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 kicks off.
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.
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 return as one of the NFL’s best teams in 2024. Xavier Worthy gives Mahomes a speed demon again, and his presence is already paying dividends.
As great as the Chiefs have been, the Los Angeles Chargers have a chance to take a major 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. They’ve mostly passed the test so far, with the running game suddenly looking like the strength of LA’s offense, but that’s to be expected with Coach Harbaugh in town.
The Denver Broncos’ future is in Bo Nix’s hands. Sean Payton finally gets his young quarterback, who’s already 24. Despite being the oldest of this year’s rookie quarterbacks to earn a start so far, Nix has shown some early growing pains, averaging just 5.2 YPA. That won’t win many games in Denver, but a top-five defense allowing just 14.6 PPG will keep the Broncos competitive.
Until a better QB than Gardner Minshew arrives, the Las Vegas Raiders will be behind most of the competition, thanks to a lack of coaching experience. Antonio Pierce might be able to create a spark, but the Raiders don’t have enough playmakers on offense to make a difference. They’ll give each opponent a good fight, which gives the Raiders a chance. Maybe Aidan O’Connell can get better results than Minshew, we’re close to finding out.
AFC West prediction
- Kansas City Chiefs – Division winners
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
Related: 5 New York Jets Davante Adams trade scenarios to make Aaron Rodgers happy
AFC North champions: Baltimore Ravens
As long as Lamar Jackson is healthy, the Baltimore Ravens will always be considered a threat in the AFC North. An 0-2 start put the Ravens in a tough hole to dig out of. But they’ve won three since. With one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL, Baltimore should only get better once the temperatures drop.
Mix Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson + Justin Fields? It sounds perfect on paper. With zero losing seasons in 17 years, we wouldn’t bet on Russ or Fields crashing Tomlin and T.J. Watt’s party. In fact, we expect the Steelers to compete for a playoff spot, too. Who knows, they might even win the AFC North after a 3-2 start. Fields has gotten the first crack at the starting gig, and he might not ever look back. Yet, the dual-threat weapon will have to find a way to get some more touchdowns on the board too.
After a slow start, we didn’t get a fair look at the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 after Joe Burrow was lost for the season. But all that’s in the past now. Or so we thought. We’ve seen the offense come alive, but the Bengals are still 1-4, and allowing 28.4 PPG obviously doesn’t help. Don’t fret; these big cats will bounce back once they’re up to full speed, but they have a lot of catching up to do.
Expected to return to being one of the NFL’s best defenses, the Cleveland Browns have been shaky early on. Much of their success depends on whether Deshaun Watson can become more consistent. If so, the Browns have the potential to be a powerhouse. But we haven’t seen it yet. Cleveland’s offensive line needs to get healthy before we can evaluate this offense too closely. So far, it’s been hard to watch, with Cleveland’s pass-catchers dropping the most passes in the NFL, and Watson taking the most sacks. That’s a recipe for disaster.
AFC North prediction
- Baltimore Ravens – Division winners
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
Related: NFL Top 100 players in 2024
AFC South champions: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans’ new additions have been on full display, with Stefon Diggs flashing greatness. But he pales in comparison to Nico Collins, who leads the NFL in receiving yards through Week 5. With their lone bump in the road coming against a red-hot Vikings team, at 4-1, 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 50.6% of his passes. Yet, Joe Flacco might be the best quarterback on this team, for now anyway. 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, but will it be Richardson or Flacco who helps them get there?
There’s no doubt the Jacksonville Jaguars underachieved last season, and we’re not sure if they’ve improved the roster enough since. The Jaguars lost three of their games by one possession before finally getting in the win column in Week 5. Trevor Lawrence had one of his best performances yet. Can he and Doug Pederson repeat the success? We expect a slight bounce-back, but not enough to reach the playoffs, barring a miracle.
The Tennessee Titans were in a position to win in Week 1 before Will Levis literally threw the game away. Yet, the fact that Brian Callahan’s team was in control for most of the game is a positive sign early on. The story was the same in Week 2 and Week 3 where Levis had yet another crucial turnover to lead to easy points. We don’t have high expectations for the Titans in what’s likely to be a retooling season. 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 five games without Stefon Diggs, Josh Allen is having some trouble establishing a connection with his receivers. While there have been some consistency issues, he still hasn’t thrown an interception, 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, but the defense is playing well enough to help them stay afloat.
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 still looks like a mess, with Rodgers not on the same page with his receivers. However, Robert Saleh’s defense is still playing at an elite level.
Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle make for a dangerous quartet. If Anthony Weaver can take what he learned in Baltimore and apply it to the Miami Dolphins’ defense, this could become much more than just one of the NFL’s best offenses. Mike McDaniel has plenty of time to figure it out. But the more urgent concern is ensuring Tua Tagovailoa can get back to 100% after yet another concussion and hitting the IR because Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley, and Tim Boyle are a recipe for disaster, even if Snoop snuck away with a win in Week 5.
Jerod Mayo seems more than equipped to spark a quick turnaround, but does he have the roster to match? The Patriots had one of the NFL’s most surprising upsets with a Week 1 win over Cincinnati. Yet, without identifying a playmaker who’s capable of taking a game over, we’ll pause on predicting New England to maintain this momentum in a crowded AFC East division.
AFC East playoff prediction
- Buffalo Bills – Division winners
- New York Jets
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
Related: Updated NFL defense rankings
AFC Wild Card spots: Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers
Again, we love the Russ/Tomlin duo. They’re far too competitive to be anything but focused on improving from their effort a season ago, and this roster does have a good mix of star talent and youth brimming with potential. Who knows what they can do with a new locker room leader, even if Fields runs away with the job? So far, so good after a 3-2 start.
We expect Robert Saleh’s defense to hold up their end of the bargain. If Rodgers can propel the New York Jets offense to league-average or better levels, they should be able to sneak into the playoffs. Even though they’ve been rusty early on, the Jets just need to stay alive long enough, and get hot just in time for the postseason. So far, they’re still on track.
Jim Harbaugh has Justin Herbert on a run-based offense diet, and it’s working quite well for the Los Angeles Chargers. Herbert’s battling an injury right now, but maybe by the end of the year we’ll see the passing game come alive too. For now, the rushing attack looks competent, and the Chargers’ defense is actually stopping their opponent. This looks like a playoff team.
NFC West champions: San Francisco 49ers
Just like in 2023, the San Francisco 49ers should return to being one of the NFL’s best teams in 2024 too. But they’re off to a tough start. Brock Purdy is one of the best game managers in the NFL, and with Kyle Shanahan pressing the buttons on offense, the 49ers won’t have any issues scoring points. The same goes on defense, with one of the most fearful front sevens in football. Even without Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers’ rushing offense hasn’t skipped a beat, but they need to get healthy to return as NFC favorites.
Thanks to Mike Macdonald, the Seattle Seahawks may finally have a defense capable of competing for the division crown. Geno Smith is off to a strong start, and if the rushing game can be a consistent strength, the Seahawks could become big threats in the NFC West. A 3-2 start has Seattle on pace to get back to the playoffs, but we’re still not sure how good this team is after defeating non-playoff contenders in the Broncos, Patriots (OT), and Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa.
Jonathan Gannon had the Arizona Cardinals playing inspired football last season. That carried over into a near upset against Buffalo in Week 1 before a dominant 31-point win over the Rams in Week 2. Kyler Murray is back to making magic, but now he has a new toy by the name of Marvin Harrison Jr. Once this young roster realizes what they’re capable, the Cardinals could make some real noise, it could even happen this season.
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 can prevent the rash of injuries that have hit the Rams. When healthy, with some of the very best players in the NFL, the Rams have a very high ceiling. But right now their floor is low, due to having so many replacement pieces filling major roles.
NFC West prediction
- San Francisco 49ers – Division winners
- Seattle Seahawks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
NFC North champions: Detroit Lions
Now that everyone knows what the Detroit Lions are capable of, it’s time to see if Dan Campbell’s team can rise to the challenge of repeating it. Jared Goff showed he’s equipped to lead an explosive scoring attack, and these young Lions are poised to keep improving. Boasting one of the best offensive lines leads to an elite rushing offense, and Detroit’s defense is showing signs of growth, too.
Sam Darnold has been one of the league’s best success stories through five weeks, ranking second in passing touchdowns, and that’s come without T.J. Hockenson. 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 eye a playoff spot.
Stay up to date on all Minnesota Vikings news and rumors
One of the youngest rosters in 2023 is expected to take a major 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 five interceptions. Not even an injury to Jordan Love can slow down Green Bay’s momentum, but there’s 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 2024 for the Chicago Bears. Caleb Williams was labeled as a generational talent, and he already has two 300-yard games through five starts. If he can continue showing signs of growth, Chicago’s top-ten defense could help carry their rookie to a playoff spot, but again, competing in the NFC North won’t be easy.
NFC North prediction
- Detroit Lions – Division winners
- Minnesota Vikings
- Green Bay Packers
- Chicago Bears
NFC South champions: Atlanta Falcons
It’s a whole new world with Kirk Cousins plugged in as the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback. Suddenly this offense went from being one of the NFL’s worst to one with the potential to be one of the best. The Falcons have already seen both sides of the coin, with Cousins showing some mobility flaws and a tendency to make risky throws. However, that’s also included a never-die-easy mentality that led to two game-winning drives. We don’t know what to expect from this Falcons team yet, but they need to create more pressure on defense to do anything in the playoffs.
The gang’s back in town with the return of Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, which gives the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a high floor. They came back with a vengeance with a 37-point game in Week 1. After winning a Wild Card game last season, the Bucs may be ready to prove they’re better than everyone gives them credit for. But they’ll still need to find ways to be more consistent to avoid repeating Week 3’s embarrassing 26-7 loss to Denver.
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. The Saints have lost two in a row after a strong start; we’ll see where this team stands in Week 6 after facing the Chiefs.
The Carolina Panthers already benched Young just 18 starts into his career. The anonymous NFL exec was right, this team is a disaster. Then again, Andy Dalton made quarterbacking look easy with a dominant 36-22 win over the Raiders in Week 3, making everyone wonder just how bad Young really is. The offense enjoyed a short spurt with Dalton, but reaching the playoffs isn’t a realistic objective this season. It’s time to go back to Young for a more thorough evaluation.
NFC South prediction
- Atlanta Falcons – Division winners
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New Orleans Saints
- Carolina Panthers
NFC East champions: Dallas Cowboys
Hate ’em or love ’em, the Dallas Cowboys have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL thanks to the emergence of Dak Prescott as a legit MVP candidate and Micah Parsons as a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. Other complementary pieces like CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, and DaRon Bland are just cherries on top for Jerry Jones’ team. Are the Cowboys really one of the NFL’s best teams again? Their performance in Week 2 and Week 3 suggests otherwise.
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.
Saquon Barkley has been an early positive, but the 2023 Eagles are still haunting them despite having one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. Philadelphia’s defense is a mess and Jalen Hurts has already thrown four interceptions and fumbled five times. Nick Sirianni’s undoubtedly on the hot seat.
Even if New York Giants fans are calling for a replacement, Daniel Jones is in the midst of a bounce-back season that will win over the hearts of the locals again. That is, unless the newly remade offensive line lets him down again. Hopefully the pass rush can continue making enough of a difference to salvage the defense too but they’ve been better than expected so far.
NFC East prediction
- Dallas Cowboys – Division winners
- Washington Commanders
- Philadelphia Eagles
- New York Giants
NFC Wild Card predictions: Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers
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.
In a competitive NFC playoff field, a rising Commanders team has provided enough inspiration to become believers. Jayden Daniels is an instant star, and he’s taking care of the ball enough to make him look like a seasoned vet. The defense still looks a bit lost, but they have a couple of months to iron things out after a strong start.
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 should be able to snag a Wild Card spot.
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
- Ravens
- Bills
- Texans
- Steelers
- Jets
- Chargers
- Wild card round: Ravens over Chargers, Bills over Jets, Texans over Steelers
- Divisional round: Chiefs over Texans, Ravens over Bills
- AFC Championship Game: Chiefs over Ravens
NFC Playoffs
- 49ers
- Lions
- Cowboys
- Falcons
- Vikings
- Commanders
- Packers
- Wild card round: Lions over Packers, Cowboys over Commanders, Vikings over Falcons
- Divisional round: 49ers over Vikings, Cowboys over Lions
- NFC Championship Game: 49ers over Cowboys
Sportsnaut predicts that the San Francisco 49ers will defeat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, while the Kansas City Chiefs top the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
It will set the stage for an interesting Super Bowl LIX rematch between two teams with storied histories. The 49ers have won five Super Bowls across seven appearances, 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, San Francisco 49ers 24
