The NFL preseason is finally over, and the 2025 regular season is finally upon us. That means we don't have much time left to get in our final predictions for the season before things start going down for real.
Thank goodness.
The NFL is always unpredictable, and no matter how many scenarios we go through, there will always be something that catches everybody off guard. But we're going to do our best anyway. In our latest NFL predictions, we're going to take one last look at every team in the league and take a stab at predicting their record for the upcoming season. If nothing else, we're just creating receipts.
Final record predictions for every NFL team ahead of the 2025 season
AFC North
Cleveland Browns: 4-13
The Cleveland Browns are very clearly one of the worst and most dysfunctional teams in the NFL right now. They are already dealing with more this year than most teams would care to deal with in five. The Browns might have the lowest floor of any team in the league right now because they just don’t have any long-term upside at quarterback, unless they can work miracles with Shedeur Sanders.
With that in mind, this team did win 11 games just a couple of years ago, and some of those pieces remain. If Kevin Stefanski can have them more competitive than four wins, he deserves Coach of the Year recognition.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
I thought about putting the Steelers at nine wins, but this team is probably a little too good on paper for that. What’s the floor for the Steelers? What is it every year? Mike Tomlin always has his guys – no matter who his guys are – in good enough shape to win nine or more games. Tomlin still has never had a losing record, and I don’t expect that will change this coming year. But the Steelers feel like a team that could bottom out. 10 wins might be their absolute ceiling.
Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
I’ve been going back and forth on the Bengals all offseason. There are obviously a lot of reasons to feel like this team is going to be good, starting with their core players on offense. But the Bengals have obvious issues defensively, and nobody knows at this point whether or not Trey Hendrickson is going to be part of this team in 2025. With so many question marks defensively, the Bengals can’t be expected to do anything but take a marginal step forward from where they were at last year. They might be in 8-10 win purgatory.
Baltimore Ravens: 14-3
I want to pick the Baltimore Ravens to win 15 or more games, but I can’t bring myself to do it. You can get unlucky in the NFL and lose four or five games just like that, but the Ravens are so good that they might have to try in order to lose just one or two. This Baltimore roster is stacked. They have a cheat code at quarterback. They have a great combination of coaching, veteran player leadership, and young talent. If they don’t win the Super Bowl this year, it’s a total disaster.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-9
If there’s one team that i really am buying as a challenger to the Houston Texans in the AFC South this year, it’s going to be the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’ve always liked Trevor Lawrence, and the Jaguars have so many intriguing young playmakers offensively that it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think they could make some noise this year. With that in mind, there’s a lot stacked against them because of how much is new, so we’re keeping it relatively conservative. But I wouldn’t be shocked if they won 10 games.
Tennessee Titans: 5-12
The Titans might show a little something this year with Cam Ward under center, but this roster is very much a work in progress. General manager Mike Borgonzi knows that, and they’re putting a lot on Ward to make lemonade out of the lemons he’s surrounded with. The Titans are probably at least another couple of years away from being true contenders, but as we saw with the Commanders last year, you never know when a young quarterback is going to emerge as a star and accelerate the rebuild.
Indianapolis Colts: 6-11
If not for the quarterback situation being such a rough one, the Colts might be everyone’s surprise pick in the AFC. And heck, if Daniel Jones can pull off something similar to what we saw last year from the Vikings with Sam Darnold, you just never know. But this is a guy who has, over a rather large sample, been a turnover machine in the NFL. And that’s been difficult for him to shake. The Colts might be in for a long year unless Shane Steichen can work his magic, and then what happens?
Houston Texans: 10-7
I’ve cooled off on the Houston Texans pretty considerably in recent weeks. I don’t know what it is. Call it a gut feeling, and maybe by the end of the season, we’ll be able to call it a bad one. Everything is there for the Texans to be a tough team in the AFC, but I was buying what they were selling last year, and they were not nearly as great as everyone hoped they could be. The Texans have the right QB, they have pass rushers, and they have playmakers in the secondary. But there are genuine concerns on the offensive line.
AFC East
New England Patriots: 9-8
It would not surprise me in the slightest bit to see the Patriots back in the playoffs this coming season. I don’t think we’re going to see them turn it completely around this year, but Mike Vrabel is the right coach for this team, and Drake Maye might be the breakout player among breakout players in the NFL this coming season. The Pats obviously are more than just a few pieces away, but there’s enough meat on the bone right now to dig in a little bit. I think as much as they’ve been predicted as a breakout team, the Pats will be a tough out all year and could impact the AFC playoff race even if they don’t make it themselves.
Miami Dolphins: 8-9
I simply cannot get on board with the Dolphins at this point in time. With a healthy Tua Tagovailoa and a healthy everyone else, this team could definitely put up a lot of points, but the injury concerns have already piled up too quickly for this team. There’s youth in the trenches on both sides. The cornerback position might be the worst overall in the NFL until proven otherwise. It’s possible we could see a really rough year for the Dolphins.
New York Jets: 6-11
I do like the Jets’ process this offseason with a new general manager and a new head coach in place. I think you’ve obviously got to make bold changes when you bring in new leadership from the top, and swapping out Aaron Rodgers for Justin Fields is a risk worth taking with some actual long-term upside. I’m at least intrigued to see if it can work out, but hopes aren’t overly high at this stage. The Jets are going to have to prove over a long period of time that they can actually sustain something before I’m buying.
Buffalo Bills: 14-3
The Buffalo Bills should be right there, neck-and-neck with the Baltimore Ravens for the race to the top of the AFC mountain. The AFC has a number of outstanding top-end teams but the Bills are arguably the class of the conference. With the reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen under center, the Bills are going to be in every single game they play. Not every team has the luxury of a single player who can dig their team out of a hole. Just like the Ravens, anything short of a Super Bowl win this year for the Bills is a disaster.
AFC West
Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
The Raiders made some upgrades this offseason that not even the biggest of haters could possibly ignore. Pete Carroll is a huge upgrade in the head coach department. Geno Smith over Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew? Come on. Going from Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah at running back to Ashton Jeanty? The Raiders should be vastly improved offensively, but their defense – on paper – is one of the worst I can recall seeing in my time covering the NFL. Pete Carroll is banking on a bunch of has-beens and reclamation projects, so we’ll see if it works out.
Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
The Los Angeles Chargers don’t get enough credit for only beating bad teams last season. Well, they did sweep the Denver Broncos, who won 10 games, but everyone else was among the worst in the league last season. Go look at their schedule from last year. The Chargers have a ton of issues piling up already this year, including the loss of star left tackle Rashawn Slater to a knee injury. This team has enough talent to skate by but they aren’t real contenders in the AFC. The best they can hope for is to be a thorn in everyone else’s side.
Denver Broncos: 11-6
While the Chargers’ arrow is pointing down, the Broncos’ arrow seems to be pointing up. The Broncos already had the 3rd-best scoring defense in the NFL last year, and they added Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and Jahdae Barron. They had the 10th-ranked scoring offense, and they added Evan Engram, JK Dobbins, and have had a breakthrough offseason from wide receiver Troy Franklin. There is a lot to like about this Broncos team, and Sean Payton has them in position to be a sneaky contender in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
There’s no denying two things are true. First and foremost, the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the luckiest teams in the NFL. Second, the Chiefs are the league’s best team situationally. What does that mean? They create their own luck, essentially. The ball bounces their way a lot. And that’s because they are good, but also lucky. The Chiefs might take it personally this year that everyone seems to be diminishing their accomplishments over the past few years, so I think they’ll have a chip on their shoulder in a big way.
NFC North
Detroit Lions: 12-5
The Detroit Lions could be in for a bit of a regression this season, but let’s remember that their regression is coming down from a 15-win season just last year. The Lions are really good. The standard has become exceptionally high, but losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the Jets is a big deal. And I’m not sure how easy it’s going to be for them to thrive despite those changes.
Minnesota Vikings: 10-7
I want to pick the Vikings to be better than this. They were 14-3 last year, but that was an overachieving year for them, and the circumstances are different this year. Does Kevin O’Connell deserve the benefit of the doubt given his track record? Absolutely. But JJ McCarthy is essentially a rookie quarterback coming off of injury and the Vikings are already down one of their top receivers to start the year (Jordan Addison suspension). This is such a good roster and such a good coaching staff. I’d be surprised at less than 10 wins.
Chicago Bears: 9-8
I’ll buy the Bears hype enough to project them to have a winning record. In fact, I think we could see every team in the NFC North finish with a winning record this coming season. Wouldn’t that be wild…?
The Bears 2025 season obviously hinges on whether or not Caleb Williams can take the proverbial next step, and I believe he can. He’s too talented, and Ben Johnson is too good of a head coach. Not to mention, the supporting cast is too good. But what happens if Williams can’t take that step this year? Things could get interesting really fast in Chicago with how beloved Tyson Bagent is. I’m not saying anything, I’m just saying.
Green Bay Packers: 12-5
I’ve got the Lions and Packers finishing this upcoming season with the same record, so we’ll have to wait and see what that means in terms of who wins the division, but I’m liking the Packers a lot this season. The major question mark I have about this roster going into the year is the cornerback position, but this team was so good at turning the ball over last year from other sources that they might be fine. Jordan Love is ready to take that next step into the top tier of NFL quarterbacks if he isn’t there already.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: 8-9
We’re begging for someone to challenge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, because right now, they look like they’re just going to run away with this division. If anyone is going to contend with them, it might be the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons need young defensive players to step up right when the season gets rolling, because they undoubtedly have pieces offensively. I just don’t feel confident putting them in that 9-10 win range yet.
Carolina Panthers: 7-10
The Panthers are the other team I’m not 100 percent sure what to do with at this point. On the one hand, how could it possibly get worse than what they had defensively last year? On the other hand, what if it gets worse? I like what we saw down the stretch last year from Carolina’s offense, and the weapons are improved once again. The offense shouldn’t be the problem for this team. But they need some young guys to step up on defense or it’ll be another long year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11-6
Part of me feels like 11 wins could be the absolute floor for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming season. They’ve got all the makings of a surprise contender in the NFC, and I think they could challenge the Philadelphia Eagles. It would not surprise me one bit if they were playing the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Of course, just like with any team, staying healthy is of paramount importance, and the Bucs have dealt with a lot of injuries in recent years. But if this team is healthy, they’re a legit contender in the NFC.
New Orleans Saints: 4-13
It does feel a little bit generous to project three or four wins for the Saints, but hear me out. The Saints don’t have that bad of a roster overall, especially on the defensive front. Yes, the Saints have probably one of the worst quarterback situations in the league, right there with the Browns, but that’s the one area of this team you’d point out as being really ugly. There are other areas with question marks, but the Saints do have a lot of veterans and could end up being a little better than people expect.
NFC East
New York Giants: 7-10
This record prediction might surprise some, because I don’t view the Giants as being the horrendous embarrassment a lot of people seem to think they will be this coming season. Do the Giants have a legitimate QB controversy on their hands with how well Jaxson Dart played in the preseason? Maybe. The Giants do have someone they can actually turn to if things go poorly with Russell Wilson, and their defensive front is outstanding. That’s going to raise the floor of this team. They could be sneaky dangerous.
Philadelphia Eagles: 13-4
I thought about putting 12-5 for the Eagles here, but the more you think about it, the harder it is to find five losses for this team. The Eagles may have lost some pieces and coaches, but they are still a well-oiled machine with elite players on both sides of the ball. And the fact that they have Vic Fangio running the defense is a huge advantage over the rest of the league. I’d be a little shocked if the Eagles weren’t representing the NFC in the Super Bowl again this year.
Washington Commanders: 11-6
I still view the Commanders as a top team in the NFC, but I’m not sold that they are going to be as good or better than we saw from them last year. Jayden Daniels is outstanding, the offensive line got a major upgrade, but the Commanders were the 2nd-worst team in the NFL just two seasons ago. They had a lot of work that needed to be done, and they were ahead of schedule with the way they played last year. I’m skeptical that this team has the pass rush to be able to win 12 or more games again this season, and I don’t think 11 wins is the floor, by any means.
Dallas Cowboys: 8-9
You can flip those numbers whichever way you want. The Cowboys have the feel of a .500 team, but you obviously can’t go .500 in today’s NFL. I struggle with this projection a little bit because the Cowboys have won 12 games almost like clockwork when Dak Prescott is actually healthy. The Micah Parsons drama is getting out of hand. I’m not sold on Brian Schottenheimer as a head coach. I don’t like the running back group in Dallas. The Cowboys have a lot to like this season, but they are going to be a frustrating team week-to-week, is my guess.
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: 8-9
I’m going to need to see what the Seahawks had in mind with their wholesale changes offensively before I cast too harsh of a judgment here. Part of me wants to predict six wins, but that would be selling the Seattle defense a little short, as well as what Sam Darnold did last year. But is Darnold going to be able to duplicate what he did in Minnesota now that he’s out in Seattle? Why did the Seahawks trade DK Metcalf again? I didn’t love this team’s offseason, to be honest, but they could end up surprising me (and many others).
San Francisco 49ers: 11-6
The 49ers are one team I will always have unwavering faith in. Kyle Shanahan is such a good coach, and the 49ers were able to bring back Robert Saleh this offseason as their defensive coordinator. Even with so much youth on this team defensively, Saleh is going to have those guys prepared every week, and the 49ers have the core offensively to be a top-tier team in the NFC once again. Health will be the biggest concern for this team once again, but my optimism for the 49ers is unquestionably through the roof at this point.
Arizona Cardinals: 10-7
The Arizona Cardinals are a fun preseason pick for a lot of people to be a surprise playoff team in the NFC. But if everyone is predicting it, are they really a surprise? I think 10 wins is a fair projection for this team based on where they’ve been trending under head coach Jonathan Gannon. Gannon has had his guys playing hard each of his first two years with the Cardinals, and now he’s got the best collection of talent that he’s had in his three years there. If the Cardinals get a breakthrough year from Marvin Harrison Jr., they’re going to be dangerous in the NFC West.
Los Angeles Rams: 11-6
If Matthew Stafford is fully healthy, the Rams are one of the best teams in the NFC. They are just so well-rounded as a roster overall, and the addition of Davante Adams at receiver gets me really excited to see them play. The Rams don’t have many real weaknesses, except for the cornerback position. They tried (and failed) to bring Jalen Ramsey back into the mix. With all the talent the Rams have on the offensive side of the ball as well as on their defensive front, it’s hard to see them winning fewer than 11 games if Stafford is on the field.