Mar 16, 2023

Utilizing final season’s information, we are able to take a look at which NFL groups will seemingly have the hardest street to creating the 2023/24 NFL season playoffs. Whereas this isn’t rock-solid, and so much can change between now and the playoffs coming round, we are able to use varied components to make an evaluation backed by information and logic.

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

Chicago Bears

If we’re being sincere, the Chicago Bears had 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 had been excessive going into the season, their first season below new normal supervisor Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, and so they had been trying to construct on their 6-11 document from the season prior.

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

They’ve caught with their present normal 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 yr for the Houston Texans. With out fan-favorite Deshaun Watson, who joined the Cleveland Browns, they appeared rudderless, and their kind 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 lately appointed head coach.

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

Arizona Cardinals

Because the workforce with the third-worst win price within the 2022/23 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals would all the time make this checklist. Within the fourth and remaining season below 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 unhealthy to worse when the current arrival and three-time DPOTY J.J. Watt introduced his retirement.

Beginning this new season with out Watt shall 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 shifting ahead. To compound the challenges that they’re dealing with, they’ll even be beginning the season below 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 workforce we all know they are often. Going into the 2022/23 season, the Colts had luggage of expertise, with their normal supervisor and head coach duo of Chris Ballard and Frank Reich, having been with the workforce for greater than 5 years. That have, nonetheless, solely resulted in failure as they went 4-12-1, and Reich was fired halfway by way of the season.

Issues are wanting brighter now, nonetheless, with the arrival of recent head coach Shane Steichen, who was beforehand offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. As the brand new workforce begins to take form, the Colts appear to be they may carry out with this new clean slate, and so they’ll be trying to finish their eight-year AFC South title drought. That being stated, most of the similar points from final season nonetheless exist. After all, so much relies on what QB they handle to land with their (at the least) quantity 4 decide 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 first rate 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 greatest 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 least. Sadly, it wasn’t sufficient to win Rosburg the full-time gig, nonetheless, 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 time, however he definitely has the pedigree to make a dramatic influence on the workforce going ahead.