Another 'Off the wall' opinion piece on the upcoming NFL Season! I have no real way of knowing how these teams are progressing after the draft/free agency, but I'm projecting their seasons anyways. Some of these thoughts are based off how I think the new guys are going to impact their teams - even before playing a single snap for their respective franchises. The odds of this holding true are slim to none... but maybe I'll take a chance and throw some bets on these way-too-early predictions. You should (not) follow my lead!
* = Wild Card
AFC
AFC - North
Baltimore Ravens (15-2)
Cincinnati Bengals (11-6) *
Cleveland Browns (8-9)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-9)
I've said it before and I will say it again - the Ravens are my Way-Too-Early Super Bowl Favorites. Their offense added Derrick Henry despite losing OBJ, and one cornerstone OL... but the rest of the team hasn't seen much turnover. Their defense will look a bit different, but Todd Monken is ready to roll with this high-powered offense. Meanwhile, Cincy and Cleveland are working their way back into the mix. I think Burrow has a solid bounce-back season to put him in contention for a Playoff Run, but they have a hill to climb in order to get a Division Championship this year. Cleveland may be taking a step back due to injuries and a prolonged start to the year... the Browns haven't added any insurance plans to current starting RB Nick Chubb - who is recovering from a knee injury. Chubb will more-likely-than-not struggle to get back up to game-speed, but there's a chance he is firing on all cylinders once the season starts. If the latter is true, the Browns may have a better shot at a Wild Card berth than my predictions. That being said - I'll say Pittsburgh flirts with the below .500 mark for the first time under Mike Tomlin. I said it last year too, and this Steelers team hasn't been able to add anyone substantial to their roster. With that in mind, they either sneak above the .500 mark, or they finish at the bottom of the division for the first time in nearly 40 years.
AFC - East
Buffalo Bills (13-4)
New York Jets (11-6) *
Miami Dolphins (10-7)
New England Patriots (2-15)
Aaron Rodgers will come through on his promise to get the Jets to the playoffs, but he won't get them a championship. As a matter of fact, I'm predicting the Buffalo Bills to take the division and have a chance at a deep postseason run. Miami will be hot on the heels of the Jets, so there won't be much room for error from either of the top two teams... especially with how hungry Miami is going to be. Tua and company have two consecutive Wild Card appearances, losing to the Bills in 2022 (34-31) and then to the eventual Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs in 2023 (26-7). I think before Miami gets over the hump and makes a push for a Super Bowl, they need to take a step back. This would be the year they go backwards, but they will be back with a vengeance in the coming years - especially if Mike McDaniel stays at the helm. New England... is a dumpster fire. The Patriots got rid of their problem QB in Mac Jones, let legendary coach Bill Belichick walk, and didn't really show any aggressive or proactive moves to get the franchise on the right track. I don't expect much form the Patriots again this year, and you shouldn't either.
AFC - West
Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
Los Angeles Chargers (9-8)
Denver Broncos (3-14)
Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
This is still Patrick Mahomes' world that we're living in - at least until we get to the postseason. KC has another untroublesome path to a division title, with the only real threat coming from the Chargers and their returning-to-the-NFL Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. Denver finally got rid of Russell Wilson, but they've got a long way to go before being considered a playoff contender. The Broncos current starting QB is Jarrett Stidham according to NFL Depth Charts (which won't be true come August 1st), with rookie QB Bo Nix at QB2, and Zach Wilson as QB3. As I was saying... they've got a long way to go - whether that's through growth, or continuing to search for their guy. Let's not even get into the Raiders. Aiden O'Connell is QB1 - who played in 11 games last year (10 Fantasy Games) and looked halfway decent for a rookie. They did sure-up the backup QB situation though, adding Gardner Minshew as QB2. But they lost Josh Jacobs to Free Agency, eventually promoting Zamir White to RB1. Alexander Mattison did join the RB room, but he's listed as RB2 currently. This may be a pass-heavy team this fall - a real test for AOC.
AFC - South
Jacksonville Jaguars (10-7)
Houston Texans (8-9)
Indianapolis Colts (7-10)
Tennessee Titans (4-13)
Houston is the team who is going to be tested, and that's why I think Jacksonville pulls off the Division upset this year. I'm predicting Houston to struggle on the road (4-5), with losses to Indianapolis to start the year, and losses to three division-winners and a wild-card team. I've also lined up four losses to division-winners at home... It's hard to stack the odds in their favor in the given situation. Jacksonville has added Gabe Davis - a notable run-blocking WR who is also quite fast. It could open up the screen plays for players like Travis Etienne or Tank Bigsby - both who have shown promise as NFL backs. I have a hard time predicting Indianapolis and their season outlook. Anthony Richardson has shown promise as a QB with great vision - although a lack of instincts seems to be present. That being said, the Colts signed Joe Flacco to be QB2 - and if needed, could easily step in and help guide this offense to a division contender. The Titans are in a similar situation - minus the experienced veteran QB2 on the roster. Will Levis is a gunslinger, and his throwing power and profile resemble someone like Josh Allen of the Bills (Levis: 6-4, 229lbs, Allen: 6-5, 237lbs). He has a lot of throwing options this fall, too. The Titans went all-in for the air-raid offense, signing Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and Tyler Boyd to pair with DeAndre Hopkins and Chig Okonkwo. Could they find their stride and be a division contender? Absolutely! And so could the Chicago Bears!
NFC
NFC - North
Detroit Lions (14-3)
Green Bay Packers (11-6) *
Minnesota Vikings (6-11)
Chicago Bears (4-13)
The 2024 Detroit Lions will… win the NFC North for the second consecutive season. It’s without a doubt the Lions have rebranded from SOL to the Motor City Kneecap Destroyers, and they don’t seem to let off the gas. Their resurgence put them into the NFC Title Game last year, eclipsing everyone’s expectations except for the players themselves. This year - their goal is even further down the road… by just a few weeks from when their last season ended, to be exact. Looking at the rest of the division, only the Packers are a threat to potentially pushing the Lions out as Division Title Favorites - and even that is a long shot. The Vikings and Bears have opted for rookie QBs (again), and that’s about all you need to know.
NFC - East
Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Dallas Cowboys (12-5) *
Washington Commanders (3-14)
New York Giants (1-16)
At what point will the New York Giants wake up and realize they’re running their franchise into the ground? At least Washington is trying to put together a serviceable football team. That being said, the Eagles and Cowboys are the heavyweight favorites to come out of the NFC East. Philly added a few big playmakers - including Saquon Barkley. As if they didn’t have enough offensive firepower… Dallas should be right there in talent, but as mentioned in previous posts - they weren’t active at all this offseason. That could be the difference between taking the next step together, and falling behind the pack - the latter of which I think Dallas will do because of their rotational losses both in offense and defense. Keep in mind - I write blog posts about fantasy football for fun. This could mean absolutely nothing.
NFC - West
San Francisco 49ers (16-1)
Seattle Seahawks (9-8)
Los Angeles Rams (8-9)
Arizona Cardinals (6-11)
The runaway division - San Francisco should have this division locked up (officially) by Week 12 or 13. Do I need to spend much time here? The 49ers made the most offseason noise, and were the unanimous favorite to be the NFC Champion last year. That remains true for 2024 - and the rest of the division made minimal progress. With the Rams and Seattle still being mediocre at best, I don’t see any reason not to put SF as NFC1.
NFC - South
Atlanta Falcons (10-7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
New Orleans Saints (7-10)
Carolina Panthers (5-12)
This will be the most interesting division to watch. I have Kirk Cousins getting the Atlanta Falcons into the postseason due to tiebreakers on division records. Atlanta is projected to go 5-1 in the division in my pre-season predictions, while the Bucs lose to Atlanta on the road and the Saints on the road. For what it's worth, I do think Tampa has what it takes to overtake the Falcons and hold the NFC South Title for another season - I just don't think they will put it all together. The Saints will struggle to maintain a winning streak, and Carolina will find a few upsets as Bryce Young continues to rebuild the Panthers into a contender. My favorite team to target Fantasy Players from in this division will probably be Atlanta - due to their upside. But a Baker Mayfield-fed WR could also be a good player to put stock into.
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