2023 Win-Loss Predictions for Every NFL Team
The 2023 National Football League season is expected to be an exciting one. In some ways, it feels like an entirely new league with many legends retiring and many new players coming into the league with something to prove. Then, you have legends who said they were retiring but decided to come back (looking at you, Tom Brady), the legends who switched teams, and the legends who signed huge contracts with their current teams. You have new head coaches, an amazing draft class, and a schedule that promises exciting matchups.
But even with all of that, the truth is that a new season is a blank slate, and anything can happen. After all, who predicted a Los Angeles Rams-Cincinnati Bengals matchup for last year's Super Bowl? While no one knows exactly how the season will play out, we've put together a list of our own win/loss predictions for all 32 NFL teams in the 2023 season.
Arizona Cardinals
The biggest news out of Arizona is that superstar DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games of the season. The biggest rumor out of Arizona is that quarterback Kyler Murray wants out. Combine all of that with a tough schedule and the loss of linebacker Chandler Jones, and you can predict a fairly mediocre season for the team.
Their only saving grace is that Murray and tight end Zach Ertz do work well together, so expect them to put up some numbers at least.
Our prediction: This isn't the Cardinals' year. They go 7-10.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are playing their first season in well over a decade without quarterback Matt Ryan and, while the front office may not like the word "rebuilding," that's exactly what this season will feel like. Ryan's replacements are the injury-prone Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder.
Expect to see both of them play as the Falcons try to figure things out this year and face a pretty tough schedule.
Our prediction: The Falcons go 5-12 while working to get their act together.
Baltimore Ravens
If the Ravens can keep their players healthy, and quarterback Lamar Jackson shows up with the skills he's been bringing to the table thus far, Baltimore could be pretty good this year. They had a strong draft in April, but all eyes will be on Jackson. He has the second-highest win percentage in the league behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Our prediction: If Jackson stays healthy, the Ravens are Super Bowl contenders with a 12-5 season.
Buffalo Bills
Expect big things from the Buffalo Bills this year. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs lead one of the best offenses, if not the best offense, in the league. The defense gave up fewer points than any other team last year, and now they've added Von Miller, who is fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Rams.
Buffalo also has the best special teams in the league. They face a tough schedule, so they'll lose a few games, but look for them to be the talk of the NFL this year.
Our prediction: The Bills go 13-4 and serve as prime Super Bowl contenders.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers haven't had a winning season since 2017. They went 5-12 last year, and we pretty much expect the same thing this year. They don't have an awful team but, let's face it, Sam Darnold is no Cam Newton.
Unless Darnold made some kind of massive improvements throughout the offseason, we don't see this team ever getting far with him at the signal caller's spot.
Our prediction: Another 5-12 year, and that's only because they have a fairly easy schedule.
Chicago Bears
This will be Justin Fields' second year with the Chicago Bears, and if the first year is anything to go by, don't expect much. What's worse is that the Bears are known for having a stellar defense, but that just won't be the case this year, especially after they traded Khalil Mack to the San Diego Chargers.
We could call it a rebuilding year, but we haven't seen too much progress in the off-season.
Our prediction: The Bears need at least another year to figure out what they're doing. They'll go 4-13.
Cincinnati Bengals
Few people expected the Bengals to end up in the Super Bowl last year, but it happened, and this young team is hungry for more. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase lead a high-powered offense with strong chemistry, and if they can keep that up this year, we expect them to get pretty far into the playoffs, if not make the Super Bowl again.
It doesn't hurt that their schedule isn't too challenging.
Our prediction: The Bengals stay hot and go 12-5.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland has potential this year, but that potential could also be a problem, and its name is Deshaun Watson. The Browns shocked everyone by trading for Watson during the offseason. In theory, it's a great move. Realistically, though, Watson is plagued by off-the-field issues, namely nearly two dozen civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct.
If Watson can get past that and doesn't end up in trouble with the NFL, the Browns could do well this year. They have plenty of other talent on their offense, and they just re-signed Jadeveon Clowney, so things look good on the other side of the ball as well.
Our prediction: The Browns go 10-7, but that's only if Watson can get past his off-the-field issues.
Dallas Cowboys
Is this the Cowboys' year? Well, that depends. We don't see them making it to the Super Bowl, but we do see them winning the NFC East. But if you look at the rest of the NFC East, that's not a huge task.
After the first couple of weeks, the Cowboys have a fairly easy schedule, but they'll be playing without Amari Cooper, who went to Cleveland, and Michael Gallup may miss some games with an injury.
Our prediction: The Cowboys will start slow but finish with a 10-7 record.
Denver Broncos
Since Peyton Manning retired, the Broncos haven't had any great seasons, but the addition of veteran superstar Russell Wilson could very well be what turns things around. Wilson has some pretty decent receivers to work with, but the team is also playing with a new head coach.
All of that said, their schedule isn't too challenging, so the Broncos may put up some decent numbers this year.
Our prediction: Don't expect a Super Bowl win, but Wilson might help the Broncos finally achieve a winning season with a record of 10-7.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions don't have the best reputation. They won three games last year, five the year before that, and three the years before that. After many seasons with the Lions, Matthew Stafford was traded to the Rams and immediately won a Super Bowl. Current quarterback Jared Goff also led the Rams to the playoffs multiple times and a Super Bowl before he was traded to the Lions.
But to be fair, the team faced a lot of injuries last year, and Goff and head coach Dan Campbell didn't appear to have the best relationship in 2021. What they do have going for them are a decent defense and some good 2022 draft decisions. If they can get it together, the Lions have the potential to improve but still have a long way to go.
Our prediction: While we don't predict a winning season just yet, the Lions should do better than they did last year. We'll give them a 6-11 record.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay has made headlines this offseason by getting rid of superstar wide receiver Devante Adams and keeping quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was rumored to want to play anywhere but Green Bay.
The team has been playing some great football — they're the only team to ever have three consecutive 13-win seasons — but that greatness seems to fall apart in the playoffs. Don't expect to make it four in a row.
Our prediction: Another failed playoff run could be on the horizon, but we don't expect a fourth 13-win season. The Packers go 11-6.
Houston Texans
Texans fans can expect another rebuilding year in Houston. They've done away with Deshaun Watson. David Mills is showing some promise of becoming a franchise quarterback, although the team faces a tough schedule this year. They also have a whole new coaching staff.
The Texans will be good in the future but not quite yet.
Our prediction: The Texans go 5-12.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts will be playing with veteran quarterback Matt Ryan at the reins. While he's had an up-and-down career in Atlanta for more than a decade, many fans are predicting a Matthew Stafford-like season.
Either way, the Colts haven't had a stable quarterback in ages. The team has also been building a strong defense this off-season.
Our prediction: Expect good things from the Colts. We think they'll go 11-6.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville had a joke of a season last year, but we're gonna blame former head coach and all-around awful guy Urban Meyer for that. Let's face it — he didn't even know all of his players' names.
College superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn't have a great rookie season, but we're ready to give him a second chance with a healthier atmosphere and a stronger roster.
Our prediction: Look for the Jaguars to do better than last season with a 6-11 record.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have been the NFL's darlings in recent years, but last year, they lost a bit of their charm. This year, they will probably lose a little bit more, especially after trading Tyreek Hill to Miami. Don't expect a losing season. Patrick Mahomes is still one of the best quarterbacks in football, and he's got one of the best coaches, Andy Reid, and probably the best tight end, Travis Kelce, backing him.
But don't expect a Super Bowl either.
Our prediction: The Chiefs face a tough schedule, but we'll be generous and say they're going 10-7.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have been working hard this off-season, and we think they're building something special. The addition of Devante Adams to an already exciting offense was a huge part of that.
Adding edge-rusher Chandler Jones was another top-notch addition. Throw in a new general manager and head coach, and the Raiders could be contenders to win it all.
Our prediction: If this offense stays healthy, the Raiders go 12-5 and have a strong showing in the playoffs.
Los Angeles Chargers
Last year, quarterback Justin Herbert proved that he has what it takes to make the Chargers a great team. This year, the team has been working on building a defense that will back that up. If they're successful, and the team makes it through a tough first few matchups, the Chargers could very well do something to get excited about.
Our prediction: Los Angeles has two decent teams this year, and the Chargers go 11-6.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but can they do it again? Probably not. They'll likely make the playoffs, but we don't see them winning two in a row. The last team to do that was the 2004 New England Patriots, by the way. Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, and Cooper Kupp will have a decent year though, and it will start with the first game of the 2022 season, a primetime Thursday night game against the Buffalo Bills.
Our prediction: The Rams have a decent season but nothing to get excited about. They go 11-6.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins may very well be the hardest team to predict for 2022. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hasn't lived up to expectations, but he has new weapons to work with this year, including one of the best receivers in the league, Tyreek Hill. The team also has a new head coach in Mike McDaniel, but it's his first year in charge of any team.
Miami does have a solid defense, so that may help them gain a few wins during what looks to be a pretty tough schedule this year.
Our prediction: We'll give the Dolphins the benefit of the doubt and say they'll go 9-8.
Minnesota Vikings
The Packers tend to dominate the NFC North lately, but we can see the Vikings challenging them for that role this year. A lot of it will come down to how well their new head coach, Kevin O'Connell, does, and whether or not this team takes advantage of a fairly easy schedule.
Our prediction: The Vikings go 11-6.
New England Patriots
The Patriots have dominated football throughout the 21st century, thanks to head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. But Brady is long gone, and Belichick's team isn't looking so hot. They didn't draft well. They've lost a lot of key players. They also lost their offensive coordinator.
Our prediction: The Patriots may see their second losing season since 2001. They go 8-9.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are another team with a lot of unpredictability on their side. They have a new head coach. They have a quarterback coming off a major injury. They have a star running back facing felony charges for his off-the-field antics. Their star wide receiver missed last year with an ankle injury.
It will take a lot for them to be contenders for the playoffs this year, but we don't see it happening.
Our prediction: The Saints end the season with an 8-9 record.
New York Giants
The Giants' new head coach helped make Josh Allen a superstar in Buffalo. Unfortunately, Daniel Jones is no Josh Allen. He has plenty of room for improvement, but it's not out of the question. But it's not fair to lay all of the Giants' woes from the last few seasons at Jones's feet. The team has been plagued with injuries.
Our prediction: The Giants, if they stay healthy, go 6-11.
New York Jets
The Jets made some amazing picks in the 2022 draft. They also added some great talent that was already in the league, like tight end C.J. Uzomah. Unfortunately, it may not be enough to help them out of their playoff drought unless Zach Wilson becomes a totally different player.
Our prediction: The Jets have only had two winning seasons since 2010. This won't be the third one. They go 5-12.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles may be a sleeper team this year. They shocked everyone by making it into the playoffs last year, and we suspect we'll see a repeat this year with an even better record.
The team made some great draft picks from the top college defense in the nation, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean out of the University of Georgia, and they've added superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Our prediction: The Eagles go 10-7.
Pittsburgh Steelers
With Ben Roethlisberger retiring this year, there's a lot of uncertainty in Pittsburgh. Head coach Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, but there's always a first for everything. The Steelers' defense isn't looking too great either.
Our prediction: The Steelers go 8-9, and that may be a generous number.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are facing a lot of uncertainty going into the 2022 season. Will Deebo Samuels stick around? Who will be the starting quarterback? It's hard to make a prediction with so much up in the air.
Our prediction: We'll give the 49ers a 9-8 season, but what happens with the quarterback situation, and especially with Samuels, could drastically change this number.
Seattle Seahawks
Don't be surprised if the Seahawks have one of the worst seasons in the league. They lost both Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner. No one knows who will play quarterback, but the options are Geno Smith and Drew Lock. There are other holes on the team that really need filling.
Our prediction: We can't even call this a rebuilding year. The Seahawks go 3-14.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady was going to retire and then he wasn't. That, along with a strong defense, gives the Bucs some stability and even the potential for another playoff run. But Brady won't be playing with the same team. Tight end Rob Gronkowski may not be back. Wide receiver Chris Godwin ended the last season with an injury and isn't yet slated for a comeback.
The team also has a much tougher schedule this year.
Our prediction: The Bucs go 11-6, give or take a win.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee has made many big moves this offseason, but most of them seem to be more on the negative side, such as sending A.J. Brown to the Eagles. But they still managed to make it to the playoffs last year with their number one player injured for a majority of the season.
Let's face it, without star running back Derrick Henry, the Titans don't have much going for them.
Our prediction: If Henry stays healthy, they manage an 8-9 season. If not, cut a few wins.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders had a rough year last year, both on and off the field. The team had a tough schedule, and they dealt with a lot of injuries and illnesses, plus got a new name. This year's schedule looks better, and they've acquired Carson Wentz at quarterback.
That alone should help them improve over last season, but they still have some work to do.
Our prediction: The Commanders go 8-9.