2024 NFL Season Preview Part One: Bold predictions for the NFC

Football season is finally upon us! Coming off a thrilling Super Bowl, which shattered viewership records and became the most watched television broadcast of all-time, the NFL is primed to have another big season with the Kansas City Chiefs looking to win a third straight Super Bowl, the debut of Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the return of head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, the return of Aaron Rodgers from a season ending injury, and teams such as the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers finishing the season strong and coming into the season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

The NFL is unpredictable. Teams come out of nowhere and exceed expectations, while others crumble. With that being said, let’s make an attempt to predict every division winner, playoff representative, award winners, and Super Bowl Champion for the 2024 NFL season. For Part One, I'm focusing on predicting the NFC standings and playoff representatives.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons

Coming off of a disappointing campaign in which they finished 7-10, the Falcons got rid of quarterback Desmond Ridder and upgraded the room by signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a massive deal. In addition, they shocked everyone by drafting Michael Penix Jr. While the defense ranked 18th in scoring last season, the additions of Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon should only improve that output. On offense, the running back combo of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier will accumulate significant yardage. Expect to see wide receiver Drake London take another step forward in year two as well. Ten wins should be enough to carry this division, and I think they are the most talented team in the South this season.

2. New Orleans Saints

The Saints are looking to bounce back from three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. The defense has not been the issue, ranking as a top-10 squad in points allowed every season since 2020. In addition, The offense also finished ninth in scoring, and will look to wide receiver Chris Olave to do the heavy lifting on offense. The main problem: the Saints lost six games by one possession last season. The bottom line is that head coach Dennis Allen needs to have a solid campaign, otherwise he might be looking for a new job come early 2025.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Coming off of a surprising playoff run in which they nearly made it to the NFC Championship Game, Baker Mayfield and company will need to have another strong showing to make it back. The Buccaneers only won one game in the regular season against a team who made the postseason. They will continue to rely on stalwarts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the passing attack and Rachaad White in the run game. I think this is a team that will experience some regression, especially since Mayfield has yet to have back-to-back strong seasons as a starting QB in the NFL.

4. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers, and more specifically quarterback Bryce Young, can only go up from here after finishing the 2023 campaign with the league’s worst record. In fairness to Young, he never had a chance to succeed with what was around him talent-wise, getting sacked 62 times. He showed glimpses of why he was drafted number one overall in 2023, but he’s going to have to take a big step forward. Adding receiver Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette should help. While I don't think this team is competing for the division this season, Young’s performance will go a long way to determine whether or not he will be the starting QB come 2025.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Even when they started the season 10-1, the Eagles in 2023 were a far cry from the team that almost won Super Bowl LVII the year prior. If you engage in sports talk discourse, there has been a lot of chatter regarding the late season collapse and the future of head coach Nick Sirianni. Beyond those headlines, Jalen Hurts clearly was nowhere near 100%, and the defense was one of the worst units in the NFL. Hiring coordinators Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore should help in that department. Offensively, the Eagles still have the talent to score points, with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and the newly acquired Saquon Barkley. I think there will be a righting of the ship in Philly in 2024.

2. Dallas Cowboys

After getting embarrassed in their last playoff game, the Cowboys find themselves heading into this season with the prospects of eventually locking up CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons to massive long-term contracts. Dak Prescott is entering the final year of a four year, $160 million contract extension and will look to get another payday. With quarterbacks getting paid north of $50 million a year, it will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones will be willing to shell out that kind of money. Coming up short of expectations the last three seasons, this feels like the potential last run for Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy to remain part of the Cowboys future.

3. Washington Commanders

The Commanders and their fans hope that Jayden Daniels will be the quarterback who will restore legitimate hope in the team’s future outlook since the days of Robert Griffin III back in 2012. The Commies had significant turnover this offseason, signing a bunch of veteran free agents on offense and defense in hopes of fielding a more competitive squad around the rookie QB. While they are probably a season or two from competing for a playoff berth, A strong showing in the upcoming season followed by another draft and free agency could put this team in an interesting position come 2025.

4. New York Giants

Malik Nabers looks like he has all of the makings of being an excellent wide receiver and should provide the team with more offensive juice. The Giants have been lacking a true number one receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. Darius Slayton is a solid option, and the continued development of Jalin Hyatt could make for a decent room, but the quarterback position leaves a lot to be desired. While Daniel Jones had a good 2022, the Giants signed him to an extension that wasn’t necessary when he still had another year to prove the season was not a mirage. If he gets benched, your options are Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito, and by then, your season is probably over.

NFC North

1. Detroit Lions

Expectations are through the roof this upcoming season for the Lions. Anything less than a Super Bowl appearance will be a disappointment. With an improved defense, an elite offensive line, and quality skill players such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, and Jamyr Gibbs, the fifth-ranked offense will still put up points. Having Jameson Williams potentially emerge as a No. 2 receiver with his speed will go a long way to making this team even more lethal. There are a lot of reasons to be excited in the Motor City, as they have finally become one of the elite squads in the NFL.

2. Green Bay Packers

After starting the season 2-5, the Packers proceeded to go 7-3, throttle the Cowboys, and nearly beat the 49ers in the playoffs. Quarterback Jordan Love’s overall body of work in 2023 was outstanding, and the receiving room showed growth from start to finish. The running back room of AJ Dillon and Josh Jacobs will provide a good run game as well (Update Aug. 29: Dillon was ruled out for the season shortly after publication of this article). Defensively, they should continue to produce at a high level. While they are still a young team, this team now has playoff experience under their belt and a quarterback whose ceiling is yet to be determined. The Packers window to win is just beginning to open.

3. Chicago Bears

Like Jayden Daniels, the Bears hope they have found their guy for the long haul in Caleb Williams. It’s easy to get caught up in the discourse in the media and the highlights online, but I do expect him to have a solid campaign, especially with the addition of Keenan Allen. In contrast to Justin Fields’ platoon, the Bears have done a nice job this time around fielding a good supporting cast around Williams. In addition, the defense finished strong to close out the year. DJ Moore might be the most underrated wide receiver in the game, and they also took Rome Odunze with a top-10 pick. This team is good enough to challenge for a playoff spot. How far they go this season will be an interesting development.

4. Minnesota Vikings

Even with JJ McCarthy sidelined for the season, I think the Vikings will remain competitive with Sam Darnold leading the offense. After all, they spent the back half of 2023 without a true starting quarterback and competed for a playoff spot until the end. While there are limitations with Darnold, having playmakers like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is still enough to strike fear into defenses. Aaron Jones gives them a viable number one rusher, and the defense under Brian Flores improves. This will be a competitive team; however, the three teams ahead of them appear to be better.

NFC North

1. San Francisco 49ers

While they have continued to come up just short of winning it all on multiple occasions, the 49ers are still a really good team that should have another solid campaign. There are questions about how long that Super Bowl window will remain open, especially with the ongoing Brandon Aiyuk saga, but make no mistake, they are still one of the top teams in the NFC. Christian McCaffrey is coming off a fantastic season, and Deebo Samuel is a Swiss army knife. I expect Brock Purdy to have another solid campaign and have the team in the Super Bowl picture once again.

2. Los Angeles Rams

After the Super Bowl hangover from the year prior, the Rams bounced back in a big way, making the playoffs. A team that appeared to be on the brink of a complete rebuild now has rejuvenated optimism with the emergence of wide receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Wiiliams. While losing future hall-of-famer Aaron Donald will hurt on defense, players such as Kobi Turner and Jared Verse have the talent to anchor the defense. They have the coach and personnel to make the playoffs again, but the x-factor is having Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford remain healthy for the entire season. If they can pull that off, this team could make some noise.

3. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have been slightly above average for the past two seasons. Injuries hampered Geno Smith as he wasn’t as effective as he was in 2022. But the Seahawks have a solid back in Kenneth Walker III and have a trio of wide receivers in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njiba who will all be looking to get touches. The defense is young and will be looking to continue and improve. I give Geno Smith a lot of credit for taking full advantage of becoming a starting QB, but with a new coach and the acquisition of Sam Howell, it’s likely that he is a bridge quarterback and won’t be a part of the Seahawks long term plans.

4. Arizona Cardinals

After completely falling off after the 2021 season, the Cardinals are trending upwards again. They will have a fully healthy Kyler Murray, who will look to prove the doubters wrong about his work ethic and remind people that he is one of the most dynamic talents the league has to offer at QB. He will have a new number-one receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., who should quickly establish himself as a lethal playmaker. Trey McBride became one of the better tight ends in the league as the season went along, and running back James Conner produced his best season to date. They are another team that is probably a year away from the playoffs, but this team should be drastically improved.

NFC playoff predictions

1. Lions
2. 49ers
3. Falcons
4. Packers
5. Rams
6. Cowboys
7. Saints

Wild Card

• 49ers over Saints
• Falcons over Cowboys
• Packers over Rams

Divisional Round

• Lions over Cowboys
• 49ers over Falcons

Conference Championship

• Lions over 49ers

Stay tuned for Part Two featuring the American Football Conference and your Pittsburgh Steelers!