From thrilling victories to heartbreaking losses, the NFL never disappoints when it comes to stirring up a wide range of emotions. The 2023 season has been no different. the campaign started with a stunning upset for the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, and there have been plenty more stunners along the way.
The Cleveland Browns routed back-to-back AFC Championship game attendees in the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, the lowly Tennessee Titans did the same thing a number of weeks later. The 49ers were also stunned by the Browns, and the Ohio outfit may very well be poised for a trip to the playoffs for just the fourth time since 1990.
It’s never too early for some NFL predictions, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do today. We may be two years away from the 2023 NFL season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get excited and make some bold predictions. As the saying goes, it’s better to be early than late. So, let’s fire up the crystal ball and see what the future holds.
No one would have predicted that before a ball was kicked this term. But this year it feels as though anything can happen and as such, here are three outlandish predictions that may come to fruition before Super Bowl LVIII in February.
Bengals and Chiefs Will Contest the AFC Championship Game Again
When it comes to the AFC, all eyes are on the prolific Kansas City Chiefs, and rightfully so. They have been a dominant force in the conference this season barring that opening-day defeat to the Lions. Since then, they have won seven of their next eight games and look dead set on retaining the Lombardi that they won so impressively at State Farm Stadium back in February. In fact, the current NFL odds price them up as the +500 favorites for Super Bowl glory once more this term.
However, if one team may well have their number, it’s the Bengals. With Joe Burrow at the helm and a bevy of weapons in the arsenal, the future looks bright for the orange and black. In 2021, the pair faced off in the AFC Championship game, with the unfancied Cincy triumphing in overtime.
Last season, the pair met with the place in the Super Bowl on the line once more and this time, it was Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs that got the victory, their first in four attempts against Burrow and his Bengals.
This season, Cincy had a rough start to the season losing their first two games and drifting way down the Super Bowl odds list. However, in recent weeks, their form has picked up. Victories on the road against two of the league’s toughest teams – namely the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills – have outlined their credentials.
We can see the Chiefs and the Bengals facing off for the third straight AFC Championship game. giving the NFL’s newest rivalry to grow even further.
Lions Will Finish the Season as the NFC’s Top-Seed
The Detroit Lions haven’t had much to celebrate in recent years. They have reached the postseason just three times since the turn of the millennium and are without a playoff victory since defeating the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round of the 1991 playoffs.
But in 2023, they are much improved and have already surprised everyone, defeating the likes of the Chiefs and the Packers en route to amassing a 6-2 record after nine-game weeks.
At present, the Philadelphia Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC. They have a record of 8-1 and quarterback Jalen Hurts is in the form of his life. However, under the stewardship of GM Brad Holmes, fantastic head coach Dan Campbell, and Jared Goff under center, the Lions may very well usurp the Lincoln Financial Field side as the top seed in the conference.
Detroit has a much more favorable run-in than their counterparts and will twice play the lowly Chicago Bears as well as the Kirk Cousins-less Minnesota Vikings.
The Eagles meanwhile must face off against the likes of the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, Cowboys, and Seahawks. There is no question that they have the more difficult run-in, and their woes will bring joy to tears of their Michigan-based rivals.
Eagles Will Have Their Super Bowl Revenge
While the Eagles may not top the NFC regular season standings, they will almost certainly be crowned NFC Champions once more. Their biggest rivals in the conference are the aforementioned Lions and Brock Purdy’s 49ers.
The Eagles should certainly have enough about them to see off those two setting up a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl, this time inside Las Vegas’ state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium.
Last year, they headed to Arizona and had their hearts broken by the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing away a ten-point halftime lead in the process. This year, they will have their revenge. Jalen Hurts continued in the same form that saw him deliver one of the greatest-ever performances in The Big Game and he will take some stopping. However, will it be the Chiefs or the Bengals that they have a date in Sin City with on February 11th.
