Evaluating Jet X writers’ 2023 NFL predictions

How did we perform in predicting the New York Jets’ 2023 season?

With a dead period of the New York Jets’ offseason underway, it might be time to look back. Not at how the players performed, but at how Jet X writers performed.

Every year, we make our predictions before the NFL season starts. We speculate about the Jets’ top and bottom performers, the team’s ultimate fate, and the breakdown of the NFL at large.

Of course, many of our 2023 predictions went down the drain four plays into the season. Still, it’s worth looking back and seeing what else happened with our predictions.

How did the Jets X-Factor writers perform in 2023?

Predictions

Here are my game-by-game predictions for 2023:

1. vs. Buffalo Bills (MNF): Win (1-0) ✅
2. at Dallas Cowboys: Loss (1-1) ✅
3. vs. New England Patriots: Win (2-1) ❌
4. vs. Kansas City Chiefs (SNF): Loss (2-2) ✅
5. at Denver Broncos: Win (3-2) ✅
6. vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Loss (3-3) ❌
7. at New York Giants: Win (4-3) ✅
8. vs. Los Angeles Chargers (MNF): Win (5-3) ❌
9. at Las Vegas Raiders (SNF): Win (6-3) ❌
10. at Buffalo Bills: Loss (6-4) ✅
11. vs. Miami Dolphins (Black Friday): Win (7-4) ❌
12. vs. Atlanta Falcons: Win (8-4) ❌
13. vs. Houston Texans: Win (9-4) ✅
14. at Miami Dolphins: Loss (9-5) ✅
15. vs. Washington Commanders: Win (10-5) ✅
16. at Cleveland Browns (TNF): Loss (10-6) ✅
17. at New England Patriots: Win (11-6) ✅

I went 11-6 in my predictions that the Jets would go 11-6, but they ended up 7-10. I think I deserve an Aaron Rodgers mulligan just like the Jets’ staff is receiving one, particularly since they chose to give up on the season once Rodgers went down.

Jet X writer predictions

None of us predicted that the Jets would win fewer than 10 games, and most of us picked 11 or 12. I think we all get mulligans on this one.

The predictions about the Jets’ best and worst players are more interesting. You could argue that Quinnen Williams was the Jets’ team MVP this season even though the team voted for Quincy. Most of us picked Garrett Wilson as the Offensive Player of the Year, though it was probably closer to a toss-up between Wilson and Breece Hall.

Kudos to Andrew Golden for sticking with his Jermaine Johnson love; Johnson had an excellent season. Once again, no one saw Quincy coming, although Sauce Gardner was a back-to-back first-team All-Pro and Quinnen was a Pro Bowl starter. Ian Roddy and Stefan Stelling nailed Joe Tippmann as the Rookie of the Year. Jeff Ulbrich, Aaron Whitecotton, and Tony Oden all have good arguments for the Coach of the Year award.

Every one of us made a good choice for most disappointing player. Michael Nania and I nailed Allen Lazard, but Carl Lawson, Dalvin Cook, and Laken Tomlinson were all good choices. Perhaps you could say that none of us at Jet X were surprised with the Jets’ most underperforming players.

We were all pretty close on the Jets’ defensive ranks and wildly off on their offense. Stefan was the closest on special teams.

Most of us overstated the Jets’ Pro Bowlers, though we did choose Quinnen and Gardner. Same with the All-Pro, though none of us got Quincy. Only Brandyn got the sacks leader right, and I got the interceptions leader.

NFL league-wide predictions

Overall, this exercise is fun simply to see how wrong we were. Reminder to Jet X writers: for next season, we should all try to go with the unexpected a little more.