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Mike Fanelli determines which five NFL teams had the most surprising 2023 season. Which NFL teams outperformed expectations this year?
The 2023 NFL regular season is in the rearview mirror. There were many surprises and disappointments this year. Injuries played a massive role in some teams beating or failing to meet expectations.
However, it’s the NFL -- there is no excuse for failing and no luck in succeeding. Every team plays the same number of games and builds their roster within the same rules. Yet, a few teams always come out of nowhere or outperform expectations every year.
Let’s rank the top five most surprising NFL teams from the 2023 season.
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Cleveland Browns
Many thought the Browns would be a playoff team this year. Deshaun Watson was going into his first season as the Week 1 starter after missing 11 games in 2022 with a suspension. Yet, no one would have picked Cleveland to make the playoffs and challenge the Baltimore Ravens for the division title had you told them that the team would have five different starting quarterbacks this year.
Unfortunately, Watson dealt with multiple injuries before a fractured shoulder ended his season in Week 9. The Browns struggled with P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center. Thankfully, Cleveland found a hero from off his couch -- Joe Flacco. The veteran quarterback struggled with interceptions, tossing at least one in every game. However, he led the team in passing touchdowns (13) and a 4-1 regular season record as the starter.
While the quarterback situation was the main story out of Cleveland this year, the team dealt with injuries all over the roster. Nick Chubb suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 2, ending his season and putting the start of next year in doubt. The Browns also lost both starting offensive tackles and their top backup to a season-ending injury. Yet, head coach Kevin Stefanski got the team into the playoffs and should win the Coach of the Year award.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers had a new Week 1 starting quarterback for the first time since 2007 this season. Aaron Rodgers got traded to the New York Jets in the offseason, making Jordan Love the new franchise quarterback. He started the year playing well, totaling six passing touchdowns in the first two games. Unfortunately, the young quarterback went through an awful rough patch, and some questioned if the team should bench him.
Despite the midseason slump, Love ended the 2023 season with 32 passing touchdowns, the second-most in the NFL. He had at least two passing touchdowns in eight of the final nine regular season games, leading Green Bay to a 6-3 record. The Packers made the playoffs following their 17-9 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Then, they pulled off a massive playoff upset, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 48-32. Love was unbelievable in his postseason debut, posting a perfect quarterback rating.
Green Bay has an excellent young core of wide receivers that could become the NFL’s best unit in a year or two. Christian Watson struggled to stay healthy but flashed star potential last season. Jayden Reed is already the Packers’ top wide receiver, leading the team in offensive touchdowns as a rookie (10). Meanwhile, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Bo Melton all made massive plays throughout the year.
Los Angeles Rams
When the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021, many thought it was the beginning of a dynasty. Instead, the team collapsed last year and finished with a bottom-10 record. There were reports that Sean McVay didn’t want to be part of a rebuilding team and had a massive broadcasting contract on the table. Despite every reason to walk away, the head coach returned in 2023 and proved everyone wrong.
The Rams’ preseason over/under win total was 6.5 games. That never made sense to me. Los Angeles won five games in 2022 despite several significant injuries, including to Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Hopefully, bettors took the over because the team earned their seventh win in Week 15. After starting the year losing six of nine games, the Rams won seven of their final eight contests after the bye week.
While McVay and Stafford deserve credit for Los Angeles’ success, it wouldn’t have happened without Puka Nacua. The rookie receiver was a fantasy football and NFL star, leading the Rams in every receiving category. Nacua broke two rookie receiving records, including for the most receiving yards by a wide receiver. That record had stood for over 60 years until a fifth-round kid from BYU showed up in Los Angeles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After losing Tom Brady to his second retirement in the offseason, many expected the Buccaneers to contend for the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While the NFC South division was supposed to be one of the worst in the league, it was better than most thought. The Buccaneers won the division title for the third consecutive year. Baker Mayfield wasn’t a superstar, but he had an impressive season.
The former No. 1 overall pick completed 64.3% of his pass attempts for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns, all career highs. He also had a 1.8% interception rate, the second-lowest of his career. Mayfield finished ninth in the NFL in passing yards and seventh in passing touchdowns, ahead of multiple big-name players, including Lamar Jackson and Trevor Lawrence.
Fantasy players were nervous drafting any Tampa Bay pass catcher this year because of Mayfield. However, that turned out to be a massive mistake. Mike Evans scored six receiving touchdowns in 2022 with Brady under center, his lowest total since 2017. The veteran wide receiver found a strong connection with Mayfield, resulting in 13 receiving touchdowns. He led the NFL in receiving scores for the first time in his career.
Houston Texans
Everyone remembers when the Texans traded their 2024 first-round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals for Will Anderson Jr. during the 2023 NFL Draft. Many called the move reckless and idiotic. Houston had the second-longest odds to win the Super Bowl following the NFL Draft, making everyone believe the team had handed the Cardinals a top selection in this year’s draft. Instead, the Texans knew better than any of the experts.
C.J. Stroud was a superstar as a rookie quarterback. He led the NFL in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown to interception ratio (23-5). The former Ohio State star joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown to interception rate in the same season. Yet, he did it as a rookie, while those two did it as veteran players. While Stroud is the prime reason the Texans won the AFC South division title and made the playoffs, his receiving core deserves significant credit.
Houston hit a home run during the NFL Draft. Stroud and Anderson are foundational pieces. However, the rest of the draft class was also special -- highlighted by Tank Dell. The rookie receiver built a quick connection with Stroud, totaling seven receiving touchdowns in only 11 games. Yet, Nico Collins was the team’s top wide receiver. He led the Texans in every receiving category this season. The trio of Stroud, Collins, and Dell will be fun to watch for years to come.
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