4 “Sleeper” NFC Teams in 2023
Every year, NFL teams that were expected to hover around the league’s basement come out of nowhere to find great success during the season. This year, there will inevitably be teams competing for playoff spots that are being overlooked this offseason. Here are four “sleeper” NFC teams, one from each division, heading into 2023.
NFC East: Washington Commanders
Assuming Chase Young comes back healthy and Emmanuel Forbes can be a ballhawk in the secondary, the Washington Commanders will have a very scary defense this upcoming season. The main concern comes from their offense, which will more than likely be run by first-year starter Sam Howell.
However, the team hired Eric Bieniemy to take over as offensive coordinator this year after five years with the Kansas City Chiefs, who ranked in the top five in points scored during four of the five seasons he was there. Of course, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid deserve credit for this as well, but Bieniemy is certainly a talented coach who can help turn things around for the Commanders.
NFC North: Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were one of the bigger spenders in free agency this offseason, handing out big contracts to players like Nate Davis, Tremaine Edmunds, and T.J. Edwards. The defense should be better in 2023 with the new acquisitions along with growth from young players like Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon.
However, questions remain around whether or not Justin Fields can be a true franchise QB. He has been much more productive as a rusher than a passer to this point, though with new targets in D.J. Moore and Tyler Scott, he should have more options in 2023 than in years past. If Fields can take the leap forward, perhaps Chicago can be sneaky Wild Card contenders.
NFC South: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were a game away from claiming the NFC South crown last year, and they fielded a QB trio of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and P.J. Walker. Now, they have Bryce Young under center after selecting him with the first overall pick in the draft.
Additionaly, Carolina was another spender in free agency, stealing Shy Tuttle from the New Orleans Saints while also giving Young weapons in D.J. Chark, Miles Sanders, and Adam Thielen. For a team that went 7-10 last year, they look quite a bit better on paper heading into 2023.
NFC West: Los Angeles Rams
The NFC West looks like the most predictable division in the league right now. San Francisco is the clear favorite while Seattle may hang around the Wild Card race again, and both Arizona and the Los Angeles Rams appear to be in a race to the bottom.
However, LA did just win a Super Bowl back in February 2022. Matthew Stafford may be able to come back healthy this year, throwing to Cooper Kupp in a Sean McVay offense. Meanwhile, Aaron Donald is still a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who can disrupt any opposing offense. The Rams likely aren’t going to be anywhere near Super Bowl contenders, but if they get better health luck, maybe they can approach .500 this season.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.