In August, we will ask our staff a single question on a variety of topics ranging from a huge news event to a tough fantasy decision or player evaluation.
See the landing for more pages just like this here.
If you like this format, come back for another Question of the Day. Today, we take our first look at the NFL as a whole.
According to VegasInsider.com, here are the favorites to win the eight NFL divisions.
NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles
AFC East - Buffalo Bills
NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
AFC West - Kansas City Chiefs
NFC North - Detroit Lions
AFC North - Cincinnati Bengals
NFC South - New Orleans Saints
AFC South - Jacksonville Jaguars
But we never see all of the favorites win. Teams always come up short.
Here's the question we asked our staff.
Which team are you least confident about to win their division? Why?
Here are the most common answers:
- New Orleans Saints - 5 votes
- Detroit Lions - 3 votes
- Buffalo Bills - 1 votes
Check out the full answers below for the reasons why.
Ben Cummins: I'm least confident in the New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South. It's questionable just how good the Saints are as a team, and they'll face significant competition against a tough Atlanta Falcons squad. Plus, #1 pick Bryce Young will be one of the storylines of the 2023 season, and for whatever reason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in win-now mode.
Jason Wood: I'm least confident in the New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South; I concur with Ben Cummins Ben. If you look at the eight teams favored to win their division, the Saints are the only team with a negative point differential in 2022; they allowed 15 more points than they scored. By comparison, the Eagles (+133), Bills (+169), 49ers (+173), Chiefs (+127), and Bengals (+96) all handily outscored their opponents. It's hard to have a winning record when you score less than you give up, much less win a division crown. While the Saints added Derek Carr and key veterans in the secondary, are they transcendently better? I don't see it.
Phil Alexander: I am least confident in the New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South. What the Atlanta Falcons lack at quarterback, they more than compensate for with a talented, cohesive offensive line and elite firepower at the other skill positions. Atlanta's defense ranked 26th in the league with a pass rush win rate of 35.3% in 2022. But they addressed the problem in free agency, surrounding star defensive tackle Grady Jarrett with steady veterans, including defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and outside linebacker Bud Dupree. Derek Carr does not move the needle enough for me to pick the Saints over the Falcons to win the division.
Jeff Haseley: I agree with the others in that I am least confident in the Saints winning the NFC South. New Orleans has a veteran quarterback with multiple plus-level weapons and a defense that quietly finished 6th overall in yards allowed last year, including 2nd in pass defense. Having said that, Derek Carr has had one winning season in his last six years. He's good, but not great, and that is a concern. Atlanta and Carolina are both young, capable squads that could take a leap forward in 2023. There is no foregone conclusion on how this division will shake up. However, most agree that Tampa Bay, post-Tom Brady, will struggle to gain traction, especially with Baker Mayfield under center.
Dan Hindery: I'm least confident in the Lions. The NFC North might be the most wide-open division in the NFL this year, with any of the four teams capable of winning it all. While Detroit is deserving of favorite status, there is a lot to like about the other teams in the division. Minnesota has a proven quarterback and potentially three elite targets in Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison. The Bears look poised to make a major leap forward, and the Packers could surprise. Green Bay's skill position talent is mostly unproven but has some exciting young players.
Andy Hicks: I am least confident about New Orleans too. Their head coach, Dennis Allen, has one of the worst records in NFL history. A career winning percentage of 0.283. Their new quarterback, Derek Carr, has the lowest win percentage of any active quarterback with over 100 games. All this losing suggests they aren’t a good bet to win the division. I would rather take Atlanta or Carolina, as this division presents as the most likely to send a team to the playoffs with a losing record.
Will Grant: I am the least confident that the Detroit Lions will win the NFC North. Green Bay may have lost Aaron Rodgers, but Jordan Love has had plenty of time to adjust to the NFL speed, learn the offense, and build chemistry with the offense. Minnesota won 13 games last season and should be stride for stride with anyone else from this group. Finally, Chicago may have finished last in 2022, but they made a massive amount of changes to their offense and could play the spoiler to anyone trying for the top spot. This could easily be a division where eight or nine wins are enough to take the top spot.
Tripp Brebner: No favorite for a division title has more competition than Buffalo. Josh Allen says he doesn't want to play hero ball this year, but he must in order to keep AFC East contenders at bay. The Dolphins and Patriots made badly needed coordinator changes that instantly upgraded their defense and offense, respectively. Aaron Rodgers's arrival in New York with his former offensive coordinator dramatically improves the Jets. The Bills have the weakest pass rush in the division, concerns at cornerback, and a defensive signal-caller to replace. Their defense could easily go from the AFC East's best to worst in one year. Buffalo might yet have the fewest question marks in the division, but a disproportionate injury impact to the Bills would open the door for any of the other three to take advantage.
Daniel Harms: I am least confident the Detroit Lions will win the NFC North. Their defense has major holes in it, even with some of the additions and draft picks they’ve added. Jameson Williams was supposed to add a threat they don’t currently have, and he’s suspended and nursing an injury. To top it all off, the Packers and Vikings would still very much love to win this division as well. The Packers have a ton of young talent and a defense that could be top-12 in the NFL. The Vikings offense is going to be tough to defend, and who knows what happens with Brian Flores calling the defense? That’s always a wildcard. I don’t believe in the Lions to hold them off.
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