Fansided

Top 10 favorites for Super Bowl 57: Chiefs, Bills lead the way

By Mike Phillips

Super Bowl 56, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals. (Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Super Bowl 56, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals. (Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 10
Next
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 12: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during the warm-up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 12, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 12: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during the warm-up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 12, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

5. Super Bowl 57 favorites – Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore is the first team on this list that didn’t make the playoffs in 2021, which could lead to people screaming from the rooftops about how the Ravens are overrated. There are a few factors working in Baltimore’s favor next season, particularly on the injury front.

Few teams were more wrecked by injuries than the Ravens, who lost their top three running backs, top cover corner Marcus Peters, and top offensive lineman like Ronnie Staley to injured reserve early in the season. Baltimore was actually 8-3 despite all of their injury issues and in position to contend for home-field before Lamar Jackson got hurt in Week 14.

Jackson ended up missing the rest of that game and each of the Ravens’ last four games, all of which led to losses. Considering the fact that the last AFC Wild Card spot came down to a 9-7-1 Pittsburgh team edging out 9-8 Los Angeles, there is little doubt that a healthy Jackson would have guided Baltimore to the playoffs.

The end result of this lost year is that Baltimore will be picking higher in the draft than usual while also playing an easier schedule. That combination makes the Ravens a real bounce-back candidate that could play its way into Super Bowl 57.

Home/NFL