On Sept. 7, 2023, the 104th season of the NFL kicked off. The NFL offseason was full of interesting developments that will affect the league this year, as well as the final results. Fans around the country are already trying to predict what the end of this season will look like and who will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy into the air, hoping against hope that it’s their favorite team. As players and coaches alike begin the intense grind towards the Super Bowl and the season commences, here are The Tower’s 2023 NFL season predictions:
NFC Winners
East: Dallas Cowboys
Despite the Eagles making a run to the Super Bowl last season, the offseason moves by the Cowboys shows that they are going to take the division by storm. The Cowboys acquisition of veteran Stephon Gilmore at cornerback and wide receiver Brandin Cooks has upgraded an already good Cowboys squad. A franchise tag on Tony Pollard as a replacement for Ezekial Elliot will lead to nothing but good things, as Pollard has proven himself as an effective and efficient rusher last season. The Cowboys resigning of many defensive weapons, as well as having the elite Micah Parsons, arguably the best defensive player in the league, leading them all, sets the Cowboys up to have one of the top defenses in the NFL which will catapult them to the top of the division. The development of the offense through new wide receivers also puts Dak Prescott in a position to be an elite quarterback once again, and give the team a well-rounded look.
North: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are on the rise to being one of the better teams in the NFL, after a long string of sad-to-see seasons. In the offseason, the Detroit Lions developed their secondary, a significant weakness in last year’s defense, through the departure of safeties Deshon Elliot and Mike Hughes and the acquisition of safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, and stellar veterans Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley. The Lions drafting of first round pick Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama is going to help replace Deandre Swift at the running back position, as well as create a place for development in their offense through his ability to contribute to the passing game. Speaking of passing, veteran quarterback Jared Goff is set to lead the team and his abilities will pair nicely with receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who became a Pro Bowler last year due to 1,000 yard season. With the loss of Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers, and the Vikings questionable defense, the Lions have a good chance of ending up on top.
South: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a team that is going to take off this year and turn the perception of them around. In recent years, the Saints have been painfully mediocre, logging a 7-10 record last year, they have now regained what they had lost. Wide receiver Michael Thomas has returned from injury and is ready to step back into his role as wide receiver number one. Young receiver Chris Olave is coming into his second season and will see significant development with the Saints. Coming off of a 1,000 yard rookie year, he should be one of the league’s top receivers. Along with that the Saints acquired veteran quarterback Derek Carr, who saw success with the Las Vegas Raiders, and is more than capable of leading the Saints to a division title. On the other side of the ball, the Saints defense is one of the top in the league, and will continue to dominate as this season progresses.
West and NFC Conference Winner: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have unarguably one of the best teams in the league and one of the most dominant defenses. Coming off a tough NFC championship loss, the 49ers only improved in the offseason with the acquisition of elite pass-rusher Javon Hargrave. He will pair perfectly with Pro Bowler Nick Bosa, the 49ers star defensive lineman. Led by Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, the 49ers offense is looking extremely strong with versatile Deebo Samuel and electric running back Christian McCaffery. Going into the 2023 NFL season, the 49ers will be looking to repeat their deep playoff run, hopefully procuring a Super Bowl win at the end of it.
NFC Wildcard: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons
The NFC Wildcard spots are very competitive this year, with certain teams turning things around from last season in hopes of grabbing that last spot. The Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl appearance and, despite not looking quite as good as the Cowboys this year, they are almost guaranteed to achieve a playoff spot, especially with runner-up MVP Jalen Hurts leading the squad. Additionally the Minnesota Vikings are in a similar situation, however they lost the first round of the playoffs last year to the New York Giants. While their team isn’t quite up to par with the Eagles, they still have the top receiver in the league with Justin Jefferson, and a capable team behind him. Lastly, the Atlanta Falcons look very good this year. Acquiring rookie running back Bijan Robinson in the draft will kickstart the offense into high gear. The Falcons also are in one of the least competitive divisions in the league, and the easier schedule may give them the edge into having a good enough record to score a spot in the playoffs.
AFC Winners
East: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins kicked off last season extremely well, winning their first three games, all against very competitive teams. However, their hot streak came to a halt in week three, when Tua Tagovailoa suffered a head injury This ultimately ended the Dolphin’s early success, and although they made the wild card, they could not keep up with the Bills. Now, after getting time to rest and recover from last season’s injuries, Tagovailoa is back and has led the Dolphins to an impressive 2-0 start. This is due to the incredible receiving core, led by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, as well as their running back, Raheem Mostert, who in week two, rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins defense has also had an impressive start to the season, specifically in week two, forcing two turnovers against the Patriots, as well as four sacks. This defense is led by cornerbacks Jaylen Ramsey and Xavien Howard, along with star DT, Christian Wilkens. The AFC East may turn out to be very competitive, with both the Jets and Bills fighting to win the division, though Aaron Rodgers’ injury and the Bill’s slow start to the season has the Dolphins emerging as the favorites.
North: Baltimore Ravens
After the uneventful season that they had last year, the Ravens are looking to put themselves back into the spotlight this year. In the offseason, they made many changes to their defense, including the acquisitions of LB Josh Ross and DT Rayshad Nichols. Although they did not make many changes to their offense, the ones that they did make filled up spots that they were missing last year. For example, the Ravens picked up Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency, which gives former MVP and two time pro bowler Lamar Jackson a fresh and crafty target. This addition will help to take defensive attention from Baltimore’s star TE, Mark Andrews. The Ravens have started the 2023-2024 season off incredibly well, beating the Texans and Bengals, racking up a total of 52 points throughout the two weeks. The rest of the AFC North is not looking too promising, as both the Browns and Steelers’ rosters are less complete than the Ravens. The Bengals, on the other hand, have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. However, they are off to a rough start, losing their first two games due to their superstar QB, Joe Burrow, not playing up to his potential after signing a max contract.
South: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have one of the better young cores in the entire NFL, so it is safe to assume that over the coming years they will continue to get better. Last year they finished with a record of 9-8, while not overly impressive, still secured their spot in the playoffs, mainly due to the lack of real competition in their division. They are currently being led by their young star QB Trevor Lawrence, who last year, began playing extremely well. This past offseason, they focused on improving their defense, as shown by the signings of CB Tevaughn Campbell and LB Dequan Jackson. Their receiving core is also very strong, led by WRs Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk and TE Evan Engram. Assuming they can remain healthy and available throughout the entire season, it is safe to bet that they can clinch the division once again, as none of the other teams in the AFC South made many major improvements.
West and AFC Conference winners: Kansas City Chiefs
It should come as a surprise to no one that the reigning Super Bowl champions would be projected to win their division again, despite the fact that it is one of the most competitive. None of the teams in the AFC West made any major changes to their rosters this offseason, so the results should look somewhat similar to last season’s. However, before week one, the Chief’s star TE, Travis Kelce injured his knee during practice, and was forced to sit out the season opener. This led to a surprising loss at the hands of a young and strong Lions roster, mainly due to the lack of star receivers that the Chiefs have. However, Kelce made his 2023 debut this past Sunday, and although he did not seem to be playing at the highest possible level, he still managed to score a touchdown and help lead the Chiefs to their first win of the season. As long as the Chiefs star players can remain healthy, there is little reason to think that they should not win the division again this year.
AFC Wildcard: Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills
There are multiple teams that are contenders to make the AFC Wildcard this year. Although the Chargers have not had the most impressive start to this season, they have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. They are currently being led by their young QB, Justin Herbert, who has had a successful start to his career so far, although there is not much to show for it. as well as their WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Their defense is also very strong, as it is led by LBs Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, as well as their safety Derwin James. The Bengals’ last two seasons have been very successful, even making the Super Bowl in 2021, although they ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals have not started this season as many fans would have liked, but it is important to remember that they started last year 0-2 as well, only to finish with a record of 12-4. The Bills are another team that, although they have not started this year off too strongly, are more than likely to come back and dominate for the remainder of the regular season. The last few seasons, Josh Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he has one of the best supporting casts as well, led by Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Allen is also supported by one of the best defenses in the league.
MVP: Jalen Hurts
Although Mahomes won the 2022-2023 MVP and Super Bowl against Jalen Hurts, he has proven over the last few seasons to be one of the best QB’s in the league. No major changes were made to the offensive lineup over this past offseason, so it is safe to assume that Hurts will continue to generate great stats. His wide receiver core is still incredible, being led by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as the new addition at RB, D’Andre Swift, all of whom are capable receivers. Additionally, Mahomes may be out of the picture, seeing as he has already won two MVPs, and voter fatigue may impact the winner of the award this season.
Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson
Despite winning Offensive Player of the Year last year, Justin Jefferson is the favorite to win the award again. His ability to create opportunities for touchdowns, as well as his popularity amongst NFL fans are just some of the reasons he is the favorite. Although he does not have the most talented QB in the NFL, the connection and communication between Jefferson and Kirk Cousins is incredible, which has been a major factor in the Viking’s success these last two seasons. Last year, in 128 receptions, Jefferson recorded 1,809 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Jefferson began this season incredibly well, recording 309 yards in just two games, meaning that he is currently projected to finish the season with 2,626 yards. This would obliterate the current record, but relies on him being able to continue playing at this level.
Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons
Over the course of the last few seasons, Micah Parsons has proven to be one of the best defensive players in the league. Last season, although he did not win Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), he was one of the finalists to win the award.He finished the year with a total of 65 tackles and 13.5 sacks. This year, however, he has dominated the first two games of the season, recording seven total tackles and three sacks. As long as he can maintain this level of dominance throughout the rest of the season, it is very likely we will see him winning his first DPOY award in just his third year in the NFL.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bijan Robinson
With the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who is coming off a dominant college season where he logged over 1,500 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns. Robinson is an elusive dual-threat, capable of rushing and catching, with the addition of size, power, and vision, a scary combination for his position. The league will be on watch as Robinson enters his rookie season, and his placement in the Falcon’s backfield is the perfect destination for his development.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Carter
The Philadelphia Eagles selected defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the 9th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, after an extremely successful career at Georgia, where he was a dominating force and back-to-back champion. During his career at Georgia, Jalen Carter was one of the best tackles in college football, logging 83 tackles and six sacks, while also being selected as an All-American. Jalen Carter is coming into the league as one of the most talented rookies, and his success in college is ensured to continue into the NFL as long as he keeps good conduct off the field and maintains an efficient work ethic.
First Coach Fired: Matt Eberflus
Matt Eberflus, a defensive-minded head coach in his second year with the Bears, is managing one of the worst defensive units in the league. He has shown that he cannot effectively develop the Bears struggling defense. Along with that he faces the task of developing offensive player Justin Fields, something he is not as well acquainted with handling. The Chicago Bears have had their fair share of head coach struggles and their current one is no different, so they will likely be looking to make a change soon.
