FanAddicts

Finally finished. This has been one of the hardest projects I’ve ever done and I’m not sure I could do it again. Although some of my opinions have change, I’m still pretty confident in my power rankings. The Chiefs have to be number one. They have hosted the AFC championship the last 5 years and as long as Reid is the coach and Mahomes is the QB they should continue to be the favorites for the immediate future.

The Cowboys are the most complete team in football. Their window is this year. Their older guys are still in the back end of their primes and their young stars are still on rookie deals. If Dak can be pre-injury Dak then there’s no reason this team shouldn’t win the NFC this year.

The Steelers might be my biggest call this year. They have everything I like in a team. They have an excellent coach, an excellent defense, two good receivers, two good running backs, a good offensive line and an ascending quarterback on a rookie contract. They remind me of last year’s Eagles. If Patrick Mahomes didn’t exist they’d be my number one team in the AFC.

Eagles have one of the most talented rosters in league, but it’s less talented than last year. They also run into a much tougher schedule in 2023. They could easily be second in my power rankings but I think coaching losses, losses on the defense, and much tougher schedule drops them to fourth in my rankings.

Bengals have Joe Burrow and it feels like as long as they have him they’ll have a shot. The Tee Higgins pending free agency and secondary losses are my only concerns going into this year.

49ers have an excellent roster, but I’m nervous that they played a very easy schedule in 2022. They also need Brock Purdy off injury to give similar production. Good QB play and health will put 49ers right back into the NFC Championship game.

I love everything about the Jets except for their coaching. Saleh feels more like a cheerleader than a leader of men. I like Aaron Rodgers’ mindset so far, but not sure how he reacts if times get tough. Feels like the Jets’ organization wants Rodgers to win a Super Bowl for them instead of having him be the last piece. Makes me nervous, but they could be the most talented team in the league.

Bills still have a top ten team in football, but they’re trending in the wrong direction. Their schedule is one of the hardest I’ve ever seen. A winning record would be a successful season. If they can get to the playoffs they would’ve already made it through the AFC gauntlet. Their confidence would be through the roof at that point and no team would want to play them.

The Dolphins are as talented as any team in the NFL. They’re biggest problem has been injuries. They’ve already lost Ramsey for most of the year and can’t afford to lose anyone else playing in the toughest division in football. They may end up with the 4th best record in the division and still be the 9th best team in the NFL.

Ravens’ talent and coaching staff makes me want to put them higher, but it seems there’s disconnect between the players and staff. From Lamar’s hold out to JK Dobbin’s hold in it seems like the players are starting to push back. Feels like they’re not as focused as their peers and it makes me a little worried. They have gone from my Super Bowl pick last year to 10 on my rankings this year.

The Chargers have lived in mediocrity for the last 10 years. They have one of the most talented teams in the league, but my biggest fear is the Chargers will always just be the Chargers.

Seahawks have established themselves as one of the best drafting teams in the league. They are very deep with offensive weapons and have several playmakers of defense. They’re success will come from how well the play in the trenches. My assumption is it will be very good as I believe Pete Carroll will coach around their flaws.

The Carolina Panthers should be much better in 2023. Panthers were 2 bad calls from being 9-8 and that record should only increase as they’ve improved everywhere. I have them winning a lot of games but that is because of how easy their schedule is. Feels like this roster may need time to gel, but feels like Bryce is already three years ahead. If that elite coaching staff can push the timeline on their chemistry forward then this team will be a tough out at the end of the season.

Titans have owned the AFC South for a few years now and added one of the most talented receivers in the league. Don’t let their last seven games take away from the fact that Vrabel is still an elite coach, Henry is still an elite running back, and Hopkins is still an elite receiver. I don’t see much standing in the way of this team winning the AFC South again… outside of injury.

Jacksonville comes in at number 15 for me. Once you get this high we see that every team is good and there can't be 15 top ten teams. I think the Jags have elite offensive talent but will need one more year to get the talent on the offense and defensive lines. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were the Jaguars. Their time to shine will be 2024.

The Washington Commanders may have the best defense in the league with some very good offensive weapons for Sam Howell. If Howell can be average with their new OC and that roster I can easily see this team winning double digit games.

The Patriots are being slept on by everyone including me. I see the light now. They are good everywhere. The the concern is obviously 16-15 Mac Jones. If a 3rd year QB with a winning record being coached by the GOAT is you biggest worry then you’re probably going to be just fine.

The Browns are one of the most talented teams in the NFL. If someone in that organization can step up and lead them then this team could easily be a contender.

We are in the teens! The odd part about this team is that the reason people are high on them is because of the coach. Outside of that they have mostly the same roster that went 5-12 in 2022. The NFL fan community needs to decide if coaching matters or not. I agree that the Broncos are better because of Payton, but there are other elite coaches that aren’t getting the same benefit of the doubt.

The Packers have been excellent 3 of the last 4 years. Some think it’s only because of their former QB that was in their late 30s. I think it takes more than a QB to have that many wins. I see a 2022 Seahawks type season for the Packers in 2023.

I think everyone would agree that the Minnesota Vikings overachieved in 2022. Vikings also know this. They decided to move on from Thielen and Cook, and it’s unlikely they get that production from rookies. I do believe in their ability to develop but I think it will take a year or two.

The Falcons have some talent but don’t seem to have a plan. It seems that Arthur Smith is trying to duplicate and not innovate. There’s a possibility he can build a Titans-like roster, but it will difficult to recreate that success with Arthur Smith as the coach and Desmond Ridder as the QB.

I love Brian Daboll as a coach, but I think even he knows he over achieved last year. This roster just doesn’t have enough talented player to compete with the big boys. Giants will be a force in a few years when Daboll has his guys, but for now they’re a below average roster with an above average coach.

The LA Rams are going all in on youth. Most of their starters are in their early 20s. They are one of the few teams that understand  their Super Bowl window is closed and they need to go full rebuild. The one obvious tell of the roster talent is that McVay decided to stay. Maybe this roster is more talented than we thought. I believe in McVay, but until I see it on the field the highest I can go is 24th.

The Lions over performed in 2022 and have become the media’s darlings because they scored a lot of points. I still don’t buy them. They were an average team last year and lost a lot of their offensive weapons. They will be heavily reliant on rookies this year which don’t ease my concerns.

I was too focused on other teams and didn’t realize I may have overlooked this team. It was too late to change their ranking now, but will likely change in my final rankings.

The Bears seem to have some talent, but no one is used to winning games. Hard for me to see the 3 win team get significantly more wins. They did get better, but this doesn’t feel like a worst to first team.

The Texans are the first team that seems to have a plan for the future. Well… I guess the Cardinals have a Caleb Williams plan, but the Texans have the right pieces in place for the future. If Demeco Ryans can prove he’s a good coach then there’s no reason they can’t win the division in 2-3 years. They are just too young at the moment. This team feels like the Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant’s rookie year.

I’ve heard lazy journalism talk about the Saints the entire offseason. I don’t see it. 29th is the highest I can go with this team. The few good players they have are past their prime and are surviving off of their reputation and not their production.

The Las Vegas Raiders could be the team I’m most wrong about but I just can’t find wins. They have great players, but a new QB and tough schedule don’t give me much optimism. If they were in a lesser division I may think differently.

The Colts seem to be the new Commanders. They have an owner that’s too involved and doesn’t seem to understand what direction he wants his team to go. I could see him drafting a project QB only to draft another QB in the 1st round next year. His only hope is his is average head coach over performing expectations.

Someone has to come in last and it seems like the Arizona Cardinals welcome it. They make no major off-season moves and cut their best player, Deandre Hopkins. All signs point to them tanking for the #1 overall pick in 2024.

Ashby Tarkington joins the show to tell us about his life-long Washington fandom and why the Commanders will surprise people this year.

Anand Desai joins the podcast to talk about his Eagles. I have concerns but he explains why there’s reason for hope.

FanAddict, Ross Chestnut,talks about his J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! #takeflight

Ricky Raines tells us what he thinks of his Carolina Panthers this season in the first ever KittyLit/FanAddicts crossover podcast!

Josh Batts is a jaded Cowboys fan. I tell him why he should be optimistic in 2023.