NFL PREDICTIONS 2025

by: OD Sports Guy

 

IT’S FINALLY HERE!! CHRISTMAS HAS ARRIVED! Well not really but for me and millions of others it’s the only parallel. FOOTBALL SEASON IS UPON US. Personally this is the most excited I’ve been for a football season in some time. Love the game, love the betting, the intensity etc. but mostly this is the most optimism I’ve felt for my football team, THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, in quite some time. They finally pivoted and have a direction that hopefully leads out of the purgatory that is mediocrity in the NFL. Here are my regular season predictions by division, but first individual award winners.

 

MVP Joe Burrow (Establishes himself as the best QB in the NFL that he is)

OPOY Joe Burrow (See above)

DPOY Patrick Surtain (Defends his crown for the best defender)

POY Joe Alt (May have to step in for Slater, shows his versatility and great skillset)

CPOY Aidan Hutchinson (Monster performance before injury, he’ll be that again)

OROY Ashton Jeanty (Golden and Hunter viable adversaries, but Jeanty wins it)

DROY Abdul Carter (He’s so good he could be up for DPOY as well)

 

AFC WEST

 

Denver Broncos: 11-6

Kansas City Chiefs: 10-7

Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11

Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8

 

I have boarded the Denver Broncos bandwagon. I’m a complete believer in what the Great Sean Payton has built and they will finally dethrone the legendary Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. I thought Bo Nix was underrated coming out of the draft a year ago and in a 2nd season in Payton’s system he will shine even brighter. In addition they possess what should be the best defense in the league. That being said, I expect the Chiefs to go further in the playoffs, that’s what they’re built for but this is about the regular season. Jim Harbaugh is building a contender in LA. The Rashawn Slater injury and not enough weapons in the wide receiver room and the secondary will haunt them. I love that my coach Pete Carroll is back in the league. He’s in the most difficult division filled with all amazing coaches. Although they are accumulating talent in Las Vegas they fall far short of the rest of the teams.

 

AFC SOUTH

 

Houston Texans: 10-7

Indianapolis Colts: 4-13

Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-7

Tennessee Titans: 3-14

 

This is the NFL worst division. However the surprise team of the NFL this year will be the Jacksonville Jaguars. I don’t think quarterback Trevor Lawrence will perform to the hype coming out of the draft but will be much improved this year. Jaguars are solid all the way around and have an amazing group of skill players. Adding Travis Hunter to their wide receiver room and the versatile Bhayshul Tuten to their backfield they are a very sneaky, dangerous team. That all being said, this division, at least for another year, will belong to CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans. Retooled their wide receiver room, talent in the backfield despite an injury to Joe Mixon and what should be a top 5 defense. They’ll be fun to watch and can beat anyone on any given Sunday. The Colts front office is an abomination. They’ve only managed to build a great offensive line since Andrew Luck retired and nothing else. I actually like the team overall but they have a horrible Quarterback room, star running back that doesn’t stay healthy and not sure what to make of their defense. Too many questions to expect anything from them. Tennessee may have finally found their quarterback of the future in number one pick Cam Ward but will need to fill out the rest of the team. They’re looking at a top 7 pick.

 

AFC NORTH

 

Baltimore Ravens: 12-5

Cincinnati Bengals: 11-6

Cleveland Browns: 3-14

Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-10

 

Always a football fan favorite division, should produce more great matchups this season. Baltimore still offers the most talented roster in the league but have not been able to reach the mountaintop. Could this be their year? Same old song with them, MVP Candidate, great run game, great defense will give them the division again. I’m most excited about Joe Burrow, aka Joe Burr, aka the owner of the title BEST QUARTERBACK in the NFL. I still have low expectations of the Bengals defense and the offensive line will be a little better  but will have some lowly moments. Joe Burrow and his incredible receivers Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins will overcome all that have this team in contention. I can’t wait to watch the Bengals this season. Cleveland is a disaster. Very good defense, not much to offer in ways of an offense. They can’t figure out their quarterback position and it seems like there is a huge disconnect between the front office and the coach and the coach and the players. Disastrous season incoming. Pittsburgh is a team that is hard to measure. Defense is there, I don’t see how the offense is. Seems like a patchup job this offseason. This may be the season coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t reach over a .500 win percentage.

 

AFC EAST

 

Buffalo Bills: 12-5

Miami Dolphins: 7-10

New England Patriots: 8-9

New York Jets: 3-14

 

Reigning MVP Josh Allen will have the Buffalo Bills atop the AFC East division once again. This is the largest disparity between the top team and the other teams in the division. The Patriots are the only team that made headway in the right direction this year. I like what they’re building with Coach Mike Vrabel but they’re a year or 2 away from division or playoff contention. Coach Mike McDaniel is a candidate for being the first coach fired. The Miami Dolphins seem to have fallen off the rails. They have some nice young prospects but probably should start over with their veterans, they are not a threat. A very offense to watch but not a serious team, they won’t make the playoffs. The Jets offense is just too inept not to be very pessimistic about them. I like coach Aaron Glenn and believe he can establish an identity and culture that’s been nonexistent if he is afforded the time because this will be a multiyears project.

 

NFC WEST

 

Arizona Cardinals: 7-10

Los Angeles Rams: 10-7

San Francisco 49ers: 10-7

Seattle Seahawks: 11-6

 

THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS ARE BACK ON TOP!! I genuinely don’t understand the national premise that the Seahawks have regressed so much to falling to last place in the division. The defense will continue their upward trend and be top 10 this year, and the offensive line will be improved if healthy to at least the middle of the pack in the NFL. Their offense seems to finally have structure and purpose. Won’t be surprising locally but given their opinion the national coverage will be shocked. The 49ers are rebuilding right in front of everyone’s eyes and their mainstays are on their last legs but it’s going completely ignored. I don’t think Trent Williams will stay healthy nor Christian McCaffrey and will be forced to play too many young players on defense. The reigning NFC West Champs Rams are the real threat. A very complete and veteran team. Very well coached with a strong pass rush and physical defense. However the serious injury concerns to their star quarterback Matt Stafford will be too much of a detriment. Nothing indicates that he will be able to go through the season healthy with that poor back. Arizona is improved, they’ve done well in the draft the last couple of years, however they still need to prove it. We haven’t seen them fulfill any of that promise, so it seems that they are still building up to it. 

 

NFC SOUTH

 

Atlanta Falcons: 9-8

Carolina Panthers: 7-10

New Orleans Saints: 2-15

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8

 

The NFC South will boast 2 of the best quarterbacks in the NFC this season. Mark my words. Both Michael Penix Jr and Bryce Young will shoot up the qb rankings. They showed signs later in the season last year they will build upon that. Atlanta has more weapons around Penix but I’m not sure their draft picks James Pierce and Jalon Walker will enhance the pass rush as much as they need to get them over the top. But I’m picking the Falcons over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the division. Tampa has a more sustained offense and maybe the best defense in the division but Atlanta will be very explosive. Running back Bijan Robinson will be a candidate for Offensive Player of the Year. New Orleans doesn’t have much to talk about. They could be the worst team in the league, they will have a top 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

 

NFC NORTH

 

Chicago Bears: 7-10

Detroit Lions: 10-7

Green Bay Packers: 11-6

Minnesota Vikings: 6-11

 

Going through the schedule I just couldn’t see how the Minnesota Vikings don’t have a down year. Essentially a rookie quarterback starting, their star receiver (who might be the best in the league) may not be healthy enough to start the season and their second receiver is suspended the first 3 games of the year. I don’t think they recover from a slow start. I have the Green Bay Packers finally getting over the hump and winning the division. I still have reservations about Jordan Love after how he played last season, but this is the most complete team in the division. Especially with the addition of All Pro Micah Parsons to an already very good defense. I love Dan Campbell and the roster they have built in Detroit, however in crucial  moments I have reservations about Jared Goff as well and I’ve never believed in the Lions defense. That along with the loss of their center Frank Ragnow and offensive coordinator whiz Ben Johnson I think they regress some. Roster too talented to miss the playoffs though. The Bears are the team that is hard to measure. I see the upside and a talented team. But they have a highly touted quarterback that hasn’t shown more than just flashes, a very young offense and a first time head coach in the aforementioned Ben Johnson. Should be fun to watch and will have some high moments but they will need a little bit of time before they contend with the Packers and Lions.

 

NFC EAST

 

Dallas Cowboys: 8-9

New York Giants: 7-10

Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6

Washington Commanders: 11-6

 

Last season’s NFC Conference Championship was represented by 2 teams in the NFC East Division. The eventual Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders and will do it again in a wire to wire race that will have them winning the division in the last game of the regular season. This will be a fun division to follow. The Giants have a brutal schedule, but will show more competency and won’t be an easy matchup for opponents. The Dallas Cowboys with the losses of Micah Parson and Demarcus Lawrence pass rush will digress, however that offense should be explosive. Leading both teams to miss the post season again. For the record both Eagles and Commanders could face off again in the NFC Championship.

 

These are my projections for the upcoming season, like every year the anticipation for the season no matter how high never quite reaches the actual enjoyment of the season unfolding. Congratulations everyone, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!