The appetite for professional football continues to grow. For the third straight year, every team in the NFL is scheduled to play 17 regular-season contests. Both the AFC and NFC will each send seven teams to the playoffs.
In 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles (LII) became the 20th different franchise to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. That means there are still 12 teams that have never tasted victory on Super Sunday. How do these clubs rank entering 2023 when it comes to their NFL title chances?
12. Arizona Cardinals
It’s a team in the midst of a major funk. Arizona hasn’t been the same since winning their first seven games in 2021. Including an ugly playoff loss to the Rams that year, the club has dropped 20 of its last 28 contests. There’s a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort and a first-time NFL head coach in former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Quarterback Colt McCoy will try to hold down the fort until Kyler Murray is healthy. The Cards allowed the second-most points in the NFL this past season.
11. Houston Texans
They were the last team to join the NFL in 2002. The Houston Texans won six AFC South titles in an eight-season stretch from 2011-19. However, it has been an abysmal three-year stretch for the club, who own an 11-38-1 mark since 2020. The new head coach is former Texans’ Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans and GM Nick Caserio added a lot of proven talent in free agency, as well as quarterback C.J. Stroud and pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. in April’s draft. The Texans have never appeared in an AFC title game.
10. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers won five of their final eight games a year ago after a 2-7 start and their defense showed some signs of promise. Enter new head coach Frank Reich, as well as rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall pick in this year’s draft. The rest of the skill positions were also upgraded with the additions of wide receiver D.J. Chark and Adam Thielen, tight end Hayden Hurst and running back Miles Sanders. Since reaching Super Bowl 50 back in 2015, this club has finished below .500 in six of the past seven seasons.
9. Atlanta Falcons
Will the third season in Atlanta be the charm for head coach Arthur Smith? The Falcons were very busy this offseason and put an emphasis on defense in free agency. They added defensive lineman Calais Campbell, safety Jessie Bates III and traded for cornerback Jeff Okudah. General manager Terry Fontenot used the eighth pick in the draft this year to grab talented University of Texas running back Bijan Robinson. The Falcons have posted five straight losing seasons since their last trip to the playoffs in 2017.
8. Tennessee Titans
Mike Vrabel’s club made news this week with the addition of veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who returns to the AFC South after three seasons in Arizona. As for the Titans, they closed out 2022 with seven straight losses after a 7-3 start. Keep in mind that this was a team that reached the playoffs the previous three seasons. Running back Derrick Henry comes off another solid year and a healthy Ryan Tannehill would help. Tennessee allowed the most passing yards per game in the league this past season.
7. Cleveland Browns
The Browns, 7-10 a year ago, may be the most intriguing team on this list. Like the other three teams in the AFC North in 2022, Kevin Stefanski’s club finished 3-3 within the division. Meanwhile, a full offseason for quarterback Deshaun Watson should help. Giving the football to reliable running back Nick Chubb is always a great option. The club has a new defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz. They added Dalvin Tomlinson and traded for Za’Darius Smith, who will make Pro Bowler Myles Garrett even more dangerous
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6. Minnesota Vikings
What a difference a year makes and perhaps a new head coach. In 2021, the Vikings finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for a second straight season. This past season under Kevin O’Connell, the club won the NFC North for the first time since 2017 and boasted a 13-4 record. However, Minnesota actually gave up more points than it scored in ’22 and were pushed around by the Giants in the playoffs. Kirk Cousins and wideout Justin Jefferson lead a potent attack. Can Brian Flores fix what ails a very porous defense?
5. Los Angeles Chargers
This past season, the Bolts made their first playoff appearance since 2018 and appeared on their way to a wild-card win before collapsing at Jacksonville. Quarterback Justin Herbert and the offense has a new coordinator in Kellen Moore. Will that mean more carries for Austin Ekeler? Speaking of running backs, that’s been an issue for the Chargers’ defense in recent years. Brandon Staley’s club has made very little progress in this aspect of its game and it has hurt the club. The team hasn’t won the AFC West since 2009.
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4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Prior to 2022 the last time the Jaguars were in the playoffs was 2017 when they won the AFC South and reached the AFC title game, eventually losing to the Patriots. Last season, the club won its final five games and ended a four-year run of finishing last in the division. The reigning AFC South champions have spent the offseason fortifying the team in the trenches. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence looks to build on a strong stretch run from a year ago. Head coach Doug Pederson knows something about winning the Super Bowl.
3. Detroit Lions
In a way, Dan Campbell’s club is one of the darlings entering the 2023 season. The Detroit Lions come off their first winning campaign since 2017 and the country will get to see them in Week 1 when they take on the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Thursday night season opener. Only four teams in the league scored more points than the Lions a year ago. The defense is making strides. First things first. The franchise hasn’t won a division title since 1993 and not won a playoff game since 1991.
2. Buffalo Bills
What to make of Sean McDermott’s team? He’s led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs in five of the six seasons he’s been head coach, including the past four years. However, there’s been no return to the Super Bowl and only one appearance in the AFC Championship Game over that span. The defense has faded late in recent years and losing Von Miller down the stretch in 2022 didn’t help. Pass-rusher Leonard Floyd is an insurance policy. Talented quarterback Josh Allen has to take better care of the football.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor’s club is far more than just quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals feature a talented wide receiving corps, running back Joe Mixon, and a defensive front that can not only get after the quarterback but has made a lot of strides against the run over recent seasons. The franchise has won five playoff games the past two seasons reached Super Bowl LVI (a 23-20 loss to the Rams) and has captured two consecutive division titles for the first time in team history. The offensive line is the lone question mark.