The NFC is certainly a mixed bag heading into the 2023 NFL season. There are few Super Bowl contenders in the mix (Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys), but the rest of the conference is a wild card.
Plenty of playoff spots are up for grabs in a conference that isn’t as deep as the AFC. The NFC South is wide open without Tom Brady, ditto with the NFC North without Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, the NFC East hasn’t had a repeat champion in in 18 seasons.
In what should be an intriguing year for the NFC, what is the biggest challenge for each team heading into 2023? These obstacles could be the difference between being a little competitive, a legit playoff contender or challenging for a Super Bowl title (depending on the team and the situation).
Is Kyler Murray coming back anytime soon?
Murray is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, electing to have surgery in January. The Cardinals quarterback admitted Saturday he doesn’t have a definitive timeline for his return to the practice field or how long he’ll need to practice before he’ll return to game action.
Until Murray comes back, it’s Colt McCoy at quarterback. Murray is learning Drew Petzing’s offense and gathering all the information he can before actually returning to the field — whenever that may be. In a season where the Cardinals are patiently punting, they’ll be taking their time with their $160 million (guaranteed) investment.
Is the pass rush any better?
The Falcons defense have just 68 sacks over the last three seasons. To put this in perspective, the Philadelphia Eagles had 70 sacks last season.
What did the Falcons do to bolster the pass rush? New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen has new pass rushers in Bud Dupree, Kaden Elliss, David Onyemata, Lorenzo Carter and Calais Campbell (from free agency) along with incumbents Arnold Ebiketie and Grady Jarrett.
The pass…
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