By Matthew Leon
The 2024-25 season kicked off four weeks ago, and already so many things have shifted the landscape of the league. Injuries to key players like Christian McCaffrey and Tua Tagovailoa have altered teams’ expectations, which has made this a very interesting season. In this article, we’ll look at everything from injuries to surprising successes that have changed our opinions on our favorite teams’ futures.
Honorable Mentions:
Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
After a disappointing offseason letting star players walk, losing key defenders to injury and making little to no moves. In week 2, the Cowboys suffered a disappointing 44-19 loss to New Orleans, along with a close game against the struggling Giants, sparking questions about the team’s success. The Cowboys are known for performing in the regular season, and I expect them to bounce back and compete for the NFC East. With a 2-2 record for now, I expect them to win at least 8 games, but this probably isn’t “their year.”
Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
The Chargers got rid of almost all their major offensive weapons this offseason, leaving Justin Herbert with no gunpowder. Like the Steelers, the Chargers started 2-0 from an easy schedule, against the Raiders and Panthers. I don’t see LA winning more than 8 games this season, despite their great start.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
As one of the recurring best teams in the league, the Eagles are only trending up from here. With their massive addition of Saquon Barkley, Philly should dominate the rest of this season, but some questions arise because of their late collapse last season in the playoffs. The 2-2 start hasn’t been great, along with the losses to the Bucs and Falcons, but things aren’t too bad in Philly. Once A.J. Brown gets healthy and the schedule gets easier, I think the Eagles can end up with 9 or more wins and beat Dallas for the division.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
Baker Mayfield might just be the future. The Bucs have apparently found Tom Brady’s successor as Mayfield emerges from the shadows. Tampa has an above-average defense and apparently have secured their franchise quarterback. They did lose to the Broncos in disappointing fashion, but I expect big things from this squad. With a 3-1 record, beating elite teams in the Lions and Eagles, and the rise of their offense, I think the Bucs could win upwards of 10 games this year and contend for the playoffs.
9. New Orleans Saints (2-2)
That was unexpected. Out of nowhere, the Saints emerged as one of the premier teams in the NFL. By the works of Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed, along with their stellar defense, New Orleans has absolutely dominated their competition, outscoring opponents by 62 points over 2 weeks. After beating the Cowboys, this team is looking legit. It’s looking like the Saints are in for at least 11 wins and a division clinch.
8. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)
The 49ers started in a way none of us expected, going 1-2 after a trip to the Super Bowl. After a win against the struggling Patriots, the 49ers are 2-2. With a key injury to Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers have had to adjust, which Brock Purdy seems to be good at, leading the league in passing yards with 1,130, however it clearly hasn’t affected winning. San Francisco can have all the stats and players on paper they want, but they have to be winning games to make it somewhere. I predict around 12 wins still, despite the slow start but the 49ers need to pick up the pace.
7. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
Despite a 2-2 start and some tough losses, I still have complete faith in the Ravens. In week 4, Baltimore beat the Bills in a crucial win, dominating 35-10. With weapons like Derrick Henry, a stellar defense, and Lamar Jackson, I still expect the Ravens to bounce back in large fashion against Dallas this week. Baltimore has massive potential, and I still expect them to earn north of 10 wins and compete for the AFC North.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
You can never count the Steelers out of anything. Their defense is among the top of the league, Mike Tomlin is an incredible coach and the offense is picking up. They are 3-1, but we have to consider that they have had an easy schedule so far, with wins against the Falcons, Chargers and Broncos. I predict the Steelers to be hanging around 11 wins, a massive improvement from the last few years of mid.
5. Detroit Lions (3-1)
The Lions have been building an all-around offensive weapon, with the addition of David Montgomery and the emergence of Jameson Williams along with their other assets. We can’t forget that Detroit was a few plays from a Super Bowl berth last year, and their solid record this year could show a shot at getting past that. All of their games have been relatively close, with a loss to Tampa Bay as well, but they have a mid-tier schedule going forward and look to perform. Detroit is going to be a staple in the playoffs for years now, and I have them making it there again by competing against the Vikings for the division title.
4. Houston Texans (3-1)
The Texans looked great out of the offseason. With the additions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon, this offense really looks leveled up from last year. QB C.J. Stroud continues to impress, third in passing yards through four games. Houston is 3-1 this year, although they’ve had a relatively easy schedule, facing the Jaguars, Colts and Bears in their wins. They stunningly lost to the Vikings in Week 3 and barely scraped by the 0-4 Jaguars, so they occupy this number 4 spot for now. In wins this season, they are leading by an average of 4 points in the final score. I see the Texans going far in the playoffs this year and contending for a championship, but in order to win tough games they need to start dominating on the field, not just on paper.
3. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
The Bills lost some key players this offseason, like Stefon Diggs and Jordan Poyer, but it seemingly hasn’t slowed them down. They are 3-1 with a decently difficult schedule, except they had a rough loss to the Ravens in Week 4. Defense isn’t their strong suit anymore. Josh Allen continues to impress, and with the Dolphins not a threat anymore, the Bills are pretty much a lock for the AFC East title. I have them getting around 11 wins with a tough schedule, and they will be a force in the playoffs because of that easy division title.
2. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)
Sam Darnold has re-emerged after a disappointing first few years of his career in New York, and the last few years being spent as a backup. The same man who was seeing ghosts a few years ago is now leading Minnesota to one of the only undefeated records still standing this year. The Vikings have played tough teams and not only won, but dominated most of them. With a win against the division rival Packers in Week 4, the Vikings improved to 4-0, a mark nobody thought they would hit. The stellar play so far is sparking Super Bowl aspirations for this team, and in a weak NFC, I can’t see why not. The Vikings might be the most wild card team out there, so I have them getting anywhere from 9 to 14 wins this year. We haven’t seen this team in the playoffs lately, and they have tough divisional competition in the Lions, but I still have faith. Anything could happen with these guys.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
You really can’t drop the undefeated reigning champs out of the first spot. However, the Chiefs' future is dimming day by day. They have been saved by questionable calls in all 4 of their wins so far, along with Travis Kelce clearly regressing. Rashee Rice was injured on a collision with his own quarterback in week 4, but you can never count out Mahomes, even without his receivers. We’ll have to see as the season unfolds, but the Chiefs still look great as a championship favorite.
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