When we see two teams play in a Super Bowl, we don't believe either will immediately fall back to the pack.
When NFL preseason predictions are made in about six and a half months — yeah, there's a sad, long wait until we see football again — you'll see a lot of people pick the Los Angeles Rams to repeat as Super Bowl champs. You might see some pick the Cincinnati Bengals to take the next step and win a title. You won't see many pick either to miss the playoffs. However, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, no matter how much we like the Bengals' young core of offensive stars or the foundation of blue-chip players the Rams assembled.