One of the biggest reasons why the NFL is the most dominant force in American media is their high level of parity. Every year teams you never expect take major leaps into playoff – and legitimate contender – status. Take for example the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2021, Philly barely qualified for the postseason at 9-8 and were quickly dispatched in a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then in 2022 they went 14-3, won the NFC and advanced to the Super Bowl.
Perhaps in 2023 another bird-themed team in the NFC could take a similar path forward. The Seattle Seahawks are a potentially sneaky sleeper pick to win the conference according to Pro Football Network.
I can’t say I necessarily disagree with this position. Seattle re-tooled their defense, and while it remains to be seen how improved it will be, it’s hard to envision it will be worse than it was in 2022. Meanwhile, offensively the team got more weapons and protection for quarterback Geno Smith.
Perhaps the biggest thing in the Seahawks’ favor is how the conference is fairly wide open. Sure, the Eagles look to be good, but they could easily have a Super Bowl hangover. Meanwhile the San Francisco 49ers have a litany of issues, especially around the quarterback position.
Seattle being the NFC’s representative in Super Bowl LVIII isn’t exactly the wildest prediction out there.