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Pat Leonard’s NFL Notes: Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur will raise Lombardi Trophy this NFL season

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Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are going to win Super Bowl LVII.

The quirky quarterback is talented enough to overcome the loss of his top receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.

Coordinator Joe Barry’s defense might be in the best in the league paced by star corner Jaire Alexander, the best NFL player that no one talks about.

And Rich Bisaccia’s hiring as special teams coordinator will improve the unit that doomed Matt LaFleur in January’s 13-10 division round loss at Lambeau Field to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Buffalo Bills are the chalk, and they proved why with their opening night beatdown of the reigning champion L.A. Rams.

The Cincinnati Bengals seem capable of getting back to the big stage and finishing the job.

The Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders all seem poised to possibly make runs.

Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs and Tom Brady’s Bucs certainly have the pedigree from recent titles of their own.

But LaFleur and Rodgers have won 39 games the past three seasons. They’ll run the NFC North with two first-year head coaches in Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell and Chicago’s Matt Eberflus, with Detroit’s Dan Campbell in Year 2 with the Lions.

And Rodgers, a four-time MVP and winner of the last two, will come out on top again.

The offense will run through running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, but veteran wideout Sammy Watkins quietly is poised for a big season in a receiving corps where Rodgers will need one young buck to assert himself by midseason.

It’s unclear how many years Rodgers has left, but it’s hard to believe the future Hall of Famer will retire with only one Super Bowl victory on his resume.

He’ll win Green Bay’s first championship since the 2010 NFL season, lifting the Lombardi Trophy in Glendale, Ariz., in February.

BET RAIDERS IN AFC

The AFC West is stacked, with the Chiefs, Raiders, Justin Herbert’s Chargers and Russell Wilson on the scene with the Denver Broncos. But there is something brewing in the desert with Josh McDaniels’ Las Vegas Raiders.

The Daily News is picking them to win the AFC and play the Packers in the Super Bowl due to upgrades on both sides of the ball.

Adams, the former Packers standout receiver, augments Derek Carr’s skill group. They played together at Fresno State in college, so they have a rapport. And that connection will open even more opportunities for studs like Darren Waller at tight end and wideout Hunter Renfrow in the slot.

The offensive line is the question mark, the position group that might hold them back.

But their greatest upgrade might be on defense: the addition of former Giants DC Pat Graham as defensive coordinator, and the presence of standout pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones on the edges.

Graham worked wonders running the Giants’ defense, and he didn’t have a pass rusher. Now he has two who are elite at getting to the quarterback. That will be a game-changing element and the difference in battling Mahomes, Herbert and Wilson a total of six times.

The Raiders were resilient last season and knocking on the door despite head coach Jon Gruden’s midseason firing. This fall, they break down the door.

JACKSON, RAVENS TABLE CONTRACT TALKS

The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson were unable to reach agreement on a new contract before the start of the season. So the former MVP will take the risk and play his fifth season on the $23 million fifth-year option salary — with no clear security past it.

“Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson,” GM Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process and we were excited about our team with Lamar leading the way. We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign.”

Head coach John Harbaugh assured: “Those things will work themselves out in the end. I’m confident in that. I said at the beginning that it will happen when it’s time, and when it’s time it will happen. So Lamar is playing quarterback. He’s going to be playing quarterback here for a long time.

COWBOYS, JETS IN TROUBLE

Who knows what Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys were thinking, having no backup plan on the roster in case veteran left tackle Tyron Smith got hurt. Their signing of Jason Peters, 40, is a sign of desperation. Couple that with the loss of receiver Amari Cooper to Cleveland, and Dallas is going to be unhealthily reliant on Dan Quinn’s defense. The uncertainty around head coach Mike McCarthy’s job security and situation is only to grow louder if the Cowboys struggle out of the gate, as it appears they could, especially opening in Weeks 1 and 2 against the Buccaneers and Bengals. … Speaking of rough starts, the Jets’ injuries at quarterback and offensive tackle have Robert Saleh’s team limping into its opener against the Ravens at MetLife Stadium, with a schedule that would make any Jet fan wince in anticipation of more pain. This could get ugly very fast in Florham Park for Joe Douglas’ team, with Joe Flacco starting for the foreseeable future. … Baker Mayfield’s revenge game against the Browns on Sunday will be must see. He typically plays best when the chip on his shoulder grows largest. … Doug Pederson’s Jaguars have a golden opportunity to surprise the Washington Commanders and the league on the road. … Odell Beckham Jr. had an official visit with the Rams this week as he continues his rehab from the torn ACL in the Super Bowl, and reporters say the team left Beckham’s locker intact even though he’s now a free agent. Since the spring, a midseason reunion with Beckham and the Rams has made a lot of sense, as he gets healthy and Sean McVay’s team evolves.

PAT’S (OTHER) PICKS

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs (he’s somehow become an underdog)

Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels, Raiders

Offensive rookie of the year: Treylon Burks, WR, Titans

Defensive rookie of the year: Jalen Pitre, S, Texans

Comeback player of the year: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars

THEY SAID IT

“There’s a reason why they call Derek Henry ‘The King:’ Because he’s on the iron throne, for all you Game of Thrones fans … He’s like our modern-day Jim Brown.” — Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale

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