Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles knocked off the back-to-back champion Kansas Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Will the Eagles repeat, or will the Chiefs win again? There might be a new AFC champion. Who is going to rise, and who is going to fall? Here is your NFL preview.
AFC East: The Buffalo Bills are led by Josh Allen. The reigning MVP is back and hungry to get past the Chiefs. They’re going to earn the second seed in the AFC with a 15-2 record. The Miami Dolphins will miss the playoffs, with a lacking defense, they’ll go 7-10. The New York Jets have a good core to build around, but will finish behind the Dolphins at 6-11. With the arrival of Mike Vrabel as head coach, the Patriots will establish a new culture and finish 2-15.
AFC North: The Baltimore Ravens are full of depth and upcoming stars. They will clinch the first seed with a 16-1 record. Obviously, upsets will happen but are very unpredictable. I do not expect many of these records to stand, but seeding should be similar. The Bengals will clinch the playoffs behind their offense, finishing the year 9-8. The Steelers are a huge question mark because of their offense; I have them going 5-12, but I doubt that will actually happen. The Browns are a disaster of a franchise and will finish with a 3-14 record because of their horrific offense.
AFC South: The Houston Texans are returning as a very young team and will finish with a 14-3 record, good enough for the fourth seed. The Jaguars are in an interesting position; they are either in the process of rebuilding or finalizing their success by the end of this year, depending on how it goes. They finish this year at 7-10. The Titans are missing a playmaker for Cam Ward; he will lead this team to 3-14. The Colts will struggle and go 2-15.
AFC West: Could this be the year the Broncos knock off the Chiefs? It could be, but I don’t think so. The Chiefs will get the three seed and go 15-2. The Broncos and Chargers will make the playoffs. The Broncos will receive the five seed after going 11-6. The Chargers will get the seven seed after going 9-8. The Raiders will get smoked in their division and go 3-14.
NFC East: The defending champs will get the one seed at 15-2. The Commanders will clinch the six seed after going 10-7. The new-look Cowboys will struggle with no pass rush and miss the playoffs at 8-9. The New York Giants will improve throughout the season when Jaxson Dart starts playing and go 4-13.
NFC North: The most competitive division in the NFL. The Detroit Lions will finally be healthy, but are missing their coordinators; they will go 13-4 to get the second seed. The Packers have a very difficult schedule that prepares them for a playoff run. They get the five seed at 12-5. The Vikings and Bears will have inexperienced quarterbacks, and both will miss the playoffs at 9-8.
NFC South: The unknown division could be flipped on its head quickly. The Buccaneers will continue to dominate the division to get the four seed and finish 11-6. The Falcons will follow up with the seven seed and a 10-7 record. The Panthers and Saints are experiencing many struggles, leading the Panthers stuck in the middle, finishing 6-11. With the Saints’ offense not having a good quarterback, it’s inevitable that they’ll go 2-15
NFC West: The Seahawks will surprise with the three seed and 13-4 record. Head Coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive magician. The well-coached Rams will miss the playoffs at 10-7. The new defense of the 49ers will go 9-8. The Cardinals will struggle with a difficult schedule and start another rebuild following a 4-13 season.
Wild Card Round: Denver vs. Houston will be a victory for the Texans. They have a little more experience than the Broncos. The Bengals and Chiefs will be a Chiefs win. The Bengals’ defense will be hopeless. The Chargers and Bills will be very high scoring, but the Bills have Josh Allen. Bill will advance. The Packers and Buccaneers will have a great defensive game. The Packers will develop a better run game and win. The Commanders and Seahawks will result in a Commanders win, because of the experienced coaches. The Falcons and Lions will be a Lions win due to the inexperience of Michael Penix Jr.
Divisional Round: The Chiefs and Bills will have another instant classic. The Chiefs will continue to own the Bills in the playoffs and win. The Ravens’ offense will be too powerful for the Texans to stop and will advance. The Packers and Lions rivalry runs deep. The Packers defense will hang on for the win against the division rivals. The Commanders and Eagles will also feature a rematch. This divisional round will be historic as the Eagles will return and defend the NFC title.
Conference Championships: The Chiefs will finally be knocked off by the Baltimore Ravens. The defense will contain the Chiefs and clinch a spot in the big game. Green Bay vs. Philadelphia will be a defensive battle in the cold. The Eagles will come out on top in a low-scoring affair.
Super Bowl: The two best running teams will meet in Super Bowl LX. The game will result in which defense contains the run and eliminates the deep ball. The Ravens will be better this game and win Lamar Jackson his first Super Bowl to end the season.
