With the new season upon is, it is again time to predict the records of all 32 teams. As I did last season, I have gone through the entire 272 game regular season schedule and predicted the result of every single game. Now, I do not think for one second that anybody can predict, with any semblance of accuracy, the result of every single game, but the idea is that by doing this, the strength of schedule will be taken into account and, hopefully, more realistic end of season records will be obtained. Anyway, enough of the methodology, let’s see how I think the teams in the NFC will do.

NFC East

Going into this season, everyone is talking about how the Eagles ended last year. One win in their last six regular season games preceded a meek 32-9 defeat to Tampa Bay in the wildcard round. Will this impact them heading into 2024? I don’t think so. This is still the team that was one dodgy holding call away from winning the Super Bowl 18 months ago and this is still the same team that beat the Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills in consecutive games to move to 10-1 before that end of the season collapse. The NFC East title will be coming back to Philadelphia.

The team had to respond to last season’s disappointment, though, and they have. Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio have come in as experienced coordinators, and the team have recruited to freshen up an offense that stalled last year. Saquon Barkley will be a big player for the Eagles this season and Jahan Dotson is an underrated addition, who gives them another option alongside AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, two of the best receivers in the game. Jason Kelce is a huge loss, but the Eagles still have one of the best offensive lines in the league and Jalen Hurts should be back to his dynamic best now he’s back to full fitness.

On defense, the return of CJ Gardner-Johnson, as well as the drafting of Quinyon Mitchell and Copper Dejean, gives the Eagles a very strong secondary but Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter will need to step up following the departures of Fletcher Cox and Hasson Reddick.

The prediction that will likely cause the most controversy is this one – the Cowboys will have a losing record. The reason I think 2024 will not be a good year for the Cowboys is that this is a team that is on the brink of collapsing in on itself. The entire coaching staff and more than 30 of the players, including Dak Prescott, are entering the final year of their contracts and Jerry Jones has made it very clear that losing early in the playoffs again is unacceptable. If things start going wrong this season, things could unravel fast and with a very tough schedule, which includes the Eagles twice, the Lions, the Niners, the Texans, the Falcons and the entire AFC North, things could very easily go wrong. This time next year, we could be looking at a very different Cowboys team after an offseason reset.

Despite Jerry Jones’ high aims for this team, he has done little to nothing to help it this offseason. There are some huge gaps on this roster, most notably on offense. While Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb are a tremendous pairing, the depth behind Lamb is scary and if anything happened to him, this Cowboys offense would grind to a halt. The depth of the running back room is even more worrying. If it was 2019, Ezekial Elliott and Dalvin Cook would be an elite duo but in 2024 I do not expect much from either of them. That leaves Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, so I can see the Cowboys struggling to move the ball on the ground this year. Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz have left the offensive line so that unit’s success this season will now be largely dependent on the success of its rookies.

They do still have a good defense with some outstanding playmakers like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Trevon Diggs but I fear they will need their defense to carry them this season. I think this offense could regress badly and leave the Cowboys struggling to win games.

The Giants are a team with a lot of issues and this season could be a struggle for them. Possibly the biggest issue is their quarterback, Daniel Jones. Since signing a four-year $160 million contract, he has played just six games, thrown just two touchdowns and thrown six interceptions. On top of this, his performance this preseason was concerning, summed up by a pair of awful picks thrown in the game against the Texans. Brian Daboll will be hoping that this was just down to rust after his ACL injury last year and that he can get back to the 2022 Daniel Jones that earned the contract extension. With star offensive player Saquon Barkley leaving for the Eagles this offseason, there will need to be a bigger focus on the passing game this year so if he can’t get back to his 2022 levels, this Giants offense will struggle. Jones does at least have a new exciting weapon in sixth overall draft pick Malik Nabers and if he can have a big year, the Giants offense could be functional. They will need the offensive line to step up too, after being terrible in 2023, but with Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor and Greg Van Roten coming in as free agents, there is the chance of improvement.

Their defense is a tale of two halves. Their front seven is elite with Brian Burns joining Dexter Lawrence, Azeez Ojulari, Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux this offseason but their secondary is worryingly devoid of talent. If those players can’t get to the quarterback, they could be picked apart.

It’s a new dawn in Washington with a new coaching team and a new franchise quarterback. This is a franchise just starting a massive rebuild, though, so do not expect much success from them this season. The main thing is that they’ve started, and the arrival of Jayden Daniels is a very exciting one. I am very much looking forward to seeing this dynamic quarterback in action, although the supporting cast around him is still being built. While Terry McLaurin is an elite receiver, the depth behind him is worrying with Olamide Zaccheaus, Noah Brown and Dyami Brown next in line. The tight end room is looking a little better with the experienced Zach Ertz and rookie Ben Sinnott there and Austin Ekeler has joined Brian Robinson Jr. at running back. Offensive line is the main worry though. While they have brought in Tyler Biadasz at center, the rest of the OL looks weak, and Daniels might need to show his athleticism more regularly than he’d like.

The defense is another big issue for the Commanders. They had the worst defense in the league last season and Dan Quinn has his work cut out to coach it up. As I’ve said though, this team is only just starting the rebuild and they won’t get it all sorted overnight. Washington fans will start to see the green shoots of recovery this season.

NFC North

On the 9th February 2025, the Detroit Lions will be playing in the Super Bowl for the first time in their history. Since Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have arrived in Detroit, they have improved every year, going from a 3-13-1 record in their first season to the NFC championship game last year, and I expect them to improve again this year. Brad Holmes has assembled a young and talented roster that is completely ready to take the next step. A rejuvenated Jared Goff is blessed with weapons such as Amon-Ra St Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs and he plays behind possibly the best offensive line in the league. He also has one of the best offensive coordinators in the league after the Lions managed to hang onto Ben Johnson for another year.

The defense has strengthened over the offseason with DJ Reeder and Marcus Davenport improving a defensive line already possessing Aidan Hutchinson. Carlton Davis is a shrewd addition to the secondary and big things are expected of rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold. Detroit fans should be very excited about this season.

The Packers are another young and exciting roster in the NFC North, and they will push the Lions this year. Last season, Jordan Love proved himself to be the franchise quarterback that the Packers hoped he was and after leading the team to a spectacular playoff win against the Cowboys, before narrowly losing to the Niners, expectation is high that he will lead the team back into the postseason. He has an exciting group of young receivers to work with, especially if Christian Watson can stay fit, and two young tight ends that impressed last year. The addition of Josh Jacobs at running back could be an excellent one if he can rediscover his form of two seasons ago but they will need him to with AJ Dillon being ruled out for the entire season.

On defense, the addition of Xavier McKinney will be a big improvement to a backfield already containing Jaire Alexander and they will be looking for Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary to lead from the front. There are questions, though, over whether this unit is good enough to truly challenge for the Lombardi Trophy and a lot will depend on how first-time DC Jeff Hafley acclimatises to his new role.

*Article written before Jordan Loves Injury - Extent currently not known.

The NFC North is blessed with young talent. The most intriguing this year is, undoubtedly, first overall pick Caleb Williams. Not only has he come from college as the most hyped quarterback since Trevor Lawrence, but he has landed in one of the best positions of recent times for a rookie QB. The Bears have gone all in on giving Williams the tools he needs to thrive by adding Keenan Allen and ninth overall pick Rome Odunze to DJ Moore, and the addition of DeAndre Swift at running back further boosts the offense. The offensive line will have to stay fit this season in order to protect Williams but if they can, the rookie quarterback has every chance to succeed.

The Bears’ run defense was excellent last year but the pass defense was extremely poor, and it will need to step up this year. The addition of Kevin Byard should help, but head coach Matt Eberflus is under pressure to finally stamp his mark on this defense as he enters his third year in the role. If he doesn’t, maybe a more offensively minded head coach could be the way forward to get the most out of Caleb Williams and his talented supporting cast.

The Vikings’ plans for the 2024 season were dealt a huge blow when tenth overall pick JJ McCarthy was ruled out for the entire season. After a promising first preseason game, McCarthy tore his meniscus in his right knee and Sam Darnold will now be the starting quarterback for the Vikings. This injury has obviously dampened expectations in Minnesota but there is still plenty to be excited about with this team. The rest of the offense is in good shape and in Kevin O’Connell they have an excellent offensively minded head coach. Justin Jefferson is still probably the best wide receiver in the league and last season Jordan Addison showed he’s got the ability to thrive in the NFL. Aaron Jones is a big upgrade over Alexander Mattison at running back and in Christian Darrisaw the Vikings have one of the best left tackles in the game. The absence of TJ Hockenson, after he tore his MCL and ACL in week 16 last season, will be a huge blow and the Vikings will be hoping he can get back onto the field as quickly as possible.

Despite losing Danielle Hunter in the offseason, the defense has improved with the additions of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. The secondary remains a concern, though, and Brian Flores will need to get some improvement out of that unit. The Vikings will be competitive this season but, ultimately, I can see them being held back by their quarterback play.

NFC South

Major changes over the offseason have raised expectations in Atlanta. Arthur Smith has gone after three 7-10 seasons where he failed to get the best out of offensive weapons such as Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts. Desmond Ridder, who never looked like an NFL starting quarterback, has also gone and Kirk Cousins is now the man to lead this offense. The thought of a proven veteran like Cousins working with the weapons previously listed is the main cause of optimism for this team, and I fully expect the Atlanta offense to make great strides. It helps that Cousins will be playing behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, especially as the 36-year-old quarterback is coming back from an Achilles injury.

Despite believing the Falcons will win the AFC South this year, their defense will hold them back from achieving much more. The bizarre decision to pick Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick instead of a defensive playmaker will affect their chances this season and despite recently adding Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons to the roster, this unit is still in need of more talent.

After winning the AFC South last season and winning a playoff game, 2024 will be a step backwards for Tampa Bay. After a decent 2023, Baker Mayfield has signed a new three-year contract, but there are still question marks over whether he is good enough to be a full-time starter in the NFL. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are still a high-quality receiving duo, although Evans is 31 now, and the offensive line, led by Tristan Wirfs, is in good shape. The Buccaneers made no major improvements to this offense over the offseason, though, and I can see it being a prime candidate for regression.

The defense arguably got weaker with the losses of Devin White, Shaq Barrett and Carlton Davis but there is still a lot of talent on this team and room for young players such as YaYa Diaby and Calijah Kancey to step up. The resigning of Antoine Winfield Jr. was an important one too and Todd Bowles should get enough out of this defense to pose a problem for offenses.

The arrival of Derek Carr in New Orleans last season did not have the impact that fans hoped for. A large reason for this was the atrocious play from their offensive line and they have at least attempted to address this by drafting Taliese Fuaga in the first round of this year’s draft. There are still major concerns with this unit though and Trevor Penning at right tackle does not look worth the first round pick they spent on him in the 2022 draft. If Carr is able to stay upright this season, he has the talented Chris Olave to target, and Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson are also more than viable targets. The form of Alvin Kamara is a concern, though, with the best days of the running back now seemingly long behind him.

The defense is more promising than the offense with Cam Jordan and now Chase Young leading it up front and Tyrann Mathieu and Marshon Lattimore form part of a good secondary. It will be the offensive struggles that cost this team, though, and this could be Dennis Allen’s final season in New Orleans.

Despite drafting a quarterback first overall in last year’s draft, 2023 was a pretty bad year for the Carolina Panthers. I’m not sure 2024 is going to be much better. They have tried to help out Bryce Young more this year with their offseason additions. They have signed Dionte Johnson, who should quickly become Young’s go to target with his ability to get open. They also drafted a receiver, Xavier Legette, with the final pick of the first round and they spent big in free agency to bring in Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to improve the offensive line. The drafting of Jonathan Brooks was another exciting addition and when he is back fully fit, he should help to elevate this offense. The hope is by the end of the season, Bryce Young and this offense starts to click, and I do think we will see a big improvement in the young quarterback this year.

Unfortunately, on the other side of the ball the Panthers have got worse. Brian Burns is a huge loss for this team and their pass rush this season may be largely non-existent as a result. It will mainly be on Jadeveon Clowney to get after the quarterback, but he has not been the most reliable of players throughout his career. Frankie Luvu is another big loss for this team and with Donte Jackson joining the Steelers, the Panthers will need former first-round pick Jaycee Horn to stay fit this season.

NFC West

When the Rams got their starting offense fit at the end of last season, they won 7 of their final 8 regular season games before losing narrowly to the Detroit Lions in the playoffs. This season, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams will all start the first game, and the Rams’ offense has also gotten stronger over the offseason. The main area of improvement is in the offensive line with Jonah Jackson coming in and Kevin Dotson re-signing. These two players, along with Steve Avila, make for an impressive IOL that should help the run game and Kyren Williams. Talking about helping Kyren Williams, the arrival of Blake Corum, a very similar style of runner to him, should help with his workload and enable the Rams to rotate their backs in a way they weren’t able to last season. This Rams offense, under Sean McVay’s play calling, will be one of the best in the league this year and will take them to the NFC West title.

On defense, the main change is the loss of Aaron Donald. While a player of his quality cannot be replaced, the Rams drafted well to bring in Florida State pair Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. They become key parts of an exciting young front seven that includes last year’s breakout rookies Kobie Turner and Bryce Young, although trading Ernest Jones to the Titans does weaken the interior linebacker position. The Rams have also invested in their secondary, bringing in Kamren Curl, Tre’Davious White, John Johnson III and Darious Williams, although Williams starts the season on IR, which is a blow. Despite the loss of Donald, there is enough talent on this defense for it to be good, but it will be on offense that the 2024 Rams shine.

2024 is a big year for the San Francisco 49ers. This could be the final year that Brock Purdy plays under his rookie contract, which has given the Niners the cap space to pay for a dream team of weapons around him. Next offseason, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle will also likely be looking for new deals, so this season could be the last one with this roster intact. At times this offseason, it did not look certain that would be the case with both Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams holding out for new contracts, but they both got sorted before the first play of the new year. As a result, the offense is basically the same and it is one of the best starting offenses in the league with Purdy, McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Samuel and Kittle. There are some question marks over it though, notably at offensive line. While Trent Williams is one of the best left tackles in the league, the players beside him need to step up and the unit struggled to protect Purdy at times last season. The depth behind the starting players is worrying too and so injuries tend to affect the Niners more than they do some other teams.

The defense is also packed with stars, but it is the arrival of Brandon Staley, replacing Steve Wilks as DC, that could have the biggest impact on the unit. Wilks failed to impress in his one year in San Francisco and despite a disappointing spell as the Chargers head coach, the Niners will be hoping Staley can replicate what he did as DC at the Rams.

The Niners will be good this year and they will make the playoffs but, ultimately, I think Kyle Shanahan will yet again fall short in his attempt to win a Super Bowl.

After 13 years in Seattle, Pete Carroll is no longer the Seahawks’ head coach. Former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has taken over and he is not the only new member of the coaching staff with Ryan Grubb and Aden Durde coming in as the new offensive and defensive coordinators respectively. The arrival of Grubb in particular, coming in from the University of Washington, is one that particularly intrigues me, and a lot of the Seahawks’ season will depend on whether he can get the best out of an impressive offensive roster. There are not many better receiving trios in the league than DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker III is a very exciting running back. I fully expect the Seahawks’ offense to be a lot better this season and Smith-Njigba is a player I expect to make a significant leap.

After successfully running the Ravens’ defense for the past two seasons, Macdonald will be looking to have a similar impact on the Seahawks’ defense. He has plenty of talent to work with in Seattle. Uchenna Nwwosu, Boye Mafe and Jerome Baker make up a good linebacker corps and first round draft pick Byron Murphy II is a good addition to a defensive line containing Leonard Williams. Their secondary is also strong with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Julien Love being key components of it.

I can see the Seahawks taking a leap forward this year and really pushing the Rams and the Niners in the NFC West.

Despite only winning four games last season, the Arizona Cardinals impressed many people with how competitive they were able to be under new head coach Jonathan Gannon. I expect them to continue to improve this season, especially on offense. After missing the start of last season with injury, Kyler Murray starts this year fully fit and with some exciting weapons. The Cardinals used their fourth overall pick on wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and the exciting rookie receiver is expected to make an immediate impact in the NFL. Then there is young tight end Trey McBride, who had a very good end of the season last year, once Murray was back from injury. James Connor had another productive season last year at running back and is joined by rookie Trey Benson in the backfield this season. They will both be helped by the offensive line being upgraded over the offseason with Jonah Williams and Evan Brown being signed in free agency. This offense will definitely trouble some teams this year.

Unfortunately, it is the Cardinals’ defense which will let them down this season. They were one of the worst in the league last year and they haven’t done enough to fix it. It will be mainly on Jonathan Gannon to coach up this unit and get the most out of them that he can.

Dan Rowe

NFC Season Preview

CHECK OUT OUR SOCIALS DOWN BELOW:

@THEFRANCHISETAGPOD