With the NFL off-season heating up with training camp starting and the Hall of Fame game is played in a week, I thought now would be a good time to give you some of my predictions for this upcoming season! Let's get started.
Trevor Lawrence or Joe Burrow wins the 2023 NFL MVP
The #1 picks in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Draft have been impressive in their short careers. Burrow has led the Bengals to two playoff appearances and a Super Bowl, while Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars to their first playoff berth since 2017 and only the fourth of this century. I believe both of these guys will lead their teams to winning their division and winning upwards of 11 games. Mahomes is also a guy to look out for, but he won't win it every year. The December 4th game, when the Bengals travel down to Jacksonville, could determine who wins the award. My pick would be Burrow.
The Browns will make the playoffs.
I know the Browns had a disappointing season after their big acquisition of Deshaun Watson, who was suspended for 11 games by the NFL. Watson was basically out of football for 2 years, and it showed last season, as he was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league when he came back. I believe that with a full offseason to shake the rust off and get chemistry with his team, Watson will go back to being the player he was when he was with the Texans. The Browns have one of the more talented rosters in the league, and I think that will get them at least a wild-card spot.
Josh McDaniels gets fired.
The Raiders were looking for stability when they were looking for a replacement for Jon Gruden, so they went to the Patriot Way. Las Vegas hired McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, a former Patriots executive. They then made a big splash and got one of the league's best receivers in Davante Adams, so they should have been a playoff team at least. Just to sum it up: They weren't. They finished 6-11 and told former franchise QB Derek Carr to get lost. Jimmy Garoppolo was good in the 49ers system, and he won there, but he is mostly a mediocre QB. If Josh Jacobs doesn't report to play, this team will be terrible.
Saints win the NFC South
Speaking of Derek Carr, he signed with the Saints after the Raiders kicked him to the curb. I believe Derek Carr is a better QB than Jimmy G and that he was treated unfairly by the Raiders, even though he wasn't great by any means. I like the Saints' roster, and with how bad the NFC South looks, the Saints should have an easy path to winning this division.
The Eagles repeat as NFC East Champions and face the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game.
As we all know, there haven't been many repeat champions in the NFC East. No team has repeated as champions since 2004. I believe the Eagles are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best, and they will build on their 14-3 record from last season. The bigger surprise is having them face a division rival in the NFC Championship, the Cowboys. I am usually not a believer in the Cowboys, but with how depleted the NFC is, I believe they are a top-three team in the conference, and I believe more in Dak than most other QBs in the NFC. I won't pick a winner in this matchup, but it will be a great game if it happens.
The 49ers squeak into the playoffs, but no QB impresses.
The Jimmy G era is over, and the Trey Lance or Brock Purdy (or Sam Darnold) era begins. As I said in the previous blurb, the NFC is pretty bad, so even with this group of quarterbacks, I think Kyle Shanahan will be able to get this team into the playoffs, especially with how good the roster is outside of the quarterbacks. I believe they win nine to ten games and win the NFC West, but it's one of the weaker divisions. I wouldn't be surprised if they had multiple quarterback changes throughout the season.
The Bengals will face the Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game.
As my first prediction said, I expect the two quarterbacks of these teams to have standout MVP performances this season. I believe that will carry into the postseason, where they will face off against each other for a chance to make the Super Bowl. I know the Chiefs are the class of the AFC, but I believe these two newcomers will have their chance to shine, especially because they have rosters on par or a little bit worse than Kansas City.
Mike Tomlin's positive record streak continues, but they miss the playoffs again.
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season in his 16-year career. He is one of the NFL's best coaches, and he can win under any circumstances, and I believe he will do that next season. The only reason they will miss the playoffs is because the AFC is stacked. I have the Steelers winning nine games, but with guys like Lamar, Mahomes, Herbert, Rodgers, Allen, Burrow, and Lawrence, it's just hard to find a spot in the playoffs for Pittsburgh.
The Chargers make the playoffs, but Brandon Staley gets fired after another playoff loss.
The Chargers made the playoffs for the first time in Justin Herbert's career last season. It was hampered by the Chargers blowing a 27-0 lead against the Jaguars in one of the biggest playoffs collapses ever. The Chargers brass expressed confidence in head coach Brandon Staley after this, much to the bewilderment of fans. He will respond by making the playoffs again behind Herbert's amazing play but will lose in the wild-card round again. The Chargers' executives will declare that would be the straw that broke the camel's back.
The Lions and Jets make the playoffs because of Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets' big splash this offseason was replacing Zach Wilson with Aaron Rodgers, a much-needed upgrade. The Jets have one of the better rosters in the league, with not many holes to fill. Rodgers elevates this team from the seven wins that they had last season and gives them an extra three to four wins, making them a playoff team. Now you are probably thinking, "How does Rodgers affect the Lions' playoff chances?" The reason is that Rodgers has been the king of the NFC North for most of his career; not having him there have major implications for the entire NFC North, with me believing the Lions will be the biggest beneficiaries. There is a world where they sweep the Packers and Bears and split with the Vikings, which is 5-1 right there. The Aaron Rodgers trade will have a major impact on the 2023–24 season.
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