Everyone knows who the mainSuper Bowl favorites are heading into 2023. The first tier: The Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.
In the next tier, you have the likes of the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
But what if NONE OF those teams win the Super Bowl in Las Vegas next year? What if a team that is getting no love suddenly flies under the radar and dances all the way to the big stage with the Lombardi Trophy high in hand?
Here are eight overlooked NFL teams that could shock the world by winning Super Bowl 58 this season.
Detroit Lions
The Lions exceeded expectations last season by finishing 9-and-8, only losing out on the postseason via tiebreaker to the Philadelphia Eagles. And trust us, that was only the start of something special under Dan Campbell’s leadership.
Detroit surrendered the most yards and ranked 30th against the pass last year. Brad Holmes wasted no time addressing that, signing two quality corners in Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley and do-it-all safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. With his second-round pick, Holmes snagged Alabama safety Brian Branch — adding more depth to the secondary.
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Aidan Hutchinson is sure to continue improving following a stellar rookie year. Ditto for linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. And though we still think Jack Campbell was a huge reach in round one, the rookie can only improve one of the league’s worst linebacker units of 2022.
And then there’s the offense. Jared Goff looked like his old self last season, captaining the fifth-best scoring offense. Losing Jameson Williams for six games to suspension hurts, but Goff already has a certified star in Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Thing is, Goff won’t have to be GREAT for Detroit to have a chance.. Behind one of the league’s elite offensive lines, the dynamic running back duo of David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs should be able to carry the workload offensively.
Throw in the fact that Aaron Rodgers is out of the NFC North once and for all, and the division is there for the Lions’ taking. But if they sneak into the playoffs, of course these Lions could get hot and go on a run that culminates with the franchise’s first Super Bowl.
Denver Broncos
Yes, yes, we know. Russell Wilson’s first year with the Broncos was a colossal failure. They finished dead-last in scoring offense, and no QB was sacked more than Wilson — who was brought down 55 times despite missing two games.
Well, all the Broncos did this year was swap out a not-so-qualified head coach in Nathaniel Hackett for Sean Payton. You know, the guy who’s probably the second-best offensive coach of his era behind only Andy Reid?
There’s just no way Wilson can be as bad as he was in 2022. In fact, we expect a return to his Pro Bowl-like form with the future Canton member now calling the shots on offense. Not to mention rising star running back Javonte Williams is healthy…and that the Broncos signed Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey to fix up that leaky 0-line.
And with Pat Surtain II and Justin Simmons leading the way, the Broncos should have something close to a top-10 defense in 2023.
It’s easy to write off the Broncos after last year’s disaster, especially with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes residing in that division. But if Payton can restore Wilson’s magic and confidence, the Broncos could have both a top-10 offense and defense this season.
And last time we checked, that’s a recipe for a Super Bowl contender.
Tennessee Titans
It’s safe to say that the Titans would have won the AFC South last season if Ryan Tannehill didn’t miss five games, because boy was it hard to watch Malik Willis and Josh Dobbs fill in behind center for him.
The Titans’ once-promising season ended with a seven-game losing streak, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to snag the AFC South division crown. It’s easy to rule out the Titans given that this is an ageing core that doesn’t seem to have the star power to keep pace with the top AFC heavyweights.
But let’s not forget that Tannehill is a more-than-steady option at QB when healthy, as evidenced by his 36-19-0 record and 100.5 QB rating as a Titan.
Tennessee still has “only” a top-three running back in the game in Derrick Henry, who should once again contend for the rushing crown. Wide receiver was a real problem last season, but the Titans went out and signed five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins to a two-year deal — giving Tannehill an explosive playmaker and game-changer in the passing game.
And if 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks can get healthy? The Titans just might have one of football’s best receiving tandems of 2023.
Tennessee’s stacked front seven added Arden Key and brings back star Harold Landry, who missed all of last year. Kevin Byard remains the heart-and-soul of the secondary, but free agent signing Sean Murphy-Bunting — one of football’s premier slot corners — will help aplenty there as well.
And what if 2021 first-rounder Caleb Farley finally gets healthy? And what if sophomore Roger McCreary improves from a rough rookie year? We could be looking at one of the game’s best all-around defenses here in 2023.
Like the Lions, the Titans will continue trying to win the old-school way with a ground-and-pound offense and a hard-hitting, wear-you-down defense. This time, they have Hopkins to help out the passing game.
Count them out at your own risk, because The Titans could totally shock the world and win a Super Bowl championship here in 2023.
Los Angeles Rams
It’s too easy to write off the Rams given the disaster that unfolded last season. But we shall remind you that they still employ a top-10 head coach, the league’s best defensive player and, when healthy, a top-five QB-receiver duo.
Last season, the Rams went 5-and-12 — the most losses ever for a defending Super Bowl champion. But let’s remember that Matthew Stafford only played nine games and was never really close to 100 percent in the contests he suited up for.
Reigning Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp was also limited to nine games. Van Jefferson, who had 802 receiving yards in 2021, missed six contests. Franchise star Aaron Donald also missed six games. And the usually-stout Rams’ o-line allowed a whopping 59 sacks.
2022 was simply Murphy’s Law for the Rams: Anything that could go wrong did, in fact, go wrong.
Yes, the Rams lost Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner this offseason. But second-year corner Cobie Durant looks ready to break out following a stellar rookie year, and rookies Byron Young and Kobie Turner should make immediate impacts in that front seven.
Donald can still single-handedly take over games on his own. If Stafford is anything close to 100 percent, Kupp and Jefferson should again be a scary-good receiving duo — and the Rams will once again overwhelm opponents with their prolific aerial attack.
Write the Rams off at your own risk. But as long as they have McVay, and as long as the “core three” are at full strength, this team could totally regain its 2021 swagger and claim a second Super Bowl in three years.
Washington Commanders
Step 1 for the Commanders winning a Super Bowl: Somehow getting Dan Snyder to sell the team. Mission accomplished, so that part’s done! Easy peasy.
With the worst sports owner of all-time finally gone, Commanders staffers, coaches and fans can be thankful that they’re now led by Josh Harris – someone who actually cares about building a winner.
Last season, the Commanders went 8-8-1 in a brutal NFC East that produced three playoff teams. That was largely thanks to a defense that finished third in yards allowed per contest and seventh in scoring.
Terry McLaurin was his usual dominant self on offense, while Curtis Samuel, Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. all put up over 800 yards of offense. And despite missing five games, rookie Jahan Dotson tied Christian Watson for the most receiving TDs among rookies with seven.
So the Commanders actually have a pretty loaded offensive arsenal here: Three potential 1K receivers and a pair of dynamic rushers. And if second-year QB Sam Howell isn’t ready for the starting job, Ron Rivera can turn to Jacoby Brissett — one of the league’s best backup QBs.
You can easily sleep on the Commanders simply because of the division they play in. But this is a championship-caliber defense that could be even scarier with a healthy Chase Young. If Howell OR Brissett can provide average-to-above-average production at QB, the Commanders could very well get hot and go on a run like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens or ‘07 New York Giants and win it all.
New York Giants
It might feel weird putting a team that reached the elite eight a year ago on this list, but it still feels like the Giants aren’t getting enough respect.
Yes, they play in the unforgiving NFC East consisting of two conference juggernauts in the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. No, they don’t have the most loaded roster in football.
But you know what the Giants have? GREAT COACHING. And a top-five running back in the game. And a vastly improved offensive unit. And a defense that could make the jump to a top-five unit in 2023.
Brian Daboll turned Daniel Jones into a star after three sluggish seasons to begin his career. And this was with Darius Slayton leading the Giants’ pass-catchers with 724 receiving yards.
Joe Schoen added three new weapons for Jones in the passing game: Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, ex-Indianapolis Colts wideout Parris Campbell and Tennessee speedster Jalin Hyatt in the third round.
So Jones should be even better in 2023 than he was last season — and 2022 Daniel Jones was still pretty good. And Saquon Barkley, as we were reminded last season, is a complete game-wrecker with the ball in his hands. That won’t change as long as he’s healthy.
The front seven is loaded with Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari leading the way. Adoree’ Jackson, Xavier McKinney and rookie Deonte Banks headline a more-than-serviceable secondary.
Provided Jones shows last year wasn’t a fluke, these G-Men will be dangerous on both sides of the ball. They embraced the underdog mentality in year one under Daboll and will be motivated to take that next step here in 2023.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers won nine games last year and only missed out on the postseason via tiebreaker to the Miami Dolphins. So, why do we have a team who hasn’t had a losing season since 2003 on this list?
Well, it’s not like the Steelers are getting a lot of love here. They’re being overshadowed by the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. They’re not considered a heavyweight like those two clubs and not like the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets or Buffalo Bills.
Welp, PIT won nine games last year with Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky combining for 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Pickett, entering his second year, can only improve after an up-and-down rookie campaign.
Pickett has 1K rusher Najee Harris, 1K receiver Diontae Johnson plus rising star George Pickens and underrated tight end Pat Freiermuth as his weapons. Throw in the arrival of rookie Broderick Jones on that o-line, and there are no clear-cut weaknesses in this offense.
Furthermore, the Steelers have the makings of a top-five defense with TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith leading a scary front seven. The already-dangerous secondary added Patrick Peterson to complement all-world safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. That’s kind of unfair.
If Pittsburgh can go 9-and-8 with below-average QB play, imagine where they can go if Pickett improves even just a little bit in 2023? And with a deep set of playmakers on both sides of the ball, Mike Tomlin’s squad is absolutely capable of getting their hands on the Lombardi Trophy next year.
Green Bay Packers
We’ve been heavily critical of the Packers’ decision to trade Aaron Rodgers. But maybe, just maybe, it’ll end up being the right decision. I mean, last time they swapped out a Hall of Fame QB for an unproven commodity, it worked out perfectly!
Jordan Love has just one NFL start under his resume. But you know what? Maybe learning behind Rodgers for three years will have him more-than-ready for the NFL. Rodgers himself got to learn behind Brett Favre for three years before taking over the offense in Titletown.
We also need to semi-trust a young, innovative offensive-minded head coach like Matt LaFleur to make it work with Love. I mean, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and rookie Jayden Reed look like they could all be big-time pass-catchers.
Also, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are only a top-three rushing duo in the league — both capable of pushing for 1,000 yards. And Love will enjoy playing behind one of the game’s best o-lines led by Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari.
The Packer D is also scary from top to bottom. Jaire Alexander is a top-five corner, and Darnell Savage and Rasul Douglas provide sufficient depth in the secondary.
This front seven is also loaded with ultra-athletic and speedy pass-rushers and linebackers. Just look at this group: Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, De’Vondre Campbell, Kenny Clark, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and rookie Lukas Van Ness.
This roster is a lot more talented than you think, and the NFC North division is wide open. If Love can even play like a game-manager, the Pack can lean on their rushing game and star-studded defense to close out contests.
Not saying the Packers are a bonafide Super Bowl contender. But there’s enough in place here for them to “shock” the world by doing something Rodgers couldn’t do: Bring home Lombardi Trophy No. 5.
