The NFL season kicked off Thursday night and the script writers are already off to an interesting start. The league is full of surprises, and you never know what to expect. There are a lot of opinions up in the air about this year but here are four hot takes before the first full slate of NFL Football.
Hot Takes For The 2023 NFL Season
A New Sheriff in Town?
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have been the AFC’s team to beat but this will be the year they’re dethroned. The Jacksonville Jaguars may be the AFC’s top dog. The Jags have a very favorable schedule and play in the easiest division in football. Trevor Lawrence has been in early MVP conversations and Calvin Ridley will add more firepower to the offense.
There are still question marks surrounding the defense but there’s a new voice calling the defense. They brought in Mike Caldwell from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his time in Tampa, they managed to have one of the best-rushing defenses and racked up on sacks, both are much-needed areas of improvement for this defense.
The Jags will be in competition with the Cincinnati Bengals for the number one seed. If the Jags can handle the pressure they’ll exceed expectations and the playoffs will run through Duval County.
The San Francisco 49ers Will Decline
The San Francisco 49ers have received a lot of hype this season but may be a bit overhyped. Yes, they reached the NFC Championship in two consecutive years but this year will be a different story. No disrespect to Brock Purdy, but he was very fortunate. He took over with a top-two running back, a top-two defense, an offensive guru coach, and according to PFF, the sixth-best wide receiver group in football. At first, there wasn’t enough film to prepare for Purdy. With nine games under his belt, teams now have enough film to prepare a game plan to slow him down.
The NFC is fairly weak and they will be the third-best team in the conference. They will still win their division, although the Seattle Seahawks aren’t to be slept on. Their schedule is brutal and they could possibly lose six or seven games. They won’t make it to the NFC Championship game this year.
A New Face in The AFC East
The Buffalo Bills will finish third in the division and barely make the playoffs. It’s believed Stefon Diggs wants out of Buffalo, which could be the beginning of the end. The talent in the division has increased, but the Bills haven’t improved much. As long as Josh Allen is the quarterback, the Bills will be a contender but time is ticking for this team. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets will make life tough for the Bills and their talent doesn’t match the other two in the division.
The AFC East is no longer a cakewalk. The Dolphins showed great potential, especially with Tua Tagovailoa being healthy. Mike McDaniel has his team on the rise and will be a threat to anyone in the AFC. They could win about 10-11 games this year.
These aren’t the same Jets and they’ll shock the world. The Aaron Rodgers to Garrett Wilson connection will be among one of the best in the league. The Jets will have one of the best defenses to go along with an offense that will be dangerous if they catch fire. The Jets will win the AFC East this year.
Return of America’s Team
This year may actually be their year. Dak Prescott will show why he’s elite and the Dallas Cowboys will represent the NFC in Super Bowl 58.
All eyes will be on Prescott and it’s time he silences the critics. Last season, he averaged 30 PPG with an underperforming receiving core outside of CeeDee Lamb. They added a much-needed playmaker to take pressure off of Lamb and help stretch the field. Mike McCarthy implemented a “Texas Coast” system to unleash the offensive weapons. Expect more fireworks from this unit with their abundance of playmakers.
Doomsday III-caliber defense is the expectation this year. Micah Parsons‘ goal is to hold teams to less than 10 points per game. It’s a Texas-sized objective but they’re capable of achieving it. In two consecutive years, they led the NFL in turnovers and they’ll be looking for a three-peat in that category. They added Stephon Gilmore and Mazi Smith to the stingiest defense in the league. There’s plenty of ballhawks and talent on this unit, they will be more dominant and a headache for offenses all year.
They need two things for a Super Bowl appearance, staying healthy and consistency. Similar to 2021, Prescott will have an MVP-caliber season. Prescott said he won’t throw for more than 10 interceptions this year. 4900 yards, 45 touchdowns, and eight interceptions sounds about right. Watch out for the Cowboys.
Main Image: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
