2024 NFL Predictions

[Gary Najman]

Not a prediction per se, but every season I like to see undrafted players from lower division schools (like the Jets' Xavier Gipson last year) make a big play in the opening game

[RichardBak]

Detroit and KC in Super Duper Bowl. Lions stop Chiefs from a three-peat and fans celebrate their one-peat. Dan Campbell is canonized and even the Lady of Fatima shows up for the victory parade down Woodward Ave.

[RichardBak]

FWIW The two guys who delivered my new washer/dryer this afternoon were divided over whether it would be the Eagles or Ravens to win it all. I thought it strange that they scoffed at my prediction about the Lions making the SB. No love for the local team?? Then I saw the license plate on their truck: Ohio.

[Brian wolf]

Prescott got paid, so I guess Watson isn't auditioning for Dallas ... can Dak finally win a divisional playoff game?

[racepug]

2024 NFL Predictions

3. Miami Dolphins (9-8): I’m not buying what the Dolphins are selling. They may be the hottest pick out there, but I just don’t see this team as a serious Super Bowl contender. - I'm with you 100% on this.

AFC North

2. Baltimore Ravens (10-7): Until I see something different, I’m not going to believe in Lamar Jackson. He’s a great fantasy football quarterback, but when it comes to playoff success, he’s just not there yet. - I'm not a believer in L.J., either, and he's been in the league for several years which leads me to believe that he'll NEVER "get there" as someone who will ever truly produce in the playoffs. (I still think that the fact that not even ONE other team in the league was interested in trying to get him when he held out on the Ravens after the 2022 season speaks VOLUMES)

3. Cincinnati Bengals (8-9): If Joe Burrow can stay healthy – and that’s a big “if” – then the Bengals will have a shot at the playoffs and maybe even the division. - They got off to their usual slow start with that loss to N.E. on Sunday. And they get K.C., next.

4. Cleveland Browns (7-10): The Browns got by on smoke and mirrors in 2024. No such luck this time around. - I wasn't really giving them much thought (except that I thought they'd at least contend for the division) but from what I read D.W. was putrid on Sunday and may not "have anything left." (Fun fact: the CLE Browns have gone the longest of any N.F.L. team of not winning their division. The last time they did so? 1989)

AFC South:

1. Houston Texans (11-6): C.J. Stroud continues to amaze and gets his team back to the playoffs. They’re probably too fresh to contend for a Super Bowl quite yet, but they ought to make things interesting come January. - C.J. Stroud amazed me [and, obviously, many other people] last season. I hope he's able to keep it up.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8): Trevor Lawrence rebounds from a bad year and gets the Jags back into the playoff race. In fact, he very well may get the Jags into the wild card round. - I don't think T.L. is all that great. He seems to have a cockiness about him that doesn't always translate to performance or results and - last season, at least - he turned the ball over WAAAAY too often to give his team a chance of success, in my opinion.

4. Tennessee Titans (4-13): The Titans are in a rebuild. They struggle mightily this year. - Blowing that 17-pt. lead against "Da Bears" last Sunday - especially considering that "Da Bears"' super-hyped rookie QB did NOT have a particularly good game - is NOT a good sign.

AFC West:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-5): It’s inevitable. The Chiefs will win Super Bowl LIX, and you can take that to the bank. No team is stopping them. They may even rope-a-dope for much of the regular season to convince you that they’re not going back. But they will. And once they’ve won in New Orleans, they’ll be headed for Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX. - Bad news for all Chiefs/Taylor Swift haters.

2. Los Angeles Chargers (7-10): I don’t believe in Justin Herbert, and you shouldn’t either. - I'm with you. J.H. is good, but - despite the amount of money that the Chargers are paying him - he's not in Patrick Mahomes' class.

3. Las Vegas Raiders (6-11): The Raiders are rebuilding, but not as much as…

4. Denver Broncos (3-14): The Broncs are starting from scratch.

I picked the A.F.C. West to finish the exact same way you did. Too bad the Raiders don't have better QBs on their roster. If they did I'd give them a better shot of finishing in 2nd behind you-know-whom. I'd be shocked if any team other than DEN finishes in last place in the division. I watched Bo Nix against SEA this last Sunday. Bo Nix has the most starts of any QB, EVER, in collegiate ball and is supposedly "better than you think" in terms of QB talent but he sure didn't show that against the Seahawks. Sure, he had a couple of moments but he also made a LOT of rookie mistakes which helped the Seahawks immensely. For the Broncos' sake he'd better improve, a LOT, as he gains experience.

NFC East:

1. Dallas Cowboys (11-6): No team has won the NFC East in back-to-back seasons in like, forever. The Cowboys buck that trend and clinch the division title again. - I know this probably sounds ridiculous to most people but I swear the rest of the teams in the N.F.L. "play possum" against that team based in TX during the regular season just so that ONE of them can burst the Cowboys' bubble once the playoffs start.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-7): It won’t be easy, though. The Eagles will hang with them every step of the way.

3. New York Giants (6-11): I correctly predicted the Giants’ downfall a season ago. - Yes, you did (I remember that I was more "down" on MIN than I was on Los Gigantes de Nueva York but - well, as far as I'm concerned we were BOTH right).

This time around, Brian Daboll gets fired. - I tend to be in agreement with you on this. He and Daniel Jones will probably be free to look for new work after the 2024 season (if not sooner).

4. Washington “Hogs” (5-12): Whatever their name is, the “Hogs” are in a rebuild, and that means a poor record. - They seem to have been in "rebuild mode" forever, now.

NFC North:

1. Green Bay Packers (11-6): The pieces are in place. All that’s necessary is to avoid injuries, which of course is always a big “if” in Green Bay. But if all goes right this year, the Packers will be headed to New Orleans for a Super Bowl for the first time in 28 years.

2. Detroit Lions (11-6): I also like the Lions to make some noise yet again this season; in fact, the NFC may come down to them and the Packers up against the mighty 49ers.

3. Chicago Bears (8-9): The Bears will surprise a lot of people this year and be quite competitive. I just don’t think they’re ready to contend quite yet. - I'm very much in "wait and see" mode about Caleb Williams. He didn't impress in his first real N.F.L. game (despite being the first #1 pick rookie QB to get a win in his first start since 2002). We'll see how he does as the season progresses.

4. Minnesota Vikings (3-14): The Vikes are in full-blown rebuild mode with J.J. McCarthy out for the season. - And yet they blew Los Gigantes de Nueva York out on the road in their first game (which is meant more as a commentary on the Giants than it necessarily is on MIN).

NFC South:

1. Atlanta Falcons (9-8): I have absolutely no idea who’s going to win the NFC South, so I’m picking a different team from a year ago.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9): The Bucs will definitely contend for the division, but will they win it? I have no clue, so I’m picking them for second place.

3. New Orleans Saints (7-10): The Saints are going to hang around for a while, but I don’t think they end up out on top of this division.

4. Carolina Panthers (3-14): Nice job giving up the farm for Bryce Young. That decision may sting for decades. - Yeah, at this point all I'm hearing is that, even though he's been playing in the league for just over one season, he's looking like a MAJOR bust.

NFC West:

1. San Francisco 49ers (12-5): It’s plain and obvious that the 49ers will win the West, but by how much? They’re a shoo-in for a division title and probably the first-round bye as well. All that matters for them, though, is if they can get by KC in the Super Bowl.

2. Los Angeles Rams (10-7): The Rams gets back to the playoffs, but don’t seriously contend for a Super Bowl.

3. Seattle Seahawks (8-9): The ‘Hawks will be breaking in a new head coach, so it’s too early to expect them to turn things around this year.

4. Arizona Cardinals (6-11): I was right several years ago when I called them a fluke, but now it’s become ridiculous how much of a fluke they were. They need to do something to stop the bleeding.

Just as with the A.F.C. West I picked this division the exact same way you did. The 49ers are simply too talented to pick against (at least in terms of winning the division), the Cardinals seem to perpetually be in "also-ran" status, and until the Seahawks find a better QB than Geno Smith [for those who think I'm being "too harsh" on Geno: https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nfl-power ... 23168.html] and a more dedicated, [properly] focused and disciplined WR than the suPREMEly overrated DK Metcalf, I'm not going to be a "true believer" in them, either, new H.C. or not.

Playoffs:

AFC Wild Card:

#1 Kansas City BYE

#2 Houston beats #7 Jacksonville

#3 Pittsburgh beats #6 Buffalo

#5 Baltimore beats #4 New York Jets

AFC Divisional:

#1 Kansas City beats #5 Baltimore

#2 Houston beats #3 Pittsburgh

AFC Championship Game:

#1 Kansas City beats #2 Houston

NFC Wild Card:

#1 San Francisco BYE

#2 Green Bay beats #7 Los Angeles Rams

#3 Dallas beats #6 Philadelphia

#5 Detroit beats #4 Atlanta

NFC Divisional:

#1 San Francisco beats #5 Detroit

#2 Green Bay beats #3 Dallas

NFC Championship Game:

#2 Green Bay beats #1 San Francisco

MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, SF

Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt, PIT

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams, CHI

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Laiatu Latu, IND

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers, NYJ

Coach of the Year: Robert Saleh, NYJ

Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City 35, Green Bay 25 (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)

[74_75_78_79_]

Thinking about tuning in more to the Jon Gruden channel on YouTube.
Hoping he doesn't hold back on any opinion ...

I was watching it last night! His take on the upcoming Dallas/Saints game. Interesting/enthusiastic takes he offered all around. But, man, Jon sure seems "out" there, lol.

[sheajets]

So far the Ravens a surprise 0-2, Cinci as well after a brutal and controversial loss to KC.

New England may be better than anyone expected...not too happy with that.

Dolphins lose Tua to a concussion, who knows what's going to happen there (or if he should ever continue his career) lots of names being tossed around there (CJ Beathard, Tannehill is supposedly out of the running

Jets are a very worrisome 1-1...and this is a brutal 3 in 11 day stretch. Have to find a way to get through Thursday 2-1

Giants at 0-2 with an extremely tough schedule could be looking at 1-7 down the road

Minnesota looking like world beaters. Harbaugh looking good right out of the gate with San Diego

[Brian wolf]

Good takes, sheajets ...

The injuries just pile up. Are bigger pads like the past, the answer,
better tape jobs? Its amazing the number of games that star players miss.

Jets won a tough game yesterday, but the Titan's Levis keeps making dumb plays. The team also butchered the clock before halftime that could have been a TD instead of a FG. The Bengals, Lions and Ravens also lost games they should have won.

The Chargers and Packers just ran the damn ball with easy victories. For Dallas, the Giants and Philly, the pressure is on to win because Belichick wants to coach in the NFC east, I believe.

I think Tua will play but has to be cleared again. There is no way he will walk away from that much money if he can help it.

Its early but can Carr and Mayfield keep the winning pace theyre on? Good thing Kamara and Rice are playing well, because many people feel they should be in jail.

[CSKreager]

Kansas City is the least impressive 2-0 team

[SeahawkFever]

All I can say is at least so far it looks like I’m eating my crow with regard to what I thought about the Vikings.

They look much better than one of the few worst teams in the league unlike I thought they could have.