Six bold predictions for the 2023 NFL Playoffs, featuring Eagles, Chiefs & Jags

Just because the entire bracket isn’t set yet doesn’t mean that we can’t make NFL playoff predictions for 2023.

Even with the NFL playoff probabilities still being worked out ahead of Week 18, we’ve seen enough this season to start making NFL Wild Card predictions for the 2023 postseason while also looking even further ahead in the playoffs.

NFL Playoff predictions for 2023 postseason

For novice fans or anyone who needs the NFL Wild Card explained, there are six games on Wild Card Weekend.

The league hoped that would lead to some excitement, although last season it was the Divisional Round and the two conference championship games where things got crazy. Naturally, we’re hoping for just as much excitement and intrigue this time around, and we believe that’s reflected in our NFL playoff predictions for 2023.

Jaguars win Playoff game

We’re assuming based on the way the Jaguars and Titans have played down the stretch that Jacksonville will win Saturday’s game and host a playoff game. But as the first of our NFL playoff predictions in 2023, we’re also going to bet on the Jaguars to win at home in the Wild Card Round.

The Jaguars have played well down the stretch with Trevor Lawrence coming into his own. Equally important, the Jaguars are likely to play either a flawed Chargers team or a Baltimore team with an ailing Lamar Jackson.

That’s a good recipe for a young team with some momentum to win a playoff game. After that, Jacksonville might be a little out of its weight class. But a home game in the Wild Card Round is a game the Jaguars can win.

AFC Wild Card teams go winless

While we’d like to go crazy with our NFL Wild Card predictions in 2023, we’re seeing a lot of chalk in the AFC with all of the division winners holding serve at home.

The problem is the Wild Card teams don’t look that good, especially if the Jaguars are able to win, as we’re predicting.

The final spot that’s up for grabs is likely to be won by a team that is going to have a hard time winning a playoff game on the road. Plus, the division winners in the AFC all look strong on paper and are unlikely to slip up in their opening game.

Eagles lose first game

The boldest of our NFL playoff predictions in 2023 will be the Eagles losing their first playoff game. If the Eagles get the top seed and a bye, they’ll still have a tough matchup in their first game.

Of course, if they lose in Week 18 and end up being a Wild Card team, they’ll have to go on the road.

Either way, the momentum the Eagles built up earlier in the season has dissipated with Jalen Hurts missing time due to injury. That momentum will be hard to get back, even if Hurts returns to the field. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they peaked too soon this season and all of the good work they did will go down the drain with one bad game.

Giants earn Wild Card win

Another postseason surprise in the NFL will be the Giants winning a playoff game. Before the season, few would have predicted the G-Men being anywhere close to the playoffs. But they’ve far surpassed expectations behind first-year coach Brian Daboll and secured the no. 6 seed.

In all likelihood, that will set them up to play the Vikings in the Wild Card Round. The Vikings escaped with a 27-24 win when hosting the Giants on Christmas Eve, but they won’t be so lucky in the playoffs.

Given their comeback against the Colts, their blowout loss to the Packers, and a few other games down the stretch, the Vikings look anything but reliable heading into the postseason. Winning playoff games requires running the ball effectively and playing good defense. The Giants are better than the Vikings at both, which is why we like the Giants to pull off an upset.

Chiefs fall in AFC Championship Game

There’s no denying the Chiefs are a serious contender heading into the postseason. But they haven’t been all that convincing coming down the stretch. Kansas City has struggled to put away subpar teams late in the season, which can be a problem when the Chiefs start playing the best of the best.

Whether it’s the Bills or the Bengals they meet in the AFC Championship Game, we can see the Chiefs running into trouble and not being able to seal the deal. Given the competition that they’ll likely face in the AFC Championship Game, Patrick Mahomes won’t be enough to get the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl.

Bills defeat Cowboys in Super Bowl

The Bills are our pick to beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on their way to winning a long-awaited Super Bowl. One could say that the circumstances surrounding Damar Hamlin will give Buffalo something more to play for in the postseason.

But the Bills are also an outstanding team, and all things considered, there’s a strong argument that they are best positioned to win the Super Bowl out of all of the top contenders. In a fitting twist, it’ll be the Cowboys who lose to Buffalo in the Super Bowl.

To their credit, the Cowboys have been the best team in the NFC down the stretch and have a strong chance to get to the Super Bowl. But it was also the Cowboys who beat the Bills twice during their stretch of four straight Super Bowl losses in the 90s. When the Bills finally win a Super Bowl, it’ll be a nice poetic twist for it to come against Dallas. 

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