Cole's Corner: 2023-24 NFL Preview and Predictions

The 2023-24 NFL season officially begins this week on Thursday night with the Detroit Lions traveling to face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. The opening game is almost a true testament to what this season looks like from the start. Despite the AFC being extremely loaded with superstar quarterbacks and strong rosters overall, everyone is still chasing the Chiefs. It’s extremely difficult to repeat as conference champs, so can someone else snag that top spot this season?

As for the NFC, the conference shapes up with a totally different complexion. The Eagles want to return to the Super Bowl after disappointment versus the Chiefs last season in Arizona. It won’t be easy to get back to the big game, but Philadelphia doesn’t have nearly the same gauntlet that Kansas City has this year. The NFC has some tough teams, but the conference could see some potential new faces in the playoffs this season like the Detroit Lions.

For all of the Browns fans reading this, Cleveland has the best roster on paper they have ever had since the return to Cleveland in 1999. Improved rosters on paper have not yet resulted in division or conference championships. The Browns as a result have still been significantly far away from any trips to the Super Bowl the past few years. If this team stays healthy and lives up to their potential, there is no reason they don’t have a chance to make those things happen this time around. The national media is down on the Browns, yet fans and local media appear rather optimistic. This could bode well for Cleveland and be a year they slide under the radar for a little while. The less noise the better! Make sure you check out their record prediction and the AFC North standings at the bottom of page two.

Finally, the prediction for the next Super Bowl champion concludes this story on page three.

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks 11-6 (5-1 vs NFC West)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Rams – W
Week 2: @ Lions – L
Week 3: vs Panthers – W
Week 4: @ Giants – L
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: @ Bengals – L
Week 7: vs Cardinals – W
Week 8: vs Browns – W
Week 9: @ Ravens – L
Week 10: vs Commanders – W
Week 11: @ Rams – W
Week 12: vs 49ers – W
Week 13: @ Cowboys – W
Week 14: @ 49ers – L
Week 15: vs Eagles – L
Week 16: @ Titans – W
Week 17: vs Steelers – W
Week 18: @ Cardinals – W

The San Francisco 49ers might be the favorites to win the NFC West, but I believe it’s the Seahawks that surprise many and get the job done. Geno Smith looked excellent in his first year as the Seattle starter last season. This year he will likely only improve onto what he did already, especially with the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the roster. Now Geno has three excellent targets in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Smith-Njigba, which will certainly give opposing secondaries headaches in addition to opening up the run game. Seattle’s running back room is also deeper from last year and their defense is taking steps in the right direction. It is hard to find any significant flaws on the roster currently. Also, the Seahawks happen to have a fairly easy schedule at home and should rack up a lot of easy wins this year.

2. San Francisco 49ers 9-8 (5-1 vs NFC West)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Steelers – L
Week 2: @ Rams – W
Week 3: vs Giants – W
Week 4: vs Cardinals – W
Week 5: vs Cowboys – L
Week 6: @ Browns – L
Week 7: @ Vikings – W
Week 8: vs Bengals – W
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: @ Jaguars – L
Week 11: vs Buccaneers – L
Week 12: @ Seahawks – L
Week 13: @ Eagles – L
Week 14: vs Seahawks – W
Week 15: @ Cardinals – W
Week 16: vs Ravens – W
Week 17: @ Commanders – L
Week 18: vs Rams – W

The 49ers are absolutely still good enough to get to the playoffs and they will get there once again thanks to their strong defense. That being said, I do not believe it will look nearly as pretty as last season. Brock Purdy impressed last year partially because he is good but also partially because the 49ers offensive system caters to making average QBs still lead competent offenses. Remember Purdy is coming off an elbow surgery following an injury in the playoffs. He is fully cleared and expected to start week one but I believe there will be a bit of a slow ramp up period for him since he was not throwing until about three weeks ago. I believe his rust will get exposed week one at Pittsburgh and the offense will be extremely run heavy the first six weeks. Christian McCaffrey stayed healthy in his first year in San Francisco, but if he gets a ton of work at the beginning of the season the question is can he then remain healthy? The other problem for San Francisco is that after Purdy finds a rhythm and if McCaffrey does stay healthy, following their bye week they hit a tough stretch from week 10 to week 14. Perhaps the bumps in the road will make the 49ers battle tested enough come playoffs.

3. Arizona Cardinals 4-13 (1-5 vs NFC West)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Commanders – L
Week 2: vs Giants – L
Week 3: vs Cowboys – L
Week 4: @ 49ers – L
Week 5: vs Bengals – L
Week 6: @ Rams – W
Week 7: @ Seahawks – L
Week 8: vs Ravens – W
Week 9: @ Browns – L
Week 10: vs Falcons – W
Week 11: @ Texans – W
Week 12: vs Rams – L
Week 13: @ Steelers – L
Week 14: BYE
Week 15: vs 49ers – L
Week 16: @ Bears – L
Week 17: @ Eagles – L
Week 18: vs Seahawks – L

It seems like a four down conclusion on social media that the Cardinals will be tanking for Caleb Williams. I’m going to say not so fast… There are plenty of questions surrounding the quarterback room entering this season with Kyler Murray out an extended period of time. Everyone knows it’s at least four weeks without him due to starting the year on the PUP list. After that no one really knows if that’s it or if the team will sit him until 2024. For now we can forget about that and focus on whether Josh Dobbs or Clayton Tune will start week one. The recent trade makes me believe things are slightly in the favor of Dobbs but who knows with Arizona honestly.

They have one of the worst rosters at the moment and will need to lean heavily on James Conner this year. Arizona will absolutely get out to a slow start but my gut feeling is that we will see Murray around mid-season. If that is the case then I look to that stretch of Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles as potential wins for this team, potentially pushing them out of the Williams sweepstakes and protecting Murray’s job next season as well.

4. Los Angeles Rams 3-14 (1-5 vs NFC West)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Seahawks – L
Week 2: vs 49ers – L
Week 3: @ Bengals – L
Week 4: @ Colts – W
Week 5: vs Eagles – L
Week 6: vs Cardinals – L
Week 7: vs Steelers – W
Week 8: @ Cowboys – L
Week 9: @ Packers – L
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: vs Seahawks – L
Week 12: @ Cardinals – W
Week 13: vs Browns – L
Week 14: @ Ravens – L
Week 15: vs Commanders – L
Week 16: vs Saints – L
Week 17: @ Giants – L
Week 18: @ 49ers – L

Oh how far the Rams have fallen in the matter of two years. The Rams will be one of the worst teams in football this year because their defense is more porous than most remember and I’m not sure if their starting offense will be playing by the end of the year. Aside from Aaron Donald, Los Angeles has lots of young players on defense, plus numerous players listed as starters that would likely be backups on most other rosters. For that reason teams like Seattle will pick this apart this year. As for the offense, I am thrilled that Matthew Stafford won a championship before his career ended and he did so while playing phenomenally all year. Then we get to last season and his arm looked completely shot. He was dealing with elbow pain and I wondered if he would call it quits last year especially while spending so much time out. Instead he is back and giving it another go. Cooper Kupp was injured much of last year and has spent time this preseason banged up again. Also, Cam Akers is the starting running back again and he is known to be injury prone.

My gut feeling and potentially bold prediction is that Stetson Bennett replaces a struggling Stafford halfway through the season, Cooper Kupp plays less than 10 games and Cam Akers ends the year with an injury designation. For those reasons, the Rams sit at the bottom of the entire NFC.

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints 11-6 (4-2 vs NFC South)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Titans – W
Week 2: @ Panthers – W
Week 3: @ Packers – L
Week 4: vs Buccaneers – W
Week 5: @ Patriots – W
Week 6: @ Texans – L
Week 7: vs Jaguars – L
Week 8: @ Colts – W
Week 9: vs Bears – W
Week 10: @ Vikings – W
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: @ Falcons – W
Week 13: vs Lions – L
Week 14: vs Panthers – L
Week 15: vs Giants – W
Week 16: @ Rams – W
Week 17: @ Buccaneers – W
Week 18: vs Falcons – L

The New Orleans Saints finally have a competent quarterback once again and this time it’s Derek Carr at the helm. Carr might not be a top tier quarterback, but the nice thing for the Saints is that he is the only proven QB in the division. Carolina is starting a rookie with lots of ability but there will be growing pains, Atlanta is starting a quarterback I really like but he is unproven and we have only a tiny sample size, finally, Tampa Bay is starting an inconsistent wild card. It seems pretty clear that based on that alone, New Orleans has the upper hand. Now looking at the rest of the team, Chris Olave is ready to take another leap in production, supposedly Michael Thomas will be back and we may see a resurgence and finally the Saints defense appears stout on paper. Even with the Alvin Kamara suspension, this team seems destined to easily make it to the postseason.

2. Atlanta Falcons 9-8 (4-2 vs NFC South)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Panthers – W
Week 2: vs Packers – W
Week 3: @ Lions – L
Week 4: vs Jaguars – L
Week 5: vs Texans – W
Week 6: vs Commanders – W
Week 7: @ Buccaneers – W
Week 8: @ Titans – W
Week 9: vs Vikings – L
Week 10: @ Cardinals – L
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: vs Saints – L
Week 13: @ Jets – L
Week 14: vs Buccaneers – W
Week 15: @ Panthers – L
Week 16: vs Colts – W
Week 17: @ Bears – L
Week 18: @ Saints – W

The Falcons made a major mistake in judgment by playing Marcus Mariota over Desmond Ridder for so long last season. It took them until the final four games of the regular season to make the switch and Ridder showed some good things. He is a natural leader, has ideal size, has solid mobility and makes pretty smart decisions. If Atlanta can take the top three rushing attack from last season, plug Bijan Robinson in and build onto those numbers, while getting steady performances from Ridder, then this team may make a playoff push. They even added some nice pieces to the defense like safety Jessie Bates. I think they will just miss the playoffs this year but establish themselves as potential contenders for the 2024-25 season. The youth will need one more season to mesh.

3. Carolina Panthers 5-12 (3-3 vs NFC South)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Falcons – L
Week 2: vs Saints – L
Week 3: @ Seahawks – L
Week 4: vs Vikings – W
Week 5: @ Lions – L
Week 6: @ Dolphins – L
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: vs Texans – L
Week 9: vs Colts – L
Week 10: @ Bears – L
Week 11: vs Cowboys – L
Week 12: @ Titans – W
Week 13: @ Buccaneers – L
Week 14: @ Saints – W
Week 15: vs Falcons – W
Week 16: vs Packers – L
Week 17: @ Jaguars – L
Week 18: vs Buccaneers – W

The Panthers selected Bryce Young to be their franchise quarterback and will put him to work immediately. Young is a small player but makes up for the lack of size with elusiveness and quick feet. Carolina brought in Miles Sanders to be their workhorse running back as well. Sanders is a good player but I do question the running back depth behind him. As for the receiver room, I truly believe it is one of the weakest in the league with Thielen, Mingo and Chark. They appeared extremely slow coming off the ball in the preseason which leads me to believe they will still struggle to get open in the regular season. The lack of weapons for Young will slow his development dramatically. By the end of the season Carolina will likely begin to hit a bit of a groove, but it will be way too late.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-15 (1-5 vs NFC South)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Vikings – L
Week 2: vs Bears – L
Week 3: vs Eagles – L
Week 4: @ Saints – L
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: vs Lions – L
Week 7: vs Falcons – L
Week 8: @ Bills – L
Week 9: @ Texans – L
Week 10: vs Titans – L
Week 11: @ 49ers – W
Week 12: @ Colts – L
Week 13: vs Panthers – W
Week 14: @ Falcons – L
Week 15: @ Packers – L
Week 16: vs Jaguars – L
Week 17: vs Saints – L
Week 18: @ Panthers – L

There is a lot of talent on this current Tampa Bay roster, so how come they end up with the worst record in all of football? Well the simple answer for me is that Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield may actually just be sacrificial lambs for this franchise. The Buccaneers have already suffered some big losses this offseason with injuries to Russell Gage and Ryan Jensen, Mike Evans is coming up on a contract year and negotiations have halted, plus because Baker Mayfield sometimes cannot hit the broadside of a barn, opposing teams will be able to stack the box against Rachaad White. I expect many struggles for Mayfield, White and this offense. The defense is still extremely strong with Winfield Jr, Devin White, David, Barrett and others, but that is not enough to beat Minnesota, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans the first four weeks of the season. Tampa Bay knows Mayfield is just a temporary answer until next season so with a strong roster and an early season skid, the front office may turn their attention to Caleb Williams paired with lots of talent next season.

The tank would be officially on and Tampa Bay successfully locks up the first overall pick and their next franchise QB in 2024. The other bright spot is that undrafted free agent running back Sean Tucker will also likely shine later in the season.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles 15-2 (5-1 vs NFC East)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Patriots – W
Week 2: vs Vikings – L
Week 3: @ Buccaneers – W
Week 4: vs Commanders – W
Week 5: @ Rams – W
Week 6: @ Jets – W
Week 7: vs Dolphins – W
Week 8: @ Commanders – W
Week 9: vs Cowboys – W
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: @ Chiefs – W
Week 12: vs Bills – W
Week 13: vs 49ers – W
Week 14: @ Cowboys – L
Week 15: @ Seahawks – W
Week 16: vs Giants – W
Week 17: vs Cardinals – W
Week 18: @ Giants – W

The Eagles are on a mission and for the second year in a row they will look dominant in the NFC. Jalen Hurts still has a strong offensive line in front of him, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert as receiving weapons, plus a plethora of running backs in that room. Really the offense could be just as good if not better than last season. As for the defense, they are still loaded upfront and will likely lead the league in sacks again, plus they have solid depth in the secondary. The linebacker spot is the only one with any questions, but I believe Nakobe Dean and Zach Cunningham will be just fine. Nick Sirianni’s squad will have the best record in the NFL.

2. Dallas Cowboys 12-5 (3-3 vs NFC East)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Giants – L
Week 2: vs Jets – W
Week 3: @ Cardinals – W
Week 4: vs Patriots – W
Week 5: @ 49ers – W
Week 6: @ Chargers – W
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: vs Rams – W
Week 9: @ Eagles – L
Week 10: vs Giants – W
Week 11: @ Panthers – W
Week 12: vs Commanders – W
Week 13: vs Seahawks – L
Week 14: vs Eagles – W
Week 15: @ Bills – L
Week 16: @ Dolphins – W
Week 17: vs Lions – W
Week 18: @ Commanders – L

The Cowboys will have one of the best records in the NFC, but they still won’t be close to the Eagles. Dak Prescott will be airing it out a bunch this season with CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup and Jalen Tolbert as his main four receivers. Additionally, Tony Pollard is now the every down back and his receiving ability is much better than what Zeke’s ever was for Dallas. I do have some questions about the running back room because Pollard might not be able to withstand the every down back workload and Deuce Vaughn is not a big workhorse back either. The Cowboys defense will once again give up a lot of yards but expect them to get lots of sacks courtesy of Micah Parsons and interceptions courtesy of Trevon Diggs.

3. New York Giants 8-9 (2-4 vs NFC East)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Cowboys – W
Week 2: @ Cardinals – W
Week 3: @ 49ers – L
Week 4: vs Seahawks – W
Week 5: @ Dolphins – L
Week 6: @ Bills – L
Week 7: vs Commanders – L
Week 8: vs Jets – L
Week 9: @ Raiders – W
Week 10: @ Cowboys – L
Week 11: @ Commanders – W
Week 12: vs Patriots – W
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: vs Packers – W
Week 15: @ Saints – L
Week 16: @ Eagles – L
Week 17: vs Rams – W
Week 18: vs Eagles – L

Last season Brian Daboll proved he is a good coach and Daniel Jones proved he is a good starting quarterback. Saquon Barkley also stayed healthy and shouldered the workload in an offense that didn’t put up big passing numbers due to a thin receiver room. This year the roster got better yet the record will not. The main reason is because the Giants are unfortunately in the best division in the NFC currently. As tough as they can play and as hard as they play defense, this team cannot put up the points to compete with some other high powered offenses. I do really like the addition of Darren Waller at tight end and believe he will shine, but the receiver room is still on the weaker side. Expect lots of runs.

4. Washington Commanders 6-11 (2-4 vs NFC East)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Cardinals – W
Week 2: @ Broncos – L
Week 3: vs Bills – L
Week 4: @ Eagles – L
Week 5: vs Bears – W
Week 6: @ Falcons – L
Week 7: @ Giants – W
Week 8: vs Eagles – L
Week 9: @ Patriots – L
Week 10: @ Seahawks – L
Week 11: vs Giants – L
Week 12: @ Cowboys – L
Week 13: vs Dolphins – L
Week 14: BYE
Week 15: @ Rams – W
Week 16: @ Jets – L
Week 17: vs 49ers – W
Week 18: vs Cowboys – W

The Commander have new owners and are expected to actually have fans in the stands this year at FedEx field. That’s an excellent turn in the right direction for this organization. Another nice change is that Chase Young will be back and is feeling much like his old self again. If the front four of Washington can stay healthy then expect Young, Sweat, Allen and Payne to wreak havoc. On the offense, Sam Howell is taking over the starting duties. He has a strong arm and can sling it, plus he has excellent wideouts in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Curtis Samuel and Antonio Gibson will also get plenty of reps on passing downs. Brian Robinson looked strong last season after being shot in the leg so I would expect him to improve in year two as the power back. Howell, like many young quarterbacks, will have his issues and growing pains and it will happen against an extremely difficult schedule. Washington was done no favors with their schedule this season.

NFC North

1. Detroit Lions 12-5 (5-1 vs NFC North)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Chiefs – L
Week 2: vs Seahawks – W
Week 3: vs Falcons – W
Week 4: @ Packers – W
Week 5: vs Panthers – W
Week 6: @ Buccaneers – W
Week 7: @ Ravens – L
Week 8: vs Raiders – W
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: @Chargers – L
Week 11: vs Bears – W
Week 12: vs Packers – W
Week 13: @ Saints – W
Week 14: @ Bears – W
Week 15: vs Broncos – W
Week 16: @ Vikings – W
Week 17: @ Cowboys – L
Week 18: vs Vikings – L

The Detroit Lions will officially supplant themselves as kings of the NFC North. Last season the Lions showed a ton of promise and just barely missed the playoffs. That won’t be the case this season. Dan Campbell’s defense is much improved in the secondary and Jack Campbell fills a major need at middle linebacker. Expect them to be tough and make a lot more plays than what you typically see from a Lions defense. On offense Jared Goff is surrounded by talent. The offensive line is reliable, David Montgomery is an excellent addition from Chicago as the short yardage running back and Jahmyr Gibbs will add electricity to the backfield. With Jameson Williams suspended the first six weeks of the season, expect Amon-Ra St. Brown to see a majority of targets. The young receiver is quickly becoming one of the best in the NFL and he is about to have a massive year. Detroit will be a threat this season.

2. Chicago Bears 10-7 (3-3 vs NFC North)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Packers – W
Week 2: @ Buccaneers – W
Week 3: @ Chiefs – W
Week 4: vs Broncos – W
Week 5: @ Commanders – L
Week 6: vs Vikings – L
Week 7: vs Raiders – W
Week 8: @ Chargers – L
Week 9: @ Saints – L
Week 10: vs Panthers – W
Week 11: @ Lions – L
Week 12: @ Vikings – W
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: vs Lions – L
Week 15: @ Browns – L
Week 16: vs Cardinals – W
Week 17: vs Falcons – W
Week 18: @ Packers – W

The Chicago Bears had bright flashes last year but will surprise many by making it to the playoffs. Justin Fields was an incredible runner but many have wondered if he can be a strong passer as well at this level. The answer to that question will be yes. Fields just needed more strong targets and a true number one receiver. Now with DJ Moore, Fields has that weapon. The offensive line is still on the weaker side, but Fields can escape the pocket like none other. The Bears have also been known for many years as a tough defensive team but have lacked the toughness in the trenches lately. Expect that to change with young talent like Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens being added to the defensive tackle rotation, along with the addition of Yannick Ngakoue on the edge. If those guys can generate pressure in addition to stopping the run, then the young, talented secondary with Jaquon Brisker, Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson will succeed.

3. Minnesota Vikings 8-9 (3-3 vs NFC North)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: vs Buccaneers – W
Week 2: @ Eagles – W
Week 3: vs Chargers – W
Week 4: @ Panthers – L
Week 5: vs Chiefs – L
Week 6: @ Bears – W
Week 7: vs 49ers – L
Week 8: @ Packers – L
Week 9: @ Falcons – W
Week 10: vs Saints – L
Week 11: @ Broncos – L
Week 12: vs Bears – L
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: @ Raiders – W
Week 15: @ Bengals – L
Week 16: vs Lions – L
Week 17: vs Packers – W
Week 18: @ Lions – W

The Vikings had more one possession games than any other team last season and they won a majority of those games. It was an impressive season for Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and the rest of the Vikings. Due to the success last season many expect much of the same. It is not the offense that makes me believe differently. Minnesota’s defense last season wasn’t great and did not impress me aside from a few key players. Those same two players are now in Cleveland… Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson. Looking at their roster now, Minnesota has a bottom five defense on paper. This will cost them dearly. On the bright side for Minnesota, Cousins will likely have an exceptional season. Justin Jefferson will command a majority of the target share but T.J. Hockenson will also be a valuable target, rookie Jordan Addison will pick up Thielen’s target share and K.J. Osborn will fill his same role as last season. Expect Minnesota to pass a lot because Alexander Mattison is not nearly the running back that Dalvin Cook was previously. The offense won’t be able to fully shoulder the load and Minnesota is on the outside looking in at the end of the season.

4. Green Bay Packers 5-12 (1-5 vs NFC North)

Predicted Results:

Week 1: @ Bears – L
Week 2: @ Falcons – L
Week 3: vs Saints – W
Week 4: vs Lions – L
Week 5: @ Raiders – L
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: @ Broncos – L
Week 8: vs Vikings – W
Week 9: vs Rams – W
Week 10: @ Steelers – L
Week 11: vs Chargers – L
Week 12: @ Lions – L
Week 13: vs Chiefs – L
Week 14: @ Giants – L
Week 15: vs Buccaneers – W
Week 16: @ Panthers – W
Week 17: @ Vikings – L
Week 18: vs Bears – L

Aaron Rodgers is gone and so are the winning ways of the Green Bay Packers. The passing attack led by Jordan Love is going to stink forcing Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to carry the offense on their backs. The Packers defense is better than Minnesota’s by a long shot. Despite having a defense that can keep them in games, you can’t win unless you score points and that will be the big issue.

AFC on the next page

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