Every year, each team gets a fresh start at pursuing the Vince Lombardi Trophy. And every year, only one team gets to accomplish their mission. Six of the NFL's 32 teams get honored as Division Champions - and this year, like every other year... we're going to see some big swings from teams. I'm not gonna hold you back any longer - let's take a look at my 2023 Projections for the NFL.
AFC
AFC - NORTH
Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns
This won’t even be the best division in the conference, but it’s going to come down to the wire. Baltimore is looking to change up their offensive approach and save Lamar Jackson’s MVP-heroics for when they need him, but can the Ravens keep connecting those dots? Meanwhile, Joe Burrow is heating up in Cincy. They’ve made two dangerously deep postseason runs, and their young team looks ready to kick it into another gear. Don’t be surprised to see them at the top of the Conference Rankings come January. Pittsburgh has talent, but a long way to go. Still - Tomlin hasn’t succumbed to a below-500 record as an NFL head coach (yet). It won’t be enough to get them into the playoffs, but they won’t be at the bottom of the league either. That leaves us with the Browns, who let Jacoby Brissett walk after a phenomenal start to the season last year - just to substitute DeShaun Watson - a guy who hadn’t played football in nearly three years. As expected, the Browns fell off and they decided to hang onto their “Franchise Quarterback” that they paid a LOT of money for… Meanwhile, Jacoby Brissett got a new opportunity down the road, we’ll check in on him soon. As for the Browns… you can expect their season to be right on par with their name - poopy.
AFC - SOUTH
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts
Houston Texans
I’ll be the first to say it - the AFC South will only be fielding two competitive NFL teams this fall. The Colts had a rough season last year, along with Jonathan Taylor struggling to stay healthy (or finding his stride) didn’t provide any help. Matt Ryan has moved on, and opened the door for a new voice under center. That could be Gardner Minshew, it could be Sam Ehlinger, or it could be the highly-anticipated Anthony Richardson. I guess we’ll see, but they have a long way to go in order to change the opinion of the masses. Doug Pederson and company are expected to run the AFC South again, especially after last year’s impressive performance. Not to take anything away from Vrabel and the Titans, but Pederson’s team has more versatility and set the bar higher - and they’re getting stronger too. Houston will be Houston. Expect a few standouts, but Devin Singletary won’t be the homerun they expected. I see Dameon Pierce extending his stay as the leader of the RBBC room, but a struggle of a season nonetheless. It will really depend on how NFL Ready CJ Stroud is - because if you had to pick ONE position for the Texans to improve at, QB would be the no-brainer choice.
AFC - EAST
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
New England Patriots
This WILL BE the division to watch this year. Josh Allen and the Bills have something to prove…but will Stefon Diggs be there to see his time through? There’s been rumors of a tumultuous relationship between Diggs and the coaching staff after they failed to get to the Super Bowl again last year. His $14.9m Cap Hit this year nearly doubles next year before an opt-out clause in 2025. This may be Diggs’ last run with the Bills unless they come home with some hardware. That being said, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are also looking to make a big push this year. Tua’s health will remain a major concern for the Dolphins, but they’re working on adding assets to keep their team competitive down the stretch this year. With Dalvin Cook’s future still floating in the aether, it could be just what Miami needs to create a three-headed monster down on South Beach. Meanwhile, the Jets are also loading up for a run. It could be one of the last seasons we see Aaron Rodgers in the NFL, and they’re aware of it. The Jets are also kicking the tires on Dalvin Cook… but keep an eye on someone like Ezeikiel Elliot too. Either one of those backs could open up more opportunities for the WR’s - both RB’s demand respect as they’ve proven to be dangerous in space in years past. Surprising everyone, the Patriots finish dead last in the AFC East for the first time in over two decades. They barely landed in 3rd last season at 8-9, and they haven’t seemed to address any glaring concerns. There’s clearly issues between Mac Jones and the coaching staff. RB Damien Harris, who was the leader of the RBC before the end of the season, ran into doubt after the Patriots signed - then cut - former Jets RB James Robinson. Now Harris is in Buffalo, and Rhomandre is the expected workhorse once again. Meanwhile - Jakobi Meyers left for Oakland giving room for JuJu Smith-Schuster to step in and attempt to fill the gap. DaVante Parker hopes for a redemption season after playing in only 12 games for 70 points last season as WR2, showing the Pats have the biggest hill to climb. They’ve done it in the past… but that was with HoF leadership coming from both the coaching staff and the team captains. We’re not sure where that stands anymore… leading to their descent into the NFL basement.
AFC - WEST
Los Angeles Chargers
Las Vegas Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs
Denver Broncos
Hot take: The Kansas City Chiefs miss the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade. Justin Herbert’s time in LA is coming to a head. He’s going to need to bring home a Division Title or he’s going to be on the hotseat. And with Austin Ekeler already voicing his displeasure with the organization, you can expect him to be walking or to be wearing colors other than Charger Blue come May next year. The Chargers have the talent and depth to be a team of destiny - they’ve just had the unfortunate luck of being stuck behind the absolute tear the Chiefs have been on for the last seven years (7/7 on Division Titles in that span). That’s where the next surprise steps in… Jimmy G has something to prove. He wanted to shine in New England, but got stuck behind HoF Tom Brady. He had a chance in SF, but got ousted for Trey Lance, then got hurt before Brock Purdy took over the role of signal caller. Now in Las Vegas with the Raiders, he’s got quite the audition lined up. With talent all around him, you can expect the Raiders to be one of the more difficult teams to beat this year. Jakobi Meyers is now WR2 behind DeVante Adams, and Austin Hooper is headlining the TE group. The only real concern is Josh Jacobs - who is not happy with his Franchise Tag, and has yet to sign his tendered offer. Jacobs wants to reignite the spark that led him to RB1 last year, but he’s looking to get paid before he starts his season. Vegas has the offense to do it… but can their defense stay up to the task? The Chiefs could swoop in and steal that #2 spot based-off the H2H competition between LV/KC in years past. But the Chiefs have a lot to address themselves… Marquez Valding-Scantling is listed as WR1, with Kadarius Toney at WR2 - who has struggled to stay healthy in his career. Lining up behind him is Skyy Moore, who hasn’t had much opportunity to prove his worth. Richie James followed Toney from NYG to KC, but he has also yet to show his skills beyond a few games with Daniel Jones. Outside of WR1, who can you trust in that group? Kelce will still be a force to be reckoned with, but will their RB-Carousel continue? The latest rumor has Darrell Henderson working out in KC - potentially replacing Isiah Pacheco or Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the Depth Chart. Only time will tell. The only wildcard I have in this division would be the Broncos. Russel Wilson struggled mightily last year, but his track record shows he can do it. Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton are still in their prime, and with JaVonte Williams returning from an ACL injury, what are the odds they’re able to tie it all together? We’ll see how the new coaching regime works out. Denver will be on my radar, but I’ll pick them as a Wild Card team at best this year - despite being on an upward trajectory.
NFC
NFC - NORTH
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears
Are you ready for some laughs? Some of you may let a few out. The Bears will be the WORST team in the NFC North this year. Sure, they’ve addressed a lot of offensive concerns, but they have yet to prove they know what they’re doing. I see them AT BEST as a 5-win team this fall. The Packers will be right on their heels… maybe 6 wins if they’re lucky. Too many changes in such a small amount of time, and there’s trust issues both in Chicago and Green Bay. Fields has yet to build relationships with new receivers Chase Claypool and DJ Moore, while they are potentially looking at a revamped backfield as well. Could Ezekiel Elliot end up in Chicago? It would definitely help Khalil Herbert out. But Green Bay is back to square one with a new signal caller. Jordan Love has had few opportunities to get into the game while sitting behind Aaron Rodgers over the years. But now, almost ALL of their skill offensive players are young. The RB Room in Green Bay has the most experience (Aaron Jones/AJ Dillion), so expect them to be relied on heavily until the pass attack takes shape in Wisconsin. The Vikings are the only threat to the predicted NFC North winner… the same Vikings team that lost three of their final eight games, ending that stretch with a 5-3 record, and (-38) Point Differential. Of Minnesota’s 13 wins last year, only two were more than a one-possession game - Week 1 vs Green Bay (W 23-7), and Week 18 vs Chicago (W 29-13). Five of those 13 victories were by three points or less. That’s unheard of. Half of Minnesota’s wins could just as easily flip to the other side of the counter this fall. And because of that… Detroit gets the division. Finishing last year 6-2 (and +71 in that same stretch compared to the Vikings). Detroit fell on Thanksgiving to Buffalo (L 28-25) and a poor performance to Carolina (L 37-23) on the road, but this team has come a long way from their 3-13-1 season in 2021. Take notice, they are officially the team to beat in the NFC North.
NFC- SOUTH
New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The NFC South was the worst-performing division in the NFL last year. All four teams finished below .500, with the Buccaneers landing an 8-9 Division Clinching record. The other three teams finished 7-10. The biggest change is Father-Time has finally ousted Tom Brady from under center, which may be the reason the Bucc’s fall to the bottom of the division this year. They’re now leaning on Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask as QB1 and QB2, with John Wolford as QB3… Yea, they may need some help down there. Chase Edmonds is stepping behind Rachaad White in the backfield, who is moving up to replace Leonard Fournette… Needless to say, there is room for improvement across the board here. Could this be a landing spot for Zeke? It would help their passing game a LOT… especially since they have a few big names like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin who can move the ball downfield if their running game can’t get going. That’s JUST the bottom of the division though… The projected favorites are Derek Carr, Jamaal Williams and the new-look New Orleans Saints. Adding the strong-armed Carr and the NFL’s Rushing TD Leader from last year should give the Saints fans something to look forward to. With Michael Thomas expected to return this fall next to Chris Olave, they’re going to have quite the explosive offense and have the chance to put up some BIG numbers - especially in a division that struggles to keep offenses off the field. The Falcons are still building - but don’t get me wrong, they are one or two good “lessons” away from being an experienced team with talent on the outside. The Panthers have decided to reset once again, after trading away Christian McCaffery to the 49ers. They got a haul in return to jumpstart their rebuild with draft picks - and they snagged the #1 Overall Pick from Chicago to make up for the loss. We’ll see how Bryce Young looks in Carolina Blue, but don’t expect him to make any big strides until they get him someone to get the ball to.
NFC- EAST
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Washington Commanders
This could be one of the more interesting divisions in the NFC, mainly because the #2 and #3 teams could easily be swapped. Philly is by far the clear favorite once again. They put together a fantastic season last year, and with Jalen Hurts leading the way, they may have a chance to do it again. The Eagles made some adjustments on offense, squaring away DeAndre Swift, but really haven’t lost much firepower outside of Miles Sanders. That being said, you could make the argument that Swift is a better/younger version of Sanders… when he can stay healthy. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will carry the workload on the outside edge, and Dallas Goedert will look to continue his impressive 2022 performance into 2023 - let’s just hope he can stay healthy enough. I’ve listed enough reasons for Philly to be #1, now as to why Dallas is #2 and not #3… The answer is Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb. Michael Gallup has not amounted to anything in his time down south - and now Brandin Cooks is listed above him on the team’s official depth chart. Could Gallup’s time in Dallas be winding down? Dalton Schultz also left town, and Dak Prescott will have to rekindle a new relationship with Jake Ferguson. But don’t be surprised if Luke Schoonmaker takes over for Ferguson - the young former Michigan Wolverine is a big target and hungry to make an impact on a team that needs someone to step up. New York has shown flashes of brilliance, but with so many question marks on the offense staying healthy, it’s hard to put stock in them. Will they have players that you absolutely cannot miss this fall for your fantasy draft? Yes, they do (Saquon, Darren Waller, End of List). Daniel Jones WOULD be on the list… but his inconsistencies make it hard to trust him. Especially now that they don’t have a True #1 WR… (Isaiah Hodgins WR1, Darius Slayton WR2, Parris Campbell WR3). However, Saquon Barkley has recently made comments about being unhappy with his contract - something that NEEDS to be addressed prior to the season. Lastly, the Commanders have the longest leash of the bunch in the NFC East. They’re looking to turn a new page by giving Sam Howell the ball to start the year. Brian Robinson Jr. will get his first full season as RB1, while Scary Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel all return to a lineup that could become a dynamic group of players. Washington could surprise some teams and make a push for the Wild Card spot, but don’t expect more than 8 wins with this group.
NFC- WEST
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams
Arizona Cardinals
Three years ago, this was the division to watch in the NFL. Leading the huddles were the likes of Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Jimmy G/Trey Sermon. Today, Stafford is one injury away from retirement. Russell Wilson was dealt in the blockbuster deal to the Broncos, Jimmy G walked from SF to Oakland and former 1st Rd Pick Trey Sermon is now behind Mr. Irrelevant from his draft year, Brock Purdy. Oh yea, and Kyler Murray? He’s been labeled a drama queen by his teammates, and has a reputation to prefer playing video games over studying game film. In other words, it’s turned into a disaster. The 49ers are the only team to be making progress the last few years too… San Fran already had a dynamic WR core with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Don’t forget stud TE George Kittle… Now, they add Christian McCaffery for a full-season? Who cares who is under center, just toss it downfield in the direction of a gold-helmet and you should be just fine. San Fran should have this division in the bag by Week 12. The Seahawks are the only concern of mine… Geno Smith put up MVP numbers in the first half of the season last year, and Kenneth Walker III burst onto the scene and stole the #1 job from Raschaad Penny. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are returning, so their offense is mostly in-tact. Don’t be surprised if they keep things interesting throughout the year. As for the Rams… Stafford is aging. And without a clear #1 RB, the Rams will have to find new ways to get the ball downfield. Tossing it up to Cooper Kupp isn’t going to solve all the problems for them like it did a few years ago - because they had other options to move the ball. Now, the cabinet is quite bare… Kyler Murray is also one of the main reasons why the Cardinals are falling down the rankings. The once-dominant team can’t stay on the same page anymore. DeAndrew Hopkins has left town and is looking for a new home, and all that’s left for Kyler is Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Zach Ertz, and James Conner. Let’s hope Kyler is opening his textbooks, and not his Discord Channel this fall, or else it will be another long season for Arizona fans.
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