NFL Predictions 2023

 Standings

AFC

East
1. Buffalo Bills
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. New England Patriots

North
1. Cleveland Browns
2. Baltimore Ravens*
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Pittsburgh Steelers

South
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Jacksonville Jaguars*
3. Houston Texans
4. Indianapolis Colts

West
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Los Angeles Chargers*
3. Denver Broncos
4. Las Vegas Raiders

NFC

East
1. New York Giants
2. Philadelphia Eagles*
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Washington Commanders

North
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Detroit Lions*
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Chicago Bears

South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Atlanta Falcons

West
1. Los Angeles Rams
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. San Francisco 49ers

* = wildcard

Playoffs

AFC

Wildcard
Kansas City Chiefs over Jacksonville Jaguars
Cleveland Browns over Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo Bills over Baltimore Ravens

Divisional
Tennessee Titans over Buffalo Bills
Kansas City Chiefs over Cleveland Browns

Conference
Tennessee Titans over Kansas City Chiefs

NFC

Wildcard
Philadelphia Eagles over Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Detroit Lions over New York Giants

Divisional
Los Angeles Rams over Philadelphia Eagles
New Orleans Saints over Detroit Lions

Conference
Los Angeles Rams over New Orleans Saints

SUPER BOWL LVIII:
Los Angeles Rams - 23, Tennessee Titans - 16

Why the Los Angeles Rams vs. the Tennessee Titans for Super Bowl LVIII?

Last year, coming off of the Super Bowl LVI championship, the Rams looked like they could easily repeat their Super Bowl run. They should have at least clinched a playoff birth and won a playoff game. It would not be so. Opening the season, nationally televised, against another playoff team, put too much pressure on the team too early, which resulted in a humiliating loss. It seemed like this rough start would follow the Rams throughout the season. Many star starters suffered from injuries, and those who managed to stay healthy still somehow underperformed. For example, Cooper Cupp, who earned the "triple crown" of receiving the previous season, didn't crack the top 5 in any of the categories the next season. Because of the injured players, the underperforming players, and the bad attitude players, the Rams finished 5-12, definitely not playoff worthy. Now that the Rams have fully restored to full health, and now that they have gotten rid of the bad players, from the underperforming players to bad attitude players, the Rams can easily return to Super Bowl strength and stamina. The Tennessee Titans had a similar fall from grace. TheRushy went from the 12-5 team who got the no. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs in 2021 to the 7-10 team that missed playoff qualification 2022. Probably the biggest culprit was losing AJ Brown. Without AJ Brown's receiving game, the Titans relied too heavily on Derrick Henry's rushing game, which all the Titan's opponents came prepared for, leaving the Titans little to no chance for a winning season. DeAndre Hopskins seems like a decent replacement for AJ Brown, good enough giving the Titans a good air game, which will distract from the ground game. Between this air game and this passing game, the Titans should be Super Bowl bound, breaking a 24-year Super Bowl drought for the franchise. Unfortunately, this lack of Super Bowl experience will be the team's downfall, especially in comparison to Rams, who just have a 1-year Super Bowl drought. Super Bowl LVIII will start out slow, with both teams only making it to the red zone, but not the endzone (a Super Bowl of field goals, if you will) for the first 3 quarters. The 4th quarter, however, will become a shootout of touchdowns. The Titans will get the ball back to attempt to tie the game, but they will run out time, making the Rams the Super Bowl champions. Matthew Stafford will be named the Super Bowl MVP, go to Disney World, and then announce his retirement.

NFL Honors

MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
Offensive Player of the Year: Josh Jacobs (Raiders)
Defensive Player of the Year: Fletcher Cox (Eagles)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bryce Young (Panthers)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Will Anderson, Jr. (Texans)
Comeback Player of the Year: Damar Hamlin (Bills)
Coach of the Year: Sean McVay (Rams)

League Leaders

Passing
1. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
2. Aaron Rodgers (Jets)
3. Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
4. Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
5. Josh Allen (Bills)

Rushing
1. Josh Jacobs (Raiders)
2. Jonathan Taylor
3. Derrick Henry (Titans)
4. Ezekiel Elliot (Patriots)
5. Kareem Hunt

Receiving
1. Stefon Diggs (Bills)
2. Justin Jefferson (Vikings)
3. Cooper Cupp (Rams)
4. AJ Brown (Eagles)
5. DeVonta Smith (Eagles)