Which NFL Groups Will Have the Hardest Highway to the Playoffs?

Mar 16, 2023

Utilizing final season’s information, we will have a look at which NFL groups will probably have the hardest highway to creating the 2023/24 NFL season playoffs. Whereas this isn’t rock-solid, and loads can change between now and the playoffs coming round, we will use numerous components to make an evaluation backed by information and logic.

On this article, we’ll be trying on the NFL groups that we predict could have the hardest probabilities of reaching the NFL playoffs for the 2023/24 season, taking a look at their earlier type and their present standing to make the absolute best NFL predictions.

Chicago Bears

If we’re being sincere, the Chicago Bears have been atrocious in 2022, dropping 14 of their 17 common season video games. It shouldn’t come as a shock, however this document was the worst within the NFL. Hopes have been excessive going into the season, their first season beneath new common supervisor Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, and so they have been seeking to construct on their 6-11 document from the season prior.

Nevertheless, Justin Fields, a second-year quarterback, was a shining mild, and he appears like he’ll be a central cog within the Chicago Bears machine heading into this new season.

They’ve caught with their present common supervisor and head coach, regardless of strain to dismiss them following their dismal first season collectively, and should be hoping {that a} good sweep within the 2023 NFL Draft will assist them attain the playoffs after a two-year absence.

Houston Texans

There’s no pretending that 2022 wasn’t a nasty 12 months for the Houston Texans. With out fan-favorite Deshaun Watson, who joined the Cleveland Browns, they appeared rudderless, and their type clearly mirrored that, going 3-13-1. To place this into context, they even went on a nine-game dropping streak, their worst since 2013, so it didn’t actually come as a shock to anybody after they parted methods with Lovie Smith, their just lately appointed head coach.

This new season might be a battle for Texans followers as they acclimatize to working beneath new head coach DeMeco Ryans. After going 3-13-1 in 2022, the one method is up, and happily for them, Ryans is a former participant himself and is aware of what it’ll take to convey the group collectively and get the followers behind them. With the second choose of the 2023 NFL Draft, they may shortly change their fortunes in the event that they select correctly.

Arizona Cardinals

Because the group with the third-worst win fee within the 2022/23 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals would all the time make this checklist. Within the fourth and closing season beneath head coach Kliff Kingsbury, they didn’t impress, going 4-13, ending 4th within the NFC West, and, in fact, failing to qualify for the playoffs. The season went from dangerous to worse when the latest arrival and three-time DPOTY J.J. Watt introduced his retirement.

Beginning this new season with out Watt might be a problem, and whereas he wasn’t the participant he as soon as was, his expertise and high quality would nonetheless have been an asset for the Arizona Cardinals transferring ahead. To compound the challenges that they’re going through, they’ll even be beginning the season beneath a brand new head coach as Jonathan Gannon joined the franchise after leaving his position as defensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are removed from the group we all know they are often. Going into the 2022/23 season, the Colts had luggage of expertise, with their common supervisor and head coach duo of Chris Ballard and Frank Reich, having been with the group for greater than 5 years. That have, nevertheless, solely resulted in failure as they went 4-12-1, and Reich was fired halfway via the season.

Issues are trying brighter now, nevertheless, with the arrival of recent head coach Shane Steichen, who was beforehand offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. As the brand new group begins to take form, the Colts appear like they may carry out with this new clean slate, and so they’ll be seeking to finish their eight-year AFC South title drought. That being stated, lots of the identical points from final season nonetheless exist. After all, loads is dependent upon what QB they handle to land with their (at the very least) quantity 4 choose within the draft. It’ll be an extended season in Indianapolis, however followers should again their new head coach and belief the method.

Denver Broncos

Having completed 7-10 in 2022, everybody anticipated the Denver Broncos to carry out in 2022 and construct on respectable outcomes. Regardless of this, they regressed and ended the 2022/23 season with a document of 5-12, ensuing within the firing of head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two video games to spare. Interim coach Jerry Rosburg did his finest to salvage the season with a few video games to go and ended with a private document of 1-1, which was an enchancment at the very least. Sadly, it wasn’t sufficient to win Rosburg the full-time gig, nevertheless, because the Denver Broncos moved to signal Tremendous-Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton, who arrived in Denver after his profitable time as head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2013 till 2021. Going into this new season, there’s a real concern that Payton could battle to get the Denver Broncos into the playoffs, primarily as a result of he has been out of the sport for a short while, however he actually has the pedigree to make a dramatic impression on the group going ahead.