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Record: 3-12
Week 16 result: Lost to the Bills, 35-13
Week 17 opponent: at Detroit Lions
New Year's Resolution: Surround Justin Fields with the talent he needs in the coming draft and off-season. Fields has proven that at his best, he is a game-changing weapon in the NFL. If the Bears can give him some more tools and revamp their defense, there's no reason they can't contend for the NFC North crown next year.
Record: 4-10-1
Week 16 result: Lost to the Chargers, 20-3
Week 17 opponent: at New York Giants
New Year's Resolution: Get a real head coach. The Jeff Saturday experience was fun for exactly one game, and proved the Raiders to be frauds. Kudos on that. But ever since, the Colts have been dreadful to watch, from blowing the biggest lead in NFL history to the Minnesota Vikings to putting up a miserable three points on national television over the holiday weekend.
Record: 2-12-1
Week 16 result: Beat the Titans, 19-14
Week 17 opponent: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
New Year's Resolution: Hold on to the No. 1 pick, and use it to make the right choice at quarterback. Last week, the Texans' win over the Titans likely lifted their moods a bit, but it also suddenly puts their hold on the first overall pick of the coming draft in a more tenuous position. Houston needs to hold onto that coveted pick, and then use it to choose the right quarterback — whether that is Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or some other star that could emerge in the next few months.
Record: 5-10
Week 16 result: Lost to the Ravens, 17-9
Week 17 opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
New Year's Resolution: Figure out what you have in Desmond Ridder. The Falcons are not particularly close to contending for a title, but are just now getting a look at their rookie quarterback. As a third-round pick, he's by no means promised to be the future of the franchise, but Atlanta needs to figure out if he's worth building around for the next few years or if they should reset their expectations with another young quarterback.
Record: 6-9
Week 16 result: Lost to the Saints, 17-10
Week 17 opponent: at Washington Commanders
New Year's Resolution: Be less embarrassing. It's more or less the same New Year's resolution the Browns have had since their rebirth in 1999. It's possible 2022 was their most embarrassing year yet.
Record: 5-10
Week 16 result: Beat the Broncos, 51-14
Week 17 opponent: at Los Angeles Chargers
New Year's Resolution: Stop trading away draft picks. The Rams have been vindicated for every future pick they sent away ahead of their Super Bowl win last season. Banners hang forever, and if you spent like crazy to raise one, it was worth it. That said, this year Los Angeles got a taste of over-leveraging the future for the present. (It's pretty tough!) The Rams need to hold on to whatever picks they have left and find a way to restock.
Record: 6-9
Week 16 result: Beat the Browns, 17-10
Week 17 opponent: at Philadelphia Eagles
New Year's Resolution: Find their next coach-and-quarterback combo. The pairing of Drew Brees and Sean Payton made the Saints one of the most consistent teams in the NFL for the better part of two decades. It's obviously not an easy thing to recreate that magic, but it's worth trying. Is there a quarterback set to become available that could be a match with current head coach Dennis Allen? Could Payton possibly return to New Orleans and bring Tom Brady with him? It's a long shot, but crazier things have happened.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Lost to the Texans, 19-14
Week 17 opponent: vs. Dallas Cowboys
New Year's Resolution: Find an offensive identity beyond Derrick Henry. The Titans were at their best over the past few years when they had a smart, effective passing attack from Ryan Tannehill to pair with Henry's downhill running ability. But after trading away A.J. Brown in the off-season, the passing game all but disappeared. It doesn't have to be that same style of passing attack, but the 2023 Titans have to figure out something that can keep opposing defenses from stacking the box against them.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Lost to the Jaguars, 19-3
Week 17 opponent: at Seattle Seahawks
New Year's Resolution: Leave Zach Wilson behind. It's never fun to cut ties with a player you drafted so high, and the fear that he goes and develops into a star somewhere else is always looming, but the Jets have a window to be a contender right now with the right player under center. If Wilson can't hang on to the top job against Mike White, he certainly can't keep it against whatever talented quarterback the Jets might be able to pursue in the coming off-season.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Beat the Raiders, 13-10
Week 17 opponent: at Baltimore Ravens
New Year's Resolution: Get George Pickens more involved. The rookie wide receiver is currently eighth in the NFL in yards per reception, ahead of the likes of Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill. Despite this, he's third on his own team in targets, trailing Diontae Johnson and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Steelers fans should hope that Pickens gets a bigger share of the offense next year.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Lost to the Panthers, 37-23
Week 17 opponent: vs. Chicago Bears
New Year's Resolution: Don't start the season 1-6 again. The Lions are likely going to miss the playoffs again, with FiveThirtyEight giving Detroit just a 24% chance of making the postseason. Had the Lions not started the year 1-6 with an historically awful defense, it's possible they'd already had their spot in the playoffs locked up. This is a team with talent that can play with any team in the league when they are at their best. Next year they just have to start playing their best before November.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Lost to the Bengals, 22-18
Week 17 opponent: vs. Miami Dolphins
New Year's Resolution: Get a real offensive coordinator. Bill Belichick played coy at the start of the year when determining who would be calling the plays. The role eventually fell to Matt Patricia, and the results have not been great. After the big investments the Patriots made in the 2021 off-season, the team needs someone who can turn their passing attack into a more sustainable offense.
Record: 7-7-1
Week 16 result: Lost to the 49ers, 37-20
Week 17 opponent: vs. Cleveland Browns
New Year's Resolution: Hope Dan Snyder sells the team. There's plenty of work for the Commanders to do in 2023. Washington has a talented trio of receivers, and getting a quarterback that can make the most of them should be a top priority. But if Commanders fans could have one wish come true this year, it would be for Snyder to finally let go of the franchise he's been running into the ground for decades.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Beat the Dolphins, 26-20
Week 17 opponent: vs. Minnesota Vikings
New Year's Resolution: Figure out what's next at quarterback. If the Packers want to keep Aaron Rodgers under center, they should get him another wide receiver to replace the hole left by the departure of Davante Adams. If they want to move on, they should get as much return as they can in a deal with one of the teams that would undoubtedly be ready to pay a high price to bring in the future Hall of Famer.
Record: 8-6-1
Week 16 result: Lost to the Vikings, 27-24
Week 17 opponent: vs. Indianapolis Colts
New Year's Resolution: Don't overpay Daniel Jones. The Giants decided before the start of the year to pass on picking up Jones' fifth-year option, meaning he's set to become a free agent at the end of the year. Jones has played well enough to hold onto the job, especially if the Giants decide against making a splash in free agency, but he's not a guy worth burning 30% of your payroll on. Finding the perfect deal for him might be tricky, but if the Giants want to keep the solid season they had this year rolling, it's imperative that they decide whether Jones is a bridge to a better quarterback, or the guy they are riding for better or worse.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Beat the Jets, 19-3
Week 17 opponent: at Houston Texans
New Year's Resolution: Win the AFC South. The door is open for the Jaguars to do it this year. If Jacksonville can win its final two games of the season, at Houston and at Tennessee, they will lift the division crown a year ahead of schedule. If they don't wind up pulling it off this year, they should enter the 2023 season as favorites to take the division.
Record: 7-8
Week 16 result: Beat the Cardinals, 19-16
Week 17 opponent: vs. Carolina Panthers
New Year's Resolution: Make the most of this final run with Tom Brady. The Buccaneers have looked positively stagnant on offense so far this year, but they still are in pole position to make the playoffs as the winners of the NFC South. Given the talent they have on offense, they're a threat to put it together at any moment — no one expects Tom Brady to go down in the playoffs without a fight. It's likely Brady's last dance in Tampa, either due to retirement or jumping to another team. Either way, the Buccaneers have a real chance to make a run despite not having performed to their potential at any time so far this year.
Record: 10-5
Week 16 result: Beat the Falcons, 17-9
Week 17 opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
New Year's Resolution: Pay Lamar Jackson — full stop. Jackson is the franchise, and single-handedly kept the Ravens in contention for many of the games he played this year. While his current injury may complicate things a bit, if Baltimore wants to keep pace with a loaded AFC moving forward, Jackson is the only guy that can do it.
Record: 11-4
Week 16 result: Beat the Eagles, 40-34
Week 17 opponent: at Tennessee Titans
New Year's Resolution: Win the NFC. Things appear to be lining up nicely for the Cowboys this year. While things have been up-and-down at points, Dallas has a talented offense that is scoring like crazy, and has seen several NFC contenders lose their starting quarterback in recent weeks. There's a chance the Cowboys enter the postseason as the most complete team in the NFC. If that's the case, they should make the Super Bowl. Above all else, do not lose to the Buccaneers in the first round.
Record: 12-3
Week 16 result: Beat the Giants, 27-24
Week 17 opponent: at Green Bay Packers
New Year's Resolution: Win games by more than one score. The Vikings are 12-3 on the season, but are an astounding 11-0 in one-score games. While it might speak to a "team of destiny" vibe that Minnesota currently has going for it, it's not sustainable. This team is 12-3 and has a point differential of +5. The Vikings are playing at an extremely hot blackjack table right now, but the deck is bound to turn on them eventually.
Record: 11-4
Week 16 result: Beat the Commanders, 37-20
Week 17 opponent: at Las Vegas Raiders
New Year's Resolution: Begin and end a season with the same starting quarterback. It's been rough luck for the 49ers in recent years when it comes to quarterback health. This year alone the team lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to season-ending injuries, meaning that Brock Purdy will lead the team into their postseason run. To his credit, Purdy has looked plenty good enough to win some playoff games, and with the defense that San Francisco has, a run to the NFC title feels very much in play. Regardless of how far they get this year, the 49ers have gone through enough and deserve to have a year go according to plan in 2023.
Record: 12-3
Week 16 result: Beat the Seahawks, 24-10
Week 17 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos
New Year's Resolution: Super Bowl or bust. That's the goal every year when Andy Reid is your head coach and Patrick Mahomes is your quarterback. Mahomes is putting up absurd numbers, and is already considered Hall of Fame-bound at the tender age of 27. But if he's to be considered among the GOATs, he's going to need to add a few more trophies to his cabinet. This is certainly a year to do it.
Record: 13-2
Week 16 result: Lost to the Cowboys, 40-34
Week 17 opponent: vs. New Orleans Saints
New Year's Resolution: Make this year count. This Eagles run through the season has been nothing short of magic. They've been the best team in the NFC for the entire year with little challenge, and the best team in the NFL up until Jalen Hurts' injury two weeks ago. But all of it will be for naught if the Eagles don't lift the Lombardi trophy. The past decade is littered with teams, mostly Packers, that have dominated the regular season only to falter come playoff time. Anything less than a trip to the Super Bowl would be a waste for Philadelphia.
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