Putting together an undefeated NFL regular season is one of the toughest things to accomplish in professional sports.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins famously went 17-0 -- counting the postseason -- as the lone NFL team to go unblemished. The 2007 New England Patriots were 18-0 heading into Super Bowl XLII before Eli Manning rallied the New York Giants to one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.
That makes two undefeated regular-season squads. However, you never know when another team might make a run at immortality.
For example, how many people picked the 2015 Carolina Panthers to win their first 14 games? The Cam Newton-led squad lost to the Atlanta Falcons in their 15th game and later fell to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
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Time will tell if a team makes a serious push for perfection in 2022. FrontPageBets looks at some candidates.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings)
Brady's bunch
Tom Brady was the quarterback of the 2007 Patriots and on the wrong side of that Super Bowl loss. He briefly retired in the offseason before returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3500) for at least one more season.
Brady, who turns 45 on Aug. 3, would surely be motivated by such a challenge. The Buccaneers also have strong defensive players such as Shaq Barrett and Devin White to complement a solid offense.
It doesn't hurt that the NFC South is a bit soft with the Falcons and Panthers shaping up as below-average teams. Plus, the New Orleans Saints are in transition after the departure of coach Sean Payton.
But Tampa Bay lost nine regular-season games in Brady's first two seasons so it’s hard to see the Bucs running the table under new coach Todd Bowles. Even so, winning the division might only mean going 6-0 against Baker Mayfield (Panthers), Jameis Winston (Saints) and Marcus Mariota (Falcons).
Riding Buffalo
A standout quarterback always helps when it comes to chasing perfection and the Buffalo Bills (+3500) appear to be in good hands with fifth-year pro Josh Allen.
Allen (also an MVP favorite at +700) has put together back-to-back stellar campaigns and is focused on making a Super Bowl run. An undefeated record deep into the season wouldn't surprise anybody.
Yet the Bills lost six regular-season games last year. The hardest one to digest was the 9-6 loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars.
That means Thanksgiving Day in Motown against the Detroit Lions could prove to be a turkey performance. Or they could come out flat in one of two games against the New York Jets?
Read more about the Bills from the Buffalo News.
The next level
The Los Angeles Rams (+4000) are coming off a Super Bowl title. But an undefeated regular season would be tough just by virtue of having four games against NFL West rivals Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.
The Green Bay Packers (+4000) are still receiving elite level play from quarterback Aaron Rodgers but trading star receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders could pose problems. Rodgers guided the Packers to a 13-0 start in 2011 and that team ended up losing its first playoff game. Read more on the Packers from the Wisconsin State Journal.
The Kansas City Chiefs (+5000) are always under consideration with Patrick Mahomes tossing the ball all over the field. But the five-loss campaign last season doesn't inspire confidence and sending receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins will affect the offense.
Longer shots
The Denver Broncos (+6500) are filled with optimism after acquiring Russell Wilson but there is no telling how long it will take to mesh. The Cleveland Browns (+6500) traded for Deshaun Watson but an anticipated suspension for his off-field misconduct would leave Jacoby Brissett at the helm for some of the campaign. Justin Herbert is the real deal as he enters his third NFL season but his Los Angeles Chargers (+6500) went 9-8 and missed the playoffs last season.
The 49ers (+8000) don't seem to be a player -- they break in second-year pro Trey Lance at quarterback -- but don’t write them off entirely.
The defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals (+10000) aren't in the mix despite Joe Burrow's greatness. The AFC North won’t allow it.
Five teams face the longest odds at +50000 -- the Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Giants, Falcons and Lions -- and we can’t endorse any of them to pull the biggest of surprise seasons.
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NFL teams open camp with biggest question still unanswered
WHERE’S JIMMY G GOING?
The San Francisco 49ers made it clear Trey Lance will be the starting quarterback and they’re moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo, who led them to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2019 season and nearly another one last season. The Niners have to trade or release Garoppolo before Week 1 to avoid having his $24.2 million base salary become fully guaranteed. Garoppolo would’ve been moved already if it weren’t for his offseason shoulder surgery.
“This is Trey’s team. That’s nothing against Jimmy,” 49ers coach Mike Shanahan said. “We made that decision a year ago and we’re not going to mess around with that anymore. ... Jimmy understands that fully. He’s a big guy and it’s nothing against him. It’s a business decision.”
BAKER OR SAM?
The Carolina Panthers acquired Baker Mayfield from the Browns earlier this month and plan to let him compete with Sam Darnold for the starting quarterback job. Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, has been more successful than Darnold, who was the third pick by the Jets in the same draft.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule isn’t going to rush a decision.
“Anytime you put timelines on things, you end up rushing to make bad decisions,” Rhule said. “To me this is about being in the moment but not making rash judgements. Guys are going to have good days and bad days. When we know, we know.”
WHEN DOES LAMAR GET PAID?
The Baltimore Ravens still haven’t locked Lamar Jackson into a long-term contract extension but the two sides have been talking. Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, saw his value increase after the Cardinals gave Kyler Murray a deal worth up to $230.5 million with about $105 million guaranteed at signing and $160 million guaranteed for injury. Jackson doesn’t have an agent, which could impact negotiations. It wasn’t a factor for his rookie deal because the collective bargaining agreement predetermines the money in each draft slot. This contract is far more lucrative.
ARE THEY HEALTHY?
Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins are among more than 50 players returning from ACL injuries. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey played only seven games last season because of hamstring and ankle injuries. Titans star running back Derrick Henry missed nine games with a foot injury before playing in the team's playoff loss to the Bengals. Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup, Ravens running back Gus Edwards, Titans receiver Robert Woods, Packers tight end Robert Tonyan are also coming back from ACL surgery. Saints star wideout Michael Thomas missed 2021 because of a severe ankle injury, and Vikings receiver Adam Thielen had ankle surgery in December.
Mike Sullivan has covered a variety of sports the betting landscape for more than two decades, now for Field Level Media.
