Re: 2023 Predictions
Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 2:54 pm
AFC:
East:
Buffalo Bills: I'm sticking with the Bills to win the division but I'm not as high on their chances to win their first S.B. as I was at this time last season because the A.F.C. is loaded.
New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers is an obvious upgrade at QB despite his age and the Jets seem to be a lot of people's pick to go all the way this year but I'm not willing to go out on that limb. At least not yet. These are the N.Y. Jets we're talking about, after all. (I thought the Jets looked pretty good in their last pre-season/exhibition game against the Giants, though - for what that's worth)
Miami Dolphins: I'm just not a Tua fan (to say nothing of his injury history) and the Dolphins haven't done anything of note in ages so I see no reason to pick them to finish any higher than 3rd in their division now that the Jets have A.R.
New England Patriots: Looks like the worm has turned and B.B. and his team are good bets to finish in last in the division.
North:
Cincinnati Bengals: I'm sticking with the Bengals to win the division. Zac Taylor appears to know what he's doing and I'm a HUGE Joe Burrow fan. How much more than just a division title can the 2023 Bengals win? Time will tell but remember that they very nearly took last year's eventual S.B. champs to OT in the conference championship game (and probably would have if not for that unfortunate late hit on Patrick Mahomes late in the game).
Baltimore Ravens: I'm not a fan of Lamar Jackson's, at all. I think the fact that no other team showed much (if any) interest in him when he was holding out on the Ravens earlier this year speaks volumes. I'd probably have BAL finishing in 3rd in their division if I wasn't so unsure about PIT's QB situation.
Pittsburgh Steelers: As mentioned above I can't get all that excited about PIT's chances with what they have at QB. But they should still be able to beat the next team on the list out by the end of the season.
Cleveland Browns: The pathetic Browns. Far, far, FAR removed from their glory days of the 1940s and '50s. I see nothing, at all, that justifies picking them to finish anywhere but last in their division.
South:
Jacksonville Jaguars: I'm still not completely "sold" on Trevor Lawrence but I'm a HUGE fan of Doug Pederson's. I think on that count the Jaguars are in good hands.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans seemed to have something going on 4 years ago when they ended Tom Brady's career in N.E. with that playoff win but things haven't worked out for them in that way and now JAX seems to be the better team.
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts just don't seem to have any real direction right now (I think that Andrew Luck's seemingly out-of-the-blue retirement was a real blow). Lucky(?) for them that the Houston Texans are in their division.
Houston Texans: Nobody seems to be expecting much out of the Texans this season and probably with good reason. I, for one, hope that DeMeco Ryans surprises people and that his team exceeds expectations.
West:
Kansas City Chiefs: As long as K.C. has Patrick Mahomes at QB they're going to be a team (for the whole league) to contend with. I feel that he's their A-#1 key to success. I see no reason to pick them as anything other than division winners as long as he's there.
Los Angeles Chargers: Someone on Yahoo!, in previewing the N.F.L. this season, mentioned something about (basically) no longer having any faith in the Chargers when the chips are down. After last year's absolute collapse in JAX in the playoffs I think he has a point. But the Chargers should still be good enough to finish ahead of the next two teams in the list.
Denver Broncos: Russell Wilson had a surprisingly disappointing season in Denver last year. It remains to be seen if Sean Payton can do anything about that this year.
Las Vegas Raiders: From what I've read the Raiders have only one impact player on "D": Maxx Crosby. Jimmy Garoppolo, to me, is a mere lateral move from Derek Carr. I'm not sure how much difference, if any, having Jimmy G. at QB is going to make for the Raiders. Mostly, though, I find the Raiders' front office to be mostly (if not completely) inept. Long gone are the days of "Commitment to Excellence" as far as I'm concerned.
NFC:
East:
Philadelphia Eagles: I still have no idea how they lost the S.B. last February. At halftime of that game I thought they were in complete control. All I can think of is that they fell victim to "Mahomes Magic." (which, of course, they're hardly alone in doing since the great P.M. entered the league) Despite that I think they're probably good enough to win their division again. But will they be able to make it back to the S.B. one year after losing it?
Dallas Cowboys: I feel I have no choice but to pick the N.F.C. entry based in TX to finish 2nd in their division but they haven't made it even as far as a conference championship game in 28 years and I see no reason to believe that that's going to change this season.
New York Giants: I hope the Giants finish higher than this in their division (specifically: above DAL) but for now I see them finishing in the same spot they did last season.
Washington: You could almost sense the load being removed from this franchise once D.S. gave up control of it, couldn't you? Unfortunately, that probably won't be enough to see them finish higher than last in their division but maybe brighter days are ahead for this once-proud franchise.
North:
Detroit Lions: Can the Lions live up to the hype that's suddenly surrounding them? If they pick up where they left off last season then. . .maybe. But with A.R. gone to the A.F.C. and with the Vikings almost assuredly guaranteed of regressing, maybe the DET Lions will do something that they haven't done in a LONNNG time: win their division.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings, to me, are another team (like the Chargers) that you should never have much faith in, if you have your wits about you. They may finish in 2nd in their division this season, but beyond that I'm not expecting much.
Green Bay Packers: I pick the Packers 3rd in the division only because of the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position for them. If Jordan Love proves to be a worthy successor to Aaron Rodgers then - watch out!
Chicago Bears: In the immediate aftermath of A.R. leaving G.B. it seems that many folks picked G.B. to finish last in the division. Not a chance. "Da Bears" are an absolute mess and any other team in this division ought to be ashamed of itself if it finishes behind this team in the standings.
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.
{Note: I didn't see anything to add to what the O.P. posted about this division except that the N.F.C. South in 2023 is an example of why giving playoff berths to division winners, automatically, isn't necessarily a good idea}
West:
San Francisco 49ers: I actually watched the Seahawks' last pre-season game (@ G.B.) and even the hometown Seattle guys talked about how loaded SFO is (FWIW the 49ers have the most players on this year's Top 100 [presented by the NFL Network and voted on by the players themselves] with 8). As long as Brock Purdy comes back from his injury and doesn't have a "sophomore slump" I see no reason why the 49ers shouldn't win this division going away.
Seattle Seahawks: My expectations for SEA aren't very high, mostly because I don't think that Geno Smith has a very high "ceiling." Them finishing with a winning record last year was nothing short of a minor miracle. But with some luck and breaks maybe they can take 2nd in the division again.
Los Angeles Rams: I was prepared to pick the Rams to finish 2nd in the division (mostly because of their historical dominance of SEA) until I saw how they stunk the joint up against the Broncos in their final pre-season game. The Rams appear to still be paying for buying that S.B. title a couple of years ago (something that they won't be achieving again for a long while). Second or third, they WON'T be winning the division this year - I guarantee it.
Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray is out to start the season (and I don't think he's that good to begin with) and the guy that everyone thought was going to start for the Cardinals at QB in Week 1 was released on cut-down day. All indications are that the ARZ Cardinals are going to be THE worst team in the league in 2023 and maybe that's just how the Cardinals like it.
East:
Buffalo Bills: I'm sticking with the Bills to win the division but I'm not as high on their chances to win their first S.B. as I was at this time last season because the A.F.C. is loaded.
New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers is an obvious upgrade at QB despite his age and the Jets seem to be a lot of people's pick to go all the way this year but I'm not willing to go out on that limb. At least not yet. These are the N.Y. Jets we're talking about, after all. (I thought the Jets looked pretty good in their last pre-season/exhibition game against the Giants, though - for what that's worth)
Miami Dolphins: I'm just not a Tua fan (to say nothing of his injury history) and the Dolphins haven't done anything of note in ages so I see no reason to pick them to finish any higher than 3rd in their division now that the Jets have A.R.
New England Patriots: Looks like the worm has turned and B.B. and his team are good bets to finish in last in the division.
North:
Cincinnati Bengals: I'm sticking with the Bengals to win the division. Zac Taylor appears to know what he's doing and I'm a HUGE Joe Burrow fan. How much more than just a division title can the 2023 Bengals win? Time will tell but remember that they very nearly took last year's eventual S.B. champs to OT in the conference championship game (and probably would have if not for that unfortunate late hit on Patrick Mahomes late in the game).
Baltimore Ravens: I'm not a fan of Lamar Jackson's, at all. I think the fact that no other team showed much (if any) interest in him when he was holding out on the Ravens earlier this year speaks volumes. I'd probably have BAL finishing in 3rd in their division if I wasn't so unsure about PIT's QB situation.
Pittsburgh Steelers: As mentioned above I can't get all that excited about PIT's chances with what they have at QB. But they should still be able to beat the next team on the list out by the end of the season.
Cleveland Browns: The pathetic Browns. Far, far, FAR removed from their glory days of the 1940s and '50s. I see nothing, at all, that justifies picking them to finish anywhere but last in their division.
South:
Jacksonville Jaguars: I'm still not completely "sold" on Trevor Lawrence but I'm a HUGE fan of Doug Pederson's. I think on that count the Jaguars are in good hands.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans seemed to have something going on 4 years ago when they ended Tom Brady's career in N.E. with that playoff win but things haven't worked out for them in that way and now JAX seems to be the better team.
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts just don't seem to have any real direction right now (I think that Andrew Luck's seemingly out-of-the-blue retirement was a real blow). Lucky(?) for them that the Houston Texans are in their division.
Houston Texans: Nobody seems to be expecting much out of the Texans this season and probably with good reason. I, for one, hope that DeMeco Ryans surprises people and that his team exceeds expectations.
West:
Kansas City Chiefs: As long as K.C. has Patrick Mahomes at QB they're going to be a team (for the whole league) to contend with. I feel that he's their A-#1 key to success. I see no reason to pick them as anything other than division winners as long as he's there.
Los Angeles Chargers: Someone on Yahoo!, in previewing the N.F.L. this season, mentioned something about (basically) no longer having any faith in the Chargers when the chips are down. After last year's absolute collapse in JAX in the playoffs I think he has a point. But the Chargers should still be good enough to finish ahead of the next two teams in the list.
Denver Broncos: Russell Wilson had a surprisingly disappointing season in Denver last year. It remains to be seen if Sean Payton can do anything about that this year.
Las Vegas Raiders: From what I've read the Raiders have only one impact player on "D": Maxx Crosby. Jimmy Garoppolo, to me, is a mere lateral move from Derek Carr. I'm not sure how much difference, if any, having Jimmy G. at QB is going to make for the Raiders. Mostly, though, I find the Raiders' front office to be mostly (if not completely) inept. Long gone are the days of "Commitment to Excellence" as far as I'm concerned.
NFC:
East:
Philadelphia Eagles: I still have no idea how they lost the S.B. last February. At halftime of that game I thought they were in complete control. All I can think of is that they fell victim to "Mahomes Magic." (which, of course, they're hardly alone in doing since the great P.M. entered the league) Despite that I think they're probably good enough to win their division again. But will they be able to make it back to the S.B. one year after losing it?
Dallas Cowboys: I feel I have no choice but to pick the N.F.C. entry based in TX to finish 2nd in their division but they haven't made it even as far as a conference championship game in 28 years and I see no reason to believe that that's going to change this season.
New York Giants: I hope the Giants finish higher than this in their division (specifically: above DAL) but for now I see them finishing in the same spot they did last season.
Washington: You could almost sense the load being removed from this franchise once D.S. gave up control of it, couldn't you? Unfortunately, that probably won't be enough to see them finish higher than last in their division but maybe brighter days are ahead for this once-proud franchise.
North:
Detroit Lions: Can the Lions live up to the hype that's suddenly surrounding them? If they pick up where they left off last season then. . .maybe. But with A.R. gone to the A.F.C. and with the Vikings almost assuredly guaranteed of regressing, maybe the DET Lions will do something that they haven't done in a LONNNG time: win their division.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings, to me, are another team (like the Chargers) that you should never have much faith in, if you have your wits about you. They may finish in 2nd in their division this season, but beyond that I'm not expecting much.
Green Bay Packers: I pick the Packers 3rd in the division only because of the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position for them. If Jordan Love proves to be a worthy successor to Aaron Rodgers then - watch out!
Chicago Bears: In the immediate aftermath of A.R. leaving G.B. it seems that many folks picked G.B. to finish last in the division. Not a chance. "Da Bears" are an absolute mess and any other team in this division ought to be ashamed of itself if it finishes behind this team in the standings.
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.
{Note: I didn't see anything to add to what the O.P. posted about this division except that the N.F.C. South in 2023 is an example of why giving playoff berths to division winners, automatically, isn't necessarily a good idea}
West:
San Francisco 49ers: I actually watched the Seahawks' last pre-season game (@ G.B.) and even the hometown Seattle guys talked about how loaded SFO is (FWIW the 49ers have the most players on this year's Top 100 [presented by the NFL Network and voted on by the players themselves] with 8). As long as Brock Purdy comes back from his injury and doesn't have a "sophomore slump" I see no reason why the 49ers shouldn't win this division going away.
Seattle Seahawks: My expectations for SEA aren't very high, mostly because I don't think that Geno Smith has a very high "ceiling." Them finishing with a winning record last year was nothing short of a minor miracle. But with some luck and breaks maybe they can take 2nd in the division again.
Los Angeles Rams: I was prepared to pick the Rams to finish 2nd in the division (mostly because of their historical dominance of SEA) until I saw how they stunk the joint up against the Broncos in their final pre-season game. The Rams appear to still be paying for buying that S.B. title a couple of years ago (something that they won't be achieving again for a long while). Second or third, they WON'T be winning the division this year - I guarantee it.
Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray is out to start the season (and I don't think he's that good to begin with) and the guy that everyone thought was going to start for the Cardinals at QB in Week 1 was released on cut-down day. All indications are that the ARZ Cardinals are going to be THE worst team in the league in 2023 and maybe that's just how the Cardinals like it.
