Moving the Chains: Takeaways from the 2023 NFL Season

Another Super Bowl is in the record books. At least for those who don’t believe that the ‘F’ in NFL stands for ‘fixed,’ the game was exciting … in the sense that the winner was determined in overtime. Other than that, the most drama on the field (the sideline, actually) was generated by Travis Kelce when he got in the face of head coach Andy Reid – presumably wanting more playing time to impress Taylor Swift (rather than become the subject of her next song).

After the game, the national debate was whether or not the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday, since almost a third of the country’s work force – for one reason or another – doesn’t show up for work anyway. Not to overthink things, but wouldn’t it be easier if the game started at, say, 1 or 4 p.m. like almost every other game during the regular season, and not at the special Super Bowl kickoff of 6:40 p.m. THAT OTHERWISE IS NEVER THE CASE FOR ANY OTHER NFL GAME EVER! With an earlier/normal start, fans wouldn’t be scarfing down wings, cheese dip, and beer until almost midnight … and maybe, just maybe, more people would show up for work the next day. (I’m looking at you, Roger Goodell.)

Incidentally, this year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched television program of all time in the USA, drawing an estimated 123 million viewers. According to Neelson’s calculations (Randy, the nerdy kid down the street – not the ratings company), the audience was divided equally amongst Chiefs fans, 49’er’s fans, and teenage girls hoping to catch a glimpse or two of Taylor Swift. Speaking of the pop star, there is no truth to the rumor that she is related to Philadelphia Eagles’ running back D’Andre. (Wait – you haven’t heard that rumor before? You have now.)

So, not that it’s over, what did we learn this season? A lot, it turns out.

Former University of Alabama quarterbacks took a beating. Bryce Young’s rookie season with the Carolina Panthers produced an NFL-worst two wins (and 14 losses in the games he started). Statistically, he completed less than 60% of his passes, while throwing for just 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions (and losing six fumbles). Mac Jones of the New England Patriots didn’t fare much better, completing less than 65% of his throws for 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions (with two fumbles). Incidentally, both teams dismissed their coaches in 2023: Frank Reich of the Panthers (fired) and Bill Belichick of the Patriots (he and the team ‘parted ways,’ officially). Jalen Hurts of 2022’s NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles threw for 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions (also: five fumbles) and led his team to a disappointing 11 – 6 record, which included losses in six of their last seven games, the last a 32 – 9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Wild Card game.

Reich and Belichick were by no means the only coaches without a team as 2023 came to an end. Other head coaches in the unemployment line at season’s end were Mike Vrabel (Tennessee), Josh McDaniel (Las Vegas), Ron Rivera (Washington), Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers), Pete Carroll (Seattle), and Arthur Smith (Atlanta). All told, that means eight of the 32 NFL head coaches – 25% – lost their jobs in 2023. (The average number of coaches losing their for the past decade is approximately six annually, so in that respect this season was ‘above average.’ If you’re looking for job security, look somewhere else.)

The most disappointing team of the year – as they have been for the past 26 years, dating back to the last time they were in the Super Bowl – are the Dallas Cowboys. If you don’t believe me, give Jerry Jones a call and ask him yourself.

The biggest-ever collapse in the playoffs – other than the Atlanta Falcons overtime loss in Super Bowl LI to the New England Patriots – was The Detroit Lions’ loss to the San Francisco 49’ers in this year’s NFC Championship. First half score: Detroit – 24, SF – 3. Second half score: SF – 27, Detroit – 7. The Motor City Meltdown, as it were, reigniting nightmares of the Falcon Flop of 2017.

Did you know the NFL’s leading rusher, San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, rushed for almost 300 yards more than the next leading rusher, Derrick Henry of Tennessee (1,549 and 1, 167, respectively)? Or that the NFL’s leading passer in total yardage was the fourth Alabama alumnus at quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who threw for 4,624 yards?

Did you know that San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, the last player selected in the 2022 NFL draft, put up better regular season numbers than his opposing quarterback in the Super Bowl, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes?

Purdy’s regular season numbers: 308 completions in 444 attempts (69.4%), 31 TD’s, 11 Int’s, 9.6 yards/attempt, 113 QB rating (tops in the NFL).

Mahomes’ regular season numbers: 401 completions in 597 attempts (67.2%), 27 TD’s, 14 Int’s, 7.0 yards/attempt, 92.6 QB rating.

One more: did you know Purdy’s yearly salary in 2023 was $870,000 … and that Kansas City pays Mahomes more than that in a single week? Doesn’t seem quite fair, does it?

But here’s what it all boils down to: Mahomes’ team won the Super Bowl, and he was the game’s MVP – both on the Bingo cards of many who believe the NFL ‘scripts’ the outcome of the big games ahead of time.

Brock, on the other hand, returned to the city by the bay with the satisfaction of being the first – and very possibly last – Mr. Irrelevant, the title given to the last player selected in an NFL draft, to take his team to a Super Bowl.

It all begs the question: is the NFL fixed?

Bingo.

My point after (See what I did there?) all of that is this: enjoy the NFL while you still can, because the way things are going, their anagram won’t always represent the National Football League.

Rather, the letters NFL may just soon stand for something else.

Not For Long.