The Most Improved NFL Teams and Players

Wondering which NFL teams and QBs saw their stock grow the most in the 2023 season? We’ve ranked and revealed the most improved franchises and quarterbacks.

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The NFL is an ever-growing industry with an increasing demand for franchises and players to perform at the very highest level. But with rising competition comes the need to deliver yearly improvement to keep up.

With this in mind, we wanted to find out which NFL teams and players stepped up their game the most, compared to the 2022 regular season.

Comparing a range of factors, we’ve identified and ranked the five most improved major league football teams and quarterbacks in 2023, with some interesting results! So, without further ado, read on to discover who makes the cut…

The most improved NFL teams

Taking top spot as the most improved NFL team in 2023 – compared to the 2022 regular season – we have the Houston Texans, with a seriously impressive index score of 5.817 out of 7.

In a season that saw the Texans reach the play-offs for the first time since 2019, the AFC South franchise won 38.2% more games in 2023 than the previous year, while earning 1,000 more yards and registering 11 more touchdowns than 12 months ago. To put this feat into context, the next closest team by win percentage increase was the LA Rams (29.4%)!

Next up by overall improvement, we have the Detroit Lions, with an index score of 5.088. This follows a remarkable season, which saw the Lions reach the Conference Championship for the first time in over 30 years. Unfortunately, just like in ’92, the Lions also missed out on a shot at the Super Bowl.

Delving into the data, the Detroit franchise especially stands out when it comes to yards conceded, recording 956 fewer this year than last. This is the second-best rate of all NFL teams, and behind only the Cleveland Browns.

In third, the Baltimore Ravens record an index score of 5.087, placing closely behind the Lions due to missing out on the play-offs. They saw their win percentage rise by 17.7% – but the standout example of their improvement is their touchdown record (21 better this season than last!). No other team saw a greater increase in TDs.

Meanwhile, in fourth, the Los Angeles Rams register an index score of 5.017, helped along by boasting a 29.4% uplift in win rate, scoring 12 more touchdowns than 2022/23, and gaining a combined 1,339 more yards – a bigger increase than any other team.

Finally, rounding out the five most improved NFL franchises in 2023/24, the Cleveland Browns score 4.963, thanks to factors such as a 23.5% rise in win rate and registering eight more turnovers than last season.

The most improved NFL players

Taking top spot as the most improved NFL QB, we have Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott (with an index score of 4.188). This is helped by the fact he made more touchdown passes in 2023 (+13) and threw less interceptions across the season (-6).

Meanwhile, in second, we have Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pro Bowl QB Baker Mayfield with an index score of 4.133. He largely earns his stripes thanks to a significant improvement in the number of TDs he threw (+18) in 2023 compared to 2022.

Taking third spot is former Pittsburgh Steelers, now Tennessee Titans QB Mason Rudolph who has an index score of 4.025. Although Rudolph was simply a backup in 2022, he managed to showcase his ability last year largely contributed by his QBR rating (+70.60).

Following is the Cincinnati Bengals’ Jake Browning (with an index score of 4.231). This is helped along by him enjoying an increased QBR rating (+60.1) and putting in a solid shift during the 2023 season in terms of the number of touchdown passes thrown (+12).

Finally, we have San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, with an index score of 4.220. Purdy performs particularly well when it comes to the number of additional passing yards, he achieved vs last season (+2,906), as well as passing touchdowns (+18), while he also featured as the Pro Bowl starting quarterback.

So, there we have it – the five NFL teams and quarterbacks who’ve got the strongest claim for ‘most improved’ this year! Of course, eyes will soon turn to the 2024 regular season, so it’ll be interesting to see who takes the crown next year.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for even more insight from our team of sports experts, such as the NFL entrances that generate the biggest pre-game buzz, head on over to the Betway blog.

Methodology

All data is correct as of 03/28/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regard to the sources provided.

Most improved NFL teams

This dataset ranks the most improved NFL teams according to seven different factors.

•       Win % – The difference in the % of games won between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Playoff Achieved – The difference in the number of playoffs achieved between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

•       Yards Won – The difference in the number of yards won by offense between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Touchdowns Scored – The difference in the number of touchdowns scored by offense between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Yards Allowed – The difference in the number of yards allowed by defense between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons (high values get a low score).

•       Touchdowns Allowed – The difference in the number of touchdowns allowed by defense between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons (high values get a low score).

•       Opponent Turnovers – The difference in the number of opponent turnovers by defense between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalized, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalized values were then summed, to give each location a total score out of 7.

Most improved NFL quarterbacks

This dataset ranks NFL quarterbacks who played in the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons, based on how much they improved between seasons – according to six different factors.

The difference between the 2022 and 2023 values were then calculated and normalized, to provide each factor difference with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given.

•       Passing Yards – The difference in passing yards between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Passing Touchdowns – The difference in passing touchdowns between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Passer Rating – The difference in passer rating between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Quarterback Rating – The difference in quarterback rating between the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

•       Interceptions Thrown – The difference in the number of interceptions thrown between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

•       Pro Bowls – The difference in the number of Pro Bowls played between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Due to Pro Bowls occurring after the season, this means the 2023 and 2024 pro bowls were used.

The normalized values were then summed, to give each quarterback a total score out of 6. The quarterbacks were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.