The 2021 NFL season had the ultimate surprise in the Cincinnati Bengals, an organization that was just minutes away from capturing its first Super Bowl title. While the league had excellent stories like the Bengals, there were plenty of teams that took a hit in prestige.
The Seattle Seahawks went from first to worst in the NFC West, the Indianapolis Colts went from a virtual playoff lock with two weeks remaining to missing the postseason altogether, and the Cleveland Browns went from preseason Super Bowl contender to playoff afterthought in the final two months of the season.
The teams that could suffer the same fate as the Seahawks and Browns have many questions that need to be answered in the coming weeks. These teams appear set to take a major step back in 2022, but this is a friendly reminder it’s a way-too-early prediction — as so much can change throughout the offseason (check out our Free Agency Primer for a breakdown of the offseason situations for all 32 teams).
