It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again. Every year following the NFL draft and the release of the official schedules, I make my way too early predictions. In the past, my forecast has never really been that accurate once the season ends and my predictions are matched against final results but in a few words…it’s fun!
What I’ve done is gone through game by game, week by week of the schedules, and picked a winner for every contest. Then I tally the results and bam…we have final standings. These are done without having any idea of how new players on teams will perform, what injuries will occur (and there will be injuries), and what impact veteran players changing teams will have on their new clubs.
What I will probably get correct come January are the teams that should be heading to the playoffs. I may not get their final records exactly, but the following predictions will probably reflect the top teams for the 2025 season. Some roster changes are taken into consideration but most of these results are mostly based on team reputation and expectations for the forthcoming season.
NFC
Let’s begin with the NFC. Each conference and division will have a short summary following the predicted standings.
NFC East
Right off the top, the Philadelphia Eagles are defending division champs and also Super Bowl champions. The Washington Commanders come back strong again and the Dallas Cowboys with the addition of George Pickens believe they will challenge. While the New York Giants added a defensive stud in Abdul Carter, they don’t figure to be in the mix.
- Eagles 10-7
- Commanders 10-7
- Cowboys 9-8
- Giants 3-14
NFC North
The Detroit Lions were a dominant team in 2024 then got to the playoffs and fell short of reaching every team’s goal…the Super Bowl. Now they come back determined with defensive star Aiden Hutchinson back from injury. The Vikings seemed to be one of the best teams in the NFC, but they too fell short in the playoffs. Now it is J.J. McCarthy’s run at quarterback with Sam Darnold gone, and no one knows what to expect. Green Bay was another playoff team and that leaves the Chicago Bears with a new head coach in Ben Johnson.
- Vikings 11-6
- Lions 10-7
- Packers 10-7
- Bears 9-7
NFC South
Can Baker Mayfield continue his outstanding play for a third straight season in Tampa? The Bucs sure hope so. The Atlanta Falcons will go a full season with Michael Penix under center while Kirk Cousins continues to try and figure out where he can be a starter again. The New Orleans Saints watched Derek Carr retire and the Panthers continue on an upward rise.
- Buccaneers 9-8
- Panthers 8-9
- Saints 8-9
- Falcons 6-11
NFC West
After going through the entire NFL schedule, this division came out with the strangest results. I’m sure the following predictions will not be the final numbers but for me at a first glance this is what I came up with. The Rams will probably be the best team and challenged by the 49ers as they try to make a strong comeback with Brock Purdy’s new contract. The Cardinals and Seahawks should be competitive. I have all four teams finishing with the same record.
- Rams 8-9
- 49ers 8-9
- Cardinals 8-9
- Seahawks 8-9
AFC
AFC East
This division has belonged to the Buffalo Bills for several years as the other three teams have not been able to challenge them. The Dolphins have had some player issues, the Patriots are still rebuilding with Mike Vrabel returning to the team now as head coach. The Jets are hoping they finally found a franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.
- Bills 12-5
- Dolphins 8-9
- Patriots 7-10
- Jets 7-10
AFC North
The Baltimore Ravens will be back for another solid season, but their challenge is to finally get to the Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson leading the way. In Cincinnati Joe Burrow has his wide receiver weapons returning and if they can improve on defense, they will be a threat. The Browns have overloaded on quarterback with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and two rookies so it remains to be seen who the starter is come opening day. As for my Pittsburgh Steelers, as of this writing they are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers and most of Steelers Nation including myself do not approve of this chase. The Steelers will always be competitive, but they are up against another tough schedule, so it does not bode well for them.
- Ravens 11-6
- Bengals 9-8
- Steelers 8-9
- Browns 6-10
AFC South
While the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted the most dangerous prospect of 2025 in Travis Hunter, the Titans used their first overall pick and drafted the top quarterback coming out of college in Cam Newton. Newton and his bravado is already turning fans off. The Colts brought in ex-Giant Daniel Jones to compete with Anthony Richardson so that will provide a quarterback battle come training camp. Then there are the defending division champion Texans. This division might be the most intriguing among all in the NFL this season.
- Texans 10-7
- Colts 9-8
- Jaguars 8-9
- Titans 7-10
AFC West
The Kansas City Chiefs failed to complete a three-peat in 2024, but they are still the dominant team in the AFC. Will they be challenged for the division title this coming season? Perhaps the Chargers might be a threat, and the Denver Broncos could very well continue to improve. The Raiders have brought in Geno Smith to be the quarterback, and he reunites with head coach Pete Carroll coming out of retirement to walk the sidelines once again.
- Chiefs 11-6
- Chargers 11-6
- Broncos 9-8
- Raiders 9-8
As I’ve said, don’t put your money on any of these predictions. This was done for fun and if I nail any of the records… all the better. With that said, come back during the season, because as I did last year, every week of the season my game-by-game predictions will be posted right here on Abstract Sports.
