With the 2022-2023 NFL season already 5 weeks underway, it is time to start speculating over which teams will outlast the rest, move on to the postseason, and ultimately, which two teams will vie for the Lombardi Trophy in the biggest game of the year. My predictions are bound to be terrible, as they always have been, but maybe a stroke of luck will come my way and they’ll be right this year.

Here are my predictions for the 2022-2023 NFL playoffs. (As of October 12, 2022)

AFC:

Honorable Mentions:

The Denver Broncos have gotten off to a less than stellar start to the season, despite having what’s supposed to be an elite quarterback in Russell Wilson, a star-studded offense that consists of the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Melvin Gordon, and others. The defense was also supposed to be elite, but both sides of the ball have underperformed. However, I do still believe that there is some hope for Broncos fans. Russell Wilson has only gotten 5 games with the Broncos under his belt, and I believe that if this offense starts to click, this team definitely has playoff potential.

I know, I know. Last year’s biggest Cinderella team not even making the playoffs? Well, I believe that last year’s Bengals playoff run (and Superbowl appearance) was due to a significant portion of luck. Sure, the talents there. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Mixon combine to create a great offensive threat. That’s why they’re an honorable mention. But thus far this season, the Bengals’ only two wins come from a struggling Dolphins team without Tua Tagovailoa, and the Jets. They’ve managed to keep the games they lose close, but winning close games is something that a team really needs in order to succeed. And not being able to clutch up when it matters most is what keeps them from being in the playoffs for me.

AFC Wildcards:

No. 7

A lot of people may disagree with this pick, but here’s my reasoning. The Browns’ offense has been under a lot of praise lately as they have been performing in the top ten for almost every offensive stat there is. Cleveland leads the league in rushing, which is no surprise due to the double-headed monster that Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt form. They also have one of the highest graded offensive lines in football. Jacoby Brissett has been playing much better than anyone expected, and the receiving core is led by former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Amari Cooper, and tight end David Njoku. Where this team struggles is their defense. Which in all honesty, is something that they should be able to pull together with the likes of Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Denzel Ward. Though the real kicker for this team has to be Deshaun Watson, who’s suspension is lifted starting Week 12 against his former team, the Houston Texans. With Deshaun Watson, this team should be able to win most of, if not all of their remaining games, and possibly sneak their way into the playoffs.

No. 6

It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for the beginning of the Chargers’ season. Justin Herbert suffering a rib injury, Joey Bosa sustaining a groin injury, losing Keenan Allen for the majority of the first few games, or losing to the Jaguars by 28 points. There’s a lot of bad. But, there’s also a whole lot of good. Austin Ekeler seems to have found his groove, Mike Williams is playing good football, and despite suffering the rib injury, Justin Herbert hasn’t let it affect his game by all that much. But, much like the Browns, this team is lacking on defense a little bit. On paper, this defense should be much better than it’s performing. With players like Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and J.C. Jackson, this Chargers defense is bound to start performing better.

No. 5

After an unexpected 4-0 start, and an MVP-like performance from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, his season was interrupted by a concussion that caused a lot of controversy amongst both fans and NFL officials. Since Tua’s injury, the Dolphins are 0-2, clearly showing that his injury has severely impacted the team. In addition to Tua’s concussion, the Dolphins also lost their very capable backup in Teddy Bridgewater due to a concussion as well. However, my faith in the Dolphins is still there as they have a relatively easy schedule with games against the Steelers, Lions, Bears, and Texans coming up. Plus the team is backed up by players such as Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Xavien Howard. Not if, but when Tua comes back to the field, this team should be dangerous.

AFC Divisional Champs:

No. 4

My faith in the Jacksonville Jaguars decreased after a tough loss to the Texans, but this team is playing in arguably the worst division in the NFL, and shouldn’t have much of a problem taking it if their biggest competition is the Titans and the Colts. Another aspect of this team that people seem to be forgetting about is that not only did they shut out the Colts 24-0, but they beat the Chargers by 28 points. Not to mention that they put up a good fight against the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jaguars may not be the first team you think of when it comes to “playoff contention,” but with sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk, and a superbowl winning head coach in Doug Peterson, this team should have no problem taking the division.

No. 3

The Baltimore Ravens should be 5-0. If they were able to hold the Dolphins back from scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter of their week 2 matchup, they would have won that game. Losing against the Bills wasn’t exactly unexpected, but they were up 20-10 at half and let the Bills come back and score. The offense had no fight left and didn’t score again for the rest of the game. Lamar Jackson is a front runner for MVP this season, being both a top 10 rusher (including running backs) and a top 10 passer. This roster is nothing but talent, and this team is virtually a playoff lock.

No. 2

Missouri’s favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs come in at my No. 2 seed. The Chiefs haven’t missed the playoffs since 2014, and they show no sign of ending that streak. Best head coach in the league. Best quarterback in the league. (Yes, Patrick Mahomes is number 1) Best tight end in the league. Best center in the league. The list goes on. Although the Chiefs have lost some key players in the offseason (Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu), the offense is still a well-oiled machine, and the defense is still playing above average as well. This Chiefs team will make the playoffs, and they have all the reasons to make a deep playoff run.

No. 1

There’s hardly a doubt in anyone’s mind that the Buffalo Bills are the favorites to win the AFC. The Bills are quite possibly one of the best teams the league has seen in years, with endless talent on both sides of the ball. Josh Allen. Josh Allen. Josh Allen. If Patrick Mahomes didn’t exist, he’s the clear number 1. When you combine a quarterback as elite as Josh Allen is, and Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, you have an offense right there. There’s not much to say about this team except that they are easily the superbowl favorites. And if I were to bet on one team to reach the superbowl, it would be the Buffalo Bills.

NFC:

Honorable Mentions:

Who would’ve thought that the Giants would be a good team? I definitely didn’t. And the Giants aren’t just good, they’re great. Saquon Barkley is honestly the best part of this team, but that’s not a bad thing when he can run over defenses like he’s done thus far this season. With a 4-1 start, and a win against the Green Bay Packers, it genuinely wouldn’t shock me if this team reached the playoffs. One of the biggest things holding this team back is Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones sucks.

The Cardinals are definitely a safe pick for contention. Just like the Giants, this team is one that wouldn’t shock me in the slightest if they were to squeeze their way into the playoffs. Kyler Murray is an excellent dual-threat quarterback that can win games, Hollywood Brown is a dangerous receiver, and JJ Watt at defense makes this team pretty solid. I have a feeling that this team could be a lot better than a lot of people are giving them credit for.

NFC Wildcards:

No. 7

The 49ers are such a weird team. The past couple of years, the 49ers have been a great team, making a deep playoff run in 2022 and a superbowl appearance in 2020. Going into this season with Jimmy Garropolo and Trey Lance as your QB options isn’t really a team that you would consider playoff level. But I think people forget that the rest of this roster is way above average. Trent Williams and Nick Bosa are some of the best players in the NFL. The offense is solid too with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle receiving the ball. The thing is that the person throwing them the ball, Jimmy Garropolo, is a weak link. But I believe in this team, and I think they could make the playoffs, and possibly make a deep playoff run as they did in the last playoffs.

No. 6

I think the Vikings at the 6 seed is one of the safer picks I’ve made so far. The Vikings have started of the year 4-1, with their only loss coming to the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles. However, three out of their four wins come from the Lions, Saints, and Bears. And each of those games were a one score game. But, they still won and their non-fraudulence is backed up by wide receiver Justin Jefferson and running back Dalvin Cook. Their win against the Green Bay Packers in week 1 proved that this team is one of the better teams in the NFC, and I predict it will pay off when they make the playoffs.

No. 5

One of the biggest stories of the NFL so far this Cooper Rush outperforming Dak Prescott. There’s even talk about starting Rush when Dak comes back. Although I disagree with that, I do think Cooper Rush is playing some excellent football, but I think that Dak is always going to be the better option. Aside from that, this team is an overall solid team with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Micah Parsons is an early candidate for DPOY, and Trevon Diggs is solid at cornerback. Their offense isn’t lacking in options either, with CeeDee Lamb to throw the ball too, and Ezekiel Elliot rushing. I think this Cowboys team is a dark horse in the mix, and could cause some serious problems for other NFC teams late into the season, and possibly into the playoffs.

NFC Divisional Champs:

No. 4

Last years’ superbowl champs come in at my No. 4 seed in the NFC. Although I think the Rams have declined a bit in the offseason, I think this team will still pull out their division and make it to the playoffs. This team holds an offense that puts up points on the board just as easy as their defense prevents them. Cooper Kupp finished off his 2021 season with a superbowl MVP, and one of the greatest performances seen by a wide receiver in an NFL season ever. Bobby Wagner, Jalen Ramsey, and Aaron Donald at defense contributeto what makes this team great. I think that their slow start to a season will begin to pick up pace, but I think this team needs a minute to find their footing. After all, most teams that win a superbowl one year, decline by the next.

No. 3

I want the Green Bay Packers to do good. I really do. I think Aaron Rodgers deserves another ring. I think that, like many other teams this season, they’re off to a bad start, but I think that they can get into their groove. Aaron Rodgers is good at that. They’re defense isn’t all that bad, and their offense has Rodgers. Matt LaFleur should be able to take this team and make it better than what it’s shown to be thus far.

No. 2

This also might be another unpopular pick, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the No. 2 seed for me. I think that this team has all the talent in the world, but for some reason they haven’t clicked. I think that the new head coach in Todd Bowles might be contributing to that, but most teams that have a new head coach have trouble towards the beginning of their season. Tom Brady should provide the leadership this team needs heading into the mid season. This team knows how to win games, and their roster isn’t all that different from the superbowl winning Bucs back in 2021. If this team can stay healthy and manage to keep their starting roster in, I have faith that they’ll secure a seed from the 2-3 range.

No. 1

Should be no surprise here, but the 6-0 Philadelphia Eagles are easily the favorites to win the NFC. Combine one of the easiest schedules in the league, and a surprisingly good offense, I think this team has all they need to win enough games to secure this spot. Jalen Hurts has been nothing but great for this offense, and is almost like a mini Lamar Jackson. He is an excellent rusher, and can throw the ball just as good as he rushes. The Philly defense has become a top-5 unit and is just as explosive as the offense is. This Eagles team is exciting to watch, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they take the No. 1 seed.

Those are my predictions for the 2023 NFL playoffs. I will update my predictions when the playoffs actually take place, and don’t be surprised when everything is wrong.

*All photos are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons