The 2024 NFL Schedule has officially been released. Let's make some way too early predictions for the season's division winners. Now that we officially know the 2024 NFL Schedule, we can make some way too early predictions for the coming season. With the amount of parity the NFL has, it would not surprise me to see some new teams come out of the woodwork and be viable.
However, there are clearly some teams that are firmly established and not going anywhere. Can we sift through this mess (but it's a good mess) and predict the eight division winners?
2024 NFL Schedule Release: Predicting all eight division winners
AFC North - Cincinnati Bengals
When Joe Burrow is healthy, the Cincinnati Bengals are a handful to deal with and did in fact make the Super Bowl in 2021. I do think there are some concerns about Joe Burrow and the injury-prone label being attached to him. He has not yet played a full season in the NFL.
However, it's clear how good this Bengals team can be when Burrow is in and firing on all cylinders. I would not be surprised to see the Bengals cruise to a division title in 2024.
AFC South - Houston Texans
The AFC South could quickly become the best division in football if Will Levis is legit and if Trevor Lawrence can rebound from his disastrous 2023 season. However, not only are the Houston Texans very good, but this is now an elite football team that I predict will win the Super Bowl this year. I would be shocked if they failed to win the division.
CJ Stroud is going to win the MVP award in 2024 as well. It's a good time to be a Texans fan.
AFC East - Miami Dolphins
With the Buffalo Bills having to go through a bit of roster flux this offseason, the Miami Dolphins have the better roster and an opening to take the division. The Phins do need to find a way to play adequate football in the cold weather, but perhaps 2024 will be different for them.
They've got explosive players on both sides of the ball and should have enough talent to win the division next season.
AFC West - Kansas City Chiefs
Yeah.
NFC North - Detroit Lions
This one is pretty clear. While the Green Bay Packers can certainly make things interesting, the Detroit Lions from top to bottom have the best roster in the NFL, and I would be shocked if they failed to win the NFC North.
In fact, this team has Super Bowl capabilities, so the NFC North division title should be the bare minimum. I would expect the Lions to win at least 12 games during the 2024 NFL Season.
NFC South - Atlanta Falcons
While the NFC South isn't great, it does seem to be filled with a trio of "solid" teams with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since the Falcons should have the best QB play of those three, they'd be a wise bet to win the NFC South title in 2024.
Kirk Cousins and the Falcons would then host a playoff game. Imagine saying those words just a few seasons ago. The Falcons might not be a great team, but don't be surprised if they ripped off 10 wins.
NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles
Since the Dallas Cowboys took a step back this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles are probably in the driver's seat to reclaim the NFC East, a division they last won in 2022. While Jalen Hurt isn't close to being as good as Dak Prescott, the Eagles roster talent and upgrades at the offensive and defensive coordinator spots should help them get over the hump.
Philly needs to be better in 2024, or head coach Nick Sirianni could see his seat get very hot.
NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
The Los Angeles Rams could win the division, but even with their breakout 2023 season, I'm not sure they're quite there yet. The San Francisco 49ers have a top three roster in the NFL and also have an elite QB in Brock Purdy. The Niners shouldn't skip a beat in 2024.
They did have a bit of roster turnover on both sides, but the team is to well-coached to not win a ton of games in the coming season.