2023 Predictions

[Crazy Packers Fan]

Anyone care to make predictions for 2023? I do this every year and have gotten it right once in the last 15 years that I can remember, mostly because I always pick the Packers or my friends' team the Steelers instead of just going chalk with Patriots or Chiefs. Here's what I've got for this year: 2023 NFL Predictions.

AFC:

AFC East:

New York Jets (11-6): Aaron Rodgers immediately turns around the Jets, has a great season that makes me frustrated that he didn’t do it last season, and gets the Jets a hat and T-shirt.
Buffalo Bills (11-6): Josh Allen has the opportunity to put Rodgers’ career to bed, but instead gets swept by New York, which gives the Jets the division title.
Miami Dolphins (9-8): Tua & pals make a run at a playoff berth, but there’s never a moment that you actually think they can win a Super Bowl.
New England Patriots (7-10): Mac Jones is not the guy. Send him home, and give Bill a franchise QB in the draft that he can turn into the next TB12.

AFC North:

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-5): Kenny Pickett isn’t just a passable replacement for Ben; he becomes Ben by getting the Steelers into the AFC Championship Game super-early into his career.
Cincinnati Bengals (11-6): The Bengals threaten to make the Super Bowl, but their offensive line lets them down again. If Joe Burrow gets hurt at all, the Bengals are screwed.
Baltimore Ravens (9-8): Talk about screwed. Imagine what happens if Lamar Jackson goes down. But I think the Ravens weather the storm for the most part and come out of here with a winning record.
Cleveland Browns (4-13): Someone’s gotta lose in this division. It might as well be Deshaun Watson.

AFC South:

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-6): Trevor Lawrence became the real deal in the “0-27 Game.” Now he has the chance to prove himself again, but in a loaded AFC, that might not mean Super Bowl. The Jags are still a year away.
Tennessee Titans (8-9): What good is it having an awesome running back like Derrick Henry if you’ve got no good passing game to back him up? I think the Titans hang around mediocrity this season.
Indianapolis Colts (6-11): It’s rebuilding time in Indianapolis! Time to start over and build the Colts back up from scratch… and to hope Anthony Richardson doesn’t hang ’em up early like his predecessor did.
Houston Texans (4-13): It’s more of the same in Houston. Hey, at least they get to host the Super Bowl once in a while, because that’s the closest they’ll come to one in the next five years at least.

AFC West:

Kansas City Chiefs (14-3): Sometimes it’s that simple. The best team in the league is just staring you down. To dodge them is pointless. They are still the best. And about them winning another Super Bowl… it is unavoidable. It is their destiny.
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6): The Chargers get back to the playoffs just to lose in excruciating fashion once again. Justin Herbert is overrated, but the 17-game season will make his stats inflated enough for people to keep pegging him as an MVP candidate.
Denver Broncos (9-8): What is Russell Wilson? Is he a good quarterback or is he something else? Because I saw him as an average quarterback buoyed by his defense early in his career in Seattle, and then he busted out and became a Hall of Fame contender. But now he’s bad again? I’m not buying it. He will be back. The Broncos are still a year away, though.
Las Vegas Raiders (8-9): Jimmy Garoppolo will be overmatched in Vegas even with Davante Adams to throw to. The Raiders will be unable to put all the pieces together, and they end up with a mediocre season.

NFC:

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles (12-5): A scary team, the Eagles could go back-to-back as NFC champions with very little resistance to their path. Wouldn’t it be cool to see back-to-back Super Bowls with the same two teams? It’s happened only once before, but those two Super Bowls (XXVII & XXVIII) both sucked.
Dallas Cowboys (11-6): One of the biggest threats to the Eagles’ Super Bowl chase comes in their own division. The Cowboys will be just fine without Ezekiel Elliott. However, they always find a way to mess it up, don’t they? Maybe not this time…
Washington “Hogs” (8-9): No matter what their name is, without Joe Gibbs, they don’t stand a chance at a Super Bowl. This will be yet another coach firing in the nation’s capital, as Ron Rivera coaches his final game in the NFL as head coach in Week 18.
New York Giants (6-11): The Giants are complete and utter frauds. Last year’s playoff run was completely smoke and mirrors. Saquon Barkley is amazing, but this year Daniel Jones will come back to Earth. This is one of the few playoff teams I see going down the tubes.

NFC North:

Detroit Lions (10-7): It ought to be a fun year in Michigan, as the Lions put together their first division championship in 30 years. I don’t know how Dan Campbell made Jared Goff into a good quarterback again, but kudos to him for that.
Minnesota Vikings (10-7): The Vikes will lose to Detroit in Week 18 and give up the division title to the Lions. Nevertheless, the Vikings will prove that last year wasn’t an aberration like everybody says.
Green Bay Packers (8-9): My Packers are a year away, very much the same way the 2008 Packers were. Jordan Love, I think, is going to be a really good quarterback in this league, but you’ve got to give him another year with all this raw talent. The Packers are just loaded with talent at the skill positions and along the offensive line. Love couldn’t ask for a better offense to start out in. Of course, if the Packers have no safeties and no kicking game, he’s going to have to start winning games 32-31 (four touchdowns and four two-point conversions).
Chicago Bears (5-12): The Bears might beat Green Bay in Week 1 and then not win for a long time afterward. They’re also a year or two away, but I’m going to hope for my sake that they’re a decade or two away.

NFC South:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9): I forgot this was even a division in the NFL. Someone’s got to win it.
New Orleans Saints (7-10): And it won’t be the Saints.
Atlanta Falcons (6-11): Or the Falcons.
Carolina Panthers (6-11): Or the Panthers. This division is a joke.

NFC West:

San Francisco 49ers (14-3): With Brock Purdy fully entrenched as starting quarterback, he doesn’t get injured this time around, and the Niners strike gold.
Seattle Seahawks (8-9): I don’t see Geno Smith as a good quarterback. I think last year was all smoke and mirrors. The Seahawks come up short of a playoff berth.
Los Angeles Rams (7-10): The Rams are starting over after going “all in” for a Super Bowl. Mission accomplished on that behalf. I’d take the last 5 years of the Rams over anyone else’s but the Chiefs’.
Arizona Cardinals (6-11): When Kyler Murray either gets injured or gets broken by poor play from the rest of his team, then the Cardinals start over in 2024 with a high-draft quarterback.

NFL Playoffs:

AFC:

#1 Kansas City – BYE

#2 Pittsburgh vs. #7 Buffalo

#3 Jacksonville vs. #6 Los Angeles

#4 New York vs. #5 Cincinnati

NFC:

#1 San Francisco – BYE

#2 Philadelphia vs. #7 Green Bay

#3 Detroit vs. #6 Minnesota

#4 Tampa Bay vs. #5 Dallas

AFC:

Wild Card: #2 Steelers over #7 Bills, #3 Jaguars over #6 Chargers, #5 Bengals over #4 Jets

Divisional: #1 Chiefs over #5 Bengals, #2 Steelers over #3 Jaguars

Conference Championship: #1 Chiefs over #2 Steelers

NFC:

Wild Card: #2 Eagles over #7 Packers, #6 Vikings over #3 Lions, #5 Cowboys over #4 Buccaneers

Divisional: #1 49ers over #6 Vikings, #5 Cowboys over #2 Eagles

Conference Championship: #5 Cowboys over #1 49ers

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons, Cowboys

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Anthony Richardson, Colts

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Lukas Van Ness, Packers

Comeback Player of the Year: Damar Hamlin, Bills

Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell, Lions

Super Bowl LVIII:

Chiefs 42, Cowboys 35

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes, of course, in the highest-scoring Super Bowl ever.

[Brian wolf]

I predict the Chiefs will not repeat ...

The Bills will play the 49ers in the SB, with Buffalo finally winning it. If Burrow can stay healthy, the Bengals could go all the way but I think its time for Josh Allen to get it done.

Other than Mahomes, no younger QBs are winning the SB for their team. Could Rodgers join Brady and Stafford in winning with a new team?
Can Russell Wilson get back on the winning track and take Denver to the playoffs?

SF has the talent to win it all but will the owner keep them from winning it? Could York finally win it all for his franchise? The Eagles could go back but its doubtful to me ...

[7DnBrnc53]

As a Bronco fan, they may be more than a year away if Wilson gets hurt. That may happen, because the O-line isn't that great.

[ChrisBabcock]

Tommy, I've been mulling over my predictions for this year in my head already, and already settled on my WL records for the AFC teams. What I came up with was identical to yours. . I may lower the Patriots to 6-11 though if I have too many wins throughout the league after I come up with my league -wide predictions. I'll do this before the weekend.

[JameisBrownston]

What makes you think the Bucs will repeat? We've gotten much worse from last year's 8-9 team, while the other teams have added Bijan Robinson, Derek Carr, and Bryce Young. I am more inclined to think we'll be one of the worst teams in the NFL.

[Crazy Packers Fan]

What makes you think the Bucs will repeat? We've gotten much worse from last year's 8-9 team, while the other teams have added Bijan Robinson, Derek Carr, and Bryce Young. I am more inclined to think we'll be one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Baker Mayfield. I think he's underrated, and at the moment he's arguably the best QB in the South (I have no confidence in Derek Carr). Plus, all the other teams stink. So yeah, I have Tampa winning the South at 8-9 again.

[Brian wolf]

Wow ... hard to believe Bailey Zappe was cut by the Patriots. Many people thought he would eventually replace Jones. Maybe Belichick didnt want Jones looking over his shoulder, yet now another team will claim Zappe. The Bucs and Rams should inquire. I dont have faith in Baker Mayfield, who I believe is more a celebrity now than QB and Stafford's body is beat up. His wife is spouting off about his young teammates and we will see if he can stay healthy?

[JameisBrownston]

Would love the Bucs to take Zappe! I could see the Patriots going for Colt McCoy now. Probably just trade a 7th for Brian Hoyer though, just because.

[Brian wolf]

With three QBs, would be cool if Case Keenum went to NE from Houston. Can win in a pinch ...

[Brian wolf]

With new fan, media and league expectations, can these teams make a leap forward?

NY Giants
Detroit Lions
Minn Vikings
Seattle Seahawks

Miami Dolphins
NY Jets
Jax Jaguars
Pitts Steelers
SD Chargers

Every season at least 3-4 new teams make the playoffs, while the same number miss, after making the playoffs.