The 2021 NFL season came to a close Sunday night when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
It was a career-defining win for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who likely cemented his Hall of Fame status by winning the Lombardi Trophy for the first time.
The Bengals had plenty of chances to win the game, but the future is bright for Cincinnati. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase have the potential to be elite players for a long time. Cincinnati's rise also gives hope to some of the struggling franchises. The Bengals went from 2-14 in 2019 and 4-11 in 2020 to having a chance to win the Super Bowl in 2021.
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Here are our post-Super Bowl NFL power rankings as the 2022 offseason ramps up.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
2021 record: 3-14
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Playoff result: N/A
The Jaguars have a ton of work to do, but they do have a potential star in quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It's a good starting point for a franchise that needs to address pretty much every position on the roster. Jacksonville also has the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second straight year.
31. Houston Texans
2021 record: 4-13
Playoff result: N/A
Davis Mills played pretty well for the Titans as a rookie quarterback. Does he remain the starter, or will star quarterback Deshaun Watson rejoin the team after not playing in 2021? The best decision for the Texans would be trading Watson for a huge package of draft picks that can help accelerate the team's rebuild.
30. Detroit Lions
2021 record: 3-13-1
Playoff result: N/A
Lions fans were probably happy to see Matthew Stafford win a Super Bowl, but it also was a painful reminder of the awful job the team did in surrounding him with enough talent to win from 2008 through 2020.
Detroit has the No. 2 and No. 32 selections in the upcoming draft, so the team does have a few chances to add premium talent to the roster this offseason.
29. New York Jets
2021 record: 4-13
Playoff result: N/A
The Jets' decision to select BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft has not looked good so far. Wilson struggled throughout the year and didn't look ready to be a starting QB at the pro level. The Jets won't do anything in 2022 if Wilson doesn't take a huge step in his development.
Luckily for the Jets, they have two picks in the top 10 of the first-round. New York has its own pick at No. 4 and Seattle's selection at No. 10 via the Jamal Adams trade.
28. New York Giants
2021 record: 4-13
Playoff result: N/A
The decision to draft Daniel Jones with the No. 6 pick in 2019 has proven, at least so far, to be a not-so-great one. Jones hasn't been awful, but he's taken a step back since throwing 24 touchdowns as a rookie. In fairness, he dealt with injuries last year, which didn't help his development. That said, 2022 is an important year for Jones. He needs to take a meaningful step (or two) forward to prove he's the right quarterback for New York long-term. Luckily for Jones, he has Brian Daboll stepping in as the new head coach. Daboll played a key role in helping Josh Allen develop into an elite quarterback in Buffalo.
27. Atlanta Falcons
2021 record: 7-10
Playoff result: N/A
Is it time for the Falcons and Matt Ryan to part ways? Ryan is still a good quarterback and deserves a chance to be on a winning team again before retiring -- similar to Matthew Stafford leaving the Lions via trade to join the Rams before the 2021 campaign. But the most pressing offseason question for the Falcons at the moment is the future of star wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Ridley stepped away from the team in October to focus on his mental well-being.
26. Carolina Panthers
2021 record: 5-12
Playoff result: N/A
The Panthers' season was derailed by star running back Christian McCaffrey missing 10 games due to injury. Durability is a major concern with McCaffrey, who's played in just 10 of the Panthers' 33 games over the last two seasons. It's hard to envision the Panthers being much better in 2022 unless McCaffrey plays in at least 80 percent of Carolina's matchups.
25. Chicago Bears
2021 record: 6-11
Playoff result: N/A
The objective for the Bears in 2022 should be developing quarterback Justin Fields after a mediocre rookie season, and then also surrounding him with enough talent at the skill positions. That second task will be far tougher if star wide receiver Allen Robinson leaves in free agency.
24. Washington Commanders
2021 record: 7-10
Playoff result: N/A
Washington has a new name, the Commanders!
On the field, the goal needs to be finding a long-term answer at quarterback. Taylor Heinicke has played decent, but the ceiling with him as the starter is fairly low.
23. Seattle Seahawks
2021 record: 7-10
Playoff result: N/A
The entire Seahawks offseason revolves around Russell Wilson. Will he stay in Seattle or be traded to another team? If he remains with the Seahawks, they'll need to surround him with a better offensive line and rushing attack. Doing that without a 2022 first-round draft pick will be difficult, though.
22. Denver Broncos
2021 record: 7-10
Playoff result: N/A
The Broncos' path forward is pretty tough given the strength of the AFC West. They were the worst team in a division with the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers. Denver has to figure out a plan long-term plan at quarterback, either through the draft or the trade market. Neither Teddy Bridgewater nor Drew Lock are leading this franchise to the playoffs.
21. New Orleans Saints
2021 record: 9-8
Playoff result: N/A
The Saints fared better than expected in 2022 considering future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees retired before the season and his replacement, Jameis Winston, missed 10 games because of a torn ACL. It's been a difficult offseason for New Orleans, though. Longtime head coach Sean Payton left the team, and star running back Alvin Kamara was arrested on Pro Bowl weekend in Las Vegas.
20. Indianapolis Colts
2021 record: 9-8
Playoff result: N/A
Second-year running back Jonathan Taylor had a breakout season by leading the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. The question mark for the Colts is at quarterback. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that Carson Wentz is likely to be traded or released by March 18. Who steps in for Wentz if he's out of the picture? Maybe 2021 draft pick Sam Ehlinger? If that's the case, don't count on the Colts being a playoff-caliber team in 2022.
19. Minnesota Vikings
2021 record: 8-9
Playoff result: N/A
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is about to enter the final year of his contract. The Vikings had a pretty good offense in 2021, with Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson forming one of the best trios in the league. If Minnesota can improve defensively, making the playoffs in 2022 will be a very realistic goal.
18. Cleveland Browns
2021 record: 8-9
Playoff result: N/A
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has one more year and $18.8 million left on his contract. Do the Browns sign him to a long-term contract, trade him or let him walk in free agency? Mayfield has shown flashes of being a very good player, but his 2021 performance wasn't good enough. In fairness, he was battling injury, but giving him a lucrative long-term deal would not be smart at this point.
17. Philadelphia Eagles
2021 record: 9-8
Playoff result: Lost to TB in NFC Wild Card Round
The Eagles made a somewhat surprising playoff appearance and then got rolled by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Still, it was a positive step forward for the franchise. The Eagles have plenty of firepower to make major improvements in the offseason, most notably three first-round picks (No. 15, 16 and 19 overall) in the 2022 draft.
16. Miami Dolphins
2021 record: 9-8
Playoff result: N/A
The Dolphins fired head coach Brian Flores despite him leading the franchise to its first back-to-back winning seasons since 2002 and 2003. Miami doesn't own its own 2022 first-round pick (it goes to Philly) but it does own the 49ers' pick at No. 29 overall.
15. Arizona Cardinals
2021 record: 11-6
Playoff result: Lost to LAR in NFC Wild Card Round
The Cardinals started out 7-0 but finished the season 4-6. Arizona was not competitive at all with the Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round. It was an embarrassing way to finish a season.
Star quarterback Kyler Murray recently removing all mention of the Cardinals from his social media pages was pretty odd. It appears there might actually be some friction between him and the team. It could make for a very interesting offseason in Arizona.
14. Las Vegas Raiders
2021 record: 10-7
Playoff result: Lost to CIN in AFC Wild Card Round
The Raiders are about to begin a new era with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels becoming Las Vegas' new head coach. One of McDaniels' most important tasks is maximizing the production of quarterback Derek Carr. He's been a quality player his whole career but has yet to crack the top 10 quarterback tier.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
2021 record: 9-8
Playoff result: N/A
The Chargers came so, so close to making the playoffs -- losing to the Raiders in the final game of the entire regular season. Getting to the postseason is no sure thing in 2022, either, given the strength of the AFC West and the conference as a whole. Chargers fans should be optimistic, though, because Justin Herbert is a superstar in the making at quarterback.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers
2021 record: 9-7-1
Playoff result: Lost to KC in AFC Wild Card Round
Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger's retirement leaves a huge void at quarterback. Roethlisberger had been Pittsburgh's starting QB since 2004. The Steelers could draft a quarterback in the first round or acquire a veteran via trade. With a strong run game and defense, all Pittsburgh needs is a quality quarterback to be a contender again in the AFC.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 record: 13-4
Playoff result: Lost to LAR in NFC Divisional Round
The Bucs had an impressive regular season, led by veteran quarterback Tom Brady throwing for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns at age 44. Brady has retired -- well, at least for now -- so now the Bucs must find a new quarterback. Until that happens, it's difficult to rank this team among the NFC's best. The Buccaneers are still a contender if a quality quarterback is brought in.
10. Baltimore Ravens
2021 record: 8-9
Playoff result: N/A
The Ravens' season was derailed by Lamar Jackson missing five games, including the last four. Baltimore was 8-4 and then lost five consecutive matchups to finish just outside the wild card spots. If Jackson is good to go for 2022, the Ravens will again be one of the AFC's toughest teams to beat. Baltimore still has an excellent run game and an above-average defense.
9. New England Patriots
2021 record: 10-7
Playoff result: Lost to BUF in AFC Wild Card Round
The Patriots made huge improvements on both sides of the ball and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2020. They even were the AFC's No. 1 seed at one point and came pretty close to winning the AFC East. The decision to draft Mac Jones in the first round proved to be a good one, as he was the top rookie quarterback by a decent margin. The Patriots need to surround Jones with more talent at the skill positions this offseason, preferably a legit No. 1 wide receiver.
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8. San Francisco 49ers
2021 record: 10-7
Playoff result: Lost to LAR in NFC Championship Game
If Jimmy Garoppolo is traded, which seems pretty likely based on his end-of-the-year comments, the 49ers will officially begin the Trey Lance era in 2022. He will be under tremendous pressure to succeed right away after the 49ers gave up multiple first-rounders to move up and select him No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft.
7. Tennessee Titans
2021 record: 12-5
Playoff result: Lost to CIN in AFC Divisional Round
The Titans were the AFC's No. 1 seed and Mike Vrabel won Coach of the Year, but the season ended with a one-and-done playoff result at home in a loss to the Bengals. The Titans, barring significant changes, should again be the clear favorites in the AFC South next season. They're still a good team and that division is pretty weak.
6. Dallas Cowboys
2021 record: 12-5
Playoff result: Lost to SF in NFC Wild Card Round
The Cowboys' season ended in excruciating fashion, but there is hope for the franchise. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott made a successful comeback after missing most of the 2020 campaign with a serious ankle injury. Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs become stars this past season, too. The Cowboys have roster weaknesses to address, but this team should be in the NFC title mix again next season as long as Prescott is healthy.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
2021 record: 10-7
Playoff result: Lost to LAR in Super Bowl LVI
The offseason plan for the Bengals should be clear: Upgrade the offensive line. Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow has taken a beating since entering the league, and 2021 was no different. He was sacked seven times in Cincy's Super Bowl loss, and six of them came in the second half. The Bengals have a bright future with Burrow and elite wideout Ja'Marr Chase, but a bad offensive line would put all of it at risk.
4. Green Bay Packers
2021 record: 13-4
Playoff result: Lost to SF in NFC Divisional Round
The Packers' offseason will be dominated by quarterback Aaron Rodgers' and wide receiver Davante Adams' future with the franchise. If both stay, Green Bay will again be one of the top Super Bowl contenders. If Rodgers leaves, all the pressure will be on 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love to step in and lead the offense.
3. Buffalo Bills
2021 record: 11-6
Playoff result: Lost to KC in AFC Divisional Round
The Bills nearly upset the Chiefs in one of the most memorable playoff games of all time. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen had another MVP-caliber season, and the defense remains one of the league's best. All the ingredients are in place for another stellar campaign in 2022 for the Bills, they just need to find a way to beat the Chiefs in January after losing in Kansas City back-to-back seasons.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
2021 record: 12-5
Playoff result: Lost to CIN in AFC Championship Game
The Chiefs inexplicably coughed up a 21-3 lead in the AFC Championship Game and lost in overtime. Kansas City's defense has plenty of weaknesses, but as long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy, this team should score enough points to have a chance to win every game it plays.
1. Los Angeles Rams
2021 record: 12-5
Playoff result: Beat CIN in Super Bowl LVI
The Rams' decision to go all in via the trade market by acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford, pass rusher Von Miller and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, among others, worked out brilliantly as the franchise won Super Bowl LVI. L.A. gave up several first-round picks to make these moves, and that lack of draft capital will be a major issue in the near future. But looking ahead to 2022, the Rams should still be among the league's top teams, especially if Aaron Donald doesn't retire.