Periodically here at For The Win, we’ll be keeping tabs on the NFL’s top Super Bowl 58 contenders. This index is our way of gauging the current temperature of the league while trying to get a sense of what might await us in the playoff crucible of this coming January and February. This is an unscientific rationale rooted in recent developments from one football writer’s crystal ball.
Folks, give yourselves a pat on the back. We’ve made it roughly one-third of the way through the 2023 NFL season. Where do we even begin with the storylines? Tua Tagovailoa looks worthy of an MVP in Miami. Again. In Michigan, the Detroit Lions are no longer a hot upstart — they have definitely arrived. Meanwhile, a bunch of prospective teams should really consider being active at the upcoming Halloween NFL trade deadline.
But I’m here to unpack something more important.
Who looks prepared to have their team colors paraded around in confetti this February in Las Vegas? I’m talking, of course, about the NFL’s truly elite Super Bowl contenders as we head into Week 7.
My rationale for the latest Super Bowl contender update is, as always, divulged from (mostly) scientific numbers. From quarterback play and offensive and defensive efficiency to ongoing resumes and teams that look like they still have plenty of room to grow, I consider everything. A familiar team (cough, cough) might top this list as we charge headlong toward the end of October, but you’ll be surprised to learn their case isn’t necessarily as ironclad as it seems.
Let’s dive into this week’s Super Bowl contender index and continue pondering who should reserve a hotel in Sin City in a few months.