The NFL season is a quarter of the way through its 2023 run, and we’ve got a lot to think about for how well so many teams are playing right now.
While some teams are struggling on Sundays, others are thriving. Some of them are teams you’d expect, like the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills.
Others, like the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are surpassing expectations and playing some inspired football.
We’ve broken down 10 NFL teams we’re a little worried about (or really worried about) right now.
Now, let’s break down the 10 teams we like the most to play in Super Bowl 58 next February by our level of confidence in them.
Baltimore Ravens
After all the offseason worry about Lamar Jackson’s contract, the quarterback is playing some of his best ball since being drafted by Baltimore. This is the kind of Ravens offense that can get this team back to the Super Bowl, and swapping out Greg Roman for Todd Monken at offensive coordinator is paying off in a big way. Also, the Ravens defense is still really good.
The problem with the Ravens is twofold: they play in the AFC, and they are fighting through a nasty bout with the injury bug right now. If Baltimore can get healthy, they’re going to be a problem in January. If injuries keep piling up, it’d be easy to see another one of the AFC heavyweights winning a playoff game for reasons outside of Baltimore’s control.
The Ravens are having a really nice season, but the team has to keep guys on the field to really capitalize on the potential this season. Jackson is playing great football, but that won’t matter if the injuries keep persisting. Still, even a banged-up Ravens team is still formidable in any setting.
CONFIDENCE METER: 70%
Buffalo Bills
Is this the year that the Bills can finally make it to the Super Bowl after years of knocking at the door? Quarterback Josh Allen has really kicked it into high gear after that Week 1 loss to the New York Jets, and this Buffalo defense can really get after anyone in the NFL. Halting that explosive Miami Dolphins offense like they did this past week was no small feat.
The Bills look like a Super Bowl team. They could be the best team in the NFL in some respects. There is so much to like with the Bills, even if cornerback Tre’Davious White is lost for the year with an ACL tear. Getting outside linebacker Von Miller back later this season will be huge.
However, we haven’t seen the Bills really take that next step yet into February football. It’s not that they can’t, but getting through Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs is just tough in January.
The Bills are excellent, but we’ve got to see them pass the test they haven’t yet to really believe in their title chances. We won’t see that for a while.
CONFIDENCE METER: 90%
Dallas Cowboys
Believing in the Dallas Cowboys to make it to the NFC Championship is a bit like believing in Charlie Brown to finally kick the football while Lucy is holding it. We’ve seen this so many times, and we always get the same result. This is a good football team, and thumping the New England Patriots is no small feat.
The team had the depth at cornerback to withstand losing cornerback Trevon Diggs for the season, but it’s hard right now to really know if the Cowboys can push the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and even the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks for NFC bragging rights. The team’s defense is still a buzzsaw, and that can really help in January.
However, Dallas still feels like the fifth-best team in the conference. That Arizona Cardinals loss is hard to forget, even if it came in Week 3. Maybe they’ll figure things out and squash those postseason concerns, but the Cowboys might be more formidable in the fall than they are in the winter.
CONFIDENCE METER: 60%
Detroit Lions
The Lions are for real. Even if quarterback Jared Goff has limitations to his game, it’s very easy to see Detroit winning the NFC North this year and pushing for a Super Bowl berth. It’s a remarkable moment for a team that has yearned for success like this for decades. It’s just so, so cool to see.
However, this Lions team is beatable. Getting Goff rattled in the pocket and making him turn the ball over will be the formula, and there are some really good pass rushes in the NFC. It’s easy to see the 49ers defense putting Goff in a blender, so the Lions will have to keep the offensive line healthy and find ways to keep the pocket clean so Goff doesn’t make mistakes.
This Lions defense is tough, and it’s going to be a problem for any offense in January. As long as Detroit can keep the momentum going throughout the regular season and avoid any big injuries, they looks like contenders. On their best day, a Super Bowl berth feels absolutely possible.
CONFIDENCE METER: 85%
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs might not be the best NFL team at the moment, but who cares? Kansas City has made three Super Bowls in the past five seasons since Mahomes took over at quarterback, and its biggest challenger in recent years (the Cincinnati Bengals) is in the midst of a 1-3 season.
There are some really good teams in the AFC as there always are, but they’ve got to beat the Chiefs to get to the Super Bowl. Maybe Mahomes and company meet their match next January, but we still think the road through the conference goes through Arrowhead. So what if they had a close game on the road against the New York Jets? It’s only October! We know how this goes.
If you’re a Chiefs fan, you’re just biding your time until the playoffs. You’ll have some fun Mahomes highlights to get you there, but the real season starts once the regular season ends. This is life with Mahomes; it’s not half bad.
CONFIDENCE METER: 100%
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are one of the most enjoyable teams in football, thanks in part to a firework-ready offense that dropped 70 points in Week 3 and a very opportunistic defense called by elite mind Vic Fangio.
Mike McDaniel is a clear Coach of the Year candidate for his innovative offense that is unleashing some really cool pre-snap motions that leave defenses a step behind the play. The team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but Miami got a heavy dose of reality against Buffalo this past weekend.
This is a really good football team, but we’ve still got to see how they’ll respond to January football. We expect Miami to contend in the playoffs, but can this team really beat the usual AFC heavyweights? It remains to be seen.
CONFIDENCE METER: 75%
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles might not be as good as they were last season, but they’re clear NFC contenders that looks like they could easily make it back to the big game.
There’s a lot to like about the Eagles on both sides of the ball, with the offseason acquisition of running back D’Andre Swift paying off in a big way. The team’s defense can stop anybody, and they’ve still got the kind of depth on the defensive line that goes a long way in January.
It’s very possible to imagine an NFC Championship rematch between Philly and San Francisco. Teams like Detroit, Seattle and Dallas might like to argue with that, but the Eagles are still flying high enough to contend for a title.
CONFIDENCE METER: 85%
San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan got close to winning his first Super Bowl with the 49ers back in 2020, but the Chiefs had other plans. This feels like Shanahan’s best chance yet to make another title game and actually win it.
Brock Purdy has been a huge steal for this franchise as its quarterback, and he’s operating this offense as well as anyone has since Shanahan took over in San Francisco in 2017. This defense is still a major headache, and Christian McCaffrey is having another sensational season in Shanahan’s offense.
If Purdy stays healthy last year, it’s easy to imagine the 49ers topping the Eagles and making it to Super Bowl 57. It’s also easy to imagine them shaking off that rotten luck and actually making Super Bowl 58.
A Chiefs/49ers rematch might be our safest bet right now.
CONFIDENCE METER: 95%
Seattle Seahawks
While we don’t think the Seahawks are necessarily going to win the NFC West, they’re a clear playoff contender with oodles of talent on both sides of the ball. It’s hard when you’re in a division with the 49ers and a resurgent Los Angeles Rams team, but Seattle has got the goods to contend anyway.
Geno Smith has been a revelation since he took over as the team’s quarterback, and he’s got plenty of options to help him on offense. This defense looks better than it has in a while, too. Even after trading Russell Wilson, the Seahawks found a way to avoid a rebuild and stay relevant.
Seattle is a clear playoff contender in the NFC, but it just depends on how far what they’re doing can take them. Beating Detroit on the road hints that they might be more of a challenge than we suspect, but we won’t be surprised if this Seattle team gets hot at the right time and raises some eyebrows.
CONFIDENCE METER: 80%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are 3-1, and they’re probably the most surprising success story in the NFL right now. However, those wins came against the 1-3 Minnesota Vikings, 0-4 Chicago Bears and 2-2 New Orleans Saints with Derek Carr playing through an injury.
It wouldn’t be fair to ignore what Tampa Bay is doing well, particularly on defense. However, the team getting stomped by the Philadelphia Eagles hints that the Buccaneers still have some ways to go to really be a title contender.
In the NFC South, it’s very possible Tampa Bay will repeat as champs as the Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers all look pretty flawed in various ways. However, it also wouldn’t be surprising if this team’s hot start wears off as the season goes on.
The talent is there, and Todd Bowles deserves real credit for all of this. So does Baker Mayfield, who has played some good football. This Buccaneers team is surpassing all expectations in its post-Tom Brady run, and that deserves a lot of commendation. Some thought this team could tank.
However, can you see this team actually making a Super Bowl? We cannot, and that’s nothing against the Bucs. There are just better teams in the NFC.
CONFIDENCE METER: 35%
