The road to Arizona for the Super Bowl in February begins in September for all 32 NFL teams. They will be battling it out until January to book their spot in the playoffs of the competition.

With so many changes to players, coaches and general managers, here is a look at what there is to look out for in the 2022/23 campaign.

Experienced QBs Have a New Home

Prior to the start of this season, Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan had spent a decade or more with the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons respectively. Both men now have new teams.

Wilson, a Super Bowl winner in 2014, was traded to the Denver Broncos. The 31-year-old was reportedly not happy with some of the changes which were made to the offensive coaching team last season, so he was keen to leave the Seahawks.

Denver will be convinced that the addition of Wilson will give them a much better chance of lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season. As of the 25th of August, they are +1600 in the online betting to win the Super Bowl now that the former Seattle man has joined.

Ryan was selected third overall by the Falcons in the 2008 NFL Draft. The former NFL MVP is now with the Indianapolis Colts. They saw the experienced QB as their best short-term option, and they will be hoping the 37-year-old can lead the franchise to success.

McCaffrey and Henry Return Following Injuries

Two of the leading running backs in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry both suffered season-ending injuries in 2021. They are set to return to the field this year and they will be desperate to add to their touchdown and rushing yards tallies.

In 2019, in what was his last full season in the league, McCaffrey scored 19 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,000 yards. Since then, he has featured in just 10 games.

Henry played eight games for the Tennessee Titans in 2021. He was on course for another big season prior to his injury. The former Offensive Player of the Season will be pushing for 2,000 rushing yards again, and it will be interesting to see what plan defences put together to try and stop him.

New Coaches Look to Stamp Their Mark

There were 10 head coach changes in the NFL in the offseason. They will be desperate to get off to a good start to the campaign and prove to their franchise that they made the correct decision.

One of the coaching changes this year came at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as 2021 Super Bowl winner Bruce Arians opted to retire. Former defensive coordination Todd Bowles has taken over from the future Hall of Fame coach.

Sean Payton is another former Super Bowl-winning coach who chose to retire at the end of last season. He spent 15 years in New Orleans before stepping down. Payton’s assistant Dennis Allen has been promoted into the head coach role with the Saints.

The early stages of the 2022/23 season will also be important for a number of coaches are who on the clock at their respective franchises. They will need positive results to avoid becoming early causalities in the new campaign.

Green Bay Head to England for First Time

Green Bay Packers are the only NFL team who has yet to play in the UK as part of the International Series, but that will change in 2022, as they are scheduled to take on the New York Giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Fans of the Packers in the UK will get the chance to see four-time MVP, Aaron Rodgers, in action. He signed a new contract with Green Bay earlier this year, committing his future to the franchise.

There will be three games in London this season, with Minnesota at New Orleans and Denver at Jacksonville being the other two games. Germany will also host a regular season contest for the first time when Seattle takes on Tampa Bay in Munich, while in Mexico, San Francisco faces Arizona.

This season is the 103rd in the history of the NFL. Hopefully, it turns out to be one of the best years the league has produced.

Categorized in:

Sports

Tagged in: