Most Dangerous Teams on the Fringe of 2022 NFL Playoff Race

An NFL team's regular-season record is a reflection of its consistency and durability. Success in the playoffs can come down to just how dangerous a team can be on its best day.

For proof, look no further than last year's Cincinnati Bengals. The Joe Burrow-led Bengals did not look the part of Super Bowl contender for large swaths of the 2021 season. Their inconsistencies led them a record of 10-7, and they didn't even lock up a playoff spot until Week 17.

Yet, when the postseason started, the defense was downright stingy and Burrow did enough on offense to win three straight and get to the Super Bowl.

Looking at the landscape of the league, teams like the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles have shown they are Super Bowl contenders. This is a look at the teams who are currently on the bubble but present the biggest threats to those favorites.

Each of these teams are either under .500 or ranked seventh or lower in their conference's current playoff standings, but they all have the ingredients to make a deep run if things start clicking.

Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Joe Burrow and the 2022 Bengals look a lot like the team that won the AFC in 2021.

The Bengals were the poster child of this concept last season, and they are a worthy inclusion again this year. The Baltimore Ravens hold the slight edge in the AFC North going into Monday Night Football, and the Bengals' 5-4 record would have them out of the playoff field if the postseason started today.

Contending teams should be hoping it stays that way.

The things that have held back the Bengals are similar to last season. The offensive line and Burrow still take more sacks than you'd like to see. The run game has been inconsistent. Joe Mixon was held to 3.3 yards per carry on the season before crushing the Panthers defense for five touchdowns on Sunday.

However, the things that led them on that magical run last postseason also remain unchanged. Ja'Marr Chase is out with a hip injury right now, but he avoided injured reserve. That gives hope he'll be available after the team's bye week in Week 10.

A healthy Chase would leave the Bengals with the same talented core on offense anchored by a defense that has allowed 21 points or fewer in six of Cincinnati's nine games. A star quarterback with a strong defense is always a scary sight in the postseason.

Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Nick Chubb would not be fun to tackle in a January playoff game.

The Cleveland Browns showed some life in a 32-13 win over the Bengals in Week 8. That victory came just in time for the most brutal stretch of Cleveland's season.

The 3-5 Browns' playoff chances are going to rely on how well they handle the next three weeks. They have back-to-back road trips against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills before hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If they go 0-3 in those games, their season is essentially over. However, even getting one or two wins would leave them with a chance to squeak into the playoffs.

Suspended quarterback Deshaun Watson will make his debut after the conclusion of the three-game stretch beginning with the team's Week 13 game against the Houston Texans. The Browns will finish the season with games against the Bengals, Ravens, Saints, Commanders and Steelers.

Cleveland's defense has been an issue all season, but it shut down the Bengals, sacking Burrow five times and holding the run game to just 3.6 yards per carry. The offense has been top 10 in EPA per play with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. That's a testament to the play of Nick Chubb, the offensive line and Amari Cooper.

If the Browns are playing well enough to qualify for the playoffs, it means the defense has vastly improved. That'll be bad news for teams that will have to tackle Chubb in January.

Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/John Bazemore

Justin Herbert has led a Chargers offense that has been plagued with injuries.

The Los Angeles Chargers are sitting just inside the bubble with the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture. You'd also be excused for having no faith in them based on what they've done so far.

They are 5-3 heading into Week 10, but they have blowout losses to the Jaguars (38-10) and Seahawks (37-23) on their ledger. Their wins haven't necessarily inspired confidence, either. The Raiders, Browns, Broncos and Falcons are all below .500, and the Chargers beat them by a combined 13 points.

It's not safe to write them off yet, though.

Much like the Bengals last year, the Chargers have a young quarterback who can take over games in Justin Herbert. The 24-year-old hasn't been quite as efficient in his third season, but he finished third in ESPN's QBR last season.

It's important to keep in mind the Chargers have dealt with some major injuries to key players. Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams should eventually be back. Allen has played just once since Week 1 because of a lingering hamstring injury, while Williams suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 7 that has kept him out of the lineup as well.

They also lost offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and cornerback J.C. Jackson for the season, and finding the best way to replace them has taken time.

The Chargers may be a flawed team, but if both Allen and Williams are able to get healthy before the playoffs, they have enough firepower to win a shootout against anyone.

New England Patriots

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

The Patriots have a playoff-caliber defense headlined by pass-rusher Matthew Judon.

The good news for the New England Patriots is they got above .500 with one of their most impressive performances of the season in Week 9. The bad news is they are still fourth in the AFC East at 5-4.

The Pats' 26-3 win over the Indianapolis Colts was the embodiment of how they've been able to get back in the black after starting the season 1-3. The defense was nasty, sacking Sam Ehlinger nine times and limiting the rushing attack to just 3.5 yards per carry.

Bill Belichick summed up the performance best:

"We got pressure on early downs and created some long-yardage situations," Belichick told media. "Anytime you have good pass rush, you have good coverage. And anytime you have good coverage, you have good pass rush."

The marriage of the Patriots' coverage with their ability to get after the quarterback is what could propel them to a postseason run. Matthew Judon, who now has 11.5 sacks on the season, registered three sacks, but it was Josh Uche's three sacks that should scare future opponents.

If Uche continues to break out, the Pats will have a tandem of edge-rushers that could give teams fits.

Quarterback play is the big question for New England. Mac Jones has struggled to progress in Year 2 and has three touchdowns to seven interceptions, while fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe has put up better stats with five touchdowns to three interceptions in four appearances and two starts while Jones dealt with a high ankle sprain.

Regardless, the Patriots have won four of their past five while passing for under 200 yards each week.

They're developing their blueprint for winning playoff games behind great defense and a rushing attack spearheaded by Rhamondre Stevenson.

San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Nick Bosa is the kind of defender who can take over a playoff game by himself.

Just ask the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers how fun it is to play the 49ers in the postseason. After getting in as the No. 6 seed last season, the Niners knocked off two of the top three seeds in back-to-back weeks in the Cowboys (No. 3) and Packers (No. 1).

The postseason tends to be all about the quarterback, but head coach Kyle Shanahan has proven he can be a menace in the playoffs without elite play from the position.

The 49ers made it to the NFC Championship Game with Jimmy Garoppolo throwing for under 175 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in each postseason game last season.

With Trey Lance's season-ending injury in Week 2, the Niners once again find themselves in the hunt with Jimmy G under center. San Francisco is holding on to the seventh seed in the NFC based on its 4-4 record.

The addition of Christian McCaffrey makes the 49ers potentially more dangerous in the playoffs this year. In his first game following a full week of practice with his new team, McCaffrey scored a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in a 31-14 drubbing of the Rams.

Led by Nick Bosa, the defense boasts one of the top pressure percentages in the league. San Francisco's ability to control the game by running the ball and getting after the quarterback on defense is not something you want to see in the postseason.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio

Tom Brady showed he's still capable of game-winning heroics in crunch time against the Rams.

Write the Buccaneers' obituary at your own risk.

Sure, it's hard to find a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Buccaneers right now. They looked lost for much of their 16-13 win over the Rams on Sunday, and they had lost five of their previous six games going into that game.

At 4-5, the Bucs' most likely path to the playoffs is by winning the NFC South. They currently hold a slight advantage in the division, where they're ahead of the 4-5 Falcons thanks to a head-to-head win, while the 3-5 Saints are just a half-game behind.

Of the three, the Bucs are still the team no one should want to see in the playoffs.

The problems for Todd Bowles' team mostly reside on offense. Defensively, they have been a top-10 unit in EPA per play. Their four sacks and eight quarterback hits against the Rams showcased the ability their pass rush still has.

So the case against the Bucs relies on counting out Tom Brady and Co. from figuring out the issues facing the offense.

Those issues didn't seem to keep Brady from turning in a vintage game-winning drive on Sunday. He needed just 35 seconds to take the team 60 yards, hitting rookie Cade Otton for the final touchdown.

As long as Brady is still capable of those late-game heroics and has a defense like the Bucs' backing him, his team is still a threat in the playoffs.