The NFL is built for parity. Every year, teams have the chance to reset, reload, and jump from the bottom of the standings to the top. How realistic is it for your team to go from worst to first? Well, out of the eight divisions last year, just one went from last place to first place, and that was the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South.
The Seattle Seahawks went from last place to the playoffs, as did the New York Giants, and the Detroit Lions jumped from three wins to nine. Can anyone go from worst to first in 2023?
Let’s take a look at three of the top candidates around the league.
3 NFL teams that could go from worst to first in 2023
1. New York Jets
The New York Jets already saw a three-game improvement from 2021 to 2022. Can they do it again in 2023? A three-game improvement would put the Jets at 10-7 this coming season, not likely enough to make it past the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East but certainly enough to get to the playoffs.
At least, you would think.
The arrival of Aaron Rodgers has rejuvenated the hopes of the faithful Jets fan base and understandably so. A four-time MVP doesn’t walk through your door every day. Rodgers should significantly elevate a Jets team that already had one of the best defenses in the NFL and one of the better young cores of players around the league.
Does a lot need to go right for the Jets in order to surpass the Buffalo Bills? Absolutely. It’s much more likely that this team ascends to second place in the AFC East this year, but I wouldn’t rule anything out.