Top NFL Teams Going Into 2023 Season

By Paul Raskin ‘27 (Middle School Contribution)
With the conclusion of the 2022-23 National Football League season, there have been many trades, signings and player changes. The top NFL teams heading into the 2023-24 NFL season have reason to be excited for the start of play in August. 

The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the 2022-23 season, coming in at number one in points per game, yards per game, points per play and yards per play. Their offense is looking as strong as ever with Patrick Mahomes recently leading the team to yet another Super Bowl win over the Eagles. 
However, the Chiefs have decided not to sign offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., and his switch to free agency has allowed the Cincinnati Bengals to pick him up. As a result, the Chiefs have signed previous Jacksonville Jaguars player Jawaan Taylor to fill his role at right tackle. This deficiency in the offensive line could be the Chiefs’ Achilles heel and may become a hindrance in the team’s offensive performance and running game.
The Philadelphia Eagles sit at number two in the season, dominating the NFC through their lockdown defense and sitting at number one in sack percentage thanks to Hasson Reddick and his 16 sacks (second for most sacks in the NFL) throughout the season. The Eagles’ offense is second to the Chiefs in points per game and points per play, and number one in touchdowns per game. 
During this offseason, the Eagles many defensive and offensive player contracts are coming to an end. Safety CJ Gardner Johnson left as a free agent to the Detroit Lions and running back Miles Sanders went to the Carolina Panthers along with six other players. 
Yet, Jason Kelce is staying with the Eagles and decided to delay his retirement for another year. The team has also chosen to re-sign cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and many more to cover the positions of the players who departed. The player changes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the Eagles may be an obstacle for them to overcome next season. 
At number three is the San Francisco 49ers. Throughout the 2022 season, the 49ers performed well with their new third string quarterback Brock Purdy. Their offense ranked fourth in points per play and fifth in yards per play and yards per game. Moreover, their defense was twice as impressive, ranking first in opponent points per game and points per play.
Alongside George Kittle and their excellent defense, the 49ers fought their way to the NFC championship, ultimately losing to the Eagles, with Purdy sustaining an elbow injury midway through the game. As a result, questions continue to swirl about the team’s effectiveness in the 2023 season, as newly signed quarterback Sam Darnold may be the primary starter for the beginning of the season if their alternate quarterback Trey Lance is unable to recover in time. 
Following the 49ers at number four in the league are the Cincinnati Bengals. Although they lost the AFC Championship against the Chiefs, the Bengals have a solid all-around team with confidence in all parts of the game except for running. The team came in at 29th in yards per rush and 28th in rush yards per game. 
At the start of the offseason, before offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. came to aid Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon on the offensive side, the team was silent. The offensive line has previously been one of the team’s biggest weaknesses with Burrow being the sixth most sacked quarterback in the 2022 season (41 sacks). The new addition of Brown, a four-time Pro Bowl player, could turn this fatal flaw into the team’s strength.