This Thursday the NFL Regular Season is finally back, and we know almost everything we will know going into the year. Before the season begins, the only thing left to do is predict how it will go. With injuries and unexpected upsets that happen seemingly every week, it is impossible to predict how the NFL season will go with 100% accuracy. With that being said let’s break down my record prediction division by division.
AFC West- Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
Los Vegas Raiders (7-10)
Denver Broncos (4-13)
To no one’s surprise, Mahomes leads the Chiefs to another division title and potentially another Superbowl. The Chiefs are the best team in the NFL and it’s hard to predict them to lose any games, but some tougher matchups and an upset are where I gave them some losses here. I believe the Chargers are going to plateau at about this point as long as they are coached by Brandon Staley, but I still believe they can be a dangerous team with all the talent they have. As for the Raiders and Broncos, like most I’m out on them, The Raiders are coached and Russell Wilson is looking like not even Sean Payton can save him.
AFC North- Cincinnati Bengals (14-3)
Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
Cleveland Browns (8-9)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-9)
The Cincinnati Bengals are right up there as one of the best teams in the NFL and their record here shows it. They have maybe the best offense in the NFL on paper and their defense is more than serviceable. The Ravens are being slept on by a few people because of the past few years, but unlike the past few years they have gifted Lamar Jackson with a reliable receiver core and that should be enough to elevate them to the next level. The Steelers and Browns are tough teams to project as I feel like they’re better than an eight-win team, but they have a tough schedule this year.
AFC East- Buffalo Bills (13-4)
New York Jets (11-6)
Miami Dolphins (10-7)
New England Patriots (3-14)
Even though some believe the Bills will take a step back and not win this division, I’m not buying into the doubt. I believe the Bills still have a roster and coaching staff that’s up there with the best in the NFL, and their record reflects that. The New York Jets were a surprising team last year even with some of the worst QB play in the league, now they have Aaron Rodgers so I think they will be exceptional this year. The Dolphins are a fantastic team and are very well coached, but this division is so stacked it’s hard to give them any more wins than this. As for the Patriots, I feel they have one of the worst rosters in the NFL, and will be in contention for the worst record in the NFL.
AFC South- Jacksonville Jaguars (11-6)
Houston Texans (7-10)
Indianapolis Colts (7-10)
Tennessee Titans (6-11)
In my opinion, unless there is a major injury, there is no way the Jaguars won’t win this division. They have by far the best roster and possibly the best coaching in this division, plus their schedule isn’t incredibly hard. As for the rest, the Colts and Texans are both starting rookie Quarterbacks that are almost guaranteed to have some hiccups throughout the year. The Titans have a bunch of aging players and horrible QB play, and that is a recipe for disaster in the NFL.
NFC West- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
Seattle Seahawks (9-8)
Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
Los Angeles Rams (3-14)
I see some people out there doubting Brock Purdy, but with that team, they have around him they will be an amazing team this year regardless of how he plays. In my opinion, they are one of two Superbowl Contenders in the NFC. The Seahawks did improve during the off-season, but going through their schedule, it will be much harder for them to take a leap in the win column this year. However, for the Rams and the Cardinals, I believe they will be the bottom-of-the-barrel teams in the NFL, The Cardinals just have an all-around bad roster, and all the Rams’ good players are old and coming off injuries.
NFC North- Detroit Lions (11-6)
Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
Chicago Bears (7-10)
Green Bay Packers (6-11)
It is finally Detroit’s time to take over this division, the Vikings are aging and lost some key pieces, the Packers lost Aaron Rodgers, and the Bears are still in a rebuilding phase. The Lions took advantage of this and grabbed some key pieces this off-season to try and compete in the NFC. The Vikings are still in a position to somewhat compete, but this is likely the last dance for most of their players’ careers with the Vikings. The Packers and Bears are in the same situation, they both have alright young rosters but they are not good enough to be competing yet.
NFC East- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Dallas Cowboys (11-6)
New York Giants (10-7)
Washington Commanders (4-13)
Coming off of a Superbowl run I feel the Eagles should still be the runaway favorites in the NFC. The Eagles were able to retain a majority of their key players and were able to replace the ones they lost with similar skill-level players, so their record should come as no surprise. The Cowboys aren’t a team ready to compete for a Superbowl, but if Dak Prescott can bounce back from last year I feel this is a good record for them. The Giants made a huge move locking up Saquon Barkley for this year so their offense can still compete, and adding Darren Waller can only help that, so even in maybe the best division in the NFL they still end up with a fantastic record. The Commanders have almost nothing going for them, a questionable QB, a Bad coach, On and off defense, and a bad offensive line.
NFC South- Carolina Panthers (9-8)
Atlanta Falcons (9-8)
New Orleans Saints (5-12)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-13)
This division may be the worst in the NFL and it could really go any team’s way, but I give the edge to the Panthers. They have the easiest schedule among these teams, plus I feel Bryce Young will come out the gate as a fairly good QB giving them the division. The Falcons I think will be close behind the Panthers but ultimately I just think they have a bit harder of a schedule, The potential lack of passing offense scares me. The Saints I don’t feel deserve this bad of a record but their schedule is extremely rough on them, and it’s hard for me to see them winning a lot of those matchups. For the Bucs, they are in a horrific spot right now, they have Baker Mayfield at QB and are not on good terms with Mike Evans, which is not a recipe for success for a team that was already declining last year with Brady at QB.
