5 Dark-Horse NFL Teams That Could Make Super Bowl Runs in 2022

With Week 10 in the rearview, every NFL team has played at least nine games. While we're not quite in the homestretch of the playoff race, several have emerged as Super Bowl favorites.

The Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles all have seven wins or more. While they're not yet locks to make the postseason, they are more likely than not to get spots in the tournament.

However, midseason favorites don't always emerge as Super Bowl participants. Just last season, for example, the Cincinnati Bengals sat at 5-4 after Week 10 but went on to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVI.

Here, we'll examine five dark-horse teams that could sneak into the playoffs and make realistic runs at the championship. Specifically, we'll be looking at squads that aren't leading their respective divisions and face Super Bowl odds of +2000 or longer, according to DraftKings. We'll dive into why these teams are dark horses at midseason and why they shouldn't be written off in January.

Teams are listed in alphabetical order.

Super Bowl Odds: +2800 (bet $100 to win $2,800)

Record: 5-4

While it feels odd to view the defending AFC champion as a dark horse, the oddsmakers don't seem particularly high on Cincinnati. The Bengals do trail the 6-3 Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, and they've struggled with consistency all season.

Cincinnati got off to an 0-2 start, lost the first head-to-head meeting with Baltimore and got steamrolled by a bad Cleveland Browns team in Week 8. It's also missing star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who is dealing with a hip injury.

Yet Cincinnati is sitting with the same record it had at this point in 2021. Quarterback Joe Burrow showed last year that he can get white-hot down the stretch, and assuming Chase does return—he avoided injured reserve—it could happen again.

Plus, the Bengals finally got Joe Mixon and the ground game going in Week 9 before heading into their bye. Cincinnati rushed for 241 yards against the Carolina Panthers, marking only the third time it has topped 100 yards this season.

The defense, which ranks a solid 10th in yards allowed, is set to get standout tackle D.J. Reader (knee) back. While cornerback Chidobe Awuzie recently landed on injured reserve with a knee injury, the return of Reader (43 tackles, two sacks last season) will be huge.

Aside from the Chase and Awuzie injuries, the majority of key contributors are healthy. Perhaps more importantly, Cincinnati knows what it takes to overcome a tough situation.

"We're not panicking," Burrow told reporters after losing in Cleveland. "We know what went wrong in each game."

The Bengals beat the AFC's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds en route to Super Bowl LVI. As long as they can climb into a playoff position, they'll be an opponent that no team wants to face in the postseason.

Super Bowl Odds: +7000

Record: 4-6

It hasn't been a good season for the Green Bay Packers thus far. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not played like the reigning (and back-to-back) MVP, and the offense has lacked chemistry.

Green Bay's defense, meanwhile, has been atrocious against the run, surrendering 4.8 yards per carry. This has created a two-sided problem because opponents are willing to stick with the run now that the Packers aren't scoring points in bunches—though Green Bay's ninth-ranked overall defense isn't a complete liability.

The Packers also experienced a five-game losing streak that put them in a massive hole in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings sit at 8-1 and are running away with the division.

Here's the thing, though. Rodgers may finally have found his replacement for Davante Adams in Week 10. Rookie wideout Christian Watson caught four passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns.

Green Bay also has an elite backfield duo in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. If it has found its big-play receiver, the offense could be dangerous down the stretch.

We just saw the Packers outlast a very good Dallas Cowboys team in overtime, which could give them the confidence they need to make a run.

"Man, it's been a long time to stand up here and have a smile,” head coach Matt LaFleur said, per Doug Russell of Fox 1070 The Game.

The schedule is daunting, as Green Bay faces the Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and scrappy Chicago Bears before its Week 14 bye. However, this is a talented squad.

The Packers aren't claiming the NFC's No. 1 seed as they did a year ago, but if they make the playoffs, teams should write them off at their own risk.

Super Bowl Odds: +3500

Record: 5-4

The biggest obstacle faced by the Los Angeles Chargers is and has been the injury bug. Left tackle Rashawn Slater (biceps) is on injured reserve, while pass-rusher Joey Bosa (groin) and top wideouts Mike Williams (ankle) and Keenan Allen (hamstring) have missed significant time.

Defensive tackles Otito Ogbonnia (knee) and Christian Covington (pectoral) are both expected to miss the rest of the season.

Yet the Chargers have stayed afloat thanks to the stellar play of quarterback Justin Herbert, running back Austin Ekeler and an offensive line that has survived the loss of Slater (a league-low 13 sacks allowed).

Bosa, Williams and Allen are all expected to return this season and perhaps soon.

"You will see Mike and Keenan back in practice this week," head coach Brandon Staley said Monday, per Eric Smith of the team's official website.

If Williams and Allen can play in Week 11, the Chargers should stand a chance against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that beat L.A. by a mere field goal in Week 2. If the Chargers do move to 6-4 with a win over their biggest division rival, you can bet that they won't be overlooked any longer.

Los Angeles was far from overlooked when the season began. Bleacher Report's panel of NFL experts made the Chargers its pick to be AFC West champions in July, thanks in no small part to the presence of budding star Herbert.

Herbert is distancing himself from the Week 2 rib injury that hampered him early. If key players like Williams, Allen and Bosa do return, they could be much closer to the team we expected to see during the summer.

Injuries are the great equalizer in the NFL and they're tough to overcome. However, a healthier Chargers team is one that could make a surprise run during the postseason.

Super Bowl Odds: +6000

Record: 7-2

The Giants are tied with Kansas City for the third-best record in the NFL. Yet many folks—including the Vegas oddsmakers—seem to view New York as a cute story rather than a legitimate contender.

And that isn't surprising. This is a franchise that hadn't been above .500 at any point in the previous five seasons. It has a quarterback in Daniel Jones who is teetering on bust status and a rookie head coach in Brian Daboll.

Yet, the Giants are 7-2 for a reason.

Jones has thrived in a game-manager role this season (92.7 rating), and New York has played incredibly hard for Daboll. The defense is ninth in points allowed, and the Giants have continually found ways to pull out close games.

Oh, and New York has a legitimate MVP candidate in running back Saquon Barkley, though he won't win what has become essentially a quarterback award.

Barkley has already racked up 931 rushing yards, 197 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He's capable of putting the offense on his back when it's necessary.

"He loves the opportunity to take over a game and play as well as he did," Jones said after Sunday's 24-16 victory over the Houston Texans, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

It would be foolish to think that Barkley couldn't take over playoff games as well. Considering New York is only one contest behind the Vikings and Eagles for the NFC's No. 1 seed, there's an outside chance that the Giants can earn a bye and only need two playoff wins to reach Super Bowl LVII.

Big Blue aren't just a fun story. They're tough, physical, opportunistic and well-coached. That's the sort of team that can be a problem in the postseason.

Super Bowl Odds: +6000

Record: 6-3

Like the Giants, the New York Jets seem to be viewed as a nice midseason story rather than a real playoff threat. This isn't unexpected, as the Jets haven't been to the playoff since 2010.

New York is also behind the Dolphins in the AFC East and shares a record with the Buffalo Bills, a team that is widely regarded as a Super Bowl favorite. It's worth noting, though, that the Jets have already beaten the Dolphins and the Bills this season.

This is perhaps the biggest reason why the Jets should be taken seriously. Miami and Buffalo are two teams that New York could face in elimination games, and the Jets aren't going to be intimidated.

Of course, confidence alone won't deliver a Super Bowl berth. The team will still have to overcome the shaky play of quarterback Zach Wilson (75.5 rating) and a remaining schedule that features five games against opponents with winning records. However, they're prepared to take things one game at a time.

"I'm not sure if it's necessarily going through people as much as it is handling our business, doing our job, and playing to the best of our ability and trusting that if we do that, we will like the result," head coach Robert Saleh said, per Brian Costello of the New York Post.

The Jets have largely handled their business thus far, especially on defense. They rank seventh in yards and 10th in points allowed. As long as Wilson can limit his mistakes, a strong defense and playmakers like Michael Carter, James Robinson and Garrett Wilson could carry New York in the postseason.

Are the Jets long shots to make the Super Bowl? Absolutely, but if a few things break their way, including the right playoff matchups, they could be this year's version of the Bengals: a surprise team that rises from years of mediocrity to shock the world.

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