Can the Chiefs Repeat as Super Bowl Champs? Record Predictions for the 2024 Season

The NFL regular season is nearly here! 

Before we get kicked off, I wanted to offer up my NFL record projections for the season. It’s an exercise I do every season and it’s always fun to look back at things by the end of the season.

I went through every regular season and playoff game on playoffpredictors.com. Here’s how I see things shaking out and some players who will make things happen.

Get ready for draft season! Practice Mock Drafts, check out ADPs and get advice for trades with our trade analyzer. Also be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

AFC West Predictions

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but I have the Kansas City Chiefs winning the AFC West. I have them first in the conference with a 13-4 record.

Patrick Mahomes had a down regular season last year, but still ended up leading the team to the Super Bowl. I think he’ll have a bounceback season, relying on Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco and a revamped receiver room to lead the Chiefs to another division title.

I got the Las Vegas Raiders in second with an 8-9 record. This might be a surprise to a lot of people, but I think the Raiders have a good roster. Quarterback play will be what holds the team back from the postseason.

I have the Los Angeles Chargers in third at 5-12, while the Denver Broncos take last at 4-13. Both teams have a lack of talent on their rosters, and while they’ll be fairly competitive all season, I don’t see either team sniffing the playoffs.

AFC North Predictions

Give me the Baltimore Ravens winning the AFC North and finishing with the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

Lamar Jackson is back, and so is go-to target Mark Andrews. Derrick Henry is also on the roster now, and Zay Flowers is a budding star at receiver. This offense is going to be great, and the defense won’t be too shabby either.

I also have the CIncinnati Bengals making the playoffs, earning the No. 5 seed with an 11-6 record.

Joe Burrow is healthy again, which is the most important thing. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are a good 1-2 punch at receiver and will carry the offense. The defense will be good too, making a balanced team that will be a real threat in the AFC.

I have the Cleveland Browns (8-9) narrowly missing the playoffs and the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-12) really struggling this season. There’s just too many good teams in the AFC for the Browns to top, and their schedule is pretty tough too. I think the Steelers are going to be a mess this season, leading to sweeping changes going into the offseason.

AFC South Predictions

Give me the Houston Texans winning the AFC South at 12-5, which gives them the No. 3 seed for the postseason. 

C.J. Stroud had a great rookie season, and now has an absolutely stacked offense (Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs joining Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz and Tank Dell). The team’s overall success will come down to their defense.

I also have the Indianapolis Colts making the postseason, doing so with a 10-7 record.

I liked what I saw from Anthony Richardson last season, and with Jonathan Taylor also back for the season, I think the Colts’ offense is going to thrive. They’ll surprise a lot of people this season and play well enough at home to sneak into the postseason.

I have the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-10) and Tennessee Titans (4-13) missing the postseason. Jacksonville has some good pieces in place, but I just don’t trust Trevor Lawrence enough. The Titans are several pieces away, but I think Will Levis will establish himself as a franchise quarterback this season.

AFC East Predictions

I got the Miami Dolphins winning the AFC East with a 10-7 record. I have them starting fast but fading down the stretch.

Tua Tagovailoa and wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form a great trio in the passing game, and a balanced running game headlined by De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert gives the team a great offense overall.

I have the Buffalo Bills getting the final wild card spot in the AFC, finishing with a 9-8 record.

Josh Allen is still there, but without enough playmakers around, I think there will be enough struggles to make them more of a wild card team than a true powerhouse in the AFC.

The New York Jets (8-9) and New England Patriots (3-14) won’t make the postseason. I think Aaron Rodgers will give the Jets some life, but that there’s just not enough talent on the team to make the postseason. I don’t see many good players on the Patriots’ roster, although I think Drake Maye will give the team some hope for the future.

NFC West Predictions

The San Francisco 49ers will repeat in the West and be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Christian McCaffrey is the heart and soul of the offense, but the team also has Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel Sr. and George Kittle, so there’s plenty of talent to go around. The Niners are going to be good again, as long as everyone stays healthy.

I got the Los Angeles Rams (11-6) and Arizona Cardinals (10-7) both making the postseason as wild cards. 

Matthew Stafford still has a good season in him, and Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams and Cooper Kupp are talented enough to carry the team to the postseason. The defense also should be pretty good.

I see the Cardinals as the big surprise this season. I think Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. are going to be a top-end passing connection, and the team has enough talent otherwise to make the postseason.

The Seattle Seahawks will be the lone team in the division to miss the playoffs, sitting at a respectable 7-10. I think that will signal the end of the Geno Smith era, but the “rebuild” shouldn’t take long with all the young talent the team has on the roster.

NFC North Predictions

I have the Green Bay Packers winning the North with a 13-4 record this season. 

Yes, they are my favorite team, but the roster is young, good and ready to improve on last year’s strong finish. Jordan Love will be good all season, Josh Jacobs will star and there’s a ton of pass catchers to turn too. The defense should be better too.

I also see the Detroit Lions making the postseason with a 12-5 record and getting the top wild card spot. 

There’s just too much talent (Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta) to not make the playoffs, even with a little regression. I also think their defense will be better, making them a bigger threat in the NFC.

The Chicago Bears (7-10) and Minnesota Vikings (5-12) will round out the division. I like what the Bears are doing, but I think it’ll take a year for Caleb Williams to figure everything out. I like the roster Minnesota has, outside the quarterback position, and that’s what’s going to hold them back all season.

NFC East Predictions

The Philadelphia Eagles are my pick to win the East at 12-5, which gives them the No. 3 seed for the postseason.

The addition of Saquon Barkley should open things up for Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and the defense should also be solid. They will go 5-1 against division opponents, which will be the difference.

I have the Dallas Cowboys (9-8), Washington Commanders (9-8) and New York Giants (2-15) all missing the playoffs. This would be a major disappointment for Dallas, and probably lead to a bunch of changes going into 2025. This kind of season for Washington would set the stage for a promising future, and I think Jayden Daniels is a future star. The Giants are going to be a mess, and the team will look a lot different going into next season.

NFC South Predictions

I got the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the South with a 10-7 record, winning a tiebreaker over the Atlanta Falcons.

The division is really a mess of three average teams, but I trust in Baker Mayfield, Rachaad White, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to get the job done again for a second straight season.

I have the Falcons missing the playoffs entirely with their 10-7 record, Saints a game back at 9-8 and then the Carolina Panthers at a very disappointing 3-14. 

I think some learning curves will hold the Falcons back in some big games. I think the Saints surprise a bit, but eventually fall short because of a lack of talent. I think Bryce Young struggles to carry the team, and could be replaced going into 2025.

Playoff Predictions 

In the Wild Card Round, I have the No. 5 Bengals upsetting the No. 4 Dolphins, No. 3 Texans over the No. 6 Colts and No. 2 Ravens over No. 7 Bills in the AFC and then the No. 5 Lions upsetting the No. 4 Buccaneers, No. 6 Rams upsetting the No. 3 Eagles and the No. 2 Packers over the No. 7 Cardinals.

In the Divisional Round, I have the Texans over the Ravens and No. 1 Chiefs taking down the Bengals in the AFC and then the Packers downing the Lions and No. 1 49ers taking care of the Rams.

In the Conference Championship Round, I have the Chiefs over the Texans and Niners over the Packers, setting up a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl.

I have the Chiefs repeating and taking down the Niners again. I just think we are in the Mahomes era of the NFL, and until I see a team take them down, I believe Kansas City will end the season as the champs.