We’re back! After 208 days without NFL activity, the season kicked off this past week with the Detroit Lions knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Sept. 7. Over these next five months, 32 teams will vie for the chance to triumph in Las Vegas on the first Sunday in February: the Super Bowl. Without further ado, we will bring you our five predictions for the 2023–24 season!

Team to Overachieve

Lamar Jackson took over the Baltimore Ravens starting job in 2019, and in that time Baltimore has established itself as a regular season juggernaut, going 39–14 in games which Jackson started. Despite their regular season success, the Ravens have only won one playoff game. Baltimore enters the 2023–24 season with their most talented roster in the Jackson era and a roster that, if healthy, can contend for the Lombardi Trophy.

Jackson and the Ravens’ offensive attack receives the majority of media attention, but the defense has been the anchor. Baltimore’s defense is extremely versatile in the schemes they present. Coordinator Mike Macdonald likes to incorporate an abundance of different defensive packages to confuse opposing offenses. The Ravens’ defense is headed by their two stud linebackers, Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith. Queen struggled early in his career, specifically in coverage, where opposing offenses exploited his poor technique. General Manager Eric DeCosta solved this problem by trading for Smith. Smith is a stout coverage linebacker which allowed Queen to play as the Will linebacker, a position that better fits his skillset. Behind Queen and Smith is an elite secondary, particularly Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams. Players have filtered in and out of this group, but overall it is fair to expect the Ravens defense to remain a top-five unit.

Throughout the Jackson era, the biggest hole in an otherwise elite offense has been the lack of a clear #1 wide receiver. Enter: Zay Flowers. The Boston College graduate was selected 22nd overall in this past draft. Flowers is an elite route runner who uses a combination of speed and strong cuts to create separation. Mark Andrews has been a reliable target for Jackson over the middle, but the addition of a trustworthy outside option will allow the Ravens’ passing game to take the next step.

Outside of wide receivers, the main roadblock for the team has been injuries. Whether it be Jackson who missed the playoffs last year, or Ronnie Stanley who has only played 18 games over the past three seasons, the Ravens have always been down key players come playoff time. If the Ravens can avoid key injuries this year, there is enough talent and experience on the roster for Baltimore to make a deep playoff run.

Team to Disappoint

The New York Giants were one of the NFL’s best stories last year. They went from firing their coach and general manager after a lost season to breaking win records and achieving a playoff victory. No one was more deserving of Coach of the Year than Brian Daboll, who completely turned the team around. But we think the magic will fade this year and the Giants will come crashing down.

For starters, this offense is going to be one of the worst in the league. Daniel Jones is nowhere near worth his $40 million-a-year price tag and is probably a league average quarterback (QB). We love Saquon Barkley, but he’s running behind an unproven and shaky offensive line. And who is Jones going to throw to? Aging tight-end Darren Waller was brought in to be his number one option, but we think he’s past his prime and too injury prone to be dependable. Rookie Jalin Hyatt is promising but a little far away from being a frequent contributor. After that? It’s a collection of Sterling Shepard, Isaiah Hodgins, and Parris Campbell. If you know who all of those players are, you are an NFL superfan or are in a 16 person fantasy football league. An average QB with poor weapons and uncertain offensive line play is not a recipe for success. The defense is solid, but we don’t think they’re good enough to cover for the other side of the ball. Add in a significantly tougher schedule than last year and things could get very ugly.

Daboll will do the best he can, but we think the Giants will have a losing record this season and will miss the playoffs entirely.

Bold Prediction

The New Orleans Saints have been in a bit of a no man’s land since the retirement of legendary quarterback Drew Brees. They’ve had a good enough team to not be awful, but their lack of consistent quality QB play has kept them far away from contention. The offseason signing of Derek Carr hopefully addresses that problem. This is almost a perfect match for Carr too. He’s had years of solid play for the Raiders, but the team around him has never really been good enough to compete. New Orleans has the talent to give him his best shot yet. The offense should be much improved, with Carr throwing to budding superstar Chris Olave and veteran star Michael Thomas (who, despite recent injury history, has some juice left in the tank). Stud running back Alvin Kamara serves a three-game suspension to start the season, but he’ll return to form a solid backfield duo with free agent signing Jamaal Williams. On the other side of the ball, Cameron Jordan will again lead a formidable defensive line, while Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu spearhead a potentially dangerous secondary.

We think both this team and Carr will surprise some people this season. They play in easily the worst division in football, only competing with rebuilding teams like the Panthers, Falcons, and a Buccaneers squad led by Baker Mayfield. They also have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, playing only three playoff teams from last year (not including the Bucs, who lost Tom Brady). Double-digit wins are very much a possibility for New Orleans, along with an NFC South title and a playoff berth. But we’ll go further. We think the Saints win at least one playoff game, probably tapping out in the divisional round to Philly or San Francisco. A rousing success for Carr’s first year.

MVP

We’ve harbored doubts about Josh Allen for some time now. We’ve certainly acknowledged his incredible ability to pull off mind-boggling plays on the field, rivaled by only one other QB in the league. Nevertheless, his decision making and propensity for turnovers have led us to question whether he possesses the leadership and consistency needed to guide a team to a Super Bowl victory. With that being said, we are bullish that Allen will continue to mature and cut down on his mistakes.

When it comes to predicting an MVP, we place a significant emphasis on the narrative. In essence, I consider which player, should they perform exceptionally well, would present the most compelling case for the MVP title. Take Patrick Mahomes for instance. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted QBs in history, so simply playing at an elite level might not suffice, given the high expectations that fans and voters have for him to consistently deliver record-breaking seasons. On the other hand, the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen are entering this season with expectations lower than what we’d anticipate, especially considering their three consecutive American Football Conference (AFC) East titles and the fact that their roster hasn’t shown signs of regression. Allen struggled to end the season, as shown by an awful performance against the Bengals in the divisional round. Many people have forgotten how insanely talented Allen is. It’s worth noting that Allen was also contending with an elbow injury last season, which likely played a role in his less-than-stellar performance. As such, a productive season from Allen and the Bills will stand out more than one would for the likes of Jalen Hurts or Mahomes.

The Bills have one of the toughest schedules in the league, meaning Allen will have opportunities to rack up some statement wins. The Bills’ last five road games are against the Bengals, Eagles, Chiefs, Chargers, and Dolphins, all of which are projected playoff teams. If Allen can lead the Bills to victories in at least three of those contests it will be massive for his MVP case. Should Allen sustain his consistently high-level production and make improvements in certain aspects of his game, I believe this could finally be the year when he secures the MVP.

Team to Win It All

The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2023 season fresh off a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, but we believe they’re poised to repeat the success that got them there. For one, handsome star QB Jalen Hurts is young and only getting better. Expect continued excellence and growth from Philly’s franchise player. The offense will again thrive under Hurts’ guidance, as A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert are premier options in the passing game. Adding to the fun, the trade for talented running back D’Andre Swift and the improvement of Kenneth Gainwell could make one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL last year even more formidable. All this is happening behind the undisputed best offensive line in the league; Philly very well may lead the NFL in scoring.

The other side of the ball for the Eagles isn’t quite as talented but is certainly formidable. Darius Slay and James Bradberry return to form one of the best cornerback duos in the league . The linebacking corps, led by Haason Reddick, are just as intimidating, and the presence of Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, and rookie Jalen Carter make the defensive line terrifying to go against. Add in the personality and coaching acumen of Nick Sirianni on both sides of the ball and the Eagles might have the most talented roster in the NFL.

But it’s not just the on-paper strength of Philadelphia that we love; there are multiple intangibles we believe will help them over the course of the season. To start, this is a team full of gamers. From Sirianni to Hurts to Slay, every single player on this Eagles team is committed to winning and willing to do anything it takes to get there. Then let’s take into account the value of having a deep playoff run last year. While it’s certainly heartbreaking to lose in the Super Bowl, this group gained valuable experience after playing in multiple big games. The familiarity and comfort of playing in high-pressure situations will be helpful as the season progresses. Finally, and this might be the most important factor, the National Football Conference (NFC) is by far the weaker conference this season. The only legitimate challenger to Philly is the 49ers, who have a ferocious defense but just haven’t seemed to get over the NFC championship hump in recent years. Compare the Eagles’ competition to that of the Chiefs, who have to play the loaded Bills and Bengals this year along with a plethora of talented AFC squads, and you can begin to map out a not-so-difficult return to the Super Bowl for Philly. This time, we believe Hurts and company will take home the Lombardi.

Since we are so glad to be back, we will give you five more bold predictions!

1. Anthony Richardson wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

2. The Packers win the NFC North with the Vikings finishing under .500

3. Bills make the Super Bowl

4. Tyreek Hill finishes top-three in MVP voting

5. Cowboys make the NFC Championship Game

Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at swetizmankur@wesleyan.edu. 

Teddy Benchley can be reached at tbenchley@wesleyan.edu.