On Thursday, August 3rd, the Hall of Fame game kicks off with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. One week after that, the Minnesota Vikings will kick off their first season game against the Seattle Seahawks in Washington. Live football is almost here.
As we look forward to the start of the regular season, takes will be flowing from everywhere, including us here at Vikings Wire. Here are 10 hot takes for the 2023 NFL season.
1. Houston Texans win 7 games
Nobody belives in the Texans this year, but the roster DeMeco Ryans has at his disposal is much better than people give them credit for. C.J. Stroud was my top overall quarterback and second-ranked player in the 2023 NFL draft class and his draft position reflected that. With talented tackles, receivers and top-three picks at edge and cornerback, the Texans are primed to make an impact in 2023.
2. Chicago Bears will pick twice in top 10
After acquiring the Carolina Panthers first-round pick in 2023, the Chicago Bears have two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft. They will be improved, but not enough to get out of the top-10. The Panthers will be the same. They will show struggles with rookie quarterback Bryce Young and pick in the same range as the Bears.
3. Chris Olave finishes top three in OPOY voting
Coming out of the 2022 NFL draft, I had Chris Olave as my number one ranked receiver in the draft. His explosive route running and ability to attack the ball at the catch point were incredibly attractive traits to build upon. His best comparison was Justin Jefferson and he just won Offensive Player of the Year. His new quarterback Derek Carr loves to force feed targets and Olave will thirve.
4. Desmond Ridder gets benched
Coming out of Cincinnati, Desmond Ridder wasn’t a player that I liked as a prospect. Once he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round, there hasn’t been a lot of growth. In fact, the majority of highlights posted to social media from training camp are passes that were inaccurate. He just doesn’t have the ability to be a great starting quarterback and they do have Taylor Heinicke in the building for a reason.
5. Tua Tagovailoa signs an extension before Joe Burrow
This isn’t saying that Tagovailoa is better than Burrow, but the Cincinnati Bengals are a franchise that has been hesitant to shell out the big bucks. Before Tagovailoa got hurt last season, he was tearing it up with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle with Mike McDaniel maximizing all of them. If he plays really well and stays healthy, both of which are plausible, it’s easy to see a massive extension for Tagovailoa.
6. The Broncos win the AFC West
Yes, the Broncos will win the AFC West. Sean Payton is one of the best coaches in the NFL and what he was able to do with Drew Brees in his declining years was excellent and schematic genius. With a great defense to help support him, Payton will make a massive difference to this team and help Wilson regain his confidence that was lost due to Nathaniel Hackett.
7. Lamar Jackson throws for 4,000 yards, wins NFL MVP
Make no mistake about it, Jackson is still a top-five NFL quarterback. Greg Roman was not a great fit for Jackson at the end as he didn’t foster enough growth with Jackson and his limited scheme. With Todd Monken and a major investment at wide receiver, Jackson is primed to not only have his best season as a passer, but also as a quarterback.
8. Justin Fields becomes first Chicago Bear ever to throw for 4,000 yards
No Chicago Bear has ever thrown for 4,000 yards. The single-season leader is Erik Kramer with 3.838 yards. That’s remarkable considering the 100+ year history of the franchise and how the passing game has evolved over the last decade plus. Fields came out of Ohio State as an excellent passer and is now going to have a group of weapons that resemble an NFL caliber receiving corps. With a defense that is going to give up points, Fields will have to throw the ball consistently.
9. Rams end up with a top-eight pick
The Rams have talented players like Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald, but they also will be filled with a multitude of UDFA and day three picks. Before being shut down for the season, Stafford’s arm looked to have regressed due to injury. The sheer lack of talent is going to catch up to them this season and land them a draft pick that could give the Rams a quarterback of the future.
10. Trey Lance starts games, but not for the 49ers
Despite the draft capital invested into Trey Lance, he isn’t the quarterback preference for Kyle Shanahan and how he wants to run his offense. That is Brock Purdy. General manager John Lynch has made it clear that Purdy will be afforded the opportunity to earn the starting job. That, along with Sam Darnold being on the roster will make him expendable. Lance will be a valuable trade asset to someone, especially if a quarterback gets injured with his inexpensive contract.
