What the 2023 NFL Preseason Told Us

Article ByKyle Garlett

August 28, 2023

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Posted in: US Gambling News, US Sports Betting News

The NFL’s 49 preseason games have now been completed, and what lies before us is the 272-game regular season.

Here is what we know as the NFL gets ready to kick off for real.

The Beasts are in the East

We know that the AFC East is going to be a bloodbath, with the Buffalo Bills as the defending division champions three years running, the track team offense of the Miami Dolphins, and the move of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. And that other team, the New England Patriots, just happens to still have the greatest head coach of all-time.

The NFC East might be just as good, and just as competitive.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the favorite to repeat as conference champions, the Dallas Cowboys boast superstars all over the roster, and the Giants have added improved passing weapons to a team that was in the playoffs last January. But also, don’t sleep on the Washington Commanders.

It would be kismet if in the first year of the post-Daniel Snyder-era, the Commanders were in the playoffs. But along with the universe wanting it to happen as a final kick out the door to Snyder, this roster is quite good. The running back tandem of Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson is young and versatile, Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson offer big play ability at wide receiver, and the defensive front is one of the best in football.

If Sam Howell really is the answer at quarterback, as he looked all preseason long, Washington is a playoff dark horse. They only finished a game behind the Giants last year, and that was with bad quarterback play. Even just an average Howell can put them in the postseason.

The AFC North is Wide Open

The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best rosters in the NFL, but BetUS.com has Cincinnati as the division favorite with the longest odds at +150. Of the eight division favorites, the Bengals are the most likely to finish in second place or worse.

The Baltimore Ravens have a new collection of wide receivers that open up a whole new world for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns looks sharp, and the offense looks explosive, The Pittsburgh Steelers, with a significantly better offensive line, looks like a team ready to compete.

It’s hard to pick against the Bengals after they’ve made back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship Game. But you can make a solid case for each of the other three teams in the division.

Jordan Love is Ready

Aaron Rodgers’ move to the Jets did more than just shake things up in the AFC East. The Green Bay Packers have won the NFC North eight times since 2011, but they were presumably going to take a big step back now without Rodgers. However, the reports of the Packers’ death have been greatly exaggerated.

Jordan Love is the new starting quarterback in Green Bay, and he looks ready for the job. He was great in the red zone in all three preseason games, and along with the great arm we already knew he had, he also showed a calmness in the pocket.

It’s a lofty line of succession in Green Bay, going from Brett Favre to Rodgers, and now to Love. And while no one is expecting Rodgers-like production out of Love, he will be solid. BetUS.com has the over/under on his regular season passing yards at a very respectable 3,250.5 yards.

The Rookie Quarterbacks Look Like Rookie Quarterbacks

We are now three seasons removed from the phenomenal rookie season of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, when he threw for an NFL rookie-record 31 touchdowns. His eight 300-yard passing games was also a record.

The very next year, rookie quarterback Mac Jones led the Patriots to the playoffs, with less gaudy numbers than Herbert. It, too, was one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback.

A Herbert or Jones redux in 2023, however, is highly unlikely. Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts is the physical specimen that we thought, and the unpolished quarterback who needs lots of work, like we also thought. Bryce Young looks worthy of being selected first overall, but the rest of the Carolina Panthers offense has a long way to go. C.J. Stroud has been named the Week 1 starter, but BetUS.com has the Houston Texans as the longest shot in the AFC South.

All three of these first round rookies could eventually turn into stars, but it’s probably not going to happen in 2023.