The NFL season is officially underway. Here’s how the next 18 weeks of regular season play could shape up.
AFC East
While the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills have won the division title for four consecutive seasons, the division projects to be as competitive as ever. The New York Jets boast one of the league’s toughest defenses and a supposedly healthy Aaron Rodgers should rejuvenate an offense led by elite playmakers Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson.
The Miami Dolphins should remain in the mix with a fast-paced offense utilizing the top-tier speed of Tyreek Hill. The Patriots are still in their post-Brady skid and are the only team without a conceivable shot at the AFC East title.
AFC North
The Baltimore Ravens return as reigning division champions and should continue to be in contention for the AFC’s number-one seed with Lamar Jackson at the helm. The Cleveland Browns count on its stellar defense to carry its middling QB play from the $230 million man himself, Deshaun Watson.
The Cincinnati Bengals come out of a year marred by QB Joe Burrow’s torn wrist ligament but could return to the playoffs with him back. It feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers could put together the most underwhelming roster and they’d still find a way to go 9-8. With Russell Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback, it seems that theory will be tested.
AFC South
The Houston Texans come off a Cinderella storyline season thanks to the spectacular rookie campaign by QB C.J. Stroud. The Colts went 9-8 last year with Gardner Minshew as the starting QB for 13 games and could contest Houston for the division title depending on how second-year QB Anthony Richardson shapes up.
The Jacksonville Jaguars come off an up-and-down season marked by flashes of football brilliance by QB Trevor Lawrence and then equally frequent boneheaded mistakes. The Tennessee Titans kind of just exist.
AFC West
The Kansas City Chiefs look to three-peat with the spectacular Patrick Mahomes quarterbacking the team. Fortunately for Kansas City, the rest of the division should be a cakewalk.
The Las Vegas Raiders return a solid defense but maintain some of the worst quarterback play in the league. The Los Angeles Chargers have the excellent arm talent of Justin Herbert at quarterback but question marks at virtually every other position. The Denver Broncos seem to be in total rebuild mode with rookie QB Bo Nix taking the reigns of the offense for better or worse.
NFC East
The Philadelphia Eagles crashed and burned down the stretch of last season, but return elite playmaking firepower and one of the league’s strongest offensive lines. The Dallas Cowboys are a perennial playoff team but also a perpetual playoff disappointment.
The New York Giants cost themselves a top draft pick with some late-season win and come into 2024 with a subpar roster. The Washington Commanders are in rebuild mode, but rookie QB Jayden Daniels should add some spectacle for the Washington D.C. team.
NFC North
The Detroit Lions are favorites of their division for the first time in a long time, returning one of the most high-powered offenses in football. The Green Bay Packers may not be too far behind with the late-season rise of QB Jordan Love and a well-rounded roster at nearly every position.
The story of the Chicago Bears will be the rookie season of the first overall pick QB Caleb Williams. The Minnesota Vikings season already feels wasted due to the season-ending injury of rookie QB J.J. McCarthy, and they’re just kind of there in this division.
NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons should be a legitimately good team which seems somewhat surprising. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw a career year from QB Baker Mayfield, but it’s yet to be seen if this is the new norm or if he caught lightning in a bottle.
The New Orleans Saints are as mediocre as mediocre can get, and the Carolina Panthers are just awful.
NFC West
The San Francisco 49ers are the reigning NFC champions and look to return to the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams lost future Hall-of-Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald to retirement, but could still return to the playoffs depending on the health of QB Matthew Stafford.
The Seattle Seahawks have moved beyond the era of Pete Carroll as head coach with the hiring of Mike Macdonald and their season is a tough one to predict. The Arizona Cardinals could be interesting with a healthy Kyler Murray at quarterback, but they likely won’t achieve more than getting into the wildcard conversation at best.
