The most wonderful time of the year is upon us, the National Football League is back. With the absolute whirlwind of a season last year, including injuries, controversy, and Taylor Swift, most fans hope we get back to basics. With the Chiefs winning back-to-back championships, everyone outside of Kansas City hopes to make some changes to the hierarchy of the NFL this season.  As we press on, I will provide my insight on what I believe the standings will be by the end of the season.

Let’s get started.

NFC East:

1. Philadelphia Eagles 11-6
2. Dallas Cowboys 9-8
3. New York Giants: 6-11
4. Washington Commanders: 7-10

The Philadelphia Eagles are the favorites to come out of the NFC East because of one simple fact, the acquisition of Saquan Barkley. The Cowboys have had a rough offseason, which I predict to show up on the field, as this is a make-or-break year. The Giants are stuck with Daniel Jones in a 4 year, $160M contract, and after last year’s ACL tear, it’ll be a miracle if he bounces back with any glimpse of his 2022-2023 season skill set. The Commanders have a chance to shock some people, with the draft pick of Jayden Daniels.

NFC North:

1. Detroit Lions (13-4)
2. Green Bay Packers (10-7)
3. Chicago Bears (9-8)
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-12)

The Detroit Lions have been going through a team resurgence over the last few seasons, and I predict that it will continue this year. Their biggest challenge this year will be the Packers. The Packers, led by Jordan Love, are poised to have an exceptional year. With the pickup of Josh Jacobs in the off-season, they should, at the very minimum, be a wild-card favorite. The Chicago Bears had one of their best off-seasons in a long time, with their number one draft pick Caleb Williams and long-time Charger Keenan Allen joining the team. The Minnesota Vikings will have to pull off another Minneapolis miracle to get something going this year. With J.J. McCarthy already out for the season, they will be led by Sam Darnold. It should be the Lion’s division to lose.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons (9-8)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-10)
3. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
4. Carolina Panthers (4-13)

The NFC has been the black sheep division over the last couple of years. The pickup of Kirk Cousins for the Atlanta Falcons should bode well for them to make a playoff push. The Buccaneers were the only team to make it out of the NFC South last year, led by Baker Mayfield. We should see a similar season from them. The Saints are led by Derek Carr, who has yet to prove himself since leaving the Raiders. The Panthers have a young and impressive offense led by Bryce Young, but their defense needs some serious work.

NFC West

1. 49ers 14-3
2. Rams 9-8
3. Seahawks 6-11
4. Cardinals 4-13

The powerhouse division of the NFC always has at least two teams with genuine Super Bowl aspirations. The largest aspirations of course are the Super Bowl runner-ups, the San Francisco 49ers. Led by Brock Purdy, the 49ers are favorites to repeat as NFC Champions, as they seem to get better every season. The Los Angeles Rams are set to have a solid season, as they are still led by Matthew Stafford, and after Pucau Nucua’s stellar rookie year, he should continue his offensive onslaught. The Seahawks have lost their long-time head coach Pete Carrol, and with the team being led by Geno Smith, the Seahawks don’t seem to be a threat for the NFC. The Arizona Cardinals have been reeling as of late, with Kyler Murray being unable to lead the team to anything substantial. With the loss of Deandre Hopkins, the Cardinals should be a favorite for the number one pick for next year’s draft.

AFC East

1. New York Jets (11-6)
2. Buffalo Bills (10-7)
3. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
4. New England Patriots (3-14)

With the return of Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets should be able to make a strong playoff push. To do so, however, they are gonna have to deal with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The Bills lost Stefon Diggs in the offseason, but Josh Allen has been able to carry the team on his back. The Dolphins still have an explosive team, with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill being the WR duo. The defense, however, might be the only aspect of the team that slows them down. The Patriots had a rough off-season, losing their long-time head coach Bill Belichek. The Patriots will need to put together something miraculous to make something happen this year.

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (11-6)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
4. Cleveland Browns (7-10)

The Ravens should be a lock-in playoff team, with the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson coming back after signing a five year contract extension. They will have some competition, however, with the Bengals poised to make a strong push. As of Sept. 8th, Jamar Chase has yet to sign a contract extension, but Bengals fans are hoping that it comes soon. Regardless, Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and if he stays healthy the Bengals should be set. The Steelers had an interesting off-season. They picked up both Russel Wilson and Justin Fields, which set a strange precedent for the season. The Steeler’s defense is stellar, however, and Mike Tomlin has yet to have a losing season as a head coach. Then you have the browns, led by Deshaun Watson. The Browns will be without Nick Chubb to start the season, due to him still recovering from a devastating leg injury. This division is tough, and without one of their star players, the Browns will probably be the weakest in this division.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (12-5)
2. Tennessee Titans (9-8)
3. Indianapolis Colts (7-10)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-10)

The AFC South has been getting stronger in recent years, with the Texans and Jaguars turning around their luck. The Texans picked up Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon in the off-season, and led by last year’s rookie of the year C.J. Stroud, they should be a favorite in the AFC. The Titans picked up Deandre Hopkins this off-season, and Will Levis is set to have a breakout year with a stellar WR with him. The Colts will be led by a returning Anthony Richardson, who we saw glimpses of last year before his injury. The Jaguars will have Trevor Lawrence leading the pack, after signing a massive contract extension.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
2. Los Angeles Chargers (10-7)
3. Las Vegas Raiders (5-12)
4. Denver Broncos (5-12)

Lastly, we have the AFC West, which is home to the back-to-back champions the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs will be favorites for the AFC for years to come, as they seem to get better every year. Patrick Mahomes is already on track to be one of the greatest players ever. The Los Angeles Chargers might have the best chance to match the Chiefs, with Pro Bowl QB Justin Herbert. The Las Vegas Raiders have had a tumultuous couple of years, with the hiring and firing of Josh McDaniels, losing Derek Carr and signing Devante Adams. The biggest question for the Raiders right now is the quarterback situation, which needs to be addressed. Finally, we have the Denver Broncos,  who gave away Russel Wilson in the off-season. The Broncos will still have to pay Russel Wilson while he plays for the Steelers, and the Broncos will be led by Bo Nix, the rookie QB out of Oregon.