Maybe this is the year the Detroit Lions finally win the Super Bowl.
Or perhaps the Houston Texans?
Or how about the Cleveland Browns, who last won a division crown in 1989? (Incidentally, since realignment in 2002, every NFL franchise but Cleveland has won its division at least once.)
Part of the NFL’s excitement and appeal is its competitive balance, the notion that so many teams at the beginning of the season feel the Lombardi Trophy is within reach.
In no particular order, seven teams with a solid opportunity to win it all this season:
The Chiefs are at the doorstep of history, with a chance to win an unprecedented three Super Bowls in a row. With Andy Reid as coach and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, anything is possible. The team has gotten this far without an outstanding receiving corps and the Chiefs made changes to that with the addition of Marquise Brown and turf-melting rookie Xavier Worthy, who set a record at the combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds. There could be vulnerabilities at both offensive tackle spots and with the loss of shutdown corner L’Jarius Sneed, but the Chiefs are playing host to the opening game and could wind up in the final game as well.
The Super Bowl is returning to New Orleans for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when the Ravens won the Harbaugh Bowl pitting brothers John (Baltimore) and Jim (San Francisco). The Ravens haven’t been back to that marquee game since, despite having the NFL’s best record in two of the last five seasons. They came close last season, hosting the AFC Championship and getting typically outstanding play from two-time most valuable player Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Adding four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry is a big deal. The offensive line has to cope with the loss of both starting guards from last season and the starting right tackle.
Once 5-0 in Super Bowls, the 49ers have lost three in 12 years. They’re dominant in the NFC, though — ask the Rams — and have the league’s reigning rushing champion in the ultra-versatile Christian McCaffrey. Even though standout receiver Brandon Aiyuk missed valuable practice time before his contract situation was resolved Thursday, San Francisco is loaded with sure-handed targets for Brock Purdy. The defense is a work in progress and it’s worth watching how the club handles losing three defensive starters and swapping out coordinators. Then, there’s the Super Bowl hangover. Only three teams have lost the Big Game and won it the next year.
A season after collecting their first postseason victory since 1991, the Lions are a vogue Super Bowl pick, for good reason. Dan Campbell is an ideal blue-collar coach for the team that wears Honolulu blue — that’s what the shade is called — and quarterback Jared Goff looks perfectly at home. The Lions have a slew of offensive stars in receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and second-year tight end Sam LaPorta. A club that has long looked to solidify its secondary picked up a physical corner in Carlton Davis in a trade with Tampa Bay. The schedule starts with a banger: “Sunday Night Football” against the Rams.
After a great start last season, the Eagles spiraled in all the wrong ways. They won 10 of their first 11, then lost five of their final six. They have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and added former New York Giants star runner Saquon Barkley, who figures to be beastly if he can stay healthy. Longtime center Jason Kelce is now on the other side of the TV cameras as a color analyst, and the Eagles have overhauled a defense that surrendered the third-most points in the league last season. The team opens the season with a Friday game in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers.
Not only have the Texans never been to a Super Bowl, but also they never have appeared in a conference championship game. Still, hope springs eternal for the franchise, thanks to the play last season of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. He set an NFL record by beginning his career with 191 passes without an interception. The Texans had rookies of the year on offense (Stroud) and defense (Will Anderson Jr.), and a coach-of-the-year finalist in DeMeco Ryans. This team is for real, and now has receiver Stefon Diggs, acquired in a trade with Buffalo. Key to meeting the lofty expectations: Can Stroud avoid a sophomore slump?
Losing generational phenom Aaron Donald definitely won’t be easy for the defense, but the Rams still are stocked with talent. Quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the offense and has a top-shelf receiving tandem in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, along with a budding star in running back Kyren Williams. The offensive line did a solid job protecting the quarterback and pushing open holes last season, but training camp injuries have become a concern. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner garnered so much respect as a rookie, he already has been named a team captain. There’s no replacing Donald, but the club has invested a lot of draft capital in that defensive line. Big test from the start when the Rams open at Detroit, where their last season ended.
Read more: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones weighs in on 18-game seasons, kickoffs and football in L.A.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
