NFL – 2024 PREDICTIONS AND A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO EACH DIVISION

When the first day of a brand new NFL season comes around every year, it feels like Christmas to me. I get that giddy feeling inside, similar to what it felt like as a kid waiting for Santa to arrive overnight so he could put new presents under the tree.

That shows you how much I love this sport and look forward to it every year. I don’t just love my 49ers, I love the game and look forward to watching as much football as possible in the coming months (sorry honey). Yeah, I’ll even watch the stinky teams…

So what will the 2024 NFL season bring us? Without a crystal ball, it’s of course hard to say. But after looking carefully at the off-season moves each team made and their overall rosters (plus a little bit of gut thrown in) I made my picks below for who I think will win each division and what teams look good enough to make the playoffs. I also threw a little bit of insight I had about one team in each division that might be of interest.

Here’s to another great football season… May the players stay safe and the best 49er win. I mean, may the best team win (and they always do). 😉

NFC WEST

1. 49ers
2. RAMS (WC)
3. SEAHAWKS
4. CARDINALS

The biggest takeaway when evaluating this division is the question of how good the Rams are going to be this year and, if they make the post season.  While I respect the elite talent LA has on offense and their potential to be explosive, I hesitate when it comes to their overall defense.  With the departure of Aaron Donald in the off-season (the first-ballot Hall of Fame defensive tackle) and their defensive coordinator (Raheem Morris, the new HC of the Falcons), can the new-look Rams’ defense compete with other NFC teams on the rise (I see you, NFC North)?  Those are two huge losses that will be hard to fill, even if the Rams had used some draft capital to plug the hole on the d-line left by Donald with two promising rookies and recruited a DC from within.  However, with a healthy Matt Stafford (QB), their elite WR corps, plus a rushing attack that saw some reinforcements in the offseason, the Rams’ offense could be explosive enough to make up for their defensive deficiencies, especially if other teams in the conference stumble.  The bottom-line is if the Rams offense can stay healthy, I can see a playoff wild card berth.  But if they struggle with injuries and other NFC teams step up bigtime, the Rams may have a winning season but not make the playoffs or won’t go very far in the post-season.  An elite defense is necessary to go deep in the playoffs and win a Super Bowl – LA will not have that in 2024 with their current roster compared to other teams in the division.  Still, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and see them amongst the final seven playoff teams in 2024.  (This was a close call for me with the Bears who I think could get a playoff spot if they hit on all cylinders and the Rams falter.)

NFC EAST

1. EAGLES
2. COWBOYS (WC)
3. GIANTS
4. COMMANDERS

There will likely be a major divide in this division this season: Two teams will fight for the right to be the year-ending leader, and the other two teams will compete for the bottom.  Taking the better two teams first, I chose the Eagles to prevail over Dallas, because I like several of the positive changes Philly made in the off-season to address the elephant in the room from last year which of course is the huge collapse the team had towards the end of the season after starting 10-1 (they lost five of their last six games and were beaten in a wild card game to a 9-8 team).  But, by adding former Giants star running back Saquon Barkley, hiring a new offensive coordinator (Kellen Moore) and new defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio), those changes should help the team reignite the magic of the 2022 season when Philly finished 14-3 and went to the Super Bowl.  Of course, the possibility remains that Philly continues with their struggles and then Dallas will step right up and take this division once again in 2024… As for NY and Wash, I think the Giants’ superior pass rush, potential in the secondary and the addition of Brian Burns on the edge should help them win more games than Wash who appear to be in a transition year and lack defensive talent on their roster by comparison to NY.  

NFC NORTH

1. LIONS
2. PACKERS (WC)
3. BEARS (WC?)
4. VIKINGS

What stands out when we look at the Chicago Bears’ 105 year lifetime record in the NFL is how success (winning seasons) has come in big waves at the rate of about every 4-6 years and then seemingly disappears again for several more years.  Since it has been five years since the team has had any real success (besides getting a WC berth in 2020 with an 8-8 record), it’s fair to say they are due.  But superstitions and cyclical patterns aside, the good news for Chicago fans is that the 2023 Bears who finished with 7-10 record will likely be on the uptick as soon as this season due to some very exciting changes made in the off-season.  They not only added talent on offense with veterans RB D’Andre Swift, WR Keenan Allen and TE Gerald Everett, the Bears also had a bountiful draft by taking the first overall pick (QB Caleb Williams) and a promising young WR in the first round.  They also hired a new OC Shane Waldron who comes from Seattle.  There are also positive signs the Bears’ defense will continue to play well after their acquisition of DE Montez Sweat late last year when they became a top five unit with his help.  While most of Chicago’s defense has stayed in place in the off-season, the group is loaded with talent particularly in the secondary and at linebacker.  With a little more help on the D-Line and a matching end to Sweat, this may be a championship defense soon…  All that said, we must remember that this will be a transition year for the Bears and the NFC is pretty stacked with more established teams on the rise.  In the very least, the 2024 season for the Bears should be reminiscent of how the Texans and Packers recently got boosts from young exciting Quarterback talent and apt reinforcements.  Will it be enough to get a Wild Card?  It could be close, especially if the Bears offensive line plays like it did in the second half of last season as a top unit and the Rams falter down the stretch.  

NFC SOUTH

1. FALCONS
2. BUCCANEERS
3. COLTS
4. TITANS

Arguably the weakest division in the NFL (or not arguably), this should finally be a resurrection year for Atlanta, a team that hasn’t had a winning season in seven years (2017).  What should help bring about this change are the splashy off-season acquisitions of 13-yr veteran QB Kirk Cousins from Minnesota and new head coach Raheem Morris, formerly the Rams DC (2021-23) where they made the postseason twice and got a Super Bowl ring.  Raheem brought with him from the Rams a new OC and Sean McVay pupil (Zac Robinson) and a new DC (Jimmy Lake), Rams assistant HC (2023).  Cousins will have a very nice trio of offensive tools at his disposal including second-yr RB Bijan Robinson, third-yr WR Drake London, and fourth-yr TE Kyle Pitts.  All three young players have yet to fulfill their potentials, but all will likely have breakout years with a better QB at the helm and an excellent offensive line (Ranked #6 by PFF).  On defense, the Falcons added eight-year veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon (recorded 15.5 sacks for the Patriots in 2022) and Pro Bowl safeties Justin Simmons (NFL Interceptions co-leader 2022) and Jessie Bates III to help shore up the defense.  Finally with one of the easiest schedules in the league this year, the probability is high that Atlanta will lead this division over the other three inferior teams and go fruitfully into the playoffs.  

AFC WEST

1. CHIEFS
2. CHARGERS
3. RAIDERS
4. BRONCOS

The biggest question floating around the NFL this off-season has been if Kansas City will three-peat the Super Bowl this year, a feat that has never been done before in the NFL.  No, not even Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won three Championships in a row… The follow-up question to that then must be: If not, then what team will de-throne the champs?  I can tell you right now, no team from this division will challenge them in 2024.  From the clouds where Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes currently reside, there is a sharp falloff to the rest of the teams in this AFC West division.  Second best I project to be the Chargers, who will likely finish around .500 in their first transition year under HC Jim Harbaugh.  Bringing in one of the most accomplished coaches in college and NFL history, has provided optimism once again that this beleaguered team will see an extended period of success.  Although this will be a transition year for LA, we can still imagine the potential for the next few years ahead.  The Chargers have a very nice foundation with which to build upon and it starts with their talented franchise QB, 26-yr old Justin Herbert, considered one of the best passers in the league. On the defense, LA also has some accomplished players on the edge (Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa) and are stacked in the secondary with Derwin James and Asante Samuel.  In the offseason, the team focused on shoring up the O-Line more to help protect Herbert and they tried to bring more of running game into the offense to create balance.  Unfortunately, Herbert has suffered from plantar fasciitis recently, so there is speculation as to how he will deal with it during the long season to come.  And the team still needs to enrich their roster in several places on offense.  But, with Harbaugh at the helm and a nice base team for him to play with and build from, the outlook should be brighter in 2025.

AFC EAST

1. JETS
2. BILLS (WC)
3. DOLPHINS (WC)
4. PATRIOTS

On paper, the NY Jets have one of the most talented rosters in the league, especially on defense.  Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked their Secondary, Defensive Line, and Linebacker Corps first in the NFL going into this season.  And they ranked the Jets’ Offensive Line, QB, Running Back Corps and Defensive Interior in the top 10.  The only areas that PFF was not super impressed with included NY’s Wide Receiver Corps (ranked #19), Tight End (#21) and Edge Rush (#18).  Still, even if those remaining areas are not considered elite according to the experts, it’s clear the Jets have assembled a well-rounded roster in 2024 that could be good enough to win the division for the first time since 2002.  That may sound like a bold statement, but I don’t feel great about the big hits Buffalo took in the off-season due to salary cap issues (lost five big named starters including WR Stefon Diggs) and Miami’s bigger question marks on defense.  Overall, I feel confident that with a healthy Hall of Fame QB as their leader, the Jets will at least challenge these two teams at the top and have a good chance to come out victorious.  

AFC NORTH

1. RAVENS
2. BENGALS (WC)
3. BROWNS 
4. STEELERS

When scouting the Browns for the upcoming season, I became very impressed with the roster, particularly on defense which doesn’t seem to have any weaknesses across the board.  In 2023 for example, the Browns D operated as an elite unit, finishing the regular season first in total defense and first in pass defense.  They also garnered 28 takeaways, a very respectable number and near the top overall.  So, it is fortuitous for the Browns that most of last year’s top defensive players will be returning in 2024 including DE Myles Garrett (named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2023) and DC Jim Schwartz who won a SB ring with the Eagles as their DC in 2017.  Due to the blockbuster trade for QB Deshaun Watson in 2022, Cleveland did not have any real draft capital this past year with which to bring in many fresh young candidates and shore up its offense which could use a boost in talent.  While they did acquire elite veteran RB Nick Chubb in the offseason, he will not be due to return from injury until at least Week 4.  In the meantime, the Browns plan to rely on a decent receiving corps that has been underperforming, but have the potential to be better, especially if Deshaun Watson returns to the elite form he displayed when he was with Houston.  (From 2018-2020, Watson averaged: 4,280 passing yards, 353 CMP, 514 ATT and 104.5 QB Rating.)  With a Browns uniform on, Watson has only played in 12 games, never reached higher than a 44 QBR, or throw for more than 1,120 yards in either season.  Now the clock is ticking for the 28-year-old.  If Watson can remain healthy and get back to being the elite talent he has proven to be in years past, this could be a dangerous playoff team.  In the meantime, I’m keeping the Browns out of my playoff picks until I see something more from Watson.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if this team sneaks into the playoffs.

AFC SOUTH

1. TEXANS
2. JAGUARS
3. COLTS 
4. TITANS

In 2022, the year after the Jaguars selected QB Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 Draft Pick under then new HC Doug Pederson, Jacksonville finished the regular season with a 9-8 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017.  Optimism abounded for 2023, as the Jags were supposed to prove to the league that they were not just a rebuilding team, but legitimately on their way up.  Things didn’t go to plan, however.  Last season, Jax finished 9-8 again, lost five of their last six games, came in second in the division and missed the playoffs.  Meanwhile, the revamped and reenergized Houston Texans stole their thunder and won the division, then went through to the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for Jags fans, I see a repeat outcome in 2024, or perhaps worse.  The Texans reloaded in the offseason and are expected to improve yet again.  On the other hand, there isn’t much that tells me the Jags will see the same kind of trajectory up, except for the fact that QB Trevor Lawrence is supposed to be healthier after dealing with multiple injury issues last year.  And yes, Jax did pick up some nice acquisitions in the offseason. But as a whole, I just see Jacksonville’s roster weaker than other top teams in the conference and even their own division.  

PLAYOFF TEAM PREDICTIONS

NFC

1. SF
2. DET
3. PHL
4. ATL
5. GB
6. DAL
7. RAMS

AFC

1. KC
2. BAL
3. HOU
4. NYJ
5. CIN
6. BUF
7. MIA

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://theladylovessports.com/contact.