Today is a special day because today you get the final episode of our NFL History series. Starting next week, a new series awaits you here; we will take a closer look at the number 1 picks in the NFL. We started in 1920 and 104 episodes later we come to the last episode today and are in 2023. Borussia Dortmund has all the trump cards in their hands to become German champions on the last matchday, but Mainz 05 defies BVB with a 2-2 draw And as a result, FC Bayern became champions, whose dominance as long-term champions was only broken a year later. The traffic light government is already beginning to crumble, which is particularly helping the AFD and the CDU. Sahra Wagenknecht founded her own party and called it BSW.
But of course football was also played. Tom Brady is finally ending his career and leaving the NFL. Because the arena in Mexico City is being rebuilt, there will be two Germany games. The draft will take place from April 27th to 29th in Kansas City. Chicago would actually have the first pick, but the team from Illinois decided to give it to Carolina. And they choose Bryce Young. At least not a good selection so far, Young is having an extremely difficult time and is even given up for a while in his second season. However, it has to be said that Carolina is also a very difficult place to perform well. CJ Stroud, who goes to Houston at number two, is doing much better. He will be the positive surprise.
A great era is coming to an end in the AFC East. At the end of the season, Bill Belichick is leaving the New England Patriots after 24 years and six Super Bowl titles. It’s a bit like back then with Arsenal London and Arsene Wenger. Both sides miss the right moment to separate and so it doesn’t end up being a nice separation. There’s no backing, but both sides deserve better than this. New England only wins four games. After this season at the latest, we know that Mac Jones is not the answer.
The New York Jets are actually really looking forward to the new season because they landed Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. And the quarterback gets his every wish met. Then comes the first game against Buffalo and in the second game he tears his Achilles tendon. end of his season. And that’s bitter, because the Jets aren’t actually that bad this season, they still win seven games without him, what would have been possible with him? In the meantime, five games have been lost in a row, making playoff participation impossible. Miami is off to a good start and is choking in the first few weeks like the team it wants to beat. But the impression is deceptive, because the Dolphins mainly beat weaker teams. 70 points against the Broncos are wonderful, but they are of no use if you regularly lose against the big teams. The only success is against the Cowboys in week 16. In the end you also lose the victory in the division, although it is still enough for the playoffs. Buffalo also got 11 wins and had to endure a difficult phase, but still managed to win the division in the end. Between weeks 5 and 10, four of the six games are lost. From week 14 onwards there is a series of five wins in a row.
The AFC North is really strong. Cincinnati has a positive record and still comes last. This is mainly due to the bad start, three of the first four games are lost and then there is also a negative series with three defeats in November. Pittsburgh can win ten games. A negative series in December with three defeats in a row puts the playoffs in danger, but then you still make it because you win the last three games. Cleveland is having a really good season, winning 11 games despite having to use four different quarterbacks. But the Browns’ defense is really strong this year and even with backup quarterbacks they can win against teams like the Ravens or the Steelers.
The Ravens won the division with 13 wins. The team from Baltimore never has two defeats in a row, instead they even have a series of six wins in a row.
The AFC South may not be top-class, but it is exciting. The Titans can win six games. The team from Nashville can never win twice in a row, but they also never lose more than three times in a row. Indianapolis has the chance to get into the playoffs with a win over Houston on the last day of the game, but they lose the game and a record of 9 wins is not enough. Jacksonville is fighting for the division right up to the end and only needs a win over Tennessee on the last day of the game, but delivers a disastrously poor performance and not only throws away the victory in the division but also their playoff participation in the end. In general, the final sprint was extremely bad. Of the last six games, only the one against Carolina can be won. Nobody is betting on Houston at the beginning of the season, but after initial difficulties, the Texans are getting stronger and becoming a surprise team. On the last day of the game, Indianapolis was beaten and because Jacksonville actually failed a day later, Houston won the division.
The AFC West is not as one-sided this year as it might seem when you look at the standings at the end. The Chargers are having a bad year and can only win five games, the defense is a disaster. They even conceded 63 points against the Raiders.
The Broncos are having a strange season under their new HC Sean Payton. At the start of the season nothing happens, 5 of the first 6 games are lost, and there are some catastrophic performances, especially defensively. But then suddenly there is a very positive phase with five wins in a row and the playoffs suddenly seem possible again, but then the team collapses again and they surprisingly decide to bench Russell Wilson.
The Raiders get off to a bad start and then part ways with Josh McDaniels. Things are getting better under Antonio Pierce at first, but it’s no longer enough for the playoffs. Kansas City had a really weak phase towards the middle of the season and even had to worry about winning the division at times, but picked themselves up in time. The main problem with the Missouri team is that they don’t have any really good receivers this year.
Nevertheless, in the end the balance is at least 11-6.
The NFC East has two bad teams and two good teams. Washington is definitely one of the bad ones, the capital city team can only win four games. After a good start with two wins, things initially look good, but after that almost nothing works. The last eight games are all lost. The Giants are actually very euphoric after their good preseason, but you quickly see that it was a one-hit wonder. Apart from a short series of three wins in a row, there are regular defeats. Philadelphia gets off to a flying start and looks really good, losing only one of the first 11 games. But then things hit the team and they only won one of the last six games and even lost the victory in the division. The Cowboys have been behind Philadelphia for a long time, but in the end they benefit from their rivals’ weak phase and overtake them. Only in weeks 15 and 16 there are two defeats in a row, between weeks 10 and 14 five games in a row can be won.
The NFC North sees Chicago in last place. There are at least 7 wins, but the start ruins a lot of things, 5 of the first 6 games are lost. Minnesota isn’t having a good season either, the Vikings lose four of their first five games, then have a strong series with five wins in a row, but then Kirk Cousins gets injured. Six of the last seven games are lost and you are thrown out. Green Bay has to fight for the playoffs until the last day of the game, but then gets their ticket with a win over Chicago. There have now been four defeats in a row. Detroit can win twelve games and win the division. The Blue Lions impress with beautiful football and never lose two games in a row.
Things are relatively close in the NFC South, but that doesn’t apply to Carolina; the team from North Carolina can only win twice. Atlanta gets 7 wins, but that’s not enough for the playoffs. After an actually quite decent start, the team gets weaker and weaker and wastes the playoffs with four defeats in the last five games.
New Orleans is close and gets 9 wins. In the end you lose the tie-breaker against Tampa Bay and miss the playoffs. In Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield will be the positive surprise of the season. It works really well in Florida, although there is a series of six defeats in seven games, but of the last six games they can win five.
Arizona has lost 13 times in the NFC West. The team from the desert cannot win twice in a row at any time. Seattle doesn’t make it into the playoffs with 9 wins and an era ends here too, Pete Carroll has to go. The Rams surprisingly made it into the playoffs with ten wins and only selected the positive discovery of the season, the young WR Puka Nacua, in round five. By the way, the ten wins are enough for playoff participation. You also secure it because you win seven of the last eight games. San Francisco has 12 wins and, apart from a weak phase from mid to late October, is a top team with three defeats in a row.
