3 NFL teams who will miss playoffs in 2023 after sneaking into 2022 postseason ft. Ravens
Each NFL season features its fair share of surprise teams, both positive and negative.
Certain teams that are projected to be among the top contenders failed to even make an appearance in the NFL playoffs, such as the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. The opposite can happen as well, including with the Jacksonville Jaguars making it to the postseason a year after finishing in last place overall.
The upcoming 2023 NFL season will almost definitely have its own set of surprise teams, following a trend of just about every year. Most teams that appeared in the playoffs last year are expected to make it there again this season, but it's unlikely to play out that way for some of them.
Here are three teams who will fail to make consecutive postseason appearances following the 2023 NFL season.
#1 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shockingly punched their ticket to the NFL Playoffs last year, despite finishing the season with a losing 8-9 record. Their appearance was much more the result of a disastrous NFC South division than it was of their own success.
Baker Mayfield was as much in on recruiting the #Buccaneers as Tampa Bay was in on recruiting him last month. Early on in the process, @AlbertBreer was told, Baker showed a strong affinity for the #Bucs, and that actually matches right up with what he told @AlbertBreer shortly… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/q6Z9oWlGfj
The Buccaneers' chances of returning in 2023 are looking even slimmer after a significant downgrade to their quarterback position. Tom Brady officially announced his retirement, bringing Baker Mayfield to Tampa Bay as his replacement. They are unlikely to luckily sneak in again this year, especially with the rest of the division making improvements during the offseason.
#2 - Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens stumbled their way into the playoffs last year, losing three of their final four games during the 2022 regular season. One of the main reasons for their late-season struggles can be credited to Lamar Jackson being injured. They are a much different team with Jackson on the field, which may not be the case for them in 2023.
Lamar Jackson formally requested a trade from the franchise after becoming frustrated with being franchise tagged instead of receiving a long-term contract. Without him, the Ravens are expected to start either Tyler Huntley or a rookie quarterback from the upcoming 2023 NFL draft. Either scenario puts the Ravens’ playoff hopes in jeopardy, especially in a loaded AFC conference.
#3 - New York Giants
The New York Giants made it to the NFL playoffs last year, despite some key numbers working against them. They totaled a negative overall points differential, while posting a losing record in their division as well as their conference. While this usually suggests a bad year for most teams, the Giants somehow found a way to make it to the postseason.
It's highly unlikely that the Giants will be able to pull off this same miracle in 2023. They will probably need to improve a lot if they want to return to the playoffs again. While they added Darren Waller during the offseason, they still have one of the weakest groups of wide receivers in the league. If they fail to address this glaring hole, their offense may struggle again in 2023.