2023 NFL playoff predictions: Seven teams who could make the jump into the postseason this year

Will Brinson identifies seven different teams who could end up making a playoff push in 2023

For a very long time the NFL saw, on average, five new teams jump into the postseason each year. Five is an anecdotal number, a digit roughly ascribed by an old sportswriters' tale, although a generally accepted number with the rational assumption of variance built in. Some years less, some years more, but a general gravitation towards five happened at the end of the season.

However, things have been different the past several years. Covid wreaked havoc on everyone, and the NFL was no different. Playoff expansion, to seven teams on each side of the bracket via an additional wild-card team, means we can't rely on old assumptions. Instead, we need to be diligent about accepting the possibility expanded playoffs could give us expanded variance within the bracket.

Each of the past two seasons, we've seen SEVEN new playoff teams. In 2021, with playoff expansion and the pandemic season behind us, the Patriots, Bengals (Joe Burrow's second year), Raiders (despite firing Jon Gruden midseason), Cowboys, Eagles, Cardinals and 49ers all made the playoffs after missing the year before.