Former NFL head coach Mike Martz is no stranger to great offenses. The Los Angeles Rams of the early 2000s were known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” for their record-setting offense. Martz was the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams in 1999, winning Super Bowl 34. He then became the head coach of the Rams for five seasons, coaching the team to another Super Bowl appearance in 2002. Martz sat down with The 33rd Team to rank his top five NFL offenses for the 2023 season.
The 33rd Team: Top 5 NFL Offenses for the 2023 Season
Martz had his top five NFL offenses listed as follows:
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Buffalo Bills
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— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) May 18, 2023
The Obvious Top NFL Offenses in 2023
The two least surprising choices on this list are the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The teams that finished 2022 facing off in the Super Bowl. Both teams have MVP-caliber quarterbacks and should be on any top-five list going into the 2023 season. Surprisingly, neither team’s offense is ranked in the top two.
The Chiefs offense did not miss a beat last season, despite trading away four-time First-Team All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Their offense ranked first in yards and points. Patrick Mahomes also won the MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards. Kansas City’s offense was the best in the NFL last season and shows no signs of slowing down.
To begin 2022, the Philadelphia Eagles were not seen as a Super Bowl-caliber offense. However, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles silenced all the doubters. The Eagles ranked second in yards and points last season. Hurts subsequently finished second in the MVP voting. ‘Second’ was the theme for the 2022 Eagles, as they also finished second overall, losing in Super Bowl.
Martz stated, “The Philadelphia Eagles are a system team on offense, and that’s okay. They’re a bit like Bill Walsh’s 49ers teams. They do what they do every week, and they do it extremely well.”
The Eagles improved their offense by adding running backs D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny. If the Eagles finish 2023 ranked fourth in offense, like Martz predicts, it would be a disappointment.
Surprising Offenses on Martz’s List
The biggest surprise, by far, is ranking the San Francisco 49ers offense at number one. The 49ers deserve to be on a top-five offense list based on their skill position players alone. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel are all excellent players.
The biggest question for the 49ers in 2023, however, is at the quarterback position. Unfortunately for San Francisco, quarterback is clearly the most important position in all of sports. It is unknown who will be the 49ers quarterback to begin the season. They will either start underwhelming Trey Lance or last year’s Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. With that considered, it is hard to believe they should be ranked as the top offense for 2023.
The other surprise on the list is the Detroit Lions being ranked at three. The Lions finished 2022 ranked third in yards and fifth in points, so they certainly deserve their flowers. The Lions, with Jared Goff, at the helm have been electric of late. As much praise as Goff deserves, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson deserves even more credit. Johnson will be a hot candidate in the next head coaching cycle no doubt.
Additionally, Martz loves rookie Jahmyr Gibbs saying that Gibbs “is going to help” the Lions “immensely”. The team also added former Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery.
The Lions are not a surprising inclusion, it is only surprising that they ranked ahead of the Eagles, Bills, and Bengals. The Bills ranked fourth in yards and points in 2022 and have MVP candidate Josh Allen at quarterback. The Bengals had a down season in 2022 in terms of yards and points. However, they still have Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and MVP candidate Joe Burrow. The Eagles finished second in offense last season and improved their team in the offseason. The Lions have an exciting offense, but going into the 2023 season third is just too high.
Who Did Martz Leave Out?
The Cincinnati Bengals are the obvious team excluded from Martz’s list of the top NFL offenses entering 2023. The Bengals are coming off their second straight AFC championship appearance, and are bringing their entire offense back. As of now, the Bengals still have productive running back Joe Mixon on their roster. They also have two stud wide receivers, Chase and Higgins. And do not forget about their extraordinary quarterback, Burrow.
The Bengals have a very strong offense however, their weakness has been their offensive line. Last year they added Alex Cappa and La’el Collins. This year they have added former Chiefs tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to their ranks. With their exceptional group of skill position players, an improved offensive line, and an outstanding quarterback, there is no reason the Bengals should not be listed as a top NFL offense in 2023.
Main Photo: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
