A lot can happen in a year, so we took a stab at ranking all 32 teams' passing attacks with the bulk of the offseason moves in the rearview mirror.
We are now at the point of the NFL offseason where it's a waiting game. Free agency is long gone, the 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone and now, it's all about getting ready for those grueling training camp practices before the preseason kicks off.
With the season fast approaching, we decided to look back at last year's offensive performances as a whole; specifically the air attacks.
From there, we assessed the offseason additions, subtractions and attempted to power rank every team from a passing offense standpoint.
You think you know the top 10? You just might, but buckle up. There will be some surprises along the way.
NFL Power Rankings: Predicting the best passing attacks for the 2023 season:
32. Atlanta Falcons
At the very bottom of the pack are the Atlanta Falcons. Second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder has a whole lot to prove, especially for a team that could be in on the 2024 quarterback class. He has said a lot of the right things this offseason and seems excited about what Atlanta has going on, offensively.
But, this Falcons offense is still going to be a running team, first. Last year, the Falcons finished third in the NFL in rushing with a myriad of ball carriers contributing. The biggest difference between last year and this year?
It will help the offense, and run game as a whole, when you are able to boast one of the best running back prospects of this century, and Robinson is sure to get a huge workload.
Now, Atlanta should get the ball to Kyle Pitts and Drake London from time to time. After all, Atlanta didn't draft Pitts no. 5 overall, once upon a time, to be a blocker, right? Those two should see some more action, but the Falcons are going to be a running team and Ridder might struggle.
31. Tennessee Titans
Last year, the Tennessee Titans finished 30th in the NFL in passing, and in 2023, not a whole lot is going to change. This offseason, the Titans saw three starting offensive linemen leave from a year ago, whether it was a decision to cut them or see a player like Nate Davis sign elsewhere in free agency.
The starting quarterback is still Ryan Tannehill, as of right now, and aside from the one positive year he had in Tennessee, he hasn't been much more than average.
Over the past couple of seasons, Tennessee has tried to use bandaids to cover up the wide receiver position. Veterans like Julio Jones and Robert Woods haven't exactly panned out the way they had hoped, and now there is a ton of pressure on second-year-pro Treylon Burks to be the guy.
Second-year tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo should get some more looks and is a breakout candidate, but beyond he and Burks, the Titans don't have a lot to love in the passing game.
The one elephant in the room, still, is at quarterback. How long will Tannehill last with rookie Will Levis staring him down as the backup? Tannehill is obviously not the future in Tennessee, and the Titans probably aren't going to be a very good team. So, it might be Levis' time before we know it, and that will come with some rookie struggles, as well.
30. New England Patriots
Last season, the Patriots finished 20th in passing, overall. That seems too high for a team that, at one point, had a quarterback controversy brewing between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. In addition, it was Matt Patricia calling the plays, offensively, which is a completely different and hilarious story altogether.
New England doesn't seem to have any real identity passing the football, and unless Jones takes a major step forward, we could see more of the same from last year. Jones didn't push the ball downfield too often and was never one with the big arm in college, either.
Meanwhile, behind him is Zappe, who is the polar opposite type of passer. Zappe can push the ball down the field with the best of them, as evidenced by the near-6,000 yards he threw for in 2021. Jones will struggle again this season, and the Patriots will have a quarterback conundrum once more.
New England also doesn't have a legitimate, alpha wide receiver. That room consists of guys like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Devante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton, among others. If Zappe takes over, it would be ideal for New England to see someone emerge as a real WR1.
29. Arizona Cardinals
A year ago, the Arizona Cardinals somehow finished 18th in passing. But, that's also because Kyler Murray played part of the season, as did DeAndre Hopkins. Fast forward to present day, and the Cardinals will more than likely be starting the season without Murray, who is coming back from a torn ACL.
Not only will they be without Murray, but Hopkins is also out of the picture, too. This is a team that is in full-on rebuild mode and is in no hurry to win football games. Murray won't come back too soon, that's for certain. And, why would he? He has no reason to come back sooner than when he is 100 percent healthy.
Without Murray to begin the year, it will be Colt McCoy throwing to Marquise Brown as the team's de facto number-one wide receiver. Is Brown good enough to own that type of role? He wasn't quite ready in Baltimore, but now has an opportunity to step up and be "him" for Arizona.
Whether or not he can do it remains irrelevant, though, as the Cardinals are going to struggle offensively and defensively; in every aspect of the game, really. This team is going to be bad.
28. Carolina Panthers
I hesitate to put the Panthers this low, but it's difficult when so many other teams did improve and should be better in the passing game. These bottom few teams could be alternated in a variety of orders, but here we are at no. 28 with Carolina.
The Panthers, of course, drafted Bryce Young out of Alabama number one overall this year. Young comes into the league as a highly-touted quarterback prospect and has some respectable weapons in the passing game, although not one big-time wide receiver stands out.
Last season, the Panthers finished 29th in passing while ending 10th in rushing. When Carolina started running the ball more effectively, they began to change the tempo of games and play much better football overall. Ideally, Carolina will stick to running the ball more often in an effort to help take pressure off Young.
Newcomer and veteran Adam Thielen will probably take the reins as the number one guy for Young, proving he's someone the young passer can trust. But, watch out for rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo. Carolina loves him already, and he could surprise us in his first year.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished second in the NFL in passing. It may or may not have had something to do with the greatest quarterback this league has ever seen playing under center in Tampa Bay.
Okay, fine, it had everything to do with Tom Brady. This coming season, the Bucs will still have similar weaponry in guys like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who are excellent targets. However, the quarterback position is anything but solved.
The Bucs will see a competition between former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield and former second-round pick Kyle Trask, who has yet to have any meaningful NFL experience.
Without Brady, this offense will look a lot different. The entire team is going to look much different, for that matter. Whether it's Mayfield or Trask doesn't matter, because this passing attack will take a huge step backward. Brady may have looked done at times, but he was still extremely smart and calculated with his throws. The man could still sling it at 45 years old.
Mayfield and Trask, even far younger than Brady, have nowhere near the potential of airing it out this coming season.
26. Houston Texans
Part of me feels a little bad for putting the Texans one spot lower than they finished in 2022. Houston ended last season as the 25th-ranked passing attack in the NFL, and this year they might finish right around the same spot. But, it's not for lack of improvement. Once again, there are a few teams that were down toward the bottom last year which have improved a good amount.
One of the big questions in Houston, this year, will be whether or not rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will stand out as a rookie or if he'll take a while to develop. The Texans do have a sneaky group of wide receivers and running backs to support the rookie, so if he takes off in his first season, don't be surprised.
Stroud will be throwing to the likes of Nico Collins, who has shown flashes early in his career, in addition to veteran Robert Woods, who should look better than he did last year after a full offseason of work.
The Texans also have John Metchie coming back after his battle with Leukemia, and he was one of the draft's best route runners a year ago coming out of Alabama. Then, there's rookie Xavier Hutchinson, who gives the Texans another bigger body that can make plays downfield.
25. Green Bay Packers
It is going to feel really weird seeing the Green Bay Packers' passing attack struggle. After all, it's been over three decades of nothing but gold, no pun intended. Green Bay had the luxury of Brett Favre followed by Aaron Rodgers, and now they're turning it over to Jordan Love in his first year as the team's starter and fourth year in the league, overall.
Last season, with Rodgers, the Packers finished 17th in passing. Read that again, folks.
The Packers, with Aaron Rodgers, finished in the back half of the NFL in passing.
This year, the Packers are a mystery at quarterback and wide receiver. We saw plenty of great things out of Christian Watson as a rookie, and Romeo Doubs gave us reason for hope as well. But, again, that was with Rodgers. Was it a lot to do with Rodgers and less to do with the talent at receiver?
I suppose we'll find out. But, something tells me Love is not going to pan out the way Packer fans would like to see. He was a wildcard in college at Utah State, yet somehow ended up in the first round. He's got a great arm but makes some throws reminiscent of bad Jay Cutler.
Yes, Packer fans, I just compared your new starting quarterback to Jay Cutler.
24. Washington Commanders
A year ago, somehow the Washington Commanders finished 21st in the NFL in passing. Now, the team has moved on from Carson Wentz and quarterback is somewhat of a mystery going into the summer months.
Second-year-pro Sam Howell is well-liked around the building and they'd love to give him his shot to prove he can be their guy. But, just in case, the team signed veteran Jacoby Brissett this offseason, who is a more than capable backup or fill-in starter.
The Commanders have a lot of talent around their quarterback, so if there's a guy who emerges, he could see some success. Terry McLaurin is one of the more underrated wide receivers in the game today and just hasn't had the quarterback talent to prove it. Jahan Dotson should take a step in his second year, and as a rookie, he provided some excellent tape.
In the backfield, there's plenty of talent to help the quarterback as well between Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson.
Tight end is a little blurry, but behind the veteran Logan Thomas are a couple of guys Washington really likes in Cole Turner and John Bates. Again, if a quarterback emerges here, Washington could be a sneaky passing attack.
23. Chicago Bears
This is one of the biggest jumps we're predicting, here, with the Chicago Bears going from dead last in 2022 all the way up to 23rd this coming season. The Bears didn't just finish dead last in 2022, though, they finished last by a mile. Chicago finished nearly 400 passing yards behind the 31st-ranked Atlanta Falcons.
General manager Ryan Poles did wonders in adding talent around Justin Fields this offseason, though, and that's why the Bears are going to take such a big leap.
Poles added two quality starting offensive linemen in Nate Davis and rookie Darnell Wright, but even more exciting was the move to trade for wide receiver D.J. Moore. Coming over from the Carolina Panthers, Moore is no stranger to 1,000-yard seasons even at the young age of 26.
With Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan at tight end, joining receivers like Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Tyler Scott, the Bears should have plenty of guys for Fields to throw to.
In the backfield, the Bears are loaded with a variety of talent between veterans Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman, plus the rookie Roschon Johnson.
Fields' dual-threat skill set is going to cause problems, and in Year 2 of his offense he should be much more comfortable. It will be fun to watch this kid break out in both the passing game and with his legs in 2023.
22. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts will likely finish similarly to how they finished last season — 23rd. The quarterback position was anything but solved in 2022, with Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger taking most of the reps.
This season, the tides are turning as the Colts invested in who they hope to be their franchise quarterback, rookie Anthony Richardson out of Florida. With Richardson under center, the Colts' rushing attack is far more dangerous, as if it wasn't already scary with Jonathan Taylor back there.
Hopefully, the offensive line can show up a bit more than it did last year. Richardson needs time to develop, which means he needs time in the pocket. Indianapolis will likely be a run-heavy team, but that should set Richardson up to take some shots, and he's got a cannon.
Richardson has some weapons in Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and a young, up-and-coming tight end who deserves to be used more in Jelani Woods. We'll see what this unit can do.
Last year, the Colts finished 23rd, so moving up one spot would be an improvement. Still, they will lean heavily on Taylor and use Richardson's legs, which will be more of a natural tendency for a young quarterback, especially if he is often under pressure.
21. Cleveland Browns
A year ago, the Browns were actually far more efficient, offensively, under the direction of Jacoby Brissett. Once Deshaun Watson came back from his suspension, he was understandably rusty. Every aspect of the offense looked shaky at best.
Now having a full offseason to work and get further past his legal situation, Watson could come back better than last year, but will he? In 2022, the Browns finished 22nd, so here we are once more with a team that moves up just one notch.
If the Browns were smart with Watson, they would continue to lean on the run led by Nick Chubb, who is up there as one of the best pure runners in the entire league. Outside of the run game, the Browns definitely have weapons. Amari Cooper and the newly-acquired Elijah Moore will lead the receiver group, but Donovan Peoples-Jones is still a deep threat who can come up with big catches when needed most.
Let's not forget about the ultra-athletically talented David Njoku, either. When he's used, Njoku looks like one of the best tight ends in the game. For Watson's sake, getting Njoku more touches will be imperative.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
A quarterback's second year starting is always an important one in their development, which is why the Pittsburgh Steelers went out and surrounded Kenny Pickett with even more talent than he had a year ago.
Pittsburgh signed veteran offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo while drafting Georgia' Broderick Jones to give Pickett two fresh, talented guys up front to further protect him and aid in the Najee Harris-led run game.
In 2022, the Steelers finished 24th in passing, so a four-step jump is an improvement. Ideally, Pittsburgh will be a run-first team. The gritty, physical style of football is one that Pittsburgh has historically leaned on, and Harris is definitely a guy they can do that with. The blocking simply has to be better, though.
Pickett will be throwing to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens like he was last year. But the Steelers also added veteran Allen Robinson, and we'll see how much he has left to offer after some up-and-down years the past couple of seasons.
Still having much to prove, Pickett will need to show he's capable of being the Steelers' franchise quarterback. An improvement in Year 2 is imperative.
19. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are such a difficult team to figure out. Going into last season, many thought they would be an AFC heavyweight after landing Russell Wilson in a trade from the Seahawks. Wilson had been one of the league's best quarterbacks for roughly a decade, and coming to a team with so much talent around him was bound to lead to a playoff run, right?
Wrong.
Oh, so wrong.
The Broncos finished 19th in passing last year, but it felt far worse than that with how Wilson looked. He looked lost. He looked broken. Can Sean Payton fix him? That's what the Broncos are banking on, but let's not hold our breath.
Wilson has a lot to work with, weapon-wise. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler, and rookie Marvin Mims headline an extremely deep wide receiver room. Second-year tight end Greg Dulcich looks poised for a breakout if he gets the necessary targets. Hopefully, Javonte Williams returns healthy and can give the Broncos the same juice he showed before the injury.
It all hinges on whether or not Wilson bounces back, though. If he's the same guy he was last season, the Broncos won't improve much, and that's what we're predicting here.
18. New York Giants
Last season, the New York Giants were one of the league's top surprises, offensively. New head coach Brian Daboll worked wonders with Daniel Jones, just when everyone was wondering whether or not he was going to be the future of this team.
Jones' turnovers were at a career-low and he was highly efficient under Daboll. It's was an impressive showing from a quarterback who needed a big year in an even bigger way. Jones did it without much of a receiving room, too. In fact, the Giants' receiving core might be the most inconsistent in all of football, and hopefully that changes for Jones and the Giants going into 2023.
Isaiah Hodgins came on toward the tail end of last season and developed some great chemistry with Jones. Meanwhile, Darius Slayton is still there and has shown some flashes at times. The team also brought in Parris Campbell, who they are supposedly going to use as an offensive weapon, all over the field.
Then, there's rookie Jalin Hyatt who could end up being the team's WR1 if given the chance. Darren Waller's arrival should help alleviate some pressure in the passing game, too, and the Giants should look formidable at the very least.
17. San Francisco 49ers
Quite frankly, it doesn't matter who is under center for the San Francisco 49ers. As long as Kyle Shanahan is coaching, they will be efficient on offense, and they will do it first and foremost through the run game.
Adding Christian McCaffrey last year, the 49ers looked like a totally different team on offense. He was absolutely the most perfect addition any team could have made before the deadline. He changed their game from the get-go.
This year, it's been Trey Lance under center with the first team, so far. But, by the time Week 1 rolls around, we could see someone like Sam Darnold take over. While Brock Purdy recovers from injury, it'll be a battle between these two for that starting position. And again, it doesn't matter.
Shanahan's offense will thrive, no matter what.
Weapons like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle will do the rest once they have the ball in their hands, and that's pretty easy for any of these quarterbacks to get done with a schemer like Shanahan in charge.
San Francisco should dominate on the ground as usual, but they'll be respectable in the passing game.
16. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders made the most lateral of all lateral moves this past offseason when they moved on from longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr and then went after veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Raiders are still going to be one of those offenses that you can't quite figure out. They will have their ups, but they will have some moments that make you wonder what the heck is going on. That's how they were with Carr, and it's not going to be much different with a guy like Garoppolo.
Hopefully, they have Josh Jacobs in the backfield as long as there isn't a contract dispute and he ends up playing this year. Jacobs, the NFL's leading rusher in 2022, gives this offense a consistency that's much needed for a unit that was otherwise inconsistent.
Here's the game plan, if I'm Vegas: Give the ball to Davante Adams… a lot.
Adams will dominate if he gets his targets, just as he's always done. He's going to be Garoppolo's best friend, assuming Garoppolo is able to play. That's another wildcard in this situation, with Garoppolo still not being healthy.
If he's not under center, who knows where the Raiders will turn. Maybe, it'll be rookie Aidan O'Connell or veteran Brian Hoyer. In either of those events, the Raiders won't even finish 16th.
15. New Orleans Saints
From Carr's former team to his new team, there isn't going to be a lot of difference. After all, we are right in the middle, here, where there are going to be some teams that will have some great games and other games where their passing attack is simply mediocre.
Carr comes to the Saints as a hopeful solution for the immediate future, while the organization figures out what they want to do under center in the long term.
One of the biggest questions about this passing attack will be around the health of veteran receiver Michael Thomas. Is he healthy? Is he going to stick around? Is he going to play? If he does suit up for Week 1, how long will he be able to last?
Ideally, and for the sake of the Saints and Thomas, his injuries are behind him. When healthy, he is still one of the best possession receivers in the game.
New Orleans also has last year's rookie sensation Chris Olave, who put up some great performances even while catching passes from Andy Dalton. So long as Olave and Thomas are on the field, along with Alvin Kamara, this offense should be fine — but that's about it. They'll score some points, but not enough to compete with the NFC's elite.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars actually finished 10th in the NFL in passing, believe it or not. Just typing those words feels odd, but it happened, and all thanks to Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence.
Predicting them to fall back four spots seems like a negative, but there are just too many teams that are going to be better in 2023, so this is still a pretty solid spot for Jacksonville to be.
Getting running back Travis E'Tienne back should make a big difference in the consistency of this offense in 2023, especially because of his ability to catch the football and his chemistry with Lawrence.
Another guy this offense will have for 2023 is former Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who returns after his year-long suspension. Giving this offense an elite weapon like Ridley should further cement the Jaguars as one of the more exciting, young passing attacks in football.
The Jaguars still have Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram as three of Lawrence's favorite targets, too.
13. Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson is fresh off signing a brand-new contract that will keep him in Baltimore for the next five years, also making him the highest-paid player in the league. This offseason, the Ravens did a masterful job giving Jackson as much as he could possibly need for the best year of his career.
Jackson gets veteran Odell Beckham Jr. to throw to now, along with rookie Zay Flowers and another veteran, Nelson Agholor. Jackson still has two formidable tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, too. Baltimore will continue to run the ball, but not as much as they have in years past, and that's a good thing.
New offensive coordinator Todd Monkey is going to focus more heavily on Jackson passing, rather than so much ground game, too. That was music to Jackson's ears when he first found out about the new scheme; so much, so that Jackson did say he'd like to throw for 6,000 yards this coming season. Was that a joke? Was it serious? Either way, this year should be fun for the Ravens.
Last year, the Ravens finished 28th in passing, so jumping up 15 spots is an enormous jump, but it's definitely possible. We've seen flashes of Jackson being a legitimate passing quarterback, but Greg Roman never allowed him to do that on a regular basis.
12. Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts' breakout earned him a fat contract this offseason, and the fun will only continue in Philadelphia. Last year, they finished ninth in the NFL in passing, so staying right around that area at No. 12, the Eagles will continue to score a lot of points and do much of it through the air.
Adding A.J. Brown a year ago certainly did wonders for Hurts and this passing attack, and a second year of chemistry and work will only further that relationship. Hurts and the Eagles should continue running the football and doing much of their damage on the ground, with guys like D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell.
Philadelphia loves using many running backs, and adding two solid veterans in Swift and Penny only further that notion. The only question with those guys is, will they be able to stay healthy?
Let's go back to the air attack, too, because DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are worth mentioning. These are another two elite weapons for Hurts to work with, and just because I have this offense stepping back a couple of spots doesn't mean they're going to take a step back, offensively. Philadelphia is going to move the ball, and they'll do it in both phases.
11. Los Angeles Rams
This might be a hot take, but hear me out for a moment. Last year was an anomaly. We can throw it away.
Is Sean McVay still the head coach and offensive mind behind the Los Angeles Rams? He sure is.
Is Matthew Stafford healthy? Is Cooper Kupp healthy?
If we can answer yes to both of those questions come Week 1, then this Rams offense is going to be just fine. McVay isn't going to allow another disaster like we saw in 2022, especially not if his two leaders are healthy and on the field.
It also sounds like the relationship between running back Cam Akers and the Rams has been mended, with reports saying that Akers is going to be a featured piece of the offense, let's hope there is a bit more balance. The Rams finished 27th in the league in rushing a year ago, and if they can up that to inside no. 20, then their passing attack will once again flourish.
Another aspect of the Rams' offensive potential is the fact that their defense could be far worse in 2023, thus giving up far more points and needing to score more, themselves.
10. Seattle Seahawks
I'm going to be honest, here. The Seattle Seahawks could very well finish even higher than No. 10 on this list. The run game is a mystery, as to whether Kenneth Walker is truly a legitimate workhorse back or if the Seahawks will just end up mixing in the run with a heavy passing attack.
If I'm a Seahawks fan, I'm just fine with throwing the ball the majority of the time, because Geno Smith has more weapons than he's ever had in his career. Smith is looking at throwing to a receiving core featuring two studs in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but also first-round addition Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Seattle also has a trio of highly underrated tight ends who are all serviceable in their own way, between Noah Fant, Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson.
Last season, the Seahawks shocked everybody with their overall performance and playoff berth. Their passing attack finished 12th, and it should be even better this coming season due to the addition of Smith-Njigba and Smith going into his second season as the full-time starter.
It wasn't supposed to be this way, but the Seahawks are in great shape to make another playoff run after shipping off Russell Wilson a year or so ago.
9. New York Jets
There are many who are acting as if the addition of Aaron Rodgers is going to suddenly lunge the New York Jets into Super Bowl contention, and I have news for those folks: you are all wrong.
The Jets are going to be a good team, but they are still maybe the second-best team in the AFC East behind the Bills. The Jets would also still have to get by the likes of not just the Bills, but the Chiefs and Bengals en route to AFC supremacy.
New York's offense is going to be improved, no doubt. Rodgers takes them up a notch, but watching him last year, you could tell he was aging. His age showed. Time is catching up with him, as a lot of his passes simply looked off. Now, he also had other moments where you went, "Yep, he's still got it."
The supporting cast is fantastic, assuming Breece Hall comes back healthy from his ACL tear and Michael Carter is a strong second fiddle. Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb all make up a solid unit of wideouts, with Wilson being the alpha dog. The Jets will be a great offense, but they won't jump into the top five like some think they might.
8. Detroit Lions
Somehow, the Detroit Lions' passing attack is back and Matthew Stafford is still gone. It's been the resurgent Jared Goff to take the Lions' passing game over the hump, finishing right here at No. 8 overall in 2022.
Goff put up an impressive season, especially considering he didn't have a true, alpha wide receiver to depend on outside. It was a lot of Amon-Ra St. Brown, of course, with a whole lot mixed in from other guys. To start the 2023 season, it's going to be more of the same as second-year-pro Jameson Williams is set to serve a six-week suspension.
Once Williams is back, it will be interesting to see if he can jump right back in and finally consistently contribute after missing most of his rookie season due to recovering from an ACL tear.
Goff will also have Josh Reynolds back, along with Marvin Jones' second stint in Detroit. The shifty Kalif Raymond is still there, and the Lions also have some running backs who can catch the football in rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and veteran David Montgomery.
The Lions are a safe bet to finish inside the top 10 once more in 2023.
7. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have officially moved into the post-Ezekiel Elliott era, thankfully and for the sake of their offense overall. Tony Pollard has been the better player for over a year now, and the Cowboys finally figured that out. While Pollard is a very good player, the Cowboys will still remain mostly a passing offense, and that's just fine.
Dak Prescott should end up returning to form after an up-and-down return from injury last year and now has Brandin Cooks in addition to CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and a pair of sneaky running backs behind Pollard in Malik Davis and rookie Deuce Vaughn.
Adding a guy like Cooks might be the secret sauce, here, because he's far from done with his career and has plenty left in the tank. He's also been on the losing side too many times in recent years, and the Cowboys are a team to watch out for in the NFC this year. Prescott should bounce right back to being that 4,500-plus passer with 30 or more touchdowns, and the Cowboys are going to finish as the respectable No. 7 passing offense.
6. Minnesota Vikings
There was no more confusing or frustrating team, in terms of annoying their fan base in 2022, than the Minnesota Vikings. A team that won so many one-score games and ultimately fell on their face during the playoffs, Minnesota attempted to revamp their defense for next season and should also continue to score plenty of points.
While their defense will be improved, it's not going to be to the point where the Vikings will have to stop scoring at least 25 points per game, or so. The Vikings will need to continue to score, and they'll need to do it without Dalvin Cook now that he's been released.
Alexander Mattison is a good player, but he's not Cook. Kirk Cousins will once again go easily over 4,500 passing yards for the second-straight season, especially because his weapons should be even better year over year.
T.J. Hockenson has a full season with the Vikings ahead, plus an entire offseason of work with the team. Not to mention, rookie Jordan Addison steps right into the role of aging veteran Adam Thielen who was allowed to leave.
Minnesota has weapons, but none greater than Justin Jefferson, who should be in line for a stellar season and career highs across the board. The hype behind Jefferson for 2023 is real, and it's warranted.
5. Buffalo Bills
The Bills' lack of a true workhorse running back, coupled with the fact that general manager Brandon Beane wants to limit Josh Allen's hits and turnovers, will be the main reason this offense throws even more and ultimately makes a jump from last year.
In 2022, the Bills finished as the league's 7th overall passing team and additionally finished as a top-10 rushing attack. But, Allen's legs should be limited a bit more thus saving him some hits. If Stefon Diggs has anything to say about it, I would assume he'd like the team to not only throw more but throw him the ball even more (yes, more than his 28 percent target share in 2022).
All jokes aside, Allen is one of the best in the business and has been notably more locked in this offseason than ever before. The Bills have to understand this season is all about winning a Lombardi, and Allen is entering Year 6. This is the time to go out and prove he's an elite quarterback while also toning down the giveaways.
Between Diggs, Dawson Knox, Gabriel Davis and even rookie Dalton Kincaid, Allen should have enough weapons to work with and, ultimately, have a career year en route to the league's number-five overall passing attack.
4. Miami Dolphins
This seems just right for the Miami Dolphins, considering that they actually finished fourth in passing during the 2022 season. Even without Tua Tagovailoa for an entire season, Mike McDaniel was able to get this offense to finish as a top-five passing unit.
While he played the majority of the season, there were definitely times when it looked bleak for Tua. His multiple concussions gave plenty of scare to the fan base and some even questioned whether he would wind up calling it a career because the moments we saw take place looked more than just scary. They were terrifying.
But, Tua plans to play, and hopefully, Miami can keep him upright moving forward. The Dolphins' passing attack should again be prolific, featuring two electric wideouts in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Both of these guys are a threat to take it to the house on any given snap, and McDaniel is one of the best in the game when it comes to scheming his weapons open.
As long as Tua is healthy, we should see more of the same in 2023, if not at a higher level.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals come in at number three on our power rankings, led by the cool Joe Burrow under center. Burrow is one of a couple of quarterbacks who will be thinking contract extension after this coming season, so it's officially go-time for the former first-overall pick.
Speaking of contract, a couple of things to watch for within this offense have to do a lot with contracts. First off, running back Joe Mixon might not be around much longer. The Bengals have to figure out what they're going to do with the veteran running back, and if they choose not to restructure, then Mixon could be in the market for a new team sooner than later.
Also, wide receiver Tee Higgins is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so you can bet he's going to go all out in 2023 to try and earn that bag. The unfortunate thing, for the Bengals, is that his contract likely won't be in Cincy. They won't be able to afford both he and Ja'Marr Chase.
As last year's fifth-ranked passing attack, the Bengals should launch themselves into the top three due to Burrow taking an even bigger leap and also being in the market for an extension for himself. Between he, Chase, Higgins, among others, this passing attack is going to be an explosive one just like it was a year ago.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
Last year's number three passing offense didn't even get the best version of Justin Herbert possible. In fact, 2022 was somewhat of a step back for Herbert by comparison to his first two seasons.
Herbert threw for fewer yards than he did in 2021 and also finished with the fewest amount of touchdown passes he's had since entering the league in 2020. In Year 4, though, Herbert looks poised to raise it up a notch.
Hopefully, the team can have Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both healthy and on the field not just for Week 1, but for the remainder of the season. Los Angeles also added first-round rookie Quentin Johnston this year, giving Herbert an abundance of weapons to work with.
Let's also not forget that the Chargers have one of the most well-rounded running backs in the game in Austin Ekeler, who is always a threat to catch and run.
This is an important season for Herbert and the Chargers. He wants to get paid this next offseason. The Chargers need a playoff berth. It's come to the point where there's been enough mediocrity from such a talented roster. The league's number two passing offense will reside in L.A. this season.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Last season's number one passing offense, the Kansas City Chiefs, should again finish in the top spot. This is no surprise, as the Chiefs boast the best quarterback in the game in Patrick Mahomes. This is an easy ranking to make, quite frankly.
So long as Mahomes is healthy and playing, his passing offense should finish in the top-5, if not the top spot, every year. We are in the midst of watching one of the greatest players this league has ever seen, and the guy is still just 27 years old.
Over the course of the offseason, the Chiefs lost one of their notable targets in JuJu Smith-Schuster going to the Patriots, but they also added rookie Rashee Rice to help alleviate that loss. To be frank, losing Smith-Schuster doesn't hurt a whole lot when you're Patrick Mahomes.
He could be throwing to anyone out there, and Mahomes would make it look effortless. The Chiefs are going to move the ball, and they're going to move it through the air. It's a given.
Mahomes still has the league's top tight end in Travis Kelce, plus last year's addition in Kadarius Toney going through a full offseason with the team. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is in his second year with the team, and hopefully, second-year-pro Skyy Moore takes a step forward as well.
Look, some thought Mahomes would take a step back after losing Tyreek Hill. All he did was lead the league in passing yards and finish with a career-best 5,250 in total. This was easy. Number one was always going to be Kansas City.
