Our 2025 NFL predictions revisited: the Seahawks blindsided us, but we were right about the Jets

It doesn’t take long for the egg the start dripping from our faces. The early September headline accompanying our 2025 NFL predictions – Will it be Mahomes, Jackson or Allen in the Super Bowl? – was the ultimate hedge. After all, what were the odds that one of them wouldn’t emerge from the AFC?

Then there was the reality. Mike Vrabel’s dramatic turnaround of New England. The Bears transforming from worst-to-first in the NFC North under Ben Johnson. The first-half magic of Daniel Jones. The successful pairing of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold.

Aside from foreseeing the annual disaster that is the New York Jets, our crystal balls largely failed us. The good news is that we weren’t alone in faceplanting on our predictions. Seriously, who saw MVP contender Drake Maye coming?

Time to take a few deep breaths, grab a security blanket, and revisit our 2025 NFL predictions. (You can read them in full here.)

Best team who won’t make the playoffs

What we said before the season: We thought the Rams would miss out due to Matthew Stafford’s herniated disc being a “case of when, not if, he is replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo”. We also believed Washington would thrive under “phenom” Jayden Daniels and that Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the NFL’s “top quarterback-wide receiver duo”, would get the Bengals close. (Yes, we assumed Burrow would remain healthy for an entire season.) We thought Minnesota would narrowly miss out because JJ McCarthy is no Darnold, We believed the Bears offense would take a leap under Johnson but still miss out.

What actually happened: Burrow lasted two weeks before turf toe erased most of his season. Cincinnati finished 6-11. Daniels was riddled with a litany of injures and completed only four full games. Washington was eliminated after Week 14. Meanwhile, 37-year-old Stafford was named MVP after the best season of his career. The 12-5 Rams reached the NFC championship game, a thrilling battle many will consider the real Super Bowl.

MVP

What we said before the season: Three of us were firm believers in the Lamar Jackson revenge tour. We believed that Jackson’s mightiest MVP challengers, aside from Josh Allen, would be “Mahomes, Hurts, Daniels, Stroud, Purdy and Jordan Love”. Earning one vote each were Patrick Mahomes, who “won’t turn the ball over and he will have the comeback narrative on his side”, and Daniels, who would confirm he is a “legit superstar”.

What actually happened: Stafford. Maye. Stafford. Maye. Stafford prevailed in the closest MVP vote since 2003. Of the names we bandied about, including Jackson and his seven contenders, only one (Allen) finished in the top five in MVP voting.

Rookie to watch

What we said before the season: Two of us loved Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, believing he “has all the tools to transform a franchise”. Another two believed that the addition of Abdul Carter would help the New York Giants “quietly have one of the most fearsome pass-rushs in the league”, and that Carter could “flirt” with the 13 sacks Micah Parsons attained as a rookie. Also receiving a nod was No 1 overall pick Cam Ward, who we said has “better targets than one might expect for a guy taking over a 3-14 team”.

What actually happened: Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan was the runaway winner for Offensive Rookie of the Year after collecting 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a constant nuisance, took defensive rookie honors. Carter started slow, finishing the season with four sacks, though the Giants still had one of the league’s better pass rushes. Ward’s season was forgetable. He was sacked a league-high 55 times and Tennessee again finished 3-14. Fellow rookie quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Jaxson Dart were far more impactful. Productive as Jeanty was (1,300-plus yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns), it turns out the Raiders need far more than a rookie rusher to transform their franchise.

AFC East

What we said before the season: Five prognosticators. Five votes for Buffalo. We called the Bills “the biggest division lock across the NFL”, though we pointed out “serious concerns” about the Bills defense. A few of us all acknowledged that the Patriots were “up-and-coming”. Still, we thought Buffalo would “waltz through the division.”

What actually happened: Buffalo’s five-year hold on the division was snatched by New England, who miraculously finished 14-3 after a 4-13 campaign in 2024. Buffalo earned a wildcard berth despite many gaps in their defense, especially against the run. Allen had the highest completion percentage of his career, though was only the second-best quarterback in the division. Maye narrowly lost out on MVP after his breakout season. Meanwhile, the Jets became the first team in modern NFL history not to collect a single interception over the course of a season.

AFC North

What we said before the season: It was another sweep, this time in favor of the Ravens with their “top-tier defense” and “most stacked roster in the NFL”. We called Jackson “the best player in the NFL” and while we acknowledged the Steelers’ improvement, we considered Cincinnati the most legitimate contender.

What actually happened: The Ravens missed the playoffs. Jackson was inconsistent and riddled with a litany of injuries. Baltimore’s defense was a disappointment. Jaire Alexander, thought to be a key addition, was traded to Philadelphia after two games. It was Pittsburgh who took the division at 10-7 thanks to some gutsy wins. Their defense was brilliant at times, and Aaron Rodgers did enough to keep them in games. More importantly, Rodgers kept the drama away. Myles Garrett set the NFL’s season-sack record, and that’s all worth mentioning about Cleveland.

AFC South

What we said before the season: More group-think as we unanimously picked the Texans thanks to their “top-five defense”. We didn’t sleep on Jacksonville, noting that “no team has a higher floor or ceiling given the weapons on offense and the new coaching staff,” but thought them “too green”. One of us thought the Titans would be entertaining with Ward but couldn’t say the same about the Colts since they were “rolling out Daniel Jones as their win-now option”.

What actually happened: A hot start from the quite entertaining Danny Dimes – with a wee assist from Jonathan Taylor – put the Colts in the driver’s seat until they petered out in the second half. Jacksonville and Houston ended the regular season as two of the hottest teams in football. Both earned a postseason berth, but it was Jacksonville under first-year coach Liam Coen who took the title. Trevor Lawrence took the next step, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen was a standout, and the Jags appear to be a force to reckoned with for the near future.

AFC West

What we said before the season: Only three of us took the Chiefs, while two picked Denver. We were enamored with the Broncos defense and believed “Bo Nix doesn’t need to take a major leap forward for Denver to be a force”. No one who picked Kansas City was exactly confident, acknowledging the Broncos and Chargers’ potential but ultimately said “it’s the Chiefs until it ain’t”.

What actually happened: Denver happened. Their defense was a force, collecting 68 sacks. Bo Nix worked perfectly in Sean Payton’s system. And the Broncos ended the Chiefs’ nine-year rule of the division. Kansas City missed the playoffs amid a disappointing campaign from Mahomes that ended with the star QB tearing his ACL in Week 15.

NFC East

What we said before the season: It was an Eagles sweep. “Is there a more foolproof roster in the NFL?”, we asked rhetorically. We did consider the Commanders a threat given how they “strengthened the offense around Daniels”.

What actually happened: Philadelphia easily took the division thanks to the no one else topping .500. The 11-6 Eagles fell flat on offense, finishing just 21st in points per game. Dallas at 7-9 finished as division runner-up, while Washington went 5-12 and rolled out an offense that was anything but fortified.

NFC North

What we said before the season: Another unanimous vote, this time for Green Bay. We said the acquisition of Parsons would be “division altering” and thought the Packers had entered the season with all the ingredients of a contender. We thought the Lions and Vikings would duke it out for a wildcard spot, though one of predicted Minnesota would miss Darnold. Only one of us even mentioned the Bears and it was just to say they are “improved but not quite there yet”.

What actually happened: None of us saw the immediate impact of Ben Johnson coming. Chicago took the title as Johnson turned Caleb Williams into a star who proved clutch as they come. The NFC North was the tightest of divisions with the Vikings and Lions, both at 9-8, narrowly missing out on the postseason. And yes, the Vikings did miss Darnold.

NFC South

What we said before the season: Three of us believed the Buccaneers would take the title thanks to “the most well-rounded roster in the division” and “best offensive line in the league – when Tristan Wirfs is healthy”. One writer picked the Falcons due to their “high-powered offense” while the another opted for Panthers deeming the division up for grabs.

What actually happened: What the division lacked in quality, it made up in late season intrigue – namely who of these uninspired teams would spark the playoff-seeding debate. The Bucs and Panthers entered Week 18 with the division up for grabs. Despite finishing 8-9 and scoring fewer points than all but one NFC team, the Panthers took the title. The Bucs and Falcons also finished 8-9.

NFC West

What we said before the season: We made a case for all four teams – yes, even the Cardinals. Two of us thought the 49ers would rebound from a nightmare 2024 season with “MVP caliber” Brock Purdy and the return of Robert Saleh. One of us thought Klint Kubiak “making the most of Sam Darnold” would lead Seattle to the division title. Another gave the nod to the Rams, believing Stafford’s back would stay in one piece. Our last writer picked Arizona somewhat by fault.

What actually happened: Aside from the Cardinals, the division was insanely competitive with the Seahawks taking the crown – and at 14-3 the No 1 seed. Los Angeles and San Francisco both finished 12-5 and were also in the running for the division and home-field heading in the final month of the regular season. For LA, Stafford’s back not only remained intact but he had the best season of his career and was named league MVP. And San Francisco, despite their usual slew of injuries to star players (headlined by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner), found ways to win as Purdy settled in.

Super Bowl

What we said before the season: Ravens over Packers. Broncos over Packers. Eagles over Bills. Ravens over Lions. Eagles over Ravens.

What actually happened: Seattle over New England. The Super Bowl none of us came close to predicting. In fact, neither team was mentioned in our championship round picks. We didn’t see Seattle’s smothering defense being that smothering. Or Darnold playing the best game of his career in the NFC championship battle for the ages against the Rams. Or Kenneth Walker III being such a force. We didn’t see New England’s defensive trajectory in the playoffs. No one saw Maye being that good in the regular season and that bad in the Super Bowl.

Seattle’s 29-13 Super Bowl LX domination may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but at least we’re not afraid to roll back the clock and admit that we never saw it coming. Literally.

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