2025 NFL Predictions!

It’s that time of year again – welcome to my annual NFL Predictions sure to go wrong!

Last year my playoff picks included the Ravens over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship and the Lions over the Eagles in the NFC Championship. Ultimately both runners up in those scenarios ended up playing each other and we all know how that turned out. Sigh. Some of the more shocking storylines included:

The Washington Commanders riding Jayden Daniels to the NFC Championship game

Joe Burrow and the Bengals starting so slowly that they ultimately missed the playoffs

Josh Allen overcoming the loss of some key weapons to put up an MVP season

The upstart Broncos arriving a year early and making the playoffs

Some of the big questions going into this year…

Can the Bengals and Joe Burrow overcome last year’s calamity to return to the playoffs?

Will Lamar Jackson and the Ravens ever get over the playoff hump?

Can the Eagles repeat in a lackluster NFC?

What do the Lions have left after some key coaching changes?

Do vets like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson have anything left in the tank?

I’m not one for hot takes for the sake of hot takes, but this year I definitely have some thoughts that may go against the grain. With that said, let’s get it started – It’s prediction time!

AFC West:

1. Chiefs

2. Broncos

3. Raiders

4. Chargers

Divisional Outlook: Every year prognosticators bet against the Chiefs and all they did last year was make the Super Bowl off of a 15-2 record and beat the Bills to get there. Until Patrick Mahomes is no longer playing in the division, the AFC West title goes through the Chiefs. The Broncos showed me enough last year with Bo Nix and Sean Payton. Denver is a tough place to play and I can see them repeating last year’s success, especially with RJ Harvey at running back. I don’t love the Chargers weapons at all, and while it may be a bold move putting them in last and especially behind the Raiders with new head coach Pete Carroll and QB Geno Smith, I’ll take my chances.

AFC South:

1. Texans

2. Jaguars

3. Colts

4. Titans

Divisional Outlook: Gross. This easily could be one of those years where the division winner finishes with a .500 or sub .500 record. Easily the worst division in the NFL. The Texans have CJ Stroud and some solid skill players so I’ll give them the nod to win by default, but their offensive line is one of the absolute worst in the NFL. I’ve been waiting on Trevor Lawrence to put it all together for the past couple of years and this may be his last chance to prove that he’s not an all-time bust relative to his expectations. The Anthony Richardson era in Indianapolis is over and the Daniel Jones era has arrived. I’ve seen that nightmare all too many times, I will pass. Cam Ward may be the most underhyped overall first round pick in years, and it may work to his benefit. The Titans have a ways to go in terms of a rebuild but they’re finally trending in the right direction.

AFC North:

1. Ravens

2. Bengals

3. Steelers

4. Browns

Divisional Outlook: The Ravens are the standard in the NFL for stability and I don’t think this year will be any exception. The biggest question mark is the obvious – can Lamar Jackson get over the hump in the playoffs? The rest of his surrounding cast is as rock solid as can be, on both sides of the ball. The Bengals skill position players are amongst the best in the game led by Joe Burrow, but a porous defense and suspect offensive line are areas for concern. Last year I went all in and said it would be the first year that Mike Tomlin suffered a losing season and to his credit, the Steelers grinded out a winning season somehow on the backs of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. I don’t see that happening with Aaron Rodgers, although I do love their defense. The Browns will compete for the worst team in the league after drafting two quarterbacks (Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders) and then giving the starting job to veteran Joe Flacco.

AFC East:

1. Bills

2. Patriots

3. Dolphins

4. Jets

Divisional Outlook: Josh Allen is one of, if not the best quarterbacks in the game and is in his prime. The Bills defense made some big additions to their defensive line but are going to need to stay healthier this year to reach the Super Bowl. I think the Patriots are the sleeper team to watch this year. Mike Vrabel fits their culture perfectly, QB Drake Maye showed a ton of promise last year, and I may be a year ahead of myself with this one, but I love the 2025 draft class they put together. The Dolphins just feel like a team in transition, and if they don’t make the playoffs this year, Head Coach Mike McDaniel has a very good chance of being on the chopping block. Sorry Jets fans – I know how you feel but I don’t see this team doing much with Justin Fields at quarterback. The offensive line should be nice, but with a first year head coach in Aaron Glenn, I would set my expectations accordingly.

NFC West:

1. 49ers

2. Rams

3. Cardinals

4. Seahawks

Divisional Outlook: Last year I said: “A lot rides on Christian McCaffrey’s health and last year he touched the ball over 340 times – more than any other player.”  Sure enough, McCaffrey broke down and only managed to play in 4 games the entire season. This year he is healthy and I think the 49ers are a team with a schedule that looks very appealing in terms of their chances to win the division. Last year I also said: “I love the Rams roster and I think they build on last year’s momentum to surprise and win the division.” They did just that and are primed for another run. My only hesitation is the health of Matthew Stafford’s back. If Marvin Harrison Jr. and the defensive line play up to expectations, don’t be surprised to see the Cardinals in the playoffs this year. A tall order, but in a wide open NFC this year, anything is possible.  The Seahawks go into the season with new QB Sam Darnold at the helm who faltered down the stretch when they needed it most. There are some nice pieces on the roster, but I don’t think they have enough to avoid the basement.

NFC South:

1. Falcons

2. Buccaneers

3. Panthers

4. Saints

Divisional Outlook: Look, will the NFC South be the best division in football? No. But in terms of a fun watch, there’s a lot to like here. Michael Penix and Bijan Robinson alone make the Falcons must watch TV, and I think the upgrades on defense will give them the ability to surprise. Baker Mayfield may be a sleeper MVP candidate this year, as the Buc are going to let him throw and throw often. Bryce Young was a nice surprise last year, it was great to see the former first round pick seemingly save his career and find his footing. He has some nice weapons on the offensive side of the ball so continuing to develop will be key. The Saints may be the worst team in the NFL this year. Finding wins on their schedule is going to be a very difficult task with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough at the helm at quarterback.

NFC North:

1. Packers

2. Lions

3. Vikings

4. Bears

Divisional Outlook: This is such a tough division to predict. The Lions were incredible last year, but I worry that the loss of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn may cause a little bit of a step back and can easily see the Packers taking over as tops in the division. Jordan Love is healthy, has new weapons on offense, and with Micah Parsons on the defense to sure up the pass rush, there is a lot to like in Green Bay. Dan Campbell is a great coach and in terms of personnel the Lions are still stacked. Many are calling for their downfall but I still think they’re going to be solid. The Vikings are a complete crapshoot this year. They have a great coach, are solid on both sides of the ball, but have one major question and unfortunately it’s at the most important position on the field. The Vikings will go as JJ McCarthy goes – I have my doubts. We shall see. As for the Bears, I think they actually show some improvement this year and if everything falls into place, they may contend for a playoff position. That said, they have a new head coach in former Lions coordinator Ben Johnson and a 2^nd year quarterback in Caleb Williams. If they were in another division I’d have them finishing elsewhere, but they have a large climb ahead of them.

NFC East:

1. Eagles

2. Commanders

3. Giants

4. Cowboys

Divisional Outlook: There are two things that can be true – the Eagles play in a very weak conference, and the Eagles are an excellent football team. The Eagles will go through a little bit of transition on the defensive side of the ball, specifically the secondary, and the offense will miss offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, but otherwise, there is no reason to think that the Eagles shouldn’t run away with the division. If there was one thing I would look out for? Saquon Barkley’s workload. Chris Johnson, OJ Simpson, Derrick Henry, Terrell Davis, Adrian Peterson, Barry Sanders and Jamal Lewis all ran for 2,000 yards in a season. The following year? Each of them took a step back. They should watch his workload this year. I said during the playoffs that Jayden Daniels was the best rookie quarterback I ever have seen, and I would stand by that comment all day. The vibes are great after making the NFC Championship game in Washington, and while I think a step back is inevitable, that doesn’t mean the Commanders shouldn’t still be a force in the NFC. I’ll get to my 3^rd place team in a moment, but as for the Cowboys, the vibes are just off. I hated the Parsons trade for them (not trading him, WHEN they traded him), I worry that they just made a bad defense worse. Not a lot of depth and definitely injury concerns on both offense and defense. Jerry Jones will never relinquish GM duties, but he’s been amongst the worst for decades now.

Now – let’s get to my beloved New York Giants. There is no one who has been harder on them in past years than myself. As a matter of fact last year I stated: “Daniel Jones needs to excel this year or he’s gone. Not play average, not play serviceable – it’s year 6. It’s time to show up. I love the defensive line, I don’t love our DB. I think Nabers is going to be great, but I don’t have a ton of faith after him with our receivers.”

Pretty accurate. Daniel Jones is gone, thank goodness, and the giants have brought in Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and rookie QB Jaxson Dart to fill out the QB room. Malik Nabers is one of the most explosive receivers in the league, Tyrone Tracy is in for a big year, and the defensive front is amongst the best in football. Do I think the Giants make the playoffs? No. There are still questions on the offensive line, the receiving room isn’t particularly deep, and the team is extremely young. But Abdul Carter, Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and Marcus Mbow are 4 rookies that are going to bring some optimism back to this franchise. Maybe we’ll finish 3^rd, maybe we’ll finish 4^th, but regardless of record I think this team is FINALLY moving in the right direction. That’s a start.

Playoffs:

NFC:

1. Eagles

2. Packers

3. 49ers

4. Falcons

Wild Card: Rams, Commanders, Lions (Bucs next in)

AFC:

1. Chiefs

2. Ravens

3. Bills

4. Texans

Wild Card: Bengals, Broncos, Patriots

AFC Championship: Ravens over Bills

NFC Championship: Eagles over 49ers

Super Bowl: Ravens over Eagles

Enjoy the season everyone!