Here are my revised predictions after the preseason including the playoffs. Predictions sure to go wrong.

NFL 2025 Final Predictions

Stafford Will Take The Rams Back to the Title

AFC

AFC East

  1. Buffalo Bills (14-3) – AFC Champ – 2 Seed Overall – I made a pretty big adjustment, even though I’m not sold on the Bills coaching staff yet. I think they have a very favorable schedule this year with most tough games at home.
  2. New England Patriots (10-7) – Wild Card – 6 Seed Overall – The Super Bowl Hangover is a real thing, but this team really upgraded on Offense at WR, and the D was solid last year. Despite the harder schedule, I think they qualify for the playoffs.
  3. New York Jets (3-14) – Will Not Qualify – Fire HC Aaron Glenn – maybe the Jets are better than this, but they are not a good franchise.
  4. Miami Dolphins (2-15) – Will Not Qualify – Worst Record in the NFL – I want the Fins to be better than the Jets (and Browns and Titans), but they are so devoid of talent it will be hard to compete.

AFC North

  1. Baltimore Ravens (12-5) – AFC North Champ – 3 Seed Overall – The Ravens schedule is very easy this year. Word out of camp is Jesse Minter is running a tough camp, and that should translate into wins.
  2. Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) – Will Just Miss Qualifying – The Bengals are right at the 7 or 8 Seed for me, so it will come down to tiebreakers. I do think the D will be better, and if Burrow stays healthy, then they can be a factor.
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-9) – Will Not Qualify – The Steelers’ roster is not bad, but I’m pretty worried about a healthy Aaron Rodgers. They will be in the hunt for the division early, but I think they fall short.
  4. Cleveland Browns (3-14) – Will Not Qualify – Starting Deshaun Watson is a sign to me, that the Browns do not really want to win this season. Sanders would give them a chance to win and see if he can be the guy. This D is good enough to win games, but that Offense seems not great.

AFC South

  1. Houston Texans (14-3) – AFC South Champ – 1 Seed Overall – I am all in on the Texans this year. The D is great, even after some losses. The Offense should be better with reloading the O-Line, and I think Stroud will be better. If he isn’t, then he is gone in the off season. It is now or never for the Texans.
  2. Jacksonville Jags (11-6) – Wild Card – 5th Seed Overall – The Jags will be really good. They can still win the AFC South, but a game here or there, may make them the 1 Seed.
  3. Indianapolis Colts (7-10) – Will Not Qualify – The early injury issues and losses on the O-Line scare me for the Offense. The D is a cut below the others in this division.
  4. Tennessee Titans (4-13) – Will Not Qualify – I was bullish on the Titans before camp, but Cam Ward may take longer to grasp the Daboll Offense than I thought. It could be a rough year in this transition.

AFC West

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) – AFC West Champ – 4 Seed Overall – I could not knock off too many games off of the Chiefs’ easy schedule. The Offense may not be what we know it to be, but the rushing attack should be better and the D is fine.
  2. Denver Broncos (10-7) – Wild Card – 7 Seed Overall – I will bet the Broncos to win this division after the rough start. However, I do not like the pending suspension of Jonathan Cooper. Bo Nix should have a good year with the addition of Waddle.
  3. Los Angeles Chargers (9-8) – Will Not Qualify – Yes, OC Mike McDaniel will help this Offense a lot, but the schedule is too tough for me.
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14) – Will Not Qualify – I like the coaching hire and the O-line additions, but not sure they are ready to compete in this rough division. They should beat this win projection, as they should be better than TEN, CLE, NYJ and MIA, however going 0-6 in this division is possible.

AFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round

  • 2 Bills over 7 Broncos – rematch, but in Buffalo this time
  • 3 Ravens over 6 Patriots – Ravens will be ready for Drake Maye (my predicted MVP)
  • 4 Chiefs over 5 Jags – tough call, but Jags in the cold may slow that O

Divisional Round

  • 1 Texans over 4 Chiefs – I played around with this one, as Mahomes doesn’t lose much in the playoffs, but in Houston…
  • 3 Ravens over 2 Bills – What a game – Josh Allen will be on his game, but the Ravens D should be better when they need it to be

AFC Title Game

  • 1 Texans over 3 Ravens – The Texans D will do what they always do and bottle up Lamar – beat him up and take them to their first Super Bowl

NFC

NFC East

  1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-5) – NFC East Champ – 2 Seed Overall – The Eagles should return to form at least on D to hold off the Cowboys one more year.
  2. Dallas Cowboys (9-8) – Will Just Miss Qualifying – The Cowboys (much like the Bengals) will be on the 7 or 8 Seed cusp. I have them out for now.
  3. New York Giants (7-10) – Will Not Qualify – I really liked the Giants as a sleeper to make the playoffs in 2026, but I’m not sold they can best the NFC North teams or even the Cowboys.
  4. Washington Commanders (5-12) – Will Not Qualify – HC Dan Quinn will be out. Maybe Jayden Daniels will have magic once again, but that D is terrible.

NFC North

  1. Minnesota Vikings (11-6) – NFC North Champ – 3 Seed Overall – My biggest reach all season. I just think the Vikings jump back up to the top again with Kyler Murray and that Defense. It is the toughest division top to bottom.
  2. Chicago Bears (10-7) – Wild Card – 6 Seed Overall – Maybe a little too rosy with the toughest schedule in the NFL, but Caleb will be better. The D is still worrisome.
  3. Detroit Lions (10-7) – Wild Card – 7 Seed Overall – I relented and put the Lions in over Dallas. The Lions schedule is by far the easiest in the North, but I do not trust their D. Plus the O-Line should struggle more than past years.
  4. Green Bay Packers (8-9) – Will Not Qualify – Very hard for me to drop the Pack, but the Parsons injury and now the pending Jacobs suspension are not a good start. The Pack need to start strong to have a shot. If they do miss the playoffs, then LaFleur will be fired.

NFC South

  1. New Orleans Saints (10-7) – NFC South Champ – 4 Seed Overall – I’m high on the Saints based on their finish last season. The D is solid, the O should be better with Etienne and when Tyson comes back off of IR.
  2. Tampa Bay Bucs (8-9) – Will Not Qualify – I’m out on the Bucs. Yes, they can be the South winner and maybe even win a playoff game. I think Bowles is on the way out, and that will show up on the field.
  3. Atlanta Falcons (7-10) – Will Not Qualify – The indecision at QB is really disconcerting – Tua starts the season, but for how long. I really thought they would be a top Offense, but maybe not. The D without their 2 young pass rushers is going to be a lot worse than 2025.
  4. Carolina Panthers (6-11) – Will Not Qualify – I feel bad about this prediction, but their schedule is rough. I’ll know a lot more after they play the Bears in Week 1 at home. They could be better than last year with a worse record.

NFC West

  1. Los Angeles Rams (15-2) – NFC West Champ – 1 Seed Overall – The Rams are the clear Super Bowl favorite – the one thing that can stop them is health – Stafford is 38, Aaron Donald has been out of the game for 2 years, and Myles Garrett is coming off a great season. Let’s see if Puka gets suspended.
  2. Seattle Seahawks (14-3) – Wild Card – 5 Seed Overall – The Champs are a strong 2nd in the NFC, but the injuries Charbonnet and the rookie Safety will make others step up.
  3. San Francisco 49ers (6-11) – Will Not Qualify – The other shocking prediction, but the 49ers have this foul air over the team. First Shanahan gets in the accident, then the owner gets arrested for unsavory behavior. Plus, the aging roster and even older acquisitions on Offense. Can this team compete with the other 2 teams above them? I don’t think so.
  4. Arizona Cardinals (3-14) – Will Not Qualify – The 2nd worst team in the NFL despite the coaching changes. The Fins do not have talent, but the Cards have some. The loss of the rookie guard will hurt Love’s stock. They will be playing Beck mid-season.

NFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round

  • 2 Eagles over 7 Lions – The Eagles will pummel that weaker D
  • 6 Bears over 3 Vikings – Now, I may like the Vikings in the regular season, but Caleb has playoff moxy which can get a win
  • 5 Seahawks over 4 Saints – The NO dream season will end at the hands of the Seahawks’ D

Divisional Round

  • 1 Rams over 6 Bears – A rematch, but in Sofi will be fun to watch, but same result
  • 2 Eagles over 5 Seahawks – The Eagles at home are a different animal, but this will be a great game

NFC Title Game

  • 1 Rams over 2 Eagles – A battle for the ages, but barring injury, the Rams are just better

Super Bowl

Rams win over the Texans in a battle of great Defenses, Stafford and McVay will find ways to score enough to get another title.

It is time to get this party started. Weekly recap, predictions and fantasy football advice starts next week.

Wegs

About the author

I'm a 49 year old, twice divorced guy with a 20 year old. The blog has morphed a bit lately. Not just sports or dating, social commentary and now some stories from my past experience.

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