Super Bowl 2024: The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII for their fourth NFL championship in the Super Bowl era. Can Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes do what no one ever has and win three in a row? That’s only one of the major talking points as the 2024 season continues.
We have our typical Super Bowl favorites and long shots, but we also have a few surprises thrown in to impact a competitive playoff picture. Below, we dive into our early playoff predictions for the 2024-25 football season, going division by division, complete with our predicted Super Bowl outcome.
Who will be the Super Bowl 2025 winner? Check out Sportsnaut’s predictions, which are updated each week during the regular season.
Related: Week 16 NFL QB Rankings
Predicting NFL playoff teams, Super Bowl 2025 winner
AFC West champions: Kansas City Chiefs
After winning back-to-back Super Bowls and retaining their top players aside from L’Jarius Sneed, how could we pick against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes? Winners of the AFC West every year dating back to 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs have returned as one of the NFL’s best teams in 2024. Xavier Worthy gives Mahomes a speed demon again, while Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins provide more reliable options. They may no longer be undefeated, but now the Chiefs can push that distraction aside and focus on the threepeat.
As great as the Chiefs have been, the Los Angeles Chargers are taking a sizable leap forward under Jim Harbaugh. Justin Herbert is one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the league, and he still has more room for growth. Yet, it’s their top-five-ranked defense that’s been a far bigger story thus far. They’ve mostly passed the test on both sides of the ball, but that’s to be expected with Coach Harbaugh in town.
Stay up to date on the latest Los Angeles Chargers news and rumors
The Denver Broncos’ future is in Bo Nix’s hands. Sean Payton finally gets his young quarterback, who’s already 24. The oldest of this year’s rookie quarterbacks to earn a start so far, Nix is doing a good job of avoiding turnovers while operating a safe offense. Protecting the football while boasting a top-five defense will keep the Broncos strongly in the mix for a playoff spot.
Until a better QB than Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, or Desmond Ridder arrives, the Las Vegas Raiders will be behind the competition, thanks to a lack of coaching experience. The Raiders don’t have enough playmakers on offense to make a difference. This team might need a new head coach by season’s end.
AFC West prediction
- Kansas City Chiefs – Division winners
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
Related: 2025 NFL Mock Draft
AFC North champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
Mix Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson + Justin Fields? It sounds perfect on paper. Tomlin”s streak of zero losing seasons in 17 years has extended to 18. We expect the Steelers to compete for one of the top seeds in the AFC playoffs, but facing the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs from Weeks 15-17 could determine Pittsburgh’s fate.
While the Steelers are ahead right now, as long as Lamar Jackson is healthy, the Baltimore Ravens will always be considered a top threat in the AFC North. An 0-2 start put the Ravens in a tough hole to dig out of. But they’ve steadied the ship since. With the NFL’s best rushing offense, Baltimore should only get better as temperatures drop and they have a much easier conclusion to their schedule, which gives them the edge here.
After a slow start, we didn’t get a fair look at the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 once Joe Burrow was lost for the season. But all that’s in the past now. We’ve seen the offense come alive, keeping their very slim playoff hopes on life support, week after week.
Expected to return to being one of the NFL’s best defenses, the Cleveland Browns have been shaky, ranking as a bottom-tier unit. Much of their success depended on whether Deshaun Watson could become more consistent. Yet, now that he’s out for the season with a torn Achilles, Cleveland’s playoff chances have disappeared.
AFC North prediction
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Division winners
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
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AFC South champions: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans’ new additions have been on full display, with Stefon Diggs flashing greatness before his injury. But he pales in comparison to Nico Collins, who led the NFL in receiving yards before going on injured reserve too. Despite three of their losses coming against red-hot NFC North teams, the Texans are well on their way to another AFC South division title.
Anthony Richardson has shown signs of being a superstar, but he’s also completing just 47.7% of his passes. With Richardson showing he still has some growing to do before the Colts become a threat, their best hope is snagging an AFC Wild Card slot, at best, but those dreams come with a very slim margin of error.
There’s no doubt the Jacksonville Jaguars underachieved last season, and they haven’t improved the roster enough since. With one of the NFL’s worst defenses, plus becoming trade deadline sellers, we can safely stick a fork in the Jaguars.
The Tennessee Titans were in a position to win in Week 1 before Will Levis literally threw the game away. The story was the same in Week 2, Week 3, and Week 6, where Levis had yet another crucial turnover to lead to easy points. The Titans look like a team that deserves the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This year is all about evaluating Levis and identifying hidden gems because they’re not going anywhere.
Related: NFL QB Rankings: From 32-1, who’s the best and worst NFL QB?
AFC South prediction
- Houston Texans – Division winners
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
Related: 2024 NFL Power Rankings
AFC East champions: Buffalo Bills
Through 14 games without Stefon Diggs, Josh Allen looks no worse for the wear. While there have been some consistency issues, he’s thrown just five interceptions, and even though it sounded crazy in the offseason, the Bills might be better off in the long run without their All-Pro receiver. The receiving corps is still a work in progress, yet Amari Cooper could provide a long-term boost. The Bills have a bonafide Super Bowl contender in Orchard Park.
Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle make for a dangerous quartet. Yet, Miami’s oft-explosive offense has lacked big plays. Losing several pieces on defense made it tough to overcome a slow start as a result of Tagovailoa’s injuries, but this team is starting to show its potential.
The New York Jets may or may not have had a playoff roster a season ago. We never got to find out. But Aaron Rodgers is back with a vengeance in 2024. Yet, the Jets’ offense is still a mess, with Rodgers not on the same page with his receivers. After firing Robert Saleh, the Jets’ defense has completely fallen off. Who knows what this team will look like next year.
The decision to fire one of NFL’s best coaches of all time in exchange for Jerod Mayo has completely backfired. The Patriots had one of the NFL’s most surprising upsets with a Week 1 win over Cincinnati. Even though they haven’t identified a playmaker who’s capable of taking a game over, at least now we can all see that Drake Maye is the Patriots’ franchise quarterback.
AFC East playoff prediction
- Buffalo Bills – Division winners
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
- New England Patriots
Related: Updated NFL defense rankings
AFC Wild Card spots: Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos
The Ravens were never going to miss the playoffs with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry vying for top NFL awards. While the defense has its warts, Baltimore should be able to close out the season on a high note.
Jim Harbaugh has Justin Herbert on a run-based offense diet, and it’s working quite well for the Los Angeles Chargers. For now, the rushing attack looks competent, and the Chargers’ defense is actually stopping their opponent at an elite rate. This looks like a playoff team.
With a two-game lead, it’s hard to pick anyone other than the Denver Broncos, who boast one of the NFL’s best defenses and a rookie quarterback who’s protecting the rock. With Sean Payton craving a chance to get back to the postseason, this Broncos team looks good enough to get the job done.
Related: Super Bowl odds: Every team’s championship futures for 2024 NFL season
NFC West champions: Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are usually in a good place with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford at the helm, and Les Snead has a knack for discovering gems. But not even McVay or Snead could prevent the early rash of injuries that hit the Rams. When healthy, with some of the very best players in the NFL, the Rams have a very high ceiling, which could be enough to get them back in the Super Bowl conversation as long as they can win the NFC West.
Geno Smith is playing well, and although their ground attack needs to show more consistency, the Seahawks are still jockeying for position in the NFC West. Seattle isn’t quite on pace to get back to the playoffs, but everything is still up in the air with two weeks to play.
Stay up to date on the latest Los Angeles Rams news and rumors
Jonathan Gannon had the Arizona Cardinals playing inspired football last season. That carried over into 2024 with Kyler Murray back to making magic, and he had a new toy by the name of Marvin Harrison Jr. Once this young roster realizes what they’re capable of, the Cardinals could make some real noise.
Just like in 2023, the San Francisco 49ers were expected to return as one of the NFL’s best teams in 2024 too. But several injuries have derailed the season. With Kyle Shanahan pressing the buttons on offense, the 49ers shouldn’t have any issues scoring points, but Brock Purdy has taken a step back. The same goes on defense, with one of the most fearful front sevens in football. Yet, the 49ers just couldn’t put it all together consistently.
NFC West prediction
- Los Angeles Rams – Division winners
- Seattle Seahawks
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
Related: Top 2024 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates
NFC North champions: Detroit Lions
Jared Goff has shown he’s equipped to lead an explosive scoring attack, and as scary as it sounds, these young Detroit Lions are poised to keep improving once they return to health. Boasting one of the best offensive lines leads to an elite rushing offense, and Detroit’s defense is showing signs of growth, too. The Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL, and it’s hard not to be impressed with the group they’ve built.
Sam Darnold has been one of the league’s best success stories this season, ranking fifth in passing touchdowns, and that’s mostly come without T.J. Hockenson. When he’s not fumbling, Aaron Jones breathes life into the running game, providing a much-needed boost. The remade pass rush is consistently getting home too. Can the Vikings maintain this success? With Kevin O’Connell in command of the offense and Brian Flores on defense, this team is in good hands as they head into the playoffs.
Stay up to date on all Minnesota Vikings news and rumors
One of the youngest rosters in 2023 is taking another leap forward as they gain more experience in 2024. The Green Bay Packers added a much-needed playmaker to the secondary by signing Xavier McKinney, who leads the NFL with seven interceptions. Not even an early injury to Jordan Love slowed down Green Bay’s momentum, nor could the stiff competition in the NFC North.
Teams who pick this high this often are usually set up for a big year, eventually. That could happen in 2025 for the Chicago Bears. Caleb Williams was labeled as a generational talent, and he already has three 300-yard games in his debut season. Now it’s time for the Bears to find a better head coach who can maximize his skillset.
NFC North prediction
- Detroit Lions – Division winners
- Minnesota Vikings
- Green Bay Packers
- Chicago Bears
Related: NFL MVP odds 2024
NFC South champions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The gang’s back in town with the return of Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, which gives the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a high floor. After winning a Wild Card game last season, the Bucs may be ready to prove they’re better than everyone gives them credit for.
We thought it was a whole new world with Kirk Cousins plugged in as the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback. Suddenly this offense went from being among the NFL’s worst to one with the potential to be one of the best. But they couldn’t get the best out of the four-time Pro Bowl QB. Now we’ll see if Michael Penix can do any better. We don’t know what to expect from this Falcons team yet, but they need to create more pressure on defense to do anything.
While there are ebbs and flows, Derek Carr is a good quarterback, and Chris Olave is a great receiver. But the New Orleans Saints are always fighting themselves when it comes to consistent play, and injuries have played a big factor. Losing seven in a row ruined their season, but Darren Rizzi has helped create a spark.
The Carolina Panthers already benched Young just 18 starts into his career. The anonymous NFL exec was right, this team is a disaster, but they’ve shown growth. At least Young has taken a leap forward, and he could be giving Carolina second thoughts about moving on this offseason.
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NFC South prediction
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Division winners
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Carolina Panthers
NFC East champions: Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley has been dynamite, completely changing this Eagles offense. Jalen Hurts is back to scoring through the air and on the ground, but more importantly, the defense is finally playing well too. The Eagles have emerged as one of the NFC’s best.
With a new franchise quarterback in D.C., it’s all sunshine for the Washington Commanders. Having an electric playmaker like Terry McLaurin is leading to a better rookie QB experience for Jayden Daniels, and this isn’t Dan Quinn’s first time whipping a defense into shape. Daniels has easily been the best of the rookie QBs so far, and he could be on track to become an MVP candidate in the very near future.
Hate ’em or love ’em, the Dallas Cowboys have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but they’re beaten up this season. Their playoff hopes are dead after Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury, but perhaps it can help Dallas return with a stronger pool of young talent in 2025.
Brian Daboll’s scheme isn’t doing the Giants quarterbacks any favors, and it doesn’t help that they no longer have Saquon Barkley soaking up attention in the backfield either. Their elite pass rush gives them a strong foundation, but it’s time for a full organizational reset with Joe Schoen proving incapable as an NFL GM.
Related: New York Giants rumors reveal top prospect team scouted heavily during 2024 season
NFC East prediction
- Philadelphia Eagles – Division winners
- Washington Commanders
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
Related: 2025 NFL mock draft: Projecting all 32 first-round picks
NFC Wild Card predictions: Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders
Where did this Vikings team come from? No one expected Sam Darnold to be among the NFL’s passing touchdown leaders or for the Vikings’ defense to be among the league’s best. Yet, suddenly, this looks like one of the most complete teams on both sides of the ball, and it all starts with the schemes Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores operate.
While there have been challenges, Green Bay continues to punch back. Jordan Love can put up points in a hurry, and the rushing offense is bulldozing opponents, too. With a defense that’s creating turnovers, the Packers will have no trouble snagging a Wild Card spot.
In a competitive NFC playoff field, the Commanders have fought like heck to secure a playoff spot. Yet, with Jayden Daniels leading a top-ten offense, plus what’s suddenly become an above-average defense, we like Washington’s chances.
Related: NFL Q&A: Super Bowl LIX start time, channel, date, and how to watch
Who will win Super Bowl 2025?
Who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIX? We look at our predictions for the NFL Playoff bracket.
Who is predicted to win the Super Bowl? Let’s project the path to Super Bowl LIX.
NFL playoff bracket: Full postseason predictions for AFC and NFC
AFC Playoffs
- Chiefs
- Bills
- Steelers
- Texans
- Ravens
- Chargers
- Broncos
- Wild card round: Bills over Broncos, Steelers over Chargers, Ravens over Texans
- Divisional round: Chiefs over Ravens, Bills over Steelers
- AFC Championship Game: Chiefs over Bills
Related: Top 2024 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates
NFC Playoffs
- Lions
- Eagles
- Buccaneers
- Rams
- Vikings
- Packers
- Commanders
- Wild card round: Eagles over Commanders, Packers over Buccaneers, Vikings over Rams
- Divisional round: Lions over Packers, Eagles over Vikings
- NFC Championship Game: Lions over Eagles
Sportsnaut predicts that the Detroit Lions will defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, while the Kansas City Chiefs top the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
It will set the stage for an interesting Super Bowl LIX matchup between two teams with storied histories for very different reasons. The Lions have never even made a Super Bowl appearance, while the Chiefs have won three out of the five times they reached the final stage.
We don’t see that changing in February when Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes show what the NFL’s best QB can do.
- Super Bowl 2025: Kansas City Chiefs 34, Detroit Lions 28
