The NFL season is just two days away, with the much-anticipated Thursday night football matchup featuring the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, squaring off against the Baltimore Ravens. In this episode of The Blitz Angle, hosts Ryan Linkletter and Brady Penn dive into a comprehensive breakdown of the NFC, analyzing each division to predict which teams will make the playoff field come January.
NFC West
Ryan – The NFC West has been dominated by the 49ers and Rams for years now, 2024 will be no different. The 49ers once again have the best roster in football headlined by RB Christian McCaffrey who is the perfect fit for Head Coach Kyle Shannahan’s scheme. Will 2024 finally be the year they win the super bowl? The Rams are a sneaky pick to make the super bowl due to their loaded offense. Their offense is headlined by QB Matthew Stafford and contains elite weapons in Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams. The Cardinals look to be improved in 2024 with the addition of rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and a healthy Kyler Murray. The Seahawks have many question marks coming into 2024. They have a new coach, rocky QB situation, shaky 0-line, and no EDGE rusher. Not a great combination in a tough division.
Standings:
San Francisco 49ers 13-4
Los Angeles Rams 11-6
Arizona Cardinals 7-10
Seattle Seahawks 5-12
Brady – This may be the best division in football. It all starts with the 49ers, coming off the heels of a devastating Super Bowl loss. After figuring things out with Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams, San Fran will be right back at the forefront. The Rams are looking to capitalize on the tail end of Matthew Stafford’s great career, with year two of Puka Nacua and a healthier Cooper Kupp. There are questions on the defensive side, but Sean McVay and the offense should cook enough to lead the Rams to another playoff berth. The Cardinals are one of the most intriguing sleeper teams. Marvin Harrison will instantly be a Top-15 WR as a rookie, similar to 2020 Justin Jefferson, 2021 Ja’Marr Chase and last year’s Puka. Trey Mcbride and James Conner are great complements to the high-powered QB-WR duo. The Seahawks bring in Mike Macdonald at the helm after he helped lead the Ravens to a historic defensive season. On offense, it will be Geno Smith throwing to DK, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba with Sam Howell waiting in the wings for his chance.
Standings:
San Francisco 49ers: 14-3
Los Angeles Rams 13-4
Arizona Cardinals 10-7
Seattle Seahawks 8-9
NFC North
Ryan – In my opinion this is going to be the toughest division in the NFL in 2024. There is always 1 team that goes from last in the division to first place the next season. The Chicago Bears will be that team in 2024. The Bear’s defense was dominant down the stretch last season and finished as the number 1 ranked run defense in the NFL. Add in generational prospect Caleb Williams, all-pro Keenan Allen, and Deandre Swift this team is destined to make some noise this season. The Green Bay Packers should be in for another good season led by head coach Matt LaFleur. If they want to take another step this year, the defense needs to step up. The Lions are a regression candidate pick for me in 2024. Almost feels like they got away with many one possession wins with a very poor defense. That unit is still lacking a true secondary and elite pass rush other than star Aiden Hutchinson. The Vikings outlook in 2024 is grim with the injury to rookie QB J.J. McCarthy. They also have many holes in that secondary which could lead to a rough season.
Standings:
Chicago Bears 12-5
Green Bay Packers 11-6
Detroit Lions 11-6
Minnesota Vikings 4-13
Brady – After a sizzling end to the season and a hefty payday for Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers seem poised to take another leap after nearly making the NFC Title Game with the youngest roster in football. The Lions, after maybe their most successful season in franchise history, will be in a dogfight with Green Bay all year with the plethora of playmakers around Jared Goff. Then, there is one of the most polarizing rookies in NFL history, Caleb Williams. He and the Bears look to guide Chicago back to the postseason for the first time since 2020. After losing JJ McCarthy, the Vikings may be looking at a lost year, but the good news is they paid their main man, Justin Jefferson.
Standings:
Green Bay Packers 13-4
Detroit Lions 12-5
Chicago Bears 9-8
Minnesota Vikings 2-15
NFC East
Ryan – The NFC East flip flops division winners year after year. 2024 will be no different as I have the Eagles taking home the division title. The addition of OC Kellen Moore will help develop QB Jalen Hurts as a passer and provide a different dimension to this offense. The defense is still concerning with a lot of question marks on that unit. Outside of star WR CeeDee Lamb the Cowboys are lacking true weapons on offense heading into 2024. The defense will once again be really good this season headlined by star EDGE Micah Parsons.
Standings:
Philadelphia Eagles 12-5
Dallas Cowboys 11-6
New York Giants 5-12
Washington Commanders 4-13
Brady – While no team in this division seems like a true Super Bowl contender, the Eagles seem poised to win it for the second time in three years. Dallas has a concerning lack of depth after Dak, Ceedee, and Parsons, but they will likely be in the hunt for a Wild Card. The Commanders will look to build off of and evaluate Rookie Jayden Daniels, similar to the Broncos and Nix, while the Giants will give one last shot to Daniel Jones, likely sitting in the basement of the East.
Standings:
Philadelphia Eagles 13-4
Dallas Cowboys 8-9
Washington Commanders 4-13
New York Giants 3-14
NFC South
Ryan – The NFC South is probably the weakest division in the league heading into 2024. The Falcons are geared up to make a run with the additions of Kirk Cousins, Matthew Judon, and Justin Simmons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints are due for regression in 2024 with their aging rosters and turnover at coordinator. Expect the Panthers to be better this season under new OC Dave Canales but their roster is too weak to make any noise this season.
Standings:
Atlanta Falcons 10-7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-10
New Orleans Saints 6-11
Carolina Panthers 4-13
Brady – The Falcons finally have a quarterback to go with their electric young players on offense, as well as a good offensive line. On defense, Jessie Bates and AJ Terrell are joined by pro bowlers Justin Simmons and Matthew Judon. The reigning champion Buccaneers lost some pieces, but still will be in the South hunt with year two of Baker to Mike Evans. After bringing in QB whisperer Dave Canales as the new Head Coach, the Panthers look to take a step up from the abysmal 2023 they had in their first season of Bryce Young at QB. The Saints are in a dark place, despite a few promising playmakers. They are in cap hell with an uncertain QB outlook and an aging defense.
Standings:
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-9
Carolina Panthers 4-13
New Orleans Saints 3-14
Predicted Playoff Field
Ryan
- San Francisco 49ers 13-4 (BYE)
- Chicago Bears 12-5
- Philadelphia Eagles 12-5
- Atlanta Falcons 10-7
- Dallas Cowboys 11-6
- Green Bay Packers 11-6
- Los Angeles Rams 11-6
Brady
- San Francisco 49ers 14-3 (BYE)
- Philadelphia Eagles 13-4
- Green Bay Packers 13-4
- Atlanta Falcons 12-5
- Los Angeles Rams 13-4
- Detroit Lions 12-5
- Arizona Cardinals 10-7
Check out the AFC predictions with the link below!
Breaking Down the AFC Ahead of the 2024 Season
Listen to the full division by division breakdown on The Blitz Angle
[…] Breaking Down the NFC Ahead of the 2024 Season […]
[…] Breaking Down the NFC Ahead of the 2024 Season […]