Seven weeks of the NFL season have passed, typically the point of the season where the contenders and pretenders start to separate themselves from the pack. There are so many teams that still have a shot at a playoff berth this early in the season, making it difficult to find the ones that don't have a chance at winning the Super Bowl.
Even with all the parity in the NFL -- half the league has three or four wins through seven weeks -- some teams have emerged from the pack as early frontrunners to win Super Bowl LVII. Only two teams have six wins through seven weeks, and both reside in the NFC East. Seven teams in the league have five-plus wins through seven weeks, all of them emerging as credible threats to reach the Super Bowl on Feb. 12.
Plenty of teams aren't off to the greatest of starts in 2022, yet must still be considered as Super Bowl contenders based on how they're playing. These teams have talented rosters, strong coaching staffs and quarterbacks good enough to take their teams on deep playoff runs.
Who are the "Super Seven," or the seven teams that have put themselves in contention for a Super Bowl run through seven weeks of the season?
Here are the seven contenders primed to make a deep playoff run come January.
All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Buffalo Bills (6-1)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +270
The Bills are loaded on both sides of the ball, starting with the MVP frontrunner in Josh Allen. He's on pace for 5,610 passing yards and 48 touchdowns while leading the second-ranked scoring offense and top-ranked offense in yards per game. The Bills also have the top scoring defense and top defense in yards allowed per game, showcasing their strength on both sides of the ball.
Buffalo beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, setting the stage to earn home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs, making teams travel to Orchard Park in January (where the Bills have won six straight games). Buffalo also ended the streak of losing one-score games, beating the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens -- two top AFC contenders this season.
Buffalo is the best team in the AFC. The roster is primed to make the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +500
The last unbeaten team in the NFL this season, the Eagles are deep across the board. Jalen Hurts is having an MVP-caliber season, leading an offense that is fourth in scoring and fifth in yards per game. Philadelphia also has just two giveaways through six games, having a NFL-leading plus-12 turnover margin.
The defense may be better than the offense, as Philadelphia ranks fourth in points allowed and yards allowed per game. The Eagles have an NFL-leading 14 takeaways as 23.8% of their opponents' drives end in an offensive score (which also leads the NFL). Philadelphia is the first team not to trail in the second half through six games since the 2019 Patriots, using dominant second quarters to pull away from opponents.
The Eagles have been tested by two five-win teams and came out on top. They stand as the top Super Bowl contender in the NFC.
Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +700
Even though the Chiefs lost to the Bills in Week 5, Kansas City should never be counted out of Super Bowl contention with Andy Reid as head coach and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. The Chiefs have made it to the conference title game in all four years Mahomes and Reid have been together.
The Chiefs are No. 1 in the NFL in scoring offense, generating 40-plus points three times in 2022 (no other team has scored 40-plus points more than once). The offense is getting better by the week with a deep pass-catching group led by Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Kansas City's pass defense is one of the worst in the NFL, ranking 30th in pass yards per game and 32nd in pass touchdowns allowed. While the defense is 25th in points and yards allowed per game, Reid-coached teams typically don't hit their stride until the second half of the year.
The Chiefs are always a contender to go deep into January.
Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +1800
The Cowboys defense is elite, ranking second in points allowed per game as they are led by a pass rush that leads the league in sacks (29) and pressures (113). Dallas has terrorized opposing offenses, allowing under 20 points to six of its seven opponents.
Getting Dak Prescott back is going to significantly help an offense that is 22nd in points scored and 29th in yards per game. The Cowboys don't have a strong offensive line and miss Amari Cooper at wide receiver, but the offense has done just enough to put up enough points and pull off wins.
As long as the Cowboys defense plays at an elite level, Dallas will compete for a Super Bowl. Don't let their current NFC playoff seeding (No. 6) mislead how good the Cowboys actually are.
Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +2200
The Bengals appear to be back, thanks to the incredible hot streak Joe Burrow is on. Burrow has been on an absolute tear the past five weeks, completing 71.3% of his passes for 1,560 yards with 12 touchdowns to one interception (117.2 rating). Not surprisingly the Bengals are 4-1 in that stretch and have emerged as a contender in the conference again.
Cincinnati needs to get going running the football (28th in yards per game), yet there isn't many holes on this roster. The Bengals are seventh in points allowed per game and 11th in yards allowed per game, and have a defense that continues to get pressure on the quarterback even if the sack totals aren't there yet.
The Bengals will be tested in the home stretch of their season, and Burrow's play will dictate how good they are.
Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +1800
Sure, the Ravens have blown three double-digit leads this season, which have led to their three losses, Lamar Jackson hasn't been playing well the last few weeks and the defense has looked discombobulated at times. Yet Baltimore leads the AFC North and still has one of the top rosters in the league.
The Ravens have allowed just 21 points per game over the past four weeks, making up for an inconsistent offense that has played a significant role in those two blown fourth-quarter leads. Jackson isn't going to be in a slump all season and the addition of Gus Edwards to an already potent run offense will pay dividends in the second half of the year.
The Ravens still have Jackson at quarterback, John Harbaugh as head coach and a very favorable second-half schedule. They're set to make a run in the AFC.
Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
Odds to win Super Bowl LVII: +1600
Time to put some respect on the Vikings' name. This team has taken advantage of a favorable schedule to start the year, but they're finding ways to win games. Minnesota has an excellent special teams unit that has the team leading the NFL in average starting field position and opponents' average starting field position, masking a defense that's 27th in yards allowed and 28th in pass yards per game allowed.
Can the Vikings capitalize on the 5-1 start? They have a commanding lead in a poor NFC North with three division games remaining. The Kirk Cousins-to-Justin Jefferson connection is stronger than ever and Minnesota has the star power to capitalize on its tough interdivisional schedule with the NFC East and AFC East.
Kevin O'Connell -- a first year coach -- and his offense will grow as the season progresses. The Vikings may not be on the level as these other contenders, but Minnesota is no pushover either. That No. 2 seed in the NFC may have some weight come January.
