Did Aaron Rodgers joining a New York Jets squad on the verge of a breakout campaign move the needle enough for the AFC East to be considered the NFL's top division?
Or does the overall strength and balance of the NFC East -- along with possessing the Super Bowl runner-ups in the Philadelphia Eagles -- eclipse its competitors?
There's also a strong case to be considered from the AFC North, with the Cincinnati Bengals boasting an elite core of top young talents and the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to build off their win streak to end 2022.
On the other end of the seesaw, the AFC South and NFC South are each hoping to bury the past year under the rug and emerge fresh in a new year. But that will be easier said than done.
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Let's rank the eight divisions heading into the 2023 NFL regular season:
8. NFC South
No teams above .500 emerged from the NFC South. That's how mediocre this division was last year, and that's before getting into the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers still extracting a solid season out of a 45-year-old Tom Brady.
But the future doesn't look too exciting as of now, so they remain at the bottom going into 2023. Tampa Bay looks to be giving the quarterback keys to Baker Mayfield barring a twist -- not great. The Carolina Panthers could be intriguing, but top overall pick Bryce Young might need some time to gel with his teammates before the team takes a leap.
The Atlanta Falcons may take off the training wheels from Desmond Ridder, who now has Bijan Robinson in the backfield. But that's another young team who will need another season or two to show some potential. Then there are the New Orleans Saints, who will be led by Derek Carr. They might just be good enough to outdo nine or 10 wins if they stay healthy, but that projection still feels iffy.
7. AFC South
The Jaguars carried this division last year and even earned a ridiculous comeback playoff win. They may see themselves grab a few more wins this time around if they can stay healthy, and both their offense and defense added some intriguing pieces to help push the needle.
Elsewhere, though, is concerning in the short term. Tennessee seems figured out with its Ryan Tannehill-Derrick Henry pairing. How much of an impact can DeAndre Hopkins make? And will Will Levis make life difficult for Tannehill or will it show why he slipped to the second round of the draft?
The Colts and Texans are clinging onto young head coaches and rookie quarterbacks to be the future, so don't expect either team to make too much noise out of the gate. Maybe in a year or two, but the AFC South still resides near the bottom.
6. NFC North
It feels like teams in the NFC North may be headed for some regression. The Minnesota Vikings grabbed 13 wins last year, but they were rarely taken seriously and their wild card elimination proved that. With Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen gone, there's even less talent at Kirk Cousins' disposal.
Then there's Green Bay, which is finally passing the torch from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. There may not be love at first sight in Lambeau Field in the interim, but if Love meshes well with his teammates and there's an improvement on defense, they may have something. But that's not likely in 2023.
Chicago is quite similar, as Justin Fields needs to show significant progress with the new weapons alongside him. Still, a playoff berth or run in the Windy City is more of an outside shot at the moment.
But all of this bodes well for the Lions, who ended the year on a hot streak and play gritty on both sides of the ball under the ever-upbeat Dan Campbell. Jared Goff's consistency under center will be the biggest factor, though.
5. NFC West
Near the summit just a few seasons ago, the NFC West is undergoing a reshuffling after some severe underperformances from the Rams and Cardinals, two teams who made the playoffs just a season prior.
The short-term outlook appears bleak for both, as Kyler Murray is coming off an ACL injury and might miss some time and Los Angeles has parted ways with several stars to cut down its spending. Plus, how much can the 35-year-old Matthew Stafford give with Cooper Kupp remaining the sole receiver threat?
Seattle won't be a surprise team anymore after Geno Smith impressed and earned a hefty bag, but maybe it can tack on a few more wins following some promising draft selections -- like Jaxson Smith-Njigba -- and free agency additions.
The real question of the group is San Francisco, the recent division champs. The 49ers' ceiling will ultimately be determined by their starting QB: Trey Lance, Brock Purdy or...Sam Darnold? Kyle Shanahan has a franchise-altering choice on his hands, though their general offense and defense are among the elites in the league.
4. AFC West
Once the most riveting division on paper going into 2022, the AFC West drastically failed to live up to the hype. Now that reality has settled, the Chiefs will still take a flawless performance to beat. Beyond them, Justin Herbert and the Chargers have to once and for all illustrate they can get over the hump of bottling late leads. The defense will also need to play a part and stay healthy given the stars across the board.
Las Vegas went from Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo, who seemingly still has foot issues -- not much of an upgrade there. Its secondary and linebacker groups also lack strength, so it could be another murky season in Sin City. And if that's the case, let's just put whispers out there that teams should enquire about the availability of Davante Adams or Hunter Renfrow, preferably the former.
Broncos Country is the real wild card of the group. Is Sean Payton the guy to revive Russell Wilson's career? Their rush defense also ranked as a top-10 unit, so it's up to the offense to sort itself out and become a valid threat. It all comes down to Russ.
3. NFC East
The NFC East actually does not end up ranking as a top-two division going into 2023. The Eagles are soaring above everyone else and remain a legitimate two-way team, but the other three aren't convincing enough yet.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are a story we've seen play out enough times by now to know how it ends. In spite of their consistent regular-season wins, how different will 2023 be, really?
The Giants forked out $160 million to Daniel Jones, who (spoiler alert) is not worth that amount. There's also the possible scenario of Saquon Barkley not touching the grass this season, so their sturdy defense may not even matter.
Washington is quite similar in that regard, as its playoff-ready defense may be negated if Sam Howell doesn't take a serious leap.
2. AFC North
There's serious potential for this division to be the best if two teams play up to it. The Cincinnati Bengals are the obvious leaders to reclaim the throne, with the Baltimore Ravens not too far behind depending on Lamar Jackson's availability and the overall production of players like Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers around him.
The first team who can add intrigue to the group is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Najee Harris, George Pickens, Diontae Johnson and Darnell Washington are a unique collection of weapons, but how second-year QB Kenny Pickett develops is the major tipping point. The defense ranked around average last season, so T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more will play a role on that end, too.
Then, the Cleveland Browns will now have a full year of Deshaun Watson, so most of their offensive metrics last season were off-balanced. The defense, however, is the main concern, though Jim Schwartz's arrival as defensive coordinator could see increased production across the board.
1. AFC East
The Jets were 7-10 last season and finished at the bottom. And that's because they lost six in a row after a promising start. Now they added Rodgers as the QB to an offense mixed with a healthy dose of productive veterans and youngsters. Add that to a defense led by Robert Saleh and this is a team that could contend for the title immediately if things go their way.
Buffalo remains the top team at the moment given their two-way balance, but it's mainly a matter of Josh Allen reducing his turnovers to not cost his team in key postseason moments. Miami should also threaten for a playoff spot following Jalen Ramsey's arrival in the secondary and speed remaining a theme all over the offense, though it's a matter of Tua Tagovailoa staying healthy.
The Patriots may regress again after a quarterback battle emerged last season between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Is the rest of the roster good enough to overcome their QB issues? Or will Bill Belichick find himself hunting in the quarterback market again in hopes of an upgrade? Only time will tell, but the AFC East finds itself at the mountaintop going into the new campaign.
