It's almost time! We are only five days away from the 2023 NFL season kicking off as the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs play host to the Detroit Lions on September 7th.
From the world-champion Chiefs, the talented, commonly hyped-up Dallas Cowboys, and the revamped New York Jets, multiple teams believe that they have a shot at winning Super Bowl 58.
The Chiefs and the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles start the season at #1 and #2 respectively in my power rankings, but what about after that? Let's take a look at where all 32 teams stack up entering the new season.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Coming off their second Super Bowl victory in the last four seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the verge of becoming the NFL's next dynasty, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and head coach Andy Reid. However, the Chiefs still have to resolve the issue surrounding Chris Jones; the Chiefs reportedly don't want to make the four-time All-Pro the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, which is a huge mistake on their part. Any hopes of a repeat (and subsequent dynasty) in Kansas City will go up in flames if Jones isn't on the roster.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
After coming within three points of winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles enter the 2023 NFL season with extremely high expectations. Led by their All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts, one of the best wide receiver duos in the league with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the best offensive line in the league, and a ferocious pass rush on defence, you could very well make the argument that the Eagles have the best roster in the NFL, with the only concerns being at linebacker and safety. But now, with a harder schedule and a target on their backs, can Philly successfully run it back and finish the job this time around?
3. San Francisco 49ers
Over the last handful of years in the NFL, the 49ers have been one of the best teams in the league, winning two NFC West division titles, making three NFC Championship game appearances, and a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. On paper, this roster is stacked with All-Pro players like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle on offence, and Nick Bosa and Fred Warner on defence. Quarterback Brock Purdy did a fantastic job of commanding head coach Kyle Shanahan's offence last season before suffering a torn UCL in their NFC Championship loss against the Eagles. But can he continue to play that well now with other teams having tape on him? The answer to that question could be the difference between the Niners winning their first Super Bowl since 1994 and them coming up just short once again.
4. Cincinnati BengalsOver the last two seasons, the Bengals have become one of the NFL's elite teams, making it to Super Bowl 56 in 2021, and nearly making it to Super Bowl 57 last season before losing in an instant classic AFC Championship game against the Chiefs. Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow is currently dealing with a calf injury that he suffered early in training camp, but assuming that he's ready go to when the season starts, Cincy will be locked and loaded once again to be in the mix to win the Super Bowl with their explosive offence led by Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, combined with their severely underrated defence.
5. Buffalo Bills
Outside of their run in the early 1990s when they made four straight Super Bowl appearances, this current run for the Buffalo Bills is their best in franchise history. Since 2017 when general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott came into town, the Bills have made five playoff appearances (including four straight), and have won three straight AFC East titles, led by their franchise quarterback Josh Allen and a stout defence. However, Buffalo has also had their fair share of playoff lapses, including last year's embarrassing divisional-round loss to the Bengals. Led by Allen, All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and a defence that's been one of the best in the NFL over the last half-decade, the Bills are still Super Bowl contenders. But in a very competitive AFC, their time to capitalize with this core is starting to run out.
6. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will come into this season looking to make their first deep playoff run since winning Super Bowl 47 in the 2012-13 season. Since then, Baltimore has won just two playoff games, including only one with 2019 MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson on the roster. Jackson is one of the most electrifying players in the league and the Ravens (who recently rewarded Jackson with a five-year $260 million contract in late April) are making it their number one priority to build around their best player, adding a couple of new weapons to the passing attack in wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr (via free agency) and Zay Flowers (via the draft). The time is now for Baltimore to go out and win another championship under longtime head coach John Harbaugh.
7. Dallas CowboysIs this the year that the Dallas Cowboys finally get over the hump and make a deep postseason run? "America's Team" hasn't made it to the NFC Championship game since 1996, but this current roster may be the best they've fielded since the glory days of the '90s. They added veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks (six 1,000-yard seasons in his career) to the offence (which finished 4th in points per game in 2022) to complement All-Pro wideout Ceedee Lamb, and they signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore (2019 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl 53 champion with the New England Patriots) to add to their elite, ball-hawking defence (1st in takeaways in 2021 and 2022) led by edge rusher Micah Parsons, who has finished as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in each of the last two seasons. But it will be all for nought if quarterback Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy can't elevate their level of play and coaching respectively when it matters most.
8. Miami Dolphins
The Jaguars are most definitely a team on the rise entering the 2023 season. 2022 Pro Bowl quarterback Trevor Lawrence is already one of the best quarterbacks in the league at 23 years old, and he's surrounded by a variety of talented weapons, including 2020 All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who will be making his Jaguars debut this season after missing all of 2022 serving a season-long suspension for gambling. The defence has its flaws, which could potentially stop this team from making a deep playoff run. But in a watered-down AFC South, Jacksonville should be able to win the division for the second consecutive year behind their explosive offence.
It's the dawn of a new era for the Jets as future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers takes his talents to New York. With Rodgers on board combined with talented youngsters such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and an elite defence (4th in total defence in 2022) returning most of its starters from last season, the Jets appear to be on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders. But there are concerns about the offensive line with a 39-year-old quarterback that has a very extensive injury history dropping back behind it. The Jets are without a doubt the most hyped-up team entering the new season, so regardless if they win 7 games and miss the playoffs or 13 games and win the whole thing, they're gonna be extremely fun to watch in 2023.
For the first time in decades, the Detroit Lions are being looked at as the best team in the NFC North. Led by Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff, and Pro Bowl wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions finished 2022 with the 4th ranked offence. The defence wasn't good last season, finishing dead last in yards allowed. However, they played much better down the stretch and added some pieces to their secondary, including defensive back C.J. Gardener-Johnson, who co-led the NFL with 6 interceptions with the defending NFC champion Eagles last year. In what looks like a down year for the rest of the NFC North, the Lions should capitalize, but knowing the history of this team, success is far from certain.
The Seahawks were the NFL's most surprising team in 2022. After trading away franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, most (including me) predicted that Seattle would be one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, led by quarterback Geno Smith, the Seahawks won nine games and made the playoffs. With Smith and talented weapons around him on offence such as wide receivers D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle will have a great shot at making the postseason for the second consecutive season while also contending with the 49ers in the NFC West.
Once again, the Chargers enter a new season with a bunch of talent on their roster. Justin Herbert is an elite quarterback. Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams make up one of the best offensive playmaking trios in the NFL. And Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Derwin James are all good to elite-level defensive players. But as always with the Chargers, there are two questions that need to be answered; Number one, can all of the aforementioned great players stay healthy and Number two, can they show up and play at their best when it matters most late in the season. If they can, the Chargers could beat out the Chiefs for the AFC West crown. If not, they could miss the playoffs for the seventh time in the last nine seasons.
"The standard is the standard" - Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Under Tomlin, the Steelers have never had a losing season, including last year when they began the season with a 2-6 record before winning seven out of their final nine games while barely missing the playoffs. Their defence is loaded with elite players such as T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward leading the way, and the offence has some nice young players as well, with the likes of Najee Harris, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. If quarterback Kenny Pickett can take the second-year leap, then the Steelers could not only make the playoffs, but also, win the AFC North in 2023.
On paper, the Browns are one of the most talented teams in the NFL. On offence, they're led by All-Pro running back Nick Chubb, Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper, and an elite offensive line anchored by All-Pro guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. The defence should be much improved this season, with Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith joining All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett along the defensive line. New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (who produced two-five defences during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-2020) should be able to put this defence in great positions to be successful. Depending on whether quarterback Deshaun Watson can regain his peak form from 2017-2020 with the Houston Texans, the Browns could finish anywhere from 7-10 to 13-4 in 2023. But the guess here is that they will end up somewhere in the middle.
The Giants made their first playoff appearance since 2016 last season, as they won nine games, and went all the way to the NFC Divisional Round before losing to the eventual NFC champion Eagles. Quarterback Daniel Jones had a career year in 2022, and with running back Saquon Barkley back with a new contract and improved pass catchers such as tight end Darren Waller joining the team, "Danny Dimes" should be able to take another step forward as the face of the Giants' franchise. The defence is also well-stocked with talent, led by All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. New York plays in a very tough NFC East division that also features the Eagles and the Cowboys, but the NFC in general is kind of weak so the G-Men could make consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
The Saints come into this season looking to snap their two-year playoff drought. They brought in four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr to help stabilize an offence that was below average in 2022. With talented players on that side of the ball such as Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Jamaal Williams, Carr should be able to produce a solid bounce-back season in his first season in the Big Easy. Combine that with a stifling defence, and the Saints look like the favourites to come out on top in what appears to be a very weak NFC South division.
Last season, the Vikings won 13 games and ran away with the NFC North title. But last year's Vikings were extremely lucky, as they went 11-0 in one-score (games decided by 7 points or less) contests, suggesting that they are a team due for a lot of regression in 2023. Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson combine to give Minnesota a potent offensive attack, but the defence is very inexperienced and, even with the addition of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores, looks pretty bad on paper. The Vikings will be competitive, but ultimately, don't be surprised if they miss the playoffs this season.
After making the playoffs for three straight seasons, the Titans' postseason streak was snapped in brutal fashion in 2022. Tennessee got off to a hot 7-3 start and seemed to be on their way to winning their third consecutive AFC South title before the wheels completely fell off; the Titans lost seven straight games as the Jaguars swooped in to win the division. They brought in five-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to hopefully boost what was the worst passing offence in the league last season. Their defence will always be decent with head coach Mike Vrabel calling the shots and All-Pros Jeffery Simmons and Kevin Byard leading the way on the field. But in a crowded AFC playoff picture, it seems like the Titans could be on the outside looking in come January once again.
20. New England Patriots
Bill Belichick's squad has struggled ever since the departure of Tom Brady after the 2019 season, as they've missed the postseason in two out of the last three seasons (and the one time they did make the playoffs they got absolutely thrashed by the Bills in the wildcard round). The defence under Belichick once again looks to be pretty formidable, but this season is all about quarterback Mac Jones getting back on track after a rough 2022 season. With new (hopefully improved) weapons and a new offensive coordinator in Bill O'Brien (who coached Jones during his collegiate career at Alabama), the onus will be on the Patriots offence to play much better than it did last year if the team plans on contending in a very competitive AFC East.
21. Denver BroncosAfter trading for longtime Seahawks Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson last year, it appeared that the Broncos were en route to snapping the league's second-longest playoff drought. Instead, Wilson and the Broncos suffered through a disastrous 2022 season, winning just 5 games while finishing last in the AFC West. Future Hall of Fame head coach Sean Payton was brought in this offseason to build a new culture in the Mile High City and to hopefully revive Wilson's career. If Payton can do that, combined with the fact that the Broncos already have a very good defence, Denver could surprise in a tough AFC.
22. Carolina PanthersSimilarly to the Broncos, the Panthers have not had much success since losing to Denver in Super Bowl 50, making just one playoff appearance in the last six seasons. However, a new era of Panthers football will be ushered in this season as first-overall pick Bryce Young takes over as the team's new franchise quarterback. Led by Young, new head coach Frank Reich, and some exciting young players on defence, the Panthers could be a surprise team in the NFC South in 2023.
23. Atlanta FalconsThe Falcons should be a very interesting team to watch in 2023. Their offence is stacked with loads of talent, featuring recent first-round picks at running back (Bijan Robinson), wide receiver (Drake London) and tight end (Kyle Pitts). They also have one of the best offensive lines in the league, led by All-Pro guard Chris Lindstrom. If the defence (which added All-Pro safety Jessie Bates to their secondary during the offseason) can improve and second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder takes a sophomore leap, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Falcons win their first NFC South crown since 2016 (when they made an appearance in Super Bowl LI).
24. Green Bay Packers
For the first time since 2008, Aaron Rodgers is not the Packers' starting quarterback entering Week 1. That honour now belongs to Jordan Love, who Green Bay selected in the first round back in 2020. Love is a talented, mobile quarterback, but he's only thrown 83 passes in his career thus far, so up to this point, no one knows if he is a good NFL player. The Packers are no longer Super Bowl contenders, but this season is all about if Love can prove to be the next great Packers quarterback. Anything else (e.g. a playoff appearance) is an added bonus.
25. Washington CommandersThe Commanders won 8 games last season, but still finished in last place in the brutal NFC East. The hope for Washington in 2023 is that second-year quarterback Sam Howell can take a leap and prove to be the leader of the franchise. With talented weapons like wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson surrounding him, a great offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy joining the team, and a good defence, Howell and the Commanders could be a surprise team in the NFC. But it won't be easy winning 8 plus games again in that division.
26. Chicago Bears
The Bears have won the NFC North just twice in the last thirteen years and have generally been the worst team in the division for the last decade. But there is newfound hope in the Windy City these days and that is mainly because of dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields. Fields, who became only the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season last year, is expected to take an extra leap from last season with the addition of star wide receiver D.J. Moore to the team. The Bears made an effort to improve on defence as well, adding linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds (two-time Pro Bowler). Chicago looks like a team on the rise in the NFC, but I think they're a year away from truly competing for a playoff spot.
The Raiders are in the worst possible spot you could be in when it comes to sports; no man's land. This is a team that has some nice, high-end talent on both sides of the ball, including running back Josh Jacobs, wide receiver Davante Adams and edge rusher Maxx Crosby, all of whom are All-Pro players. At the same time, this is also a team that clearly isn't going to win a championship with this current core of players on the roster. It's not clear what direction this team is going in, and that's a very bad sign, especially since they play in a very tough AFC West division.
What a difference a year makes. The Rams, coming off a Super Bowl victory, completely collapsed, going from 12-5 in 2021 to 5-12 in 2022. Now, of course, a big part of why they were miserable last season was because they couldn't stay healthy. Their top three players (Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald) all missed significant time due to injuries, and their offensive line also faced many injury problems as well. Stafford and Donald are healthy, but Kupp is not, and there's a decent chance that he will end up missing their Week 1 matchup against the division-rival Seahawks. And outside of their "big three", the Rams don't have a lot of talent on the roster compared to previous years. Sean McVay is a very good head coach, but he definitely has his work cut out for him this season.
With the Commanders finally moving on from the disastrous Daniel Snyder era, I think it's definitely fair to say that the Colts are the most dysfunctional team in the NFL right now. Owner Jim Irsay has caused quite a stir by refusing to pay his star running back Jonathan Taylor. Taylor is an All-Pro caliber player who would certainly aid rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson's transition into the league. This team has been in complete disarray ever since Andrew Luck retired; at this point, the potential of Richardson is the only hope that Colts fans can cling to right now.
Well, it was a lovely three-year run for the Bucs with Tom Brady leading them to three playoff appearances, two NFC South titles, and a Super Bowl victory in 2020. But now, Brady is gone and who's here to pick up the slack at quarterback? That would be none other than former Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Mayfield has a solid team around him, including wide receiver Mike Evans and left tackle Tristan Wirfs on offence and a good defence led by edge rusher Shaq Barrett, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr., but Mayfield also hasn't played up to his draft billing in his career thus far. This is a team in transition, and it wouldn't be surprising if they end up landing a top 3 pick in next year's draft.
The Texans will begin this season with high hopes for the future as they venture into the C.J. Stroud era. Stroud, a Heisman finalist in 2021 and 2022 during his time at Ohio State, will look to help the Texans build a winning culture after the team won just 11 games from 2020-2022. Houston won't win a lot of games in 2023, but if Stroud shows flashes of being a franchise quarterback and new head coach DeMeco Ryans (who's coming to the Texans after leading a great 49ers defence over the last two seasons) turns out to be a good hire, then the Texans could climb back to the top of the AFC South standings pretty quickly.
The Cardinals are going to be the worst team in the league in 2023. Let's just get that out of the way. Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray is going to miss the first four games of the season (and possibly more) as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. The offensive line and defensive line are very poor, which doesn't bode well for them; when was the last time you saw a team that was weak in the trenches on offence and defence succeed in the NFL? The only good news for Arizona is that they could potentially have the top 2 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, which could land them USC's Caleb Williams and Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr.; both of whom are currently the NCAA's top two college players.
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