selection for the NFL Draft 2022. They earned the top overall draft choice again currently off a horrible 3-14 record. Rookie head coach Urban Meyer was fired in early December. Their recent overall draft decisions have been weak.

Detroit currently holds the 2nd overall selection off a poor 3-13-1 record with the Texans, Jets and Giants completing the top five selections. There is a logjam with nine clubs between 4-13, 7-10 and 9-8 that will impact the top selections.

Draft Insiders’ Feb Newsletter available now. NFL Draft Yearbook part of Special Package Offer

Jets (#4 & #10) and Giants (#5 & #7) hold two first round picks each with both top ten selections. The Eagles hold three #1 selections (#15, 16 & 19) with all from the middle of the round back.

A teams’ opponent’s W-L record will determine all tie situations. Teams that are still tied will flip though none necessary this year. Playoff teams will shuffle according to their postseason results to determine the final top 32 selections.

NFL teams look to both the veteran Free Agency period and the NFL Draft 2022 to improve their rosters. The salary cap went up significantly after a year with a reduced cap per team. It will dictate the movement of many veteran players this offseason and have an impact among the premier draft selections.

Rams win Super Bowl LVI and will draft last in each round. They traded their first three selections in deals for veterans who helped them win the Super Bowl. They will receive a #3 compensatory selection beyond #96.

                            NFL Draft 2022 – April 28-30 – Las Vegas, Nevada

First Round Selection Order
# Team          W-L / Opp W-L %

1 Jacksonville 3-14 .512
2 Detroit 3-13-1 .528
3 Houston 4-13 .498
4 NY Jets 4-13 .512
5 NY Giants 4-13 .529
6 Carolina 5-12 .512
7 NY Giants (Chicago) 6-11 .524
8 Atlanta 7-10 .476
9 Denver 7-10 .484
10 NY Jets (Seattle) 7-10 .519
11 Washington 7-10 .529
12 Minnesota 8-9 .507
13 Cleveland 8-9 .517
14 Baltimore 8-9 .528
15 Philadelphia (Miami) 9-8 .464
16 Philadelphia (Indianapolis) 9-8 .495
17 LA Chargers 9-8 .510
18 New Orleans 9-8 .512
19 Philadelphia 9-8 .472
20 Pittsburgh 9-7-1 .521
21 New England 10-7 .481
22 Las Vegas 10-7 .510
23 Arizona 11-6 .490
24 Dallas 12-5 .491
25 Buffalo 11-6 .472
26 Tennessee 12-5 .472
27 Tampa Bay 13-4 .460
28 Green Bay 13-4 .479
29 Miami (San Fran) 10-7 .500
30 Kansas City 12-5 .538
31 Cincinnati 10-7 .472
32 Detroit (LA Rams) 12-5 .483

NFL Combine 2022 – Invitation List

The NFL released the list of players invited to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. A total of 324 prospects are invited to attend this year’s combine, which will take place in Indianapolis from March 1 through March 7.

Expect several changes over the next few weeks related to health, Covid or weather. NFL Network will carry the complete NFL Combine 2022.

Draft Insiders’ will have extensive NFL Combine reports in March Newsletter and our 2022 NFL Draft Yearbook.

Newsletters – Feb, Jan & Dec Available Now
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NFL Combine 2022 – Invited Players

https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-scouting-combine-full-list-of-invited-prospects

Tom Brady Retires After Incredible 22 Year Career

From #199 to the GOAT

The amazing QB Tom Brady ended his NFL career after a record setting 22 year stay which included 7 Super Bowl titles along with 5 game MVP awards in two stops with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Bucs. The 44-year-old Buc QB Tom Brady stated that he owes time to his wife and children after a final run for the title. Retirement writing was on the wall for the GOAT after the Bucs lost in the divisional playoffs to the Rams. The greatest of all time made it official today, concluding an unparalleled career.

After being selected in the 6th round as the #199 overall draft choice in the NFL Draft 2000, Brady set virtually every QB record, Super Bowl wins, career victories, passing yards, TDs and playoff wins and divisional titles. He spent his first 20 seasons with the Patriots under HC Bill Belichick that includes 6 Super Bowl titles. He began as a 4^th string QB before moving up the ranks and earning starting time when Drew Bledsoe was injured by a late hit that cost him the rest of his season and eventually his starting job. Brady led the Pats to an upset SB win over the St. Louis Rams that began the legacy that arguably has transformed him into the greatest NFL player in history.

His short two-year career in Tampa, began with a 6-2 start that set the ground work for another playoff run including winning the NFC title in Green Bay before beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. He returned in 2021 to win another unprecedented divisional title with a performance of over 5300 yards passing and 43 TD tosses.

He completes his career with 3 season MVP awards, 15 time Pro Bowler and the only player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in three decades. His 7 Super Bowl victories in 10 appearances may stand for decades. Interesting in his three Super Bowl losses, he left the field (2x against the Giants and once vs Eagles) with a late 4^th quarter lead, only for the vaulted Patriots defense to fail at the close. In 2007, he led the Patriots to a perfect 16-0 record along with a record 50 TD passes at the time. Their dream of perfection ended in SB XVII with Eli Manning’s late game dramatics for a crushing disappointing 17-14 loss.

His statistics are amazing and ranks #1 in NFL history in completions (7,263), pass attempts (11,317), yards (84,520), passing TDs (624), starts (316), QB wins (243), Pro Bowl nods (15), and Super Bowl MVPs (five). In addition, Brady led the NFL in TD passes five times (2002, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2021), the most such seasons by any player in NFL history.

His 2021 performance is beyond belief for anyone, let alone a 44-year old QB. He threw for 5316 yards with 43 TD passes along with 485 completions. He led the Bucs to their first AFC South title since 2007. In his final game, he led the Bucs vs the Rams to recover from a 27-3 deficit only to lose to a game winning FG at the buzzer. This season, he ranks with Aaron Rodgers in the two-man MVP award chase.

His postseason performances are even more incredible with no rivals in every critical category. No QB comes remotely close to his playoff success. In his 22-season career, he made 19 appearances, started 47 games, earned 35 wins, 10 Super Bowl appearances, seven Super Bowl wins, 1,165 postseason completions, 13,049 postseason passing yards, 86 postseason passing TDs with the most 3 TD passing games, in addition to 14 game-winning drives, and nine fourth-quarter comebacks, all most in NFL history.

Brady leaves at the top of the game with accomplishments that no 44-year old athlete even dreams about. Only a few rare athletes were able to accomplish retiring at their peak – Roger Staubach, John Elway, Jimmy Brown and Barry Sanders on the elite short list.

NFL Draft 2022 – First Round Mock Draft  2.0

January, 2022
* Underclassmen – Pre-Senior & East-West All-Star Games

All underclassmen had until Jan. 17^th to declare for the NFL Draft. Players have three days to rescind their decision.
x – Playoff teams will finalize their positions after each postseason round.

1st Round

  #         Team            W/L          Player                      Pos      Ht/WT    School  Class
1         Jacksonville      2-14      Kayvon Thibodeaux       DE       6-5/260             Oregon             Jr
2         Detroit              2-13-1   Aidan Hutchinson            DE       6-6/265             Michigan           Jr
3         Houston            4-12      Kenny Pickett                  QB       6-3/220             Pittsburgh       Sr
4         Jets                  4-12      Derek Stingley                   CB        6-1/195             LSU          Jr
5         Giants               4-12      Kyle Hamilton                  S          6-4/220             Notre Dame    Jr
6         Carolina            5-11      Evan Neal                          OT        6-7/350             Alabama        Jr
7         NY Giants (Chic) 6-11    George Karlaftis             DE       6-4/275             Purdue             Jr
8         Atlanta              7-10      David Ojabo                     DE       6-5/250             Michigan     RSoph
9         Denver              7-10      Matt Corral                        QB       6-2/205          Mississippi     Jr
10         NY Jets (Seattle) 7-10    DeMarvin Leal               DT        6-4/290             Texas A&M       Jr
11         Washington       7-10      Garrett Wilson                WR       6-0/190             Ohio State        Jr
12         Minnesota         8-9        Nakobe Dean                 ILB       6-0/225             Georgia          Jr
13         Cleveland          8-9        Ikem Ekwonu                 OT        6-4/320            North Carolina St Jr
14         Baltimore          8-9        Tyler Linderbaum          C          6-3/290             Iowa          Jr
15         Phil (Miami)       9-8        Devin Lloyd                   ILB       6-3/235             Utah          Sr
16         Phil (Indianapolis) 9-8    Charles Cross               OT        6-5/310          Mississippi St  RSoph
17         LA Chargers      9-8        Kaiir Elam                      CB        6-2/195             Florida       Jr
18         New Orleans     9-8        Andrew Booth               CB        6-0/195             Clemson           Jr
19       Philadelphia      9-8        Treylon Burks                WR       6-3/225             Arkansas          Jr
20       Pittsburgh         9-8-1     Kenyon Green               OG       6-4/325             Texas A&M       Jr
21       New England    10-7      Nicholas Petit-Frere      OT        6-5/315             Ohio State        Jr
22       Las Vegas        10-7      Jameson Williams         WR       6-2/190             Alabama           Jr
23       Arizona             11-6     Kenneth Walker             RB        5-11/210            Michigan State Jr
24       Dallas               12-5      Bernhard Raimann        OT        6-7/305             C. Michigan       Sr
25       Buffalo             11-6      Christian Harris              ILB       6-2/235             Alabama        Jr
26       Tennessee        12-5      Drake Jackson              OLB      6-4/250             Southern Cal     Jr
27       Tampa Bay       13-4      Jahan Dotson                WR       5-11/185            Penn State        Sr
28       Green Bay        13-4      Chris Olave                    WR       6-1/190             Ohio State        Sr
29x       Miami (San Fran) 10-7   Jordan Davis             DT        6-6/340             Georgia            Sr
30x       Cincinnati          10-7      Ahmad Gardner         CB        6-3/200             Cincinnati          Jr
31x       Detroit (Rams)   12-5      Drake London            WR       6-5/210             Southern Cal     Jr
32x       Kansas City      12-5      Isaiah Spiller                 RB        6-1/215             Texas A&M   Jr

NFL Draft 2022 – Underclassmen Pro Prospects

NFL Office Announces 73 Players Granted Special Eligibility for NFL Draft

NFL.com

Each of the players listed below have met the league’s three-year eligibility rule and have renounced their college football eligibility by submitting written notification to the league office on or before the January 17th deadline.  Consequently, they are eligible for selection

The list of 73 players granted special eligibility for entry to the 2022 NFL Draft was released by the NFL on Friday.

Each of the players granted special eligibility has met the league’s three-year eligibility rule and has submitted to a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was Jan. 17.

The 73 players granted special eligibility for the 2022 NFL Draft

NFL Draft 2022 is scheduled to be held April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU
Alec Anderson, OT, UCLA
Matt Araiza, P, San Diego State
David Bell, WR, Purdue
Dane Belton, DB, Iowa
Nik Bonitto, LB, Oklahoma
Andrew Booth, DB, Clemson
Gabe Brkic, K, Oklahoma
Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin
Lewis Cine, DB, Georgia
Snoop Conner, RB, Mississippi
Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi
Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Nick Cross, DB, Maryland
Tyrion Davis-Price, RB, LSU
Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
William Dunkle, G, San Diego State
Jerrion Ealy, RB, Mississippi
Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State
Kaiir Elam, DB, Florida
Kaleb Eleby, QB, Western Michigan
Noah Elliss, DT, Idaho
Martin Emerson, DB, Mississippi State
Erik Ezukanma, WR, Texas Tech
Cordale Flott, DB, LSU
Ahmad Gardner, DB, Cincinnati
Tyler Goodson, RB, Iowa
Kyler Gordon, DB, Washington
Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
Ben Griffiths, P, USC
Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
Kyle Hamilton, DB, Notre Dame
Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
Kevin Harris, RB, South Carolina
Daxton Hill, DB, Michigan
Christopher Hinton, DT, Michigan
Drake Jackson, LB, USC
Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska
Zonovan Knight, RB, N.C. State
DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M
Drake London, WR, USC
Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA
Trent McDuffie, DB, Washington
Ja’Quan McMillian, DB, East Carolina
John Metchie, WR, Alabama
Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
Jalen Nailor, WR, Michigan State
Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
David Ojabo, LB, Michigan
George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Makai Polk, WR, Mississippi State
Sean Rhyan, OT, UCLA
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky
Dare Rosenthal, OT, Kentucky
Brandon Smith, LB, Penn State
Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
Chris Steele, DB, USC
Derek Stingley, DB, LSU
Tyler Vrabel, OT, Boston College
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State
Travon Walker, DT, Georgia
Dohnovan West, C, Arizona State
Devon Williams, WR, Oregon
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame
Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Alex Wright, LB, UAB
Mykael Wright, DB, Oregon
Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M
Cade York, K, LSU

The following 27 underclassmen have in timely fashion under NFL rules officially notified the league office that they have fulfilled their degree requirements. They are eligible for selection:
 
Jalyn Armour-Davis, DB, Alabama
Brian Asamoah, LB, Oklahoma
Kevin Austin, WR, Notre Dame
Slade Bolden, WR, Alabama
Jashaun Corbin, RB, Florida State
Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA
Joshua Ezeudu, G, North Carolina
John FitzPatrick, TE, Georgia
Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati
Vincent Gray, DB, Michigan
Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
Verone McKinley III, DB, Oregon
Kyler McMichael, DB, North Carolina
James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech
Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State
Kyle Philips, WR, UCLA
Tyler Snead, WR, East Carolina
Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
Isaac Taylor-Stuart, DB, USC
Master Teague, RB, Ohio State
Luke Tenuta, OT, Virginia Tech
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State
Zamir White, RB, Georgia

The following players inquired about their draft status and are eligible for selection without the need for special eligibility:

Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut
Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
Jermaine Waller, DB, Virginia Tech
Josh Watts, P, Colorado

Draft Insiders’ – NFL Power Poll – Playoffs Week 19
NFL Power Poll – Wild Card Week

Bills Bomb Patriots, Bucs Crush Eagles
Ram’s Matthew Stafford Burns Cardinals

Teams of the Week 
Bills Behind Josh Allen Crushes Patriots, 47-17
49ers Clinch Playoff spot with Win over Rams – 27-24 OT
Raiders Get Wild Card Spot with Win over Chargers – 35-32 OT
    
Players of the Week
  Offense – QB Josh Allen – Bills        
  Defense – LB Von Miller – Rams
 
Games of Week 20 – Divisional Playoff Week  
Saturday – Jan. 22
Bengals @ Titans
49ers @ Packers
 
Sunday – Jan 23
Rams @ Bucs
Bills @Chiefs

NFL Team Power Poll – Draft Insiders’ Staff

Ranking /Record /Team

#1 – 13-4 Packers
The Packers sat out week 1 with a playoff bye. Hosting the banged up 49ers this Saturday night. Packers played with purpose this season and look to take care of business.

#2 – 14-4 Bucs
Bucs toasted the outmanned Eagles in the opening round. Host the Rams in the divisional round, relying on the Brady magic to continue their repeat march.

#3 – 13-5 Chiefs
Chiefs bombed the Steelers on Sunday night behind Patrick Mahomes. Host the hot Bills in a terrific matchup of gun slinging QBs.

#4 – 12-5 Titans
The Titans are rested after their playoff bye. Host the surging Bengals in a matchup of different styles.

#5 – 12-6 Bills
Bills rocked the Patriots with their explosive offense behind Josh Allen. They scored at will vs the veteran Pats’ defense and hope to retain their offensive pace vs the equally hot Chiefs’ attack.

#6 – 13-5 Rams
Rams crushed the Cardinals behind the hot hand of QB Matthew Stafford who dissect their defense.
They travel to Tampa to face Tom Brady, hoping to repeat their early season 34-24 victory.

#7 – 11-7 Bengals
Bengals jumped the Raiders early and walked away with their first postseason win in 31 years. Travel to Nashville, looking to keep their momentum vs the AFC leader.

#8 – 11-7 49ers
The 49ers beat the Cowboys behind a strong ground game and tough defense. Their defense is banged up for their trip to Titletown to face Aaron Rodgers on Saturday night.

#9 – 11-7 Cardinals
Cardinals lost to the Seahawks to complete their rocky closing stretch. QB Kyler Murray struggled in the spotlight and failed in big spots repeatedly over the late season.

#10 – 12-6 Cowboys
The overrated Cowboys played lousy vs the balanced 49ers. QB Dak Prescott was erratic as usual vs a good defense. Boys imploded with little discipline especially when they were behind.

#11 – 10-8 Patriots
The Pats defense was smoked by Buffalo’s Josh Allen. They never got their offense in motion and the defense failed repeatedly to contain the potent Bills attack.

#12 – 10-8 Raiders
The Raiders tried to comeback vs the Bengals, but lacked the firepower to deliver in the red zone.
Club hung together through a difficult second half to make the playoffs.

#13 – 9-8-1 Steelers
Steelers were outmatched vs the Chiefs. It ended the Ben Roethlisberger era that included two Super Bowl titles.

#14 – 9-9 Eagles
The Eagles were crushed by Tom Brady and the Bucs who jumped to a 31-0 lead. Eagles went much further than expected this season and have a foundation to build upon for next season.

NFL Postseason Schedule – 2022
Wild Card Playoff Starts New Postseason Format

The opening week of the NFL playoffs begins with the Wild Card weekend. This year the NFL playoffs has been expanded with the addition of one more Wild card team per conference. The format expands to six games this weekend including a triple header on Saturday and the first Monday night playoff game in history. There is only one team per conference who received an opening week bye – the Packers in the NFC and the Titans in the AFC. Both teams will retain the home field advantage throughout their conference playoffs.

   Saturday, January 15

AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Matchup                                  Time (est)         TV        Location
Las Vegas vs Cincinnati             4:30 PM            NBC     Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
New England vs Buffalo             8:15 PM            CBS     Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park

   Sunday, January 16

NFC Wild Card Playoffs
Philadelphia vs Tampa Bay        1:00 PM            FOX     Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
San Francisco vs Dallas             4:30 PM            CBS     AT&T Stadium, Arlington

AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Pittsburgh vs Kansas City          8:15 PM            NBC     GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

   Monday, January 17

NFC Wild Card Playoffs
Arizona vs Los Angeles             8:15 PM            ESPN/ABC SoFi Stadium, Inglewood

Draft Insiders’ – NFL Power Poll – Week 19
NFL Power Poll – Wild Card Playoff Week

Raiders & 49ers Clinch Wild Card Berths
Steelers Win in OT vs Ravens for Final Wild Card Place

Teams of the Week 
49ers Clinch Playoff spot with Win over Rams – 27-24 OT
Raiders Get Wild Card Spot with Win over Chargers – 35-32 OT

Upset of the Week
Detroit Lions (3-13-1) Edge Green Bay Packers (13-4) – 37-30
    
Players of the Week
  Offense – QB Dak Prescott – Cowboys        
  Defense – LB Uchenna Nwosu – Chargers
 
Games of Week 19 – Wild Card Playoff Week – Saturday thru Monday
Postseason Begins with New Format

NFL Team Power Poll
Draft Insiders’ Staff

Ranking /Record /Team

#1 – 13-4 Packers
The Packers gained #1 seed and sat out several starters in loss to Lions. Earned bye week and will host lowest winner in Titletown.

#2 – 13-4 Bucs
Bucs begin their SB title defense with the Eagles coming to town. Brady is still money especially in the postseason.

#3 – 12-5 Chiefs
Chiefs host the Steelers on Saturday. Club began to peak over 2^nd half and looks to strong run in the postseason.

#4 – 12-5 Titans
The Titans edged the Texans in the finale to earn the #1 seed and bye. Host the lowest winner looking to get healthy for a run at the title.

#5 – 12-5 Rams
Rams lost to the 49ers in OT in the finale that matches them up with AFC West rival the Cardinals. They host the first Monday night playoff game in NFL history.

#6 – 11-6 Cardinals
Cardinals lost to the Seahawks to complete their rocky closing stretch. Face the Rams in LA and must improve or expect a quick postseason exit.

#7 – 12-5 Cowboys
The Cowboys look like world beaters vs mediocre clubs. Host the hot 49ers in a game that will test their meddle to the fullest.

#8 – 11-6 Bills
Bills host the Patriots in their three peat matchup. Weather could define this again. Interesting coaching battle between Belichick and McDermott.

#9 – 10-7 Bengals
Bengals rested veterans with their home playoff game secure. Rematch with Raiders who are coming off a thrilling OT game vs Chargers.

#10 – 10-7 Patriots
Pats return to Buffalo where their late December victory highlighted once again the brilliance of Bill Belichick.

#11 – 10-7 49ers
The 49ers beat the Rams to claim an NFC Wild card berth. Travel to Big D to face the Cowboys looking for postseason victory for first time since losing SB in 2020.

#12 – 10-7 Raiders
The Raiders hung together for a wild stretch run and won a huge game vs the Chargers. Travel to Cincinnati hoping to rebound from being crushed by Bengals at midseason.

#13 – 9-8 Eagles
The Eagles were crushed by Cowboys in finale but had claimed a Wild card spot. Travel to Tampa to face Tom Terrific hoping to give a strong performance vs the defending champions.

#14 – 9-7-1 Steelers
Steelers slipped into the postseason in Ben Roethlisberger’s final season. Travel to KC where their defense will be fully tested by the explosive Chiefs attack behind Patrick Mahhomes.

#15 – 9-8 Chargers
The hot and cold Chargers lost a thriller in OT to the Raiders that eliminated them from postseason. They have the core talent to press for a SB title, though not a finished product yet.

#16 – 9-8 Colts
The Colts crushed over final two weeks. Losing in Jacksonville in finale will linger during the postseason.

#17 – 9-8 Dolphins
Dolphins were eliminated despite beating Patriots in finale. The firing of HC Brian Flores makes no sense.

#18 – 9-8 Saints
The Saints stayed alive for the postseason through finale beating the Falcons but came up short. Club played hungry despite starting four QBs

#19- 8-9 Ravens
Ravens lost another close one this time in OT to the Steelers. First sub .500 season since 2015.

#20 – 8-9 Browns
Browns beat the undermanned Bengals in finale. They came up short again this year with key injuries and a lack of cohesion on both sides of the ball that must be addressed.

#21- 7-10 Broncos
The Broncos finished with another close loss and must address the QB problem. They actually have playoff talent throughout and might look for a blockbuster move for a veteran star QB.

#22 – 7-10 Vikings
Vikings fired both HC Zimmer and GM Spielman to begin a new era. Expect many roster moves this offseason.

#23 – 7-10 Falcons
Falcons come up flat vs the Saints to finish sub .500 for the three consecutive season. Ready for a complete rebuild after trying to unsuccessfully fix different areas.

#24 – 7-10 WFT
The WFT failed to repeat in the East and will look to address the QB position this postseason. They struggled keeping pace in high scoring games.

#25 – 7-10 Seahawks
Seahawks finished with a few wins, but could face a big turnover of talent especially if they part ways with QB Russell Wilson.

#26 – 6-11 Bears
The Bears have begun their house cleaning with both HC Nagy and GM Pace fired. They have a tough road with no #1 pick, but have a big overhaul to get to playoff levels.

#27 – 5-12 Panthers
Panthers collapsed after a good opening month. They have to make a decision on QB Sam Darnold and have to improve a struggling offense to compete in the NFC South.

#28 – 4-13 Texans
Texans fell to the Titans in the finale to complete a horrible season. More major changes expected prior to training camp and they must answer the question of QB Deshaun Watson.

#29 – 4-13 Jets
Jets completed their development season and actually improved over the late season. They hope they have the foundation inline to build on with a critical postseason to take another step.

#30 – 4-13 Giants
The Giants finished with a 6 game losing streak behind an inept offense. The house cleaning has started with firing of HC Judge and retirement of Gettleman.

#31 – 3-13-1 Lions
Lions beat the Packers sub package to complete a difficult season. They played hard throughout, but must improve their talent level to take a step up.

#32 – 3-14 Jaguars
Jaguars earned the top overall selection again this year off a horrible performance that included firing first year coach Urban Meyer at midseason. Trevor Lawrence is the foundation despite a challenging rookie season.