Football is back. The NFL is at an all time popularity high after Super Bowl LVIII set the record for the largest TV audience for any single broadcast in America. After a seven month break from NFL football, the 2024/25 season is about to begin. As rosters are finalized and kickoff grows ever closer, it’s time to look at what each team brings to the table, and predict which teams will be successful, disappointing and mediocre.
AFC East:
The Buffalo Bills are looking like the frontrunners to lead the division for the fifth straight year, which would be the longest division leading streak in franchise history. Due to the controversial decision to get rid of both of their star Wide Receivers, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, many of the big-name transactions during the offseason for the Bills were in the receiving core. They picked up Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins, also using their first round draft pick to take receiver Keon Coleman.
Never far behind are the Miami Dolphins, who stood out last season with an explosive offense, nearly breaking the record for the highest point total in a game last season. Questions began to be raised about their defense however, and they spent much of their offseason ensuring that no more questions get asked. While retaining star power on the offense with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and newly re-signed Tua Tagovailoa, as well as key defensive signings in Jordyn Brooks and Jordan Poyer, the team looks solid and stands a chance to give the Bills a run for their money at the top of the division.
Also in the race are the New York Jets, who are entering the season with high hopes despite an ongoing 13 year playoff drought. Their hope comes in the form of Aaron Rodgers, who they have built up a new, younger receiving core around. Rodgers played four plays of last season before suffering a season ending achilles tear, forcing the Jets to play generational bust Zach Wilson for the third straight year. The Jets have spent plenty of time building up the offensive line to ensure Aaron Rodgers lasts for longer this season, and are hoping for a playoff push with him at the helm.
More unlikely to make the playoffs are the New England Patriots, who are playing their first season without head coach Bill Belichick, who served the Patriots for the entirety of the 21st century up to this point. The Patriots are also shaking up their roster in the wake of the disappointing performances of both quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, forcing them to rebuild their team anew. With the starting of veteran Jacoby Brissett over rookie Drake Maye, it’s unlikely for any new talent at the quarterback position to break into the team this season.
AFC North:
The favorites from the north are the Baltimore Ravens, who put up a convincing Super Bowl push last season before falling in the championship round to the Kansas City Chiefs. They kept many key players on offense, as well as signing four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry at the running back position, but they are struggling in one key area: the offensive line. Although mobile quarterback Lamar Jackson has shown his ability to escape sacks, it only takes one bad tackle to take a quarterback out, especially one as active as Jackson. With three new starters on the line, it may be a difficult adjustment to start out this season.
Behind the Ravens is likely to be the Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off of a disappointing season which saw poor performances from Joe Burrow, who had just signed an extension to make him one of the league’s highest paid players of all time. Assuming Joe Burrow goes back to the form we saw him in when he made it to two straight championship rounds, the Bengals season will likely end in a playoff bid, with new acquisitions Mike Gesicki and Zack Moss producing on the offensive side.
In questionable territory are the Cleveland Browns, who had a miracle playoff run last season under former backup quarterback Joe Flacco, which ended up netting him comeback player of the year. Now they’re playing Deshaun Watson, who has yet to prove himself on the Browns roster. He hasn’t been given the chance to, between injuries and suspensions, he’s played only 12 games during his time on the Browns. Given his performance on the Texans in 2018 and 2019, he certainly has the potential to take the Browns higher.
Last in this division are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who, despite not having a losing season since 2003, have been mediocre in many of their recent seasons. With young quarterback Kenny Pickett not working out for them, they are now starting an aging Russell Wilson throwing to a receiving core that does not look fully developed. Although it is possible that Wilson returns to form in an unexpected way, it looks like the Steelers are in for a rough season.
AFC South:
The Houston Texans are looking to take this division, having pulled off a surprising playoff campaign under rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud last season. Stroud looks to improve this season, with new offensive weapons Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs building up an already impressive team.
The Tennessee Titans are close behind, with a rejuvenated team of new acquisitions and a refreshed coaching staff. Second-year quarterback Will Levis will also need to step up after winning only three games out of the nine he started last season. The talent is in the roster, and they have playoff potential, but there’s no guarantee that they will place in the top two of the division.
Next is the Indianapolis Colts, who have playoff potential demonstrated by last season’s playoff near-miss under backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. The biggest question for this season is whether second year quarterback Anthony Richardson can stay healthy for long enough, as his style of play tends to put himself in dangerous situations that led to his season ending injury last year. If he does, a playoff bid could be in the cards for the Colts.
The team in the division with the most questions is the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the three years since quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s drafting, he has yet to live up to expectations, despite a Pro Bowl selection in his second season. Despite his unimpressive performance, he recently re-signed to one of the most expensive contracts for any quarterback in the league, meaning he is likely to continue playing for the foreseeable future. The Jaguars will be hoping that rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and new signing Gabe Davis will bolster Lawrence’s performance, justifying the 275 million dollar contract he received. Should this be the case, the Jaguars may be able to build a convincing playoff bid in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL.
AFC West:
Looking to lead the division for the ninth straight year are the Kansas City Chiefs, who recently won back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time in franchise history. The Chiefs have displayed dominance in the AFC, being present for the last six championship games. Led by 6-time pro bowler Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are always contenders for the Super Bowl, and it seems almost guaranteed that they will take the division, especially with new acquisitions Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy to add to their offensive skill.
Next are the Denver Broncos, who have had a rough couple of seasons since signing veteran quarterback Russel Wilson for the 2022 season. Having recently replaced him with rookie Bo Nix, the Broncos seem imbued with new life, Nix bringing a level of optimism to the team about their future performances. They seem unlikely to challenge the Chiefs for the division, but assuming Nix keeps up his performances, it is likely that a playoff spot is in Denver’s future.
A team with a similar amount of optimism is the Los Vegas Raiders, who are looking to bounce back after their unsuccessful tenure with quarterback Jimmy Garappolo. Although they were unable to secure a rookie quarterback in the draft, opting instead for tight end Brock Bowers, there is a lot to be optimistic about regarding starter Gardner Minshew. He nearly led the Colts to a playoff berth last season, earning himself a Pro Bowl selection. A playoff bid seems unlikely, but a winning record looks attainable for the team.
The most questionable team in the division is the Los Angeles Chargers, who still stand on shaky ground despite the popular hiring of Jim Harbaugh as the new head coach. The Chargers have struggled with subpar receiving cores surrounding young quarterback Justin Herbert, and this year looks to be no different. They boast a very young core, which could swing wildly in either direction in terms of how they actually perform. While it is possible for the Chargers to end up shining in the regular season, it seems more likely that the Chargers are in for a tough season.
NFC East:
In a division full of teams questioning their future, it’s the Philadelphia Eagles who seem to have the clearest future. Although it may be a bumpy ride without the leadership of former center Jason Kelce, the Eagles retained many of their most important offensive weapons, as well as adding running back Saquon Barkley over the offseason. They’ve also been building up a better defense with new additions Quinyon Mitchell, Bryce Huff, and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles seem destined for a middle of the road finish to the season, but they have proven in the past that they are capable of much more.
The Dallas Cowboys know a thing or two about middle of the road finishes, as for the last three seasons they have gone 12-5 in the regular season with never more than one playoff win. Last season’s performance saw them lose to the first seventh seed team in history to win a playoff game, being the Green Bay Packers. This unfortunate streak of strong seasons with disappointing endings has many questioning the team’s ability to perform when it really matters. Whether or not this tendency translates to a poor regular season performance or whether the team can finally go far in the playoffs has yet to be seen, but the Cowboys have lots of potential both for succeeding and for failing this season.
The Washington Commanders are the next team, and they have a lot to look forward to. Not only did they recently replace head coach Ron Rivera with Dan Quinn, they also picked up a young quarterback with high potential in the draft, Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. While it’s unclear whether Daniel’s inclusion will have an immediate impact on the team’s standings, it stands to reason that within the next few seasons, the Commanders will be on top of the division.
The New York Giants, on the other hand, are facing a rough season ahead. Despite promising draft pick Malik Nabers joining in the first round, many are not sold on Daniel Jones, the starting quarterback for the team. Despite leading the team to a playoff win in the 2022 season, Jones has turned in disappointing performance after disappointing performance since. Jones has a lot to prove if he is to continue leading the team, and the way this season is shaping up it does not look good for the Giants this year.
NFC North:
For the first time in years, the Detroit Lions are a favorite. After making it to the championship for the first time since the 1990s, optimism is dominant in Detroit. There’s a lot to love about this team as well. With talent on every aspect of the roster, it’s not a stretch to say this could be the first Super Bowl appearance for the team in franchise history. With the aggressive play calling of coach Dan Campbell and the explosive talent of young players such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, the Lions are a force to be reckoned with.
Similarly on the up and up are the Green Bay Packers, who doubled down on young quarterback Jordan Love at the end of last season. Love led the team to a surprising playoff victory against the Cowboys, marking the first playoff win for a team qualifying in the seventh seed. While the team continues to build around the young star, the Packers seem to have a place in the offseason carved out for them, they just need to play to achieve it.
The Chicago Bears are another team that could be in contention for the playoffs this season. After coming into the first overall draft pick following the disappointing performance of the Carolina Panthers, the team selected Caleb Williams, which seems to have been the right choice. With the addition of offensive players D’Andre Swift and Rome Odunze, the Bears seem to have set themselves up for a surprisingly productive season after three years of mediocrity with quarterback Justin Fields.
On the other side of that coin are the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings recognized the need to rebuild their roster, and for the most part have done an impressive job. Unfortunately, they found themselves without a starting quarterback. They opted for Sam Darnold, a quarterback who has not performed up to the standard of a starting quarterback in any of his six seasons. It’s possible that the roster surrounding him will carry him further than expected, but the Vikings may need to swallow a difficult year before they can get someone better in that position.
NFC South:
This division is the most competitive it’s been in quite a while, and any team in it could take the lead. In this heated competition, it looks like the Atlanta Falcons might have the most to look forward to. After three straight 7-10 seasons, the Falcons looked towards a complete refresh. New players and new coaching staff. After hiring head coach Raheem Morris, the team pulled off a highly anticipated trade, receiving former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. With a core of young players, the Falcons are looking at a season with a high potential for playoff activity.
Next is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have led the division for three straight years. Despite this fact, their last two seasons were not convincing, leading the division with a losing record at the end of the 2022 season. Keeping this in mind, it stands to reason that the Buccaneers will manage a similar performance this year, being good enough to potentially qualify for the playoffs, but with the division getting better around them, it’s not clear whether taking the first spot is a reasonable future for the team.
The New Orleans Saints have had similar performances in the last few years, matching the Buccaneers record last season. They retained important offensive playmakers such as Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara, and spent much of the offseason building up on the defensive side. With these new additions to the roster, it seems possible for the Saints to spend much more time this season near the top of the division, and stand a good chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
On the back end of the division are the Carolina Panthers. After a highly disappointing season, they would’ve had the first overall pick in the draft to build up a team around young quarterback Bryce Young. Unfortunately, they had already traded that pick to the Bears to obtain Young in the first place. Although the team has attempted to build up their roster at least somewhat, nothing too convincing has arisen to prove that they will make it to the playoffs. While the lookout for this season is bleak, the Panthers will hopefully be given a chance to improve over this season and the following offseason.
NFC West:
It’s not surprising to see the San Francisco 49ers at the top of the list to take the division, with hopes of winning more than just an NFC West title. The 49ers have somewhat of a superteam, with highly talented players in nearly every position. After finding the right quarterback in seventh round draft pick Brock Purdy, the team has been to two straight championship games, including a Super Bowl appearance last year.
Following behind are the Los Angeles Rams, who have been up and down since winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 season. Last year they qualified for the playoffs behind the 49ers, and this year they look to do so again, albeit without key player Aaron Donald. Aging quarterback Matthew Stafford still leads the team, with high skill receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in his core. It’s a talented roster, but the question has never been talent, always execution. Poor execution took them from a 12-5 Super Bowl-winning team to a 5-12 disgraced team that had no hope of making the playoffs.
The Seattle Seahawks also seek that connecting thread to push them into the playoffs, after refreshing their coaching staff following the 14 year tenure of Pete Carroll. It has been four years without a playoff win for the Seahawks, and it’s clear they are getting antsy. They have the talent to make it to the playoffs, but they generally are not able to string it together at the end, with one piece seemingly falling short. The team is hoping that piece is the coaching, as they seek new life under this new administration.
Least promising in this division are the Arizona Cardinals, who similarly fail to put up a full successful season. Unlike the Seahawks however, they tend to fall apart near mid-season. They were able to build up their receiving core in the draft by using their first rounder to draft Marvin Harrison Jr., the most sought after wide receiver in the draft. This pick showed absolute confidence in their starting quarterback, Kyler Murray. Murray, despite having some impressive performances, has shown no consistency in his ability to perform. That is likely to be the deciding factor in the Cardinals’ season. If Murray can perform consistently, the Cardinals have the potential to do well. If he doesn’t, he drags the team down with him.
The NFL season always has its fair share of surprises. Every game holds the potential to flip the season on its head. With so many teams at peak optimism, this is sure to be one of the best seasons of football ever.
The NFL season starts on September 5, 2024 at 8:20 PM with the Chiefs facing the Ravens.
