It feels like there are a few new teams that enter the NFL playoff picture every year. Although the regular season is months away, Jim Trotter has already named three teams that could make some noise this fall after missing the postseason in 2021.
The Indianapolis Colts are the first team Trotter mentioned. With Matt Ryan at quarterback, Frank Reich’s offense should be much more consistent.
If the Colts didn’t lose their regular-season finale to the Jacksonville Jaguars, they would’ve made the playoffs last year. They just need to clean up some mistakes, and if they can do that, they should be just fine.
The second team mentioned on Trotter’s list are the Los Angeles Chargers. There aren’t many rosters that can match their firepower on both sides of the football.
From an offensive standpoint, the Chargers have an elite quarterback in Justin Herbert along with skilled weapons in Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams. On the other side of the ball, head coach Brandon Staley has Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson at his disposal.
The New Orleans Saints round out Trotter’s list. They’ve made a handful of intriguing moves this offseason, like signing Jarvis Landry and Tyrann Mathieu.
With Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas returning from injury, the Saints have enough talent to compete in a wide open NFC.
Of course, there are other teams worthy of cracking this list, such as the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
Nonetheless, there’s a lot to like about the Colts, Chargers and Saints heading into the 2022 season.