Offseason predictions age really fast. This is my season predictions’ third and last part. We’ve already gone through the individual awards and the AFC divisions. And the last one shows how quickly things can go south. For example, I had the Chargers at 12-5 and fighting until the end for the division crown. One week after the article, Rashawn Slater tore his ACL and is out for the season. In seven days, they lost arguably their best player, probably won’t be as good as I thought, and I will look like a fool when they miss the playoffs because their OL wasn’t good.
But I still enjoy writing these season predictions. Even if I’m wrong about everything, which is also hard, at least I can use it as experience to nail every single one in 2026. I went through it a little more in-depth in the AFC article, but the record doesn’t necessarily reflect whether a team is good or bad. On the other hand, a team can be improved, but finish with a bad record, or even one worse than in 2024. Again, an example from the AFC. I think the Titans and Jaguars got better this offseason. But they face the Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks.
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (15-2)
- Washington Commanders (10-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (9-8)
- New York Giants (2-15)
The Eagles will continue as one of the best teams in the NFL. Their roster is almost flawless. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are one of the best WR duos in the league. I don’t think any team is better in the trenches than them. And Howie Roseman is a great GM. Unless they are hit by an enormous injury bug, there’s zero reason to believe the Eagles won’t dominate again in 2025.
There’s a chance I’m too high on the Commanders. It’s not that they aren’t good, but their schedule will be way tougher in 2025. Sam Cosmi is making great progress in his rehab, but when and how he returns is still to be determined. Terry McLaurin’s trade request can’t do any good, especially considering the depth behind him. Dan Quinn should be able to take the most out of the defense, but they lost a key player in Jonathan Allen, and will need Bobby Wagner and Von Miller to stay healthy and productive at age 35 and 36, respectively. I still believe in the Commanders, but they will need Jayden Daniels to take a step further in his development.
The Cowboys will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. It’s a little ironic, as I have them with a division record of 4-2. They are better than the Giants and have had the upper hand against the Commanders recently (6-2 since 2021). This 9-8 record can be way higher or way lower, and it can depend a lot on how they deal with the Micah Parsons’ situation. The AFC West games will be a good test for the Cowboys. Get wins against the Chargers and/or Broncos, and you are in a good spot. Lose to both, and you’re likely on the outside looking in come January.
Giants fans, don’t kill me. For what it’s worth, I truly believe they will have a great defense. But I also think most games will end 14-10 for the other team. The QBs are better in 2025, but let’s be honest, it would take effort to make it worse. The offensive line also isn’t good, and Wilson has had a lot of trouble recently with poor OL play. The defensive line will dominate, and they have some playmakers in the secondary, but I don’t think the offense will be consistent, even with Malik Nabers. They may sneak in some wins because of their defense, although I don’t think it will be enough.
NFC West
- Los Angeles Rams (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
- Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
The biggest question mark for the Rams is Matthew Stafford’s back. He missed some time in training camp with this injury, and there’s no true sense of when he will come back. If Stafford is healthy and fine in time for the season opener, the Rams could be a force in the NFC. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams should form a great duo, and McVay has been able to extract a lot out of the running game. They have some young players with tons of potential on the defensive line, led by the 2024 DROY Jared Verse. Chris Shula, the defensive coordinator, is also more experienced now, going to his second season as the playcaller. Of all the teams in the NFC, the Rams may be the only one to compete against the Eagles, relying on a relentless front seven and the experience of their QB and head coach.
The Sam Darnold turnaround is real. Although they don’t have the firepower to compete for the division, they are good enough to make the playoffs. As per usual, it all came down to a Week 18 game against the 49ers. I liked Grey Zabel a lot in the Draft and think he’ll make an immediate impact on the offense. The “switch” from D.K. Metcalf to Cooper Kupp takes some of the explosiveness off the offense, but Kupp is a better receiver when healthy. Mike McDonald, going to his second season, will be more experienced, and the players will be used to his scheme. Even if they ultimately don’t make a run in the playoffs, the Seahawks will be a very tough team to play against.
For the second year in a row, the 49ers will miss the postseason. As I just said, it came down to a Week 18 home game against the Seahawks, which they lost. I think at least one of them makes the playoffs, and it’s almost a coin flip between the two. The receiver group isn’t very good, and Brandon Aiyuk will likely miss several games. Their offensive line also doesn’t inspire much confidence, so they will need Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, and George Kittle to stay healthy and play at a very high level. Having Robert Saleh back should help the defense, but they also lost key players like Charvarius Ward and Dre Greenlaw. Just like on the offense, they will need great seasons from their best defenders to make up for the lack of depth overall.
Again, it’s almost for the Cardinals. Similar to last season, they started alright before fizzling out in the final weeks. They had a good offseason, in my opinion, and I like what they did early in the Draft. If Will Johnson can stay healthy, he can quickly become one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Ultimately, though, it comes down to the quarterback. And we haven’t seen enough from Kyler Murray to believe he can make up for deficiencies on the roster. Sadly for the fans, this means they will stay in football purgatory for another season.
NFC South
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5)
- Atlanta Falcons (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (1-16)
If you still don’t believe it, the Bucs are for real. Their biggest question mark will be Josh Grizzard, the new offensive coordinator. But even if he takes a few weeks to get used to the new job, they have an amazing offensive line, a strong run game, a very good receiver core, and Baker Mayfield found his mojo in Tampa Bay. Defensively, I’m a bit concerned about their cornerbacks. But as long as Vita Vea, Haason Reddick, and Calijah Kancey get to the QB, they should be fine.
The Falcons may be a better team in 2025, but I don’t think it’s enough to compete in a crowded NFC. If Michael Penix Jr. plays at a higher-than-expected level, then the Falcons may sneak in as the 7th seed. But similar to most of the teams with young QBs, this year should be used as a stepping stone. The offensive line is also a question mark after losing Drew Dalman in free agency. Receiving depth behind Drake London is also doubtful. The defense will also rely on young players stepping up, especially Jalon Walker and James Pearce off the edge.
A 5-12 record would be the 8th losing season in a row, which isn’t ideal. But again, the final record isn’t the main objective here. Seeing Bryce Young continue the development he showed after returning from the bench last year is key in 2025. Rookie Tetairoa McMillan should become his best target almost immediately, and they will also hope Xavier Legette is better in Year 2. However, they still lack high-end starters on defense. Derrick Brown is a very good DT, but he missed almost the whole season in 2024. A healthy Jaycee Horn can cover almost any WR, but he has been hurt a lot in his career. If Young keeps developing, 2026 can be the year that the Panthers are good again.
There’s no sugarcoating it: the Saints are the worst team in the league. And I don’t think it will get better anytime soon. The team is in a dire situation since Drew Brees’ retirement in 2021. They had multiple opportunities to hit the reset button since then, but continued to strangle themselves in a bad salary cap situation. Not starting rookie Tyler Shough would be a mistake, and his play in the preseason could push him to be the QB1.
NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings (12-5)
- Detroit Lions (10-7)
- Green Bay Packers (9-8)
- Chicago Bears (8-9)
A lot has been said about J.J. McCarthy in the offseason. And it’s normal. He’s a young quarterback (the youngest starting) and missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. But the only thing he needs to do for the Vikings to win 10+ games is not to be a turnover machine. The offensive line and running game are improved, and you have one of the best pass-catching groups in the league. The defense is also better in the trenches and has gotten faster and younger in the secondary. McCarthy has the tools to be a very good quarterback, but the coaching staff he has, the system he plays, and the roster around him are all among the best in the league.
It may take some games for the Lions to truly gel. They suffered a big brain drain in the offseason, losing both coordinators and multiple position coaches. To make matters worse, they lost two key players on offense, as Kevin Zeitler went to the Titans and Frank Ragnow retired. They still have one of the best rosters in the league, but they may lose some games early, especially with games against the Packers, Ravens, Bengals, Chiefs, and Bucs before the bye. The Lions are still one of the best teams in the NFC, but this is likely their toughest schedule in the past three years.
For just the second time under Matt LaFleur, the Packers will miss the playoffs. I still think they are the third-best team in the division, but with a tougher schedule than in 2024, it’ll be harder to make the postseason. Even though they finally drafted a WR in the first round, they lack a true WR1 to help Jordan Love. Speaking of him, Love has to be more consistent throughout the season. In 2023, he had a rough start, but it was his first season playing. Last year, it was his injury. But the Packers will need more of him to fight through the division and the rest of the NFC.
It’s not this year that the Bears play meaningful games in January. But 8-9 in the first year under Ben Johnson isn’t a bad start. The Bears went hard at work in the offseason, beefing up the offensive line in front of Caleb Williams. As the most-sacked QB in 2024, this was a must-do thing. The defense has good players in the secondary, but their run defense was one of the worst in 2024. The biggest question mark, to me, is whether Ben Johnson will be as good a head coach as he is a playcaller. We’ve seen many great coordinators fail as a head coach, but if Johnson shows he’s up for the task, the Bears could be a scary team going forward.
