Revisiting Preseason Record Projections and Predicting the NFL Postseason | Can Anyone Beat the Chiefs? Will Washington Make Noise in Playoffs After Surprising Regular Season?

One of my favorite things to do before a sports season kicks off is predict how the season will go.

I did it before the NFL season, and am here today to see how I did. After analyzing what I predicted right and wrong, I’m going to offer up some more predictions, this time for the NFL postseason.

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AFC West

I had the Chiefs winning the AFC West at 13-4. I had the Raiders in second at 8-9, the Chargers in third at 5-12 and Broncos fourth at 4-13.

You already know I missed in a pretty big way outside of having the Chiefs at the top. I was way off on the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos.

This is the Chiefs’ division until someone takes it from them, but the Chargers and Broncos look to be on the rise, and will certainly challenge KC for the top spot in the near future. Las Vegas has a long way to go.

AFC North

I had the Ravens atop the division, so I got another division winner right.

I had the Bengals in the playoffs with an 11-6 record. They probably should have had a season like that, but their defense let them down mightily.

I had Cleveland (8-9) and Pittsburgh (5-12) missing the postseason. I was way off on both teams. Cleveland needs to retool their roster, while the Steelers are back in the playoffs, albeit on a losing streak and looking like the weakest postseason team.

Baltimore should remain at the top of the division, but I expect the Bengals to be better in 2025 and beyond. Pittsburgh probably isn’t going anywhere, while Cleveland could also jump right back into the mix if they figure out the quarterback situation.

AFC South

I had the Texans as the division winner, so make it 3/3 in the AFC. Houston wasn’t nearly as good as I thought they’d be though.

I had the Colts barely in the postseason, so I missed there, but not by a ton. Their future is dependent on Anthony Richardson and how he develops.

I had Jacksonville (7-10) and Tennessee (4-13) outside the playoffs, so there I was right on both teams. Both performed worse than I expected and have some major questions to answer going into 2025.

Houston isn’t exactly lighting it up, but this division could be theirs for the foreseeable future because no other team is that good.

AFC East

I had the Dolphins winning the AFC East, and with the injury to Tua Tagovailoa, they never really threatened for the top of the division. Now they go into the offseason with a lot of uncertainty, and Tyreek Hill wanting out.

I had Buffalo in the playoffs as the final wild card team. They were a pleasant surprise, and that’s why I like Josh Allen for MVP. This division is still the Bills for the foreseeable future.

I had the Jets (8-9) and Patriots (3-14) outside the playoff picture. I was pretty spot on with the Patriots, while overestimating the Jets. Both teams should probably be in rebuilds, but only the Pats are likely to go that route.

NFC West

I had the Niners as the NFC West champs, and top NFC seed. Injuries derailed their season, and now there’s some questions about the team moving forward.

I had the Rams (11-6) and Cardinals (10-7) each in the postseason and the Seahawks (7-10) on the outside of things. 

I don’t feel too bad about those projections. There wasn’t a great team in the division this season, and that makes this the most up-in-the-air division for the future.

NFC North

I had the Packers as the top team in the NFC North. They ended up taking third, but still making the playoffs. Their young team hasn’t taken the steps forward that I expected this season.

I had Detroit in the postseason as a wild card team, but a 12-5 one. The Lions surprised me a bit this season, and they now look like the favorites in the division for the next couple years.

I had Chicago at 7-10 and Minnesota at 5-12. I overestimated the Bears by a bit, while vastly underestimating the Vikings. The Bears have a ways to go to compete for a division title, while the Vikings could remain in the division hunt if they retain most of their team.

I think this is the best division in football, and it might remain that way for a couple more years.

NFC East

I took the Eagles in the NFC East and had them as the No. 3 seed. I’ll take that as a win in my projections.

I had Dallas and Washington at 9-8 each, while New York was 2-15. 

I was one of the few people who had higher hopes for the Commanders, and they still were better than I expected. They’ll challenge the Eagles for the top of the division in the coming years.

Dallas took a step back, and probably should go into a soft rebuild. Getting Dak Prescott back next year should help them out in 2025.

New York has a long way to go before being competitive. They got some intriguing young pieces in place, but need to find a quarterback in order to even sniff the postseason.

NFC South

I had Tampa Bay winning the South at 10-7, but winning a tiebreaker over Atlanta. I’ll say I did pretty well there.

Atlanta might be better set up for the future even though they underachieved in my book. 

I had the Saints at 9-8, but injuries derailed their season. New Orleans might go into a rebuild, and probably should.

I had Carolina at 3-14. The Panthers surprised me a bit, and Bryce Young might have turned the corner and cemented himself as the franchise quarterback. Carolina could contend for the division title if they add the right pieces this offseason.

Playoff Predictions

Now that the actual NFL playoff field has been set, here are my predictions.

In the Wild Card Round in the AFC, I have the Chargers taking down the Texans, Ravens sneaking past the Steelers and Bills topping the Broncos.

In the NFC, I have the Eagles over the Packers, Commanders upsetting the Buccaneers and Rams over the Vikings.

In the Divisional Round in the AFC, I have the Chiefs knocking off the Chargers and Bills squeaking past the Ravens in what could be the best game of the postseason.

In the NFC, I got the Lions over the Commanders and the Eagles toppling the Rams in another great contest.

In the Conference Championship Round, I got the Chiefs getting revenge on the Bills and earning another trip to the Super Bowl. In the NFC, I think the Lions overcome the Eagles and earn the other Super Bowl spot.

A matchup between the Chiefs and Lions in the Super Bowl is probably what a lot of fans are hoping for. While I think the Lions have been the better team all season, I’m not picking against the Chiefs.

I had the Chiefs as the Super Bowl champs in my preseason article, and I’m sticking with it here. Until someone actually beats them, I’m just not going to pick against them. They always figure out a way to get the job done, and the years of experience they have together is just too much for some of these rising and improving teams.