These 2022 NFL Playoff Teams Could Be In Danger Of Missing Out In 2023
As much as the NFL offseason brings an opportunity for the previous year’s struggling teams to put themselves in a better position, it also provides the pitfall of potentially ruining an existing contender if they don’t conduct it in the right way. In an extremely busy 2023 offseason, some NFL teams haven’t quite had the success they need to guarantee repeating last year’s success.
NFL Teams In Danger Heading Into 2023
Los Angeles Chargers
After the free agency and trade season the Chargers had in 2022, the expectation was that they would evolve tremendously and challenge the Chiefs for the AFC West title. Instead, their season was aggressively mediocre and ended with a shocking allowed comeback against the Jaguars in the NFL’s Super Wild Card weekend. This offseason, the team has done little to prove that 2023 will be much different.
While they did sign Eric Kendricks, creating a truly fearsome LB duo with him and Khalil Mack, the rest of their offseason has been considerably… vanilla. They’ve resigned a number of key pieces, but not only run the risk of losing their biggest weapon in Austin Ekeler but also haven’t done enough to address positions of need. They’ll need to make improvements in the secondary, the receiver room, and the trenches to evolve.
When a team has a franchise QB – and the Chargers have one of the best prospects in the NFL in Herbert – there’s always a chance for contention. But Herbert’s ceiling is hard to gauge, as is that of the team as a whole. It’s hard to see, based on everything in 2022 and the offseason, a 2023 season where the Chargers aren’t teetering on the edge of the playoff race for a large portion of the season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs were a team that simply didn’t play like a playoff team for most of the season and was frankly able to back into it by virtue of being in the worst division in the NFL, as well as having the greatest QB of all time in their ranks. They seem like an almost obvious candidate to not be able to replicate their success from last year and are likely going to have to rebuild tremendously.
They’ve made arrangements at QB with the Mayfield signing and have finally reached the situation that they drafted Kyle Trask for. Both of them have serious potential, but bringing this team to a playoff level will be tough. They do have some promising position groups – a bona fide WR duo in Evans and Godwin, some great presences on the offensive and defensive trenches, and young talent all around. However, they lack backbone in their secondary, depth, and a harmonized playcalling strategy that they need to execute without the greatest of all time under center.
With their young talent and the general weakness of the NFC South, the Bucs still have a chance, but the road to the playoffs involves a heavy uphill climb.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are the most confusing team to judge right now in terms of playoff caliber, a feeling that is an extension of the entire 2022 season. At their best and healthiest, they looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. However, due to Tua’s injuries, as well as inconsistencies with Mike McDaniel’s first-year coaching, the Dolphins weren’t always finding that level. At the end of the day, while trading off unbeatable and horrendous stretches, they ended up at the very edge of the NFL playoff picture.
From a talent standpoint, the Phins have it. A talented, young QB, a versatile and skilled group of receivers, an excellent secondary, etc… However, it’s a legitimate worry that Tua has been banged up to a level preventing him from playing at his best level, and a tremendous uncertainty as to how many games he’ll end up playing. The Dolphins could still use some help at TE with the loss of Gesicki to New England, as well as on the front seven. Health and coaching will be at the forefront of the Dolphins’ playoff chances, as will be navigating arguably the best and toughest division in the entire league.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks barely made it in last year, and while they have some promising pieces, there’s also a lot of uncertainty around the team. This offseason, their big-ticket move was throwing back to the legion of boom and getting Bobby Wagner. While the star LB is getting up there in age, he continues to play at a high level, and adds a dynamic presence to a struggling defense.
However, too much remains uncertain for this Seattle team to guarantee continued success. They ended the season winning only two of their last six games, and as a whole seemed to somewhat stagnate after a 6-3 start. Other than Wagner, Seattle has not really made tremendous improvements this offseason, and their defense struggled across the board in 2022, both up front and in the secondary, and they were bottom eight in the NFL in terms of points and yards allowed. Simply put, with the increased speed and skill in today’s NFL offenses, the Seahawks can’t keep up as is, even with Wagner.
The other big piece of uncertainty is Geno Smith. He had an excellent 2022 campaign, especially early in the season, in his first year as a starter in some time. With bona fide weapons in Lockett and Metcalf, he absolutely has the tools to win games, but other than those two, the Seahawks need improvement in terms of their depth pieces at receiver, tight end, and running back. Whether Smith has hit his ceiling and will be figured out this year remains to be seen, but if he can’t elevate, making the playoffs again will be tough.
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