Who is the best team in the 2022 NFL season? Eagles and Bills compete for the top spot in several categories
More than halfway through the 2022 NFL campaign, a clear picture is emerging of the contenders for the best team of the season. Some of the more established teams have failed to find traction. Chief among them are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers. Both Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have failed to elevate their respective teams.
But some other teams have exceeded expectations and are ripping up the playing field. Here is our outlook on the best teams in the NFL this season.
NFL 2022 best teams thus far
Looking purely at records, there is no doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles, with their 8-0 perfect record, are the team to beat, quite literally. They are not the only team who are tearing up the NFC, though, with the Minnesota Vikings sitting at 7-1. In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills lead the way with a 6-2 record.
Delve a bit deeper and the reasons become clearer. The top two teams in both the AFC and the NFC are well balanced on both defense and offense.
The Buffalo Bills lead the way in total offense in 2022. They have a total of 3,331 yards of offense in eight games for an average of 416.4 yards per game. That is the highest across the league. They also boast a great defense, ranking fourth out of all teams. They have allowed only 2,397 yards in the games they have played, for an average of 299.6 yards per game.
The Philadelphia Eagles, meanwhile, are not top in either category but third in both stats, pointing to how well balanced they are. They have 3,198 yards of total offense for an average of 391 yards per game. On defense, they have allowed 2,392 yards, for an average of 299 yards per game.
Only ONE team is in the top five of both offense & defense DVOA for the year.
The Philadelphia Eagles. 🦅
#FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/CWnfnS2ofK
The importance of having a balanced offensive and defensive game is highlighted in seeing some teams with great defense featuring nowhere near the top. The Denver Broncos, for example, have the second-best defense in the NFL but are being let down by an anemic offense. Note that all rankings for both offense and defense thus far are based on average yards per game.
In the all-important metric of points per game as well, the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles fare the best. The Philadelphia Eagles score 28.1 points per game on average, which is the second-highest in the NFL behind the Kansas City Chiefs. They are fourth-best in points conceded per game at 16.9.
The Buffalo Bills are the third-best team on offense with 27.5 points scored per game. They are also the best team on defense across the league, allowing just 14.8 points per game.
The combination of great defense and offense has made the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills the teams to beat. Even with their 7-1 record, the Minnesota Vikings are not at the top of either defensive or offensive stats to be considered the best team in the NFL at the moment.
In fact, it could be pointing to them playing in the NFC North, where teams have been weak this season with only them boasting a winning record. They face their first serious test against the Buffalo Bills today.
Gonna be a good one. 😈
#MINvsBUF | #BillsMafia https://t.co/M6xWnZJTKM
So, from a purely statistical standpoint, it seems that the two best teams in the NFL are the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles. If one was checking for a hypothetical Super Bowl matchup, it would be between these two teams. However, if we had to pick only one, given their perfect record so far, we would have to choose the Eagles.