Vibes are Off: 3 NFL playoff teams from 2023 who won’t make it back in 2024

The 2024 NFL campaign is on the horizon, meaning it's officially time to make predictions. 

Everyone starts with a blank slate, allowing us to plant our flags and see whether our prophecies get spoken into existence. Here, we will focus on the upcoming playoff picture, forecasting who from last year's postseason won't make the cut this season.

For context, six teams from the 2022 playoffs failed to accomplish the feat almost 12 months later, illustrating how difficult it is to achieve annually. With that in mind, these three franchises stick out like a sore thumb as the likeliest regression candidates.

3. Los Angeles Rams

It took the Los Angeles Rams winning seven of their final eight regular-season games to make the playoffs in 2023. They're now one Matthew Stafford injury away from being forced to choose between middling veteran Jimmy Garoppolo or an unproven Stetson Bennett IV.

Moreover, the Rams lost one of the best defensive players of all time (and the greatest of his generation) to retirement — defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

The Rams have attempted to offset Donald's decision to hang up the cleats this offseason. They selected Florida State's dynamic pass-rushing duo with their first- and second-round picks, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. They and second-year standout Kobie Turner, who thrived alongside the future Hall of Famer, form a respectable bunch.

Still, filling the Donald-sized void is an exceptionally lofty task. Even with the superstar interior defender, Los Angeles had a below-average unit. They ranked 19th in average yards per play (5.3) and opponent points per game (22.3) last season.

The reliance on an aging Stafford, who is already and notably dealing with a hamstring issue (though he's returned to practice), is concerning. Pair that with Donald no longer being in the mix, and it's enough to bump the Rams out of the playoffs of a revamped NFC.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has posted 17 consecutive winning seasons, including 11 playoff appearances. So, including his squad on this list could age poorly. However, fading the prominent sideline general in 2024 shouldn't be the only thing that deteriorates concerning the renowned organization -- their quarterback play remains an issue.

Pittsburgh completely overhauled their quarterback room this offseason. They swapped their underwhelming trio of Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky with a washed-up Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. While the Steelers ostensibly upgraded, it's still an unsettling situation.

Neither Wilson nor Fields have been able to create much separation in their positional battle. Their struggles in the preseason are alarming. The Steelers' first-team offense hasn't scored any points in two consecutive exhibition contests. As stout as Pittsburgh's defensive unit is, it's a quarterback-driven league, putting them in a challenging spot.

Playing in arguably the strongest division in football, the Steelers' best chance of reaching the playoffs is the Wild Card. The high-level competitors Pittsburgh has to face, combined with the shoddy projected production from Wilson/Fields, makes Pittsburgh hard to trust.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No one expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs last season. But the resurgence of gunslinger Baker Mayfield made all the difference.

Tampa Bay is virtually running it back with the same roster they had in 2023 after winning the lowly NFC South. Be that as it may, the division got stiffer this offseason, primarily the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta recently added two Pro Bowl defenders in 24 hours (edge rusher Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons). They also gave veteran Kirk Cousins a massive payday this offseason to address their quarterback woes from the year prior. The Falcons also brought in a new coaching staff that figures to be better than the last regime.

Meanwhile, the Bucs lost offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who accepted a head coaching gig with the Carolina Panthers. He played a tremendous role in Tampa Bay's surprising success with his play-calling prowess.

The Bucs missing the 2024 playoffs is a medley of them crashing down to earth, Canales being gone and Atlanta's moves. Like the Steelers, their best chance will be to sneak into the Wild Card, which feels unlikely given the circumstances.