The 2023 NFL season concluded back in February when the Kansas City Chiefs romped to their second straight Lombardi. Despite an uncharacteristically lackluster campaign in which they lost five of their final ten games, the Arrowhead side still managed to reach Super Bowl LVIII. And they had to do it the hard way.
Their only home game of the postseason was a 26-7 victory against an upstart Miami Dolphins side. From there, they had to go on the road for the first time in eight years. They eliminated Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round at an ice-cold Highmark Stadium, before eliminating the top-seed Baltimore Ravens once again on enemy territory. That secured a date with Brock Purdy and his San Francisco 49ers in the Big Game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and yet another Patrick Mahomes masterclass was enough for his side to secure the Lombardi for the third time in five years.
Longshot Packers Thrive in 2023
The Green Bay Packers were also one of the stories of last season, however. Many wondered how they would fare in 2023 primarily since they headed into the campaign without Aaron Rodgers for the first time since 2006. The four-time MVP winner was traded to the New York Jets in the off season, however, his season ended just six minutes into his debut after suffering a nasty Achilles injury. Jordan Love took over at quarterback and the former Utah State standout had a breakout year, throwing for over 4,000 yards and amassing 32 touchdowns, the second-highest in the league.
They reached the postseason as the NFC’s seventh and lowest-ranked team but that didn’t stop them from upsetting the applecart. They stunned their rival Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium with a convincing 48-32 victory and became the first seventh-seed to defeat a second-seed since the playoffs were expanded. The win tied them with the New England Patriots in terms of most postseason victories, but who joins those two heavyweights to round out the top three?
San Francisco 49ers – 38 Wins
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers were the team to beat. Online football betting odds made them the favorites to lift the Lombardi all season long, but they ultimately fell at the final hurdle. Next season, those same sites have made them contenders once again, pricing them up as +650 second favorites behind the reigning back-to-back champion Chiefs. With Brock Purdy still maturing and getting better and better with every passing game, there is a great chance that they will add to the 38 postseason victories they have already picked up throughout their illustrious history.
New England Patriots – 37 Wins
If the Niners are getting better and better, then the New England Patriots are the polar opposite. Since the turn of the millennium, the Pats have been the dominant dynasty in the NFL primarily thanks to the legendary tenure of head coach Bill Belichick and the greatest quarterback of all time Tom Brady. However, the GOAT left them back in 2019 to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while their long-term head honcho left at the end of last season following a dismal campaign.
Between 2011 and 2018, the Boston-based outfit reached at least the AFC Championship game in eight straight seasons, winning the Lombard three times along the way. Last term, however, they finished rock bottom of the AFC East with a paltry record of just four wins and 13 losses, the second worst in the entire league. They do have 37 postseason wins to their name however, they haven’t added a new name to their list of foes in over half a decade, and that barren spell looks set to continue.
Green Bay Packers – 37 Wins
The Green Bay Packers entered the 2023 season with low expectations after missing out on the playoffs on the final day of the 2022 season with a shocking loss at Lambeau Field to their rival Detroit Lions. Add to that the departure of Aaron Rodgers, and it’s clear to see why the bar was so low. However, to say that they had a successful campaign would be an understatement.
They finished the regular season with a respectable 9-8 record, good enough for 2nd in the NFC North behind the revitalized Lions. While their postseason run consisted of just one victory, it was a win that may as well have been a Super Bowl championship by eliminating the Cowboys on enemy territory. That was their 37th postseason victory of all time, good enough for second on this list and they will be aiming to add more scalps to their resume once the 2024 season kicks off.
Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the recently vanquished Cowboys are hot on their tail. They currently sit with 36 wins apiece, a figure they couldn’t add to last season. They will be aiming to do exactly that next term.
