2025 NFL Predictions

The anticipation for football is finally over as we kick off week 1 of the football seasons. I, for one, am particularly ready for some football given a) I felt it was a particularly underwhelming summer for sports (no olympics, no world cup, regular season baseball is boring in general) and b) my Patriots might actually be a competent football team this time around.

Every year, my buddy Drew K. and I run through our division, record, and playoff predictions for the NFL year, as well as a bold prediction for each divison. Here we go!

AFC East

This is, by FAR, the easiest division winner to guess. The Buffalo Bills will, for the 6th year in a row, roll through the AFC East. The Bills return a strong core, have signiicant offensive weapons, and have the leagues reigning MVP Josh Allen. I think the Patriots are much improved , but the line play around second-year play caller Drake Maye still isn’t good enough. Additionally, the receiver core is still bad even with the addition of an aging Stefon Diggs. That said, watch for TreVeyon Henderson to become a household name by mid-year, especially for Fantasy owners. I think he will be the first offensive player with real pop (besides Maye) that the Pats have had in quite awhile. I think the Jets will improve as well, but Aaron Glenn’s first goal should be to change the culture of that team. I don’t expect more than 6 wins there. Lastly, the Dolphins are a wreck - coach on the hot seat, Tyreek disgruntled, Tua one concussion away from retiring, and it seems like half their players are always on IR. At least they are fast.

1. Buffalo Bills: 14-3 (*Z - First Round Bye)
2. New England Patriots: 9-8
3. New York Jets: 6-11
4. Miami Dolphins: 3-14

Bold Prediction: Is it even a bold prediction to predict Tyreek Hill is not on this team next year? What about halfway through the year? He hates being there. It was clear from end of last year and it’ll be clear halfway through this year. Too bad the market for his has dramatically shrunk.

miss you babe

AFC North

One of the more interesting and entertaining divisions in football, not just this year, but for many years in a row now. You know what isn’t interesting? Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers. I don’t care if it gets the headlines. Do I trust a grumpy 41 year old to mesh well with a buttoned up organization and a coach who runs the show in Pittsburgh? I do not! The Steelers have an AWESOME defense, but I expect some kind of implosion for this team. The Browns are dog sh*t and that’s all I will say there. The Ravens I think are one of the best built rosters in football, even slightly better than the Bills because I think the Ravens defense is better, and I think Harbaugh is just a bit better than McDermott. Also, probably-should-have-been-MVP-last-year Lamar Jackson is their QB. Ravens will be your division winner. The Bengals are the most fascinating since I think their offense will be absolutely insane, half in part because of the three headed monster in Burrow, Higgins, and Chase, and the other half in part due to their defense will be subpar yet again.

1. Baltimore Ravens: 13-4 (X - Division Winner)
2. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7 (Y - Wild Card)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-9
4. Cleveland Browns: 2-15

Bold Prediction: As you can see from the record predictions, this will be the first year in X years that Tomlin does not have a winning record. “But Joe…he’s done it every year sinc-“ I DON’T CARE!!!! I find this to be somewhat of the hot hand fallacy - just because he did it last year doesn’t mean he will do it again. This isn’t like people picking the Patriots of old or Chiefs to win all the time, because they have / had proven infrastructure (top QB and HC) to do it. People just pick the Steelers to go above .500 because of Tomlin. Nah…I don’t buy it.

AFC West

Anyone that is choosing someone as divison winner that is not the Chiefs is out of their mind or trying to garner attention to themselves. They are proven winners and will be my pick for division winner every year until they simply aren’t, as long as they have the best / near-best QB and best HC in the game. That alone is the top recipe for success in the NFL. I like what Harbaugh is doing with the Chargers culture but they still don’t have enough weapons offensively to make any major breakthroughs. I’m not gunna dunk on Herbert like a bunch of other people, especially because he’s still young, but I do think he needs to step up soon here. The Broncos are everyone’s sneaky dark-horse team but I think they will probably get as far as last year, which is lose in the Wild Card. I think they will be BETTER, especially with a killer defense and more mature QB, but I still haven’t seen enough out of Bo Nix to make me think they will be great. Also, besides Sutton, it’s not like they have much to play with on offense. Lastly, the Raiders are fun with an always energetic Pete Carroll, improved QB in Geno, and exciting RB rookie in Jeanty, but let’s not pretend they will be good. Another team with more of a culture shift goal more than anything else. Do your magic Raiders-minority-owner-also-somehow-lead-FOX-commentator Tom Brady!!

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5 (X)
2. Denver Broncos: 10-7 (Y)
3. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
4. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11

Bold Prediction: Mahomes throws under 3500 yards with less than 30 TDs. I don’t really think it’s because Mahomes will take a step back..I actually think he could be a bit better under an improved (hopefully?) O-line. I just don’t think the scheme will ask that much of him. The defense is nasty and KC has a way to win low these days.

AFC South

Not going to cover this division too much because I don’t find it particularly exciting. The Texans will probably win the division because of a nasty defense and likely-improved CJ Stroud over last year’s sophomore slump. I do find Travis Hunter very exciting , but I don’t think he will revolutionize the Jags, especially in year. He will probably be a decent-good WR, and possibly a decent 3rd down CB, but nothing outstanding on either side of the ball. I think this is due to the fact I never played football, but I just think dominating players on either side of the ball will be more entertaining than Hunter who could play both sides. Maybe I’m a hater, and I promise I do think it’s really cool, but I just don’t get the impact he will make if no one thinks he will dominate on offense or defense, compared to someone in the MLB like Shoehei who can do both but also dominates batting. That all said, look for the Jags to be a sneaky wild card contender this season since I think Lawrence improves with new coaching. Indy won’t be any good until they figure out their QB situation. The Titans are all about Cam Ward and helping their first year quarterback. Their offensive line is improved and I think Ward might go on a “I’ll show you that I’m still the most important player of this draft” tour. Gimme the Titans as the surprise AFC playoff team. You know what? I actually do think this division is exciting, just not any good.

1. Houston Texans: 10-7 (X)
2. Tennessee Titoooons: 9-8 (Y)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-9
4. Indianapolis Colts: 4-13

Bold Prediction: Cam Ward wins OROY. Why is this a bold prediction if he’s the first overall pick from last draft? Because literally no one is talking about this guy headed into the season. I swear I hear more Trevyon Henderson OROY picks than Ward. Gimme the guy that is built like a QB, throws like a QB, and has a few weapons (ridley, pollard, O-line) that will help him out this season.

NFC East

Fly Eagles, fly. It’s all about the Eagles, your eventual division champs. I feel like people say this every year but I think this team has a legit chance to go back to back. They bring back much of their coaching core, playing core, and have probably the best built roster in the NFL. Hurts (as we saw last night against the Cowboys) can get it done when it matters. The Commanders were a great story in 2024, and I have a lot of faith in Jayden Daniels to be a great NFL QB, but I think they take a step back this year while still making the playoffs. Their offense still rocks but I worry about the typical sophomore slump for the QB, a bad defense, as well as a simple regresssion to the mean. I must admit, I wasn’t super high on the cowboys coming into the year, but I thought they looked pretty good last night even thought they didn’t win. Dak looked sharp (better than Jalen IMO), the defense tightened up in the second half, and his weapons got open even if CeeDee dropped, like, 18 passes. Finally, the Giants won’t be good, but I do think their Defensive Line with X, Y, Z has a chance to be the best unit in ALL OF FOOTBALL! Look for them to wreck a game or two.

1. Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 (Z)
2. Washington Commanders: 10-7 (Y)
3. Dallas Cowboys: 10-7
4. New York Giants: 5-12

Bold Prediction: Dak will be in the MVP conversation in the final weeks of the season. I just think their defense isn’t good enough to win on its own and he will be asked to do a lot. Having CeeDee and George Pickens will help him air it out and expect some monster stats.

NFC North

I think this is a loaded division and is my choice for best in football, edging out the AFC West. There are three legitimate contenders in the Lions, Packers, and Minnesota (although I believe in them less). Chicago should be an upgrade from last year with the addition of Ben Johnson and hopefully he can help Caleb Williams to a better season two. Even though there is some turnover in Detroit, with both coordinators leaving, they still leave in place an awesome core of players and a coach that has completely turned around their franchise. The Lions won the division last year with a slew of injuries, and with everyone returning, I think Detroit is your division winner. The Vikings 52 man roster, sans their QB, might be the best in football, but you’re gunna have show me JJ is any good before I make them true SB contenders. I think the Packers could have a legit shot at taking home the Lombardi this year. I think Jordan Love is a good QB, you have a great coach, and an AWESOME new game-changing player in Micah Parsons. I have other worries about their defense, but if the D can round into form, be on the lookout for the Packers. Lastly, the Bears will be fun, and that’s what should matter for the lovely people of Chicago. They still have too many holes in their roster and I doubt they make the playoffs, but expect to see a much more competent team this time around.

1. Detroit Lions: 11-6 (X)
2. Green Bay Packers: 10-7 (Y)
3. Minnesota Vikings: 9-8
4. Chicago Bears: 7-10

Bold Prediction: Caleb Williams has 30+ total TD’s (running and passing) and goes for over 4000 yards. I think Ben Johnson unlocks Caleb with a better run game, unlocking the play action pass or option for Williams, and better play calling.

NFC West

I think this is a sneaky good division this year. My guess is a re-tooled and uninjured (cmon CMC you can make it) 49ers will win the division this year, even if they lean on the youngsters moreso in the 2025 campaign. The big reason for the improvement will come from new DC Robert Salah, who led the defensive rebuild for SF in 2017 and will lead a ‘mini-rebuild’ again in 2025. The Rams will be a great team IF Stafford doesn’t have major injury concerns throughout the year. Their defense should actually be pretty good this year. Even though Kupp is out, Davante is in, and the offense should be strong enough to hang with the big boys (although where’s the run game?). The Seahawks I think will be a tough out for anyone - they have an awesome defense and an offense that can be good enough if Darnold plays anything like his regular season form from last year. Just depends if the O-line isn’t ass. Lastly, the Cardinals could be exciting on offense and will have a better defense, and have steadily improved every year under head coach Gannon, but I just can’t get behind Kyler Murray. He hasn’t been consistent enough to make me believe.

1. San Francisco 49ers: 10-7 (X)
2. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7 (Y)
3. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
4. Arizona Cardinals: 6-11

Bold Prediction: While I don’t foresee the Rams winning the superbowl , if they do (I do believe they have an outside chance here), McVay retires. He has mentioned retirement in the past, and unlike some other coaches who lead teams that have a shot at winning it all, I don’t think his team as set up as well as others to continue their success (i.e. Andy Reid). It might be a good time to step aside if he is serious about hanging it up…at least for now.

NFC South

Probably the least exciting division for like…the 500th year in a row…so I won’t spend much time here. I think the Bucs will win the division and can be a legit good team that can make a deep playoff run if Baker continues his elevated level of play. Also, I think it’s time we think of Baker as a legit top 10 QB. They are just a sound team - sound QB, sound offense and defense, sound coaching. The Falcons have IU LEGEND MICHAEL PENIX JR. who will be sure to air out the ball often this year. They have an exciting offense with London and Robinson but their defense isn’t good enough to compete with the best of the best. The Panthers can be better if Bryce Young continues his positive play from the end of last year, but like the Falcons, they have a defense that just isn’t good enough for anything more than helping the team hover around .500. Lastly, the Saints will just be bad, which is too bad because they have great fans. The QB situation is a MESS and hopefully HC Kellen Moore can bring some juice on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, expect the Saints to compete for the 2026 number one draft pick.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10-7 (X)
2. Atlanta Falcons: 8-9
3. Carolina Panthers: 7-10
4. New Orleans Saints: 3-14

Bold Prediction: Bucs to the NFC Championship game. Baker has balls, they have great weapons in Godwin and Evans, and I think Bowles is a good enough coach and can definitely coach a great defense. They will prey on easy wins in the division, but I don’t think the team is built to “get soft” from a soft schedule and shit their pants in the playoffs against good competition. You only need to get hot in the playoffs…I think the Bucs can do it.

Playoff Teams

AFC

1. Bills
2. Ravens
3. Chiefs
4. Texans
5. Bengals
6. Broncos
7. Titans

NFC

1. Eagles
2. Lions
3. 49ers
4. Bucs
5. Commanders
6. Packers
7. Rams

Awards

These awards kind of dumb IMO so I’m going to keep this to a minimum:

• MVP: Joe Burrow - He will have to air it out this year and will put up monster numbers. I think they can be a bit better defensively and will be a good team that makes the playoffs. I’m banking on a bit of “voter fatigue” here with Mahomes, Jackson, and Allen having all already won.
• Comeback player of the year: I’m actually just going to use this section to complain about how I’m still baffled Damar Hamlin didn’t win this award a few years ago. These awards are all narrative driven and the man literally DIED on the field and came back to play. You know how much mental and physical fortitude that takes? Congrats on voting Joe Flacco for that award who got shit on in the playoffs. Just remember we gave MVP to a kicker in the 80s so don’t tell me its purely on pure football player acumen. Christ that was so dumb.

Predictions that could be laughably incorrect

Many, but specifically…

1. Eagles not making the NFC championship game when I could easily see them repeating as SB champs. All for the clicks baby!!
2. Titans making the playoffs and then they turn out to be the worst team in the NFL

SB Prediction

Bills over Packers. I have reservations about both of these teams - I think the Ravens are generally better than the Bills and I didn’t even choose the Packers to win their division. That said, I just think the Bills are finally ready for this moment. I think it’s important that they get the number one seed this year, and when they play the Ravens in Buffalo in January, I’ll take Allen and company over Lamar in that situation. For the Packers, sometimes you just gotta roll on vibes. This is a young team I can see getting hot in the playoffs and playing without fear. If Love can pick up where he left off at the end of the season TWO seasons ago, they will be dangerous.

Between the Bills and Packers, Bills are just the better team. Their defense will finally show up in the playoffs and it’s their time to shine. Let the confetti rain down for a fanbase starving for a championship. Circle the wagons, baby.

Gemini: *Unfortunately, I’m unable to create images that depict real people [Josh Allen and the Bills] in a way that could be seen as misrepresenting actual events [me asking Gemini to make an image of the bills winning the SB] or endorsing outcomes of real-world competitions. I can generate an image of a generic football team in blue and red, celebrating a championship win with a trophy, and a player who resembles a quarterback celebrating. How does that sound?