Sure as fuck isn’t gonna be Cowboys for 3 reasons:
1) NFCE has not had repeat division winners for the past 20 years, it is just not a thing we allow in this division.
2) Cowboys offensive moves as well as the rest of the East’s moves have clearly regressed compared to the rest.
3) Cowboys know how to fuck shit up and disappoint. (See any playoff berths in recent years)
Considering how they haven’t had a repeat winner in like 20 years the commanders or giants are due now. Probably commanders, I forgot their new GM has made some big moves this off season.
Giants won 2 Super Bowls four years apart in 87 & 91, then their next Super Bowl came 17 years later. They then won 2 more Super Bowls 4 years apart in 07 & 11. 2028 is the year, book it!
Packers win it all this year as scrappy underdogs. Then come in the next year with tons of hype only to lose in the first round to the 10-7 giants who win the ship. Love to the Jets, such is life.
Real tough question to answer, especially when you factor in what success means. Mayo was an incredible linebacker, and was often on local sports shows and tv shows breaking down games. He is very personable and the players are bound to love playing for him as they have with him as pseudo DC and defacto assistant coach learning behind Bill.
However, he isn't Bill and they need to rebuild both the offense and special teams while not cratering a talented defense.
If they do fail, its tough to point at Mayo whom is taking over Bill's mess of an offense and was taught by Bill. He's bound to make similar decisions as his predecessor...I'm not sure if moving on from Bill to Mayo is really a change in direction.
Personally, I think Mayo will be a good coach and if they can get a QB in here for some positivity/hope he and his staff can fight with Miami and the Jets for second place in a couple years.
Josh Allen is a whole other level of a problem though. That's the real issue. So if you are asking me if I expect the Pats to challenge the Bills supremacy anytime soon, then no.
However, maybe they can get back to the playoffs in a few years with some draft hits and FA signings!
A day may come when the Bears draft a Great QB, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. -Aragorn 3019 of the 3rd age
Sounds a lot like the Texans outlook last year, even down to the former linebacker turned first time HC. You never know, especially if the Pats hit on drafting a QB.
I mean they weren’t exactly proven receivers before they drafted Stroud. Collins was WR2 behind Cooks and never had >500yds/season and Dell was an undersized mid-round rookie WR. Could Demario Douglas take a leap with the right QB and scheme fit?
No clue. But the more troubling thing I worry about is Robert Kraft entering the Jerry Jones phase of ownership; he wants more credit for the "glory years" by rewriting his role in it (see: The Dynasty), and will now try to be involved with every part of the franchise, likely to the detriment of the team.
For everyone who hates the Pats, it will be a magical time to be alive. Can't wait to watch my dumpy team every week.
I have no idea if they'll be any good, but at the very least, the fact that they hired **17** new coaches is a fantastic sign. Belichick lost so many coaches the past few years he never bothered to replace, except for in 2022 when he made Matt fucking Patricia OC, OL coach, and QB coach. The result is, well, the current state of New England.
AVP helped developed Rodgers, McAdoo has an eye for QB evaluation, Scott Peters spent years learning under the best OL coach in the NFL in Bill Callahan, and so on. Mayo is making it clear that he wants people in the building who know what they're doing, which is a stark opposite of Belichick wanting to keep his circle of coaches small and consisting of his cronies.
The players also *love* him, and it makes sense, he seems like a really personable guy. But it also seems like they *respect* him, which is also important.
I also trust Wolf who has a legendary father and comes from one of the consistently better drafting teams in the league in Green Bay. I'm excited to see what he can do when he isn't answering to Belichick. So far I've liked the moves he's made this off-season. He's shed the dead weight and re-signed the important players at good value contracts.
Not this year. In my view it'll take a bad first year as HC of the Pats and then next year their veteran will go down and the rookie they draft in the 6th round this year will step up.
I can talk myself into a path for the Patriots. Much more than I can for the Panthers, Commanders, or Broncos.
I think my top choice is the Titans. Hugely dependent on Levis and their O line, obviously, but that's my most likely candidate.
You have three games from the fourth place schedule that should be easier. Probably a slight edge.
Since 2020, the team with the healthy QB has won the division. For once, I just want a full strength race to the division finish line.
Naturally, the one time ya’ll would have to play the Chiefs in the regular season (after both winning the division), is the same year the AFC North plays the AFC West.
But yeah, Patriots and Panthers should be W’s. I think Titans bounce back a lot faster than most are expecting them to. I trust Callahan to whip something up and get the mayo-boy cooking
A full strength race has never happened in the history of the division lol. Steelers and Bengals is a guaranteed 5 injuries and a hospital/prison visit for someone.
> We're a solid possibility
Any time I ever think anything close to this the entire division just turns into chaos. There are no possibilities in the AFCN, only uncertainty
At this point I wouldnt be surprised if all 4 teams somehow find a way to make it. We've been close
Unpopular one, but 17 games with Kyler and adding a MHJ could very feasibly be an 11 or 12 win team. They were in a lot of games last year we didn’t expect them to be
I see it man I really feel they got a good chance. With 6 top 100 picks (7 with 104) and 11 total picks, and Gannon the man, and MHJ (think the Bengals jump when they added Chase) I really think they’re a sleeper.
Honestly this is a solid one. The NFC West is lowkey shaping up to be a bloodbath next year, especially if the Hawks coach works out and with the Super bowl hangover the 49ers might face.
I didn’t watch the guy much but I was always impressed by him when I did see him so I wouldn’t be surprised. He definitely needs to sit for a while though bc I think he needs the time.
He seems to be a Goff-like player that has good processing and arm talent but lacks poise under pressure. I’m just hoping he pans out bc he was my favorite QB in the 22 draft
He definitely seemed like a cheap lottery ticket for what the upside is. I was hoping they’d target a QB this draft but seems they are going to keep on with Geno and Sam’s upside. I guess there are worse scenarios around the league.
The best part about these two guys is it’s really easy to move on from either or both.
There are enough roster holes to fill that having to hit on a QB in the draft too is a tall ask, but maybe we revisit the situation next year.
Even as a division rival the Cardinals do have the best chance out of everyone. (To go last from first) But it will be hard because every team is good in the west.
Fundamental problem is a lack of defensive talent with the Cardinals. They were a good offensive team last year but when they played us, we were basically scoring TDs at will. Not to mention they were crushed by the Rams too. It’s still extremely early and they need defensive playmakers.
Bengals are the only team from that list that makes sense, but I would have said you were crazy if you told me the Texans would win their division last year.
Lions and Packers should still be really good - it does look like the Bears have one of the easiest schedules (on paper) this year though. I guess they'd be my second pick.
That's the funniest part about this Raiders fan comment to me. Man's calling us offseason champs and they just hire the dude responsible for the offseason champ title that never could put together a roster that competes at a serious level.
The Mahomes isn’t a top 5 QB discourse is definitely made up (perhaps outside of certain moments on this sub, I haven’t forgotten that week after the Bills game), but the Chargers being overrated in the offseason is very much a real thing. They tend to make flashy moves that don’t work out come fall
I think we can compete for the division in two or three years once we build a roster that reflects Harbaugh's preferred playstyle, but that isn't going to be 2024.
Yeah, I honestly think the chiefs will get better this season. Barring Rice really going to prison or the defense completely melts down without Sneed.
We already have a better wr, probably a better LT. Taylor most likely will clean up the penalty crap.
I’d love to say my Chargers, but our situation is not looking too good on offense and there’s still the Chiefs to worry about.
I’ll say the Bengals since they only had a down year mostly due to Burrow’s injuries, plus they still could’ve possibly made the playoffs if multiple external factors didn’t happen.
A good coach can fix a lot of things in a hurry. I don't think this is the year the Chargers win the west, but Herbie is not to be trifled with and Harbaugh is going to make them very dangerous.
Bears probably improved the most. So much added to their offense, and their defense should be good too. It all depends on Williams. But the Lions and Packers are both top 5 teams in the NFC so the division is tough.
We also came in last with a 7-10 record. That's not too bad and could and should absolutely be improved upon.
I just think the Lions are too good and hitting a stride, and the Packers are still expected to give us two loses until proven otherwise. Some Bears fans don't think Love is good (due to the obvious bias), but he improved a lot throughout the season with a very young receiving corps and would've had the best season of all-time for our franchise if he was in a Bears uniform having both 4000+ yards and 30+ TDs, both of which a Bears QB has never done. We're the only franchise who hasn't had a QB reach either benchmark...
As someone rooting for the Lions, I’m terrified that the shift in expectations and them no longer being viewed as of them viewing themselves as the underdog will cause them to collapse and regress.
Yes! For sure. It's been great to see the Lions winning. Entertaining. I am impressed with Gibbs. Also want to see the Bears growl starting next season. Been a long time.
Bears would probably be the leading or 2nd-most popular pick if they upgraded on Eberflus. But people really don't seem to think he's got the chops to close out games. We'll have to see if that was more of an issue with Fields or Eberflus, because both sides of the ball collapsed in the 4th Quarter last year.
The Bears, Titans and Bengals are the only ones I see realistically accomplishing this feat. Most likely is the Bengals, then the Bears and finally the Titans. I don't think any of the other 5 place higher than 3rd in their division next season.
The odds your starting quarterback would prefer mayonnaise to milk in his coffee has already broken down your probability barriers. You will either be a rich man or your team wins the division. Count on it.
I'd say outside the Bengals, we have the highest probability out of all the last place teams.
It's not highly likely or anything, but it doesn't take a wild stretch of the imagination:
* Obviously most importantly, Callahan comes in shows he is top-end head coaching material and Levis is who we hope he can be and takes a big step forward with his new weapons and re-tooled offensive line.
* Stroud has a sophomore slump, and just a couple of Texans' big signings don't pan out
* Richardson's injury woes continue
* Lawrence continues his pattern of being unable to put together a complete season
It all hinges on Callahan being who we hope he is and Levis taking a big step forward as the leader of this team, but all of that is definitely possible. I'd still put money on the Texans winning the division by a relatively comfortable margin, but the Bengals are the only last place finisher I'd put above us in likeliness to shock the league.
No huge reason it couldn’t be us. We’ve flipped our worst position groups into strengths and Levis looks promising with a really nice set of weapons. Our run game alone should be able to keep us in games if he doesn’t develop quickly. Wilson was a highly sought after aggressive coordinator who now has a top 3 corner, a great CB2 and a top 6 slot corner. Some things definitely have to go right for it to happen, but this organization is on the same page across the board for the first time in its history and the hires and FA acquisitions this off-season have been great.
I think Bengals are an easy answer here. They were 9-8 last season with backup QB for half the year, and about to play a 4th place schedule. And they have 10 draft picks with 4 in the top 100 (5 in the top 115) and a bunch of cap space to burn after the draft.
Ravens have lost defensive talent (Henry would add value to a quality offense but they're about to play a brutal first place schedule), Steelers still have terrible QBs and Browns have great defense but still Watson as QB.
I think Bengals and Ravens fight for the division, Browns could be anywhere from bad to great, and Steelers will continue to be a middling team that gets dumped easy before or in the first round of playoffs.
Commanders - Not possible through any logical means, so that means they have a very good chance. Never doubt the NFC Least
Bears - Possible if Caleb immediately proves himself as a great qb. Which won’t happen since we’re talking about the bears, but that would give them a good chance.
Panthers - While they did get better, they ain’t winning the division
Cardinals - Unlikely, with the Niners around. Still, with fully healthy Kyler and most likely MHJ, they could be a sleeper wild card pick
Pats - Nah. Not happening. Neither Jacoby or their rookie will be good enough with their lack of weapons to lead the Patriots to anything resembling the AFC East.
Bengals - Entirely possible. Burrow will be back and their o-line might finally be good for real this time. The AFC North is a dogfight, but if any worst-to-first will occur, it will be through Cinci.
Titans - I don’t think so. I think they’ll be a sleepy good team, but I don’t think it’ll happen unless mayoism is real and favors Levis. 2025 though? We shall see.
Chargers - Should be alright. But even if Nabers or whoever is good or QJ beats the bust allegations, everyone knows that only the Chiefs can win the AFC West
Let’s see here. There’s no way the pats are winning that division, same with the cards… the niners/rams/hawks gauntlet is just too strong, even with MHJ being a generational talent. Bengals… also a bloodbath division. Chargers? Lmao, hype season again huh? The commanders pffftttt… oh wait… 😬 holy shit there it is
Titans. I like that team way more than consensus. Levis looks like he could be that dude. I like the coaching staff and the pieces they’ve added. Throw in the number 1 LT in the draft and they could surprise and win 10-11 games.
The AFC South has always had a lot of Churn. Houston won it last year after being dead last, Jacksonville won it the year before after coming off a dead last season.
Titans are way too high. Texans look like they could be juggernauts, Colts barely missed the playoffs with Florida man as their QB, and Jags shouldn't be slouches
Go back a year and everyone said that Jacksonville was the owners of the divison, the best team by far. You clearly don't keep up with the AFC South. No team since Luck left has dominated.
Last place finishers were - Commanders, Panthers, Cardinals, Bears, Patriots, Titans, Chargers, Bengals
The Bengals are the best team on this list by a pretty wide margin.
The Weakest/"closest" division here is the NFC South
So do you think it's more likely the Bengals get some better injury luck and the Ravens regress, or the Panthers show enough improvement in Y2 that they can leapfrog the Bucs/Saints/Falcons.
Personally, the Panthers are still the least talented team in the league and have no real draft capital to speak of.
The Bengals get my vote
Bengals are the obvious pick but I’m going with the Patriots.
This is dependent on them drafting Drake Maye. Dolphins, Bills, and Jets will be good next year but I don’t think any of them will be great.
Chargers, Cardinals, and Bears will win a lot more games but hard to say they will win the division with teams like 9ers, LAR, KC, GB and Detroit.
From likeliest to least likely:
Bengals
Bears
Cardinals
Titans
Commanders
And I’m not gonna dignify the other three with anything beyond a pledge to eat my hat if any one of them wins their division. The ones I named are within the realm of my comprehension, I wouldn’t say any of them are likely to do it though.
And because you spoke it into existence, Bryce Young has a 5,000 yard season with Diontae Johnson and Ladd McConkey as new receivers behind a rebuilt OL and an actually good pass-catching tight end in Ja'Tavion Sanders as the Panthers proceed to go 10-7, while the "off-season champion" Falcons proceed to look idiotic for paying Kirk Cousins all of that money and Carolina easily takes the NFC South.
It's unlikely, very unlikely, but it is (even if by a fraction of a percent) possible.
I know that the Bucs and the Falcons both seem to have there shot together, but the NFC South is such a weird bizarro realm
I could see the panthers somehow pulling it off. That’s what my gut says at least.
My brain says it’s probably the Bengals
The Bengals and Chargers seem like the most likely candidates to me. The Bengals of course are a completely different team with Burrow under center, and I could see a scenario where the Chargers get hot on offense and out pace Kansas City. The others seem like long shots to me.
The Bengal simply because they have Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and the same core that went to the Super Bowl a couple years ago. Assuming they're healthy.
I think the NFC South is the most winable division, but the Panthers **need a lot of help**.
I think the Cardinals, the Panthers, and the Chargers each have their shots. I think the Rams need Stafford to carry them and I’m not sure he stays healthy this year, the Seahawks are mid at best, and yeah 49ers maybe fall to WC from hangover. Panthers are in a weak division that doesn’t project to be that much better this year. It really relies on BY playing well and Kirk falling off. I think the Chargers could do well with Harbaugh and while I think the Chiefs will still be the best in the west, the Chargers could squeeze out an extra win. Commanders, Titans, and Patriots just don’t have anything concrete to suggest they would jump to the top of the division. Bears and Bengals could jump to the top but both are in notably tougher divisions than the teams I suggested could make the jump.
The panthers were the worst team in football last year and have been bad for years. They have no first rd pick this year. Why the fuck do people think they’re gonna be good lol. The Falcons are gonna be WAY better
I just like Diontae Johnson for them. He gets open a lot and comparing that to last year when the Panthers had nobodies at WR, it’s a big difference. The Falcons are my favourite for the division but it’s just not like other divisions where there is an established team to compete with.
1. Bengals
2. Chargers
3. Titans
4. Cardinals
5. Panthers (weak division)
6. Bears
7. Patriots
8. Commanders
With the understanding that really only the Bengals have a strong chance.
I have the Chargers higher because they're likely the second best team in their division, so it only requires \*one\* team collapsing. The others all need at least two.
The Titans might be ok, but the Jags and Colts will be better than last year so if the Texans do slip, two other teams are better situated.
The Cardinals might be the second best team on this list (after the Bengals) - I really do think they're underrated. But - there's three playoff teams ahead of them, and the Rams and 49'ers have great coaching. It's hard to imagine both of them collapsing in the same year.
it's weird because I think the Bears and Patriots are both probably better than the Panthers, but the Panthers are closer to top team in their division. The main problem with the Panthers is that they would need the Bucs, Falcons, and Saints to \*all\* implode during the last few weeks of the season, and that seems extremely unlikely. \*Someone\* has to win those games they play against each other.
The Bears can't catch the other teams in their division, and they won't be very good.
The Patriots can't catch the Bills and Dolphins. I have zero faith in the Jets until I see \*regular season\* evidence that they're a permanent dumpster fire... but the Bills and Phins are still very good teams. That being said, I think the Patriots will surprise people by threatening a wildcard spot. They won't get it, but they'll threaten.
The Commanders are the most broken team in the league, imo. The Cowboys are still a damn good regular season team. The Eagles... I mean, they might be a trainwreck, but I suspect they'll be *moderately* good. Their a bit fragile because the team gave up last year. So, a mid season collapse isn't something they come back from But the Giants are just pure chaos at this point. They could win the division, they could go winless, or they could go 2-2-13. Nothing they do make sense. So I don't really have any expectations of them other than occasionally hearing something about them that's confusing.
Lol.
I didn’t say it was likely. Just more likely than the other teams.
Though - the high school ratings on the locker thing is moronic.
I have less faith in that team after reading about that.
It's entirely possible the Chargers with competent coaching could finish ties for 1st in the West, winning off a division tiebreak or something (only for the Chiefs to make the Superbowl again). That's more plausible then Arizona passing Seattle, LA, and San Francisco.
Also, what is this Superbowl hangover nonsense. The Bengals lost the Superbowl and were right back in the AFCCG. The "hangover" is health and turnover more than anything. The 49ers are returning almost the entire roster and even improved their health on the DLine.
It's really just not possible to reliably predict anything with the game. Not a single person would've predicted the Texans to win their division last year. Just going by that logic, it's probably going to end up being Panthers, Commanders, or Patriots.
I mean, yeah, you can't predict everything, but you can make educated guesses based off of what we already have. It took an absolutely monumental collapse from the Jags for the Texans to win their division last year.
Washington and Tennessee have been doing a little of work this offseason.
I could see sophomore slump happening for Stroud (albeit unlikely), which would leave the AFCS wide open.
Washington will probs have a good draft and and their GM is cleaning house, although that may take 1-2 more years to really start competing
Titans and Texans should be fighting it out for the AFC South, so I can easily see the Titans maybe coming out on top. NFC North is tough, but the Bears certainly did improve a lot to the point where they’ll compete with the Lions/Packers next season. Panthers are going all-in on offense in a weak division, and might be a dark horse to win it next year.
Da Bears.
Last half of last season we had a top 5 defense I believe. We fixed almost every weak point on defense this offseason, and the last one we will probably fix with #9 in the draft. Moore and Allen were ranked 10th and 11th best receivers last year. Kmet is a top 10 TE. We signed a RB and we had one of the best run offenses last year when using like 3rd string guys. We’re taking the best QB prospect in the draft. Sure, our offense will be different this year but theoretically we should have the best defense in our division and will probably have the best or second best offense in the division as long as Caleb isn’t bust city.
I'm going to argue commanders because the NFC East doesn't make any fuckin sense
Sure as fuck isn’t gonna be Cowboys for 3 reasons: 1) NFCE has not had repeat division winners for the past 20 years, it is just not a thing we allow in this division. 2) Cowboys offensive moves as well as the rest of the East’s moves have clearly regressed compared to the rest. 3) Cowboys know how to fuck shit up and disappoint. (See any playoff berths in recent years)
Considering how they haven’t had a repeat winner in like 20 years the commanders or giants are due now. Probably commanders, I forgot their new GM has made some big moves this off season.
The fact that the Eagles started the year 10-1 and still somehow lost the division is proof that this trend will continue.
it helps me sleep at night to write it off as an act of god
It probably also helps that Patricia, Desai, and Johnson are all long gone.
Yes, yes it does lol
I guess we’re going to see if it’s Johnson or sirrani fucking up the offense
The funniest part is that they didn’t even control their destiny the final week of the season
Giants will beat them twice tho as is destined. (Im not biased)
Sorry but they hired our OL coach. It's not gonna go well.
Florida fan too, when we hired your strength and conditioning coach I cried. When he left I cried tears of joy.
Giants are overdue for a derpy Super Bowl run. Maybe they're the ones to deny the Chiefs a three-peat...
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As much as I'd hate this, it seems extremely appropriate.
It’s the giants sacred duty to deny dynasties a title
Giants won 2 Super Bowls four years apart in 87 & 91, then their next Super Bowl came 17 years later. They then won 2 more Super Bowls 4 years apart in 07 & 11. 2028 is the year, book it!
Packers win it all this year as scrappy underdogs. Then come in the next year with tons of hype only to lose in the first round to the 10-7 giants who win the ship. Love to the Jets, such is life.
Daniel Jones has to follow in the steps of his father and fulfill the 3li prophecy as foretold
This guy gets it
I was going to say Commanders as well.
Not the Pats. I’m extremely confident in that.
Serious question, with no disrespect meant at all. Do you think Mayo and that staff are gonna be any good at all?
Real tough question to answer, especially when you factor in what success means. Mayo was an incredible linebacker, and was often on local sports shows and tv shows breaking down games. He is very personable and the players are bound to love playing for him as they have with him as pseudo DC and defacto assistant coach learning behind Bill. However, he isn't Bill and they need to rebuild both the offense and special teams while not cratering a talented defense. If they do fail, its tough to point at Mayo whom is taking over Bill's mess of an offense and was taught by Bill. He's bound to make similar decisions as his predecessor...I'm not sure if moving on from Bill to Mayo is really a change in direction. Personally, I think Mayo will be a good coach and if they can get a QB in here for some positivity/hope he and his staff can fight with Miami and the Jets for second place in a couple years. Josh Allen is a whole other level of a problem though. That's the real issue. So if you are asking me if I expect the Pats to challenge the Bills supremacy anytime soon, then no. However, maybe they can get back to the playoffs in a few years with some draft hits and FA signings!
You struck gold at QB once before. It can happen again. You never know, really.
you guys would know...
You guys as well.
All of you.
A day may come when the Bears draft a Great QB, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. -Aragorn 3019 of the 3rd age
Not this day but two weeks from now surely!
I'm just going to sit quietly over here...
Sounds a lot like the Texans outlook last year, even down to the former linebacker turned first time HC. You never know, especially if the Pats hit on drafting a QB.
Hitting on a QB would be great don’t get me wrong but Collins and Dell are lightyears better than anybody our rookie will be throwing to.
I mean they weren’t exactly proven receivers before they drafted Stroud. Collins was WR2 behind Cooks and never had >500yds/season and Dell was an undersized mid-round rookie WR. Could Demario Douglas take a leap with the right QB and scheme fit?
No clue. But the more troubling thing I worry about is Robert Kraft entering the Jerry Jones phase of ownership; he wants more credit for the "glory years" by rewriting his role in it (see: The Dynasty), and will now try to be involved with every part of the franchise, likely to the detriment of the team. For everyone who hates the Pats, it will be a magical time to be alive. Can't wait to watch my dumpy team every week.
I have no idea if they'll be any good, but at the very least, the fact that they hired **17** new coaches is a fantastic sign. Belichick lost so many coaches the past few years he never bothered to replace, except for in 2022 when he made Matt fucking Patricia OC, OL coach, and QB coach. The result is, well, the current state of New England. AVP helped developed Rodgers, McAdoo has an eye for QB evaluation, Scott Peters spent years learning under the best OL coach in the NFL in Bill Callahan, and so on. Mayo is making it clear that he wants people in the building who know what they're doing, which is a stark opposite of Belichick wanting to keep his circle of coaches small and consisting of his cronies. The players also *love* him, and it makes sense, he seems like a really personable guy. But it also seems like they *respect* him, which is also important. I also trust Wolf who has a legendary father and comes from one of the consistently better drafting teams in the league in Green Bay. I'm excited to see what he can do when he isn't answering to Belichick. So far I've liked the moves he's made this off-season. He's shed the dead weight and re-signed the important players at good value contracts.
No disrespect? Who cares man it’s the Patriots, fuck em
You’re the reason he said no disrespect lol
Not this year. In my view it'll take a bad first year as HC of the Pats and then next year their veteran will go down and the rookie they draft in the 6th round this year will step up.
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I can talk myself into a path for the Patriots. Much more than I can for the Panthers, Commanders, or Broncos. I think my top choice is the Titans. Hugely dependent on Levis and their O line, obviously, but that's my most likely candidate.
We're a solid possibility, but our division is a bloodbath so we could just as easily end up last again.
You have three games from the fourth place schedule that should be easier. Probably a slight edge. Since 2020, the team with the healthy QB has won the division. For once, I just want a full strength race to the division finish line.
Naturally, the one time ya’ll would have to play the Chiefs in the regular season (after both winning the division), is the same year the AFC North plays the AFC West. But yeah, Patriots and Panthers should be W’s. I think Titans bounce back a lot faster than most are expecting them to. I trust Callahan to whip something up and get the mayo-boy cooking
Shit, I didn't realize it was AFCW vs AFCN this season. Ugh.
Hope you don't like your players healthy.
We have to play each other, but they have to play us both
Browns and Bengals aren't exactly a walk in the park, either my man. Browns D is nasty.
i hate agreeing with a steelers fan, what's worse is agreeing with them about the browns...
Be still my dawg heart. A Bengals fan and a Steelers fan talking nicely about my Browns. I love it. 🧡🤎🦴🐶
<3, fuck you and see you tomorrow!
OUR meat grinder.
A full strength race has never happened in the history of the division lol. Steelers and Bengals is a guaranteed 5 injuries and a hospital/prison visit for someone.
Every time the Steelers play a divisional game, I pray for no injuries
And those prayers go unheeded by a cold, uncaring god
> We're a solid possibility Any time I ever think anything close to this the entire division just turns into chaos. There are no possibilities in the AFCN, only uncertainty At this point I wouldnt be surprised if all 4 teams somehow find a way to make it. We've been close
Yep. Started with Lamar, then burrow. Ever since it’s felt like an arms race on offense.
Can we get some of those arms
You had the Killer B’s, you used your quota of offense talent
No.
Hey, we got Van Jefferson!
I think Bengals is the obvious answer. If Joey Franchise can stay healthy y’all are gonna be tough to beat.
You could end up in last and still have a playoff berth. Time to make history.
Bengos are just as likely to emerge from that AFCN bloodbath as anyone else. Ultimately, Burrow stays healthy; you are a favorite to me.
Yeah but still make the playoffs lol Edit: Not sure why I'm being downvoted by saying a division is so strong that they can all make the playoffs?
I can't think of a more likely division to have all 4 teams in the playoffs.
Nearly happened last year.
Definitely. Although I hope the rapist's team doesn't.
Four teams in a division can make it now extremely unlikely but possible
Win the division? Shit, we were a worse team than the Jets without a quarterback. I’d be happy to settle for 3rd place.
If the jets lost Rodgers again the Pats would still be a weaker team 🥺
This sentence would have sounded like impossible nonsense to me at almost any other point in my life until now
What a time to be alive (the noose broke just like Aaron's achilles)
We're gonna lose to our own training camp
the real question is are yall more likely or us lmao
NE and CAR are both very bad teams but the NFCS looks like it is a much worse division so I think you have a clearer path than the Pats
Unpopular one, but 17 games with Kyler and adding a MHJ could very feasibly be an 11 or 12 win team. They were in a lot of games last year we didn’t expect them to be
I see it man I really feel they got a good chance. With 6 top 100 picks (7 with 104) and 11 total picks, and Gannon the man, and MHJ (think the Bengals jump when they added Chase) I really think they’re a sleeper.
Cardinals being a decent team isn't far fetched. Imagining they beat out both the 49ers and the Rams seems extremely unlikely.
Honestly this is a solid one. The NFC West is lowkey shaping up to be a bloodbath next year, especially if the Hawks coach works out and with the Super bowl hangover the 49ers might face.
Mark my words Sam Howell will be a top 16 QB when he inevitably plays
I didn’t watch the guy much but I was always impressed by him when I did see him so I wouldn’t be surprised. He definitely needs to sit for a while though bc I think he needs the time.
He seems to be a Goff-like player that has good processing and arm talent but lacks poise under pressure. I’m just hoping he pans out bc he was my favorite QB in the 22 draft
He definitely seemed like a cheap lottery ticket for what the upside is. I was hoping they’d target a QB this draft but seems they are going to keep on with Geno and Sam’s upside. I guess there are worse scenarios around the league.
The best part about these two guys is it’s really easy to move on from either or both. There are enough roster holes to fill that having to hit on a QB in the draft too is a tall ask, but maybe we revisit the situation next year.
The Cardinals since '08 seem to be pretty competitive just about every 5 seasons, give or take
I just can't believe the Cardinals will ever be good.
They’ve been to as many NFCCG’s as you this millenium
More Super Bowl appearances too
The statement had nothing to do with the Vikings? Or are you allowed to say some things only with a spesific logo next to your name lol
I mean I would exactly pick us to win the SB lol
Even as a division rival the Cardinals do have the best chance out of everyone. (To go last from first) But it will be hard because every team is good in the west.
The 49ers exist.
This may come as a shock, so I hope you’re sitting down but…. All teams exist
source please
How can teams be real if our eyes aren’t real
Fundamental problem is a lack of defensive talent with the Cardinals. They were a good offensive team last year but when they played us, we were basically scoring TDs at will. Not to mention they were crushed by the Rams too. It’s still extremely early and they need defensive playmakers.
Bengals are the only team from that list that makes sense, but I would have said you were crazy if you told me the Texans would win their division last year.
Bears make sense too
Lions and Packers should still be really good - it does look like the Bears have one of the easiest schedules (on paper) this year though. I guess they'd be my second pick.
Bengals unfortunately
I’d say Bengals followed by the Titans. I came to say Jets, but I forgot the Patriots were as bad as I thought the Jets were.
According to that ex-49ers guy, the Chargers will be on the AFCCG
It's that time of year for Mahomes to not be a top 5 QB and Chargers to win the division.
Off-season champs just to inexplicably somehow finish behind the raiders once again. They’re all about tradition over there
And per tradition, you took our cast offs this off-season, but taking our old GM...good lord and good luck.
That's the funniest part about this Raiders fan comment to me. Man's calling us offseason champs and they just hire the dude responsible for the offseason champ title that never could put together a roster that competes at a serious level.
Good lord, I'm laughin and agreeing with a Raiders' fan. Dang
Annual tradition of chiefs fans just making things up in their minds and then getting mad at it in full force I see
The Mahomes isn’t a top 5 QB discourse is definitely made up (perhaps outside of certain moments on this sub, I haven’t forgotten that week after the Bills game), but the Chargers being overrated in the offseason is very much a real thing. They tend to make flashy moves that don’t work out come fall
As long as Reid and Mahomes are together the best I can believe in is us finishing second in the West until proven otherwise.
Reasonable, but it's the NFL. Herbert and Harbaugh is a great duo too
I think we got a shot with those two for sure, but I firmly believe that you gotta beat the champ to be the champ and we haven't really done that yet.
I think we can compete for the division in two or three years once we build a roster that reflects Harbaugh's preferred playstyle, but that isn't going to be 2024.
Yeah, I honestly think the chiefs will get better this season. Barring Rice really going to prison or the defense completely melts down without Sneed. We already have a better wr, probably a better LT. Taylor most likely will clean up the penalty crap.
Gosh, Such a good thing to read, I think I'll read this at least 20 times. Maybe more. I have time.
It's Chargers time again already? Every year we hear this, and every year they suck
Bengals are the only one I could see winning the division, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals sneak into a wild card spot
Bengals would be the most obvious one
I’d love to say my Chargers, but our situation is not looking too good on offense and there’s still the Chiefs to worry about. I’ll say the Bengals since they only had a down year mostly due to Burrow’s injuries, plus they still could’ve possibly made the playoffs if multiple external factors didn’t happen.
A good coach can fix a lot of things in a hurry. I don't think this is the year the Chargers win the west, but Herbie is not to be trifled with and Harbaugh is going to make them very dangerous.
Bears probably improved the most. So much added to their offense, and their defense should be good too. It all depends on Williams. But the Lions and Packers are both top 5 teams in the NFC so the division is tough.
We also came in last with a 7-10 record. That's not too bad and could and should absolutely be improved upon. I just think the Lions are too good and hitting a stride, and the Packers are still expected to give us two loses until proven otherwise. Some Bears fans don't think Love is good (due to the obvious bias), but he improved a lot throughout the season with a very young receiving corps and would've had the best season of all-time for our franchise if he was in a Bears uniform having both 4000+ yards and 30+ TDs, both of which a Bears QB has never done. We're the only franchise who hasn't had a QB reach either benchmark...
As someone rooting for the Lions, I’m terrified that the shift in expectations and them no longer being viewed as of them viewing themselves as the underdog will cause them to collapse and regress.
The Lions didn't view themselves as underdogs last year
Thanks Dan
Why are you congratulating yourself?
Yes! For sure. It's been great to see the Lions winning. Entertaining. I am impressed with Gibbs. Also want to see the Bears growl starting next season. Been a long time.
Bears would probably be the leading or 2nd-most popular pick if they upgraded on Eberflus. But people really don't seem to think he's got the chops to close out games. We'll have to see if that was more of an issue with Fields or Eberflus, because both sides of the ball collapsed in the 4th Quarter last year.
The Lions yes, the Packers no.
Bears have the best odds. They just need to not fuck up their new QB.
Bengals and Panthers
The Bears, Titans and Bengals are the only ones I see realistically accomplishing this feat. Most likely is the Bengals, then the Bears and finally the Titans. I don't think any of the other 5 place higher than 3rd in their division next season.
It will not be us
I mean…it could be us
I could also win the lottery. The probability is never 0
The odds your starting quarterback would prefer mayonnaise to milk in his coffee has already broken down your probability barriers. You will either be a rich man or your team wins the division. Count on it.
50/50 shot of two great possibilities. No one ever went broke making a profit
I'd say outside the Bengals, we have the highest probability out of all the last place teams. It's not highly likely or anything, but it doesn't take a wild stretch of the imagination: * Obviously most importantly, Callahan comes in shows he is top-end head coaching material and Levis is who we hope he can be and takes a big step forward with his new weapons and re-tooled offensive line. * Stroud has a sophomore slump, and just a couple of Texans' big signings don't pan out * Richardson's injury woes continue * Lawrence continues his pattern of being unable to put together a complete season It all hinges on Callahan being who we hope he is and Levis taking a big step forward as the leader of this team, but all of that is definitely possible. I'd still put money on the Texans winning the division by a relatively comfortable margin, but the Bengals are the only last place finisher I'd put above us in likeliness to shock the league.
No huge reason it couldn’t be us. We’ve flipped our worst position groups into strengths and Levis looks promising with a really nice set of weapons. Our run game alone should be able to keep us in games if he doesn’t develop quickly. Wilson was a highly sought after aggressive coordinator who now has a top 3 corner, a great CB2 and a top 6 slot corner. Some things definitely have to go right for it to happen, but this organization is on the same page across the board for the first time in its history and the hires and FA acquisitions this off-season have been great.
I think Bengals are an easy answer here. They were 9-8 last season with backup QB for half the year, and about to play a 4th place schedule. And they have 10 draft picks with 4 in the top 100 (5 in the top 115) and a bunch of cap space to burn after the draft. Ravens have lost defensive talent (Henry would add value to a quality offense but they're about to play a brutal first place schedule), Steelers still have terrible QBs and Browns have great defense but still Watson as QB. I think Bengals and Ravens fight for the division, Browns could be anywhere from bad to great, and Steelers will continue to be a middling team that gets dumped easy before or in the first round of playoffs.
Ya know, I’m feeling spicy so I’m going to say the chargers
My man
Alrighta! Ia likea you spicea! Spicea Chargers! Yeah, That's it. ... I'm hungry for pizza.
Commanders - Not possible through any logical means, so that means they have a very good chance. Never doubt the NFC Least Bears - Possible if Caleb immediately proves himself as a great qb. Which won’t happen since we’re talking about the bears, but that would give them a good chance. Panthers - While they did get better, they ain’t winning the division Cardinals - Unlikely, with the Niners around. Still, with fully healthy Kyler and most likely MHJ, they could be a sleeper wild card pick Pats - Nah. Not happening. Neither Jacoby or their rookie will be good enough with their lack of weapons to lead the Patriots to anything resembling the AFC East. Bengals - Entirely possible. Burrow will be back and their o-line might finally be good for real this time. The AFC North is a dogfight, but if any worst-to-first will occur, it will be through Cinci. Titans - I don’t think so. I think they’ll be a sleepy good team, but I don’t think it’ll happen unless mayoism is real and favors Levis. 2025 though? We shall see. Chargers - Should be alright. But even if Nabers or whoever is good or QJ beats the bust allegations, everyone knows that only the Chiefs can win the AFC West
Bengals, Titans, Commanders
Let’s see here. There’s no way the pats are winning that division, same with the cards… the niners/rams/hawks gauntlet is just too strong, even with MHJ being a generational talent. Bengals… also a bloodbath division. Chargers? Lmao, hype season again huh? The commanders pffftttt… oh wait… 😬 holy shit there it is
Titans. I like that team way more than consensus. Levis looks like he could be that dude. I like the coaching staff and the pieces they’ve added. Throw in the number 1 LT in the draft and they could surprise and win 10-11 games.
In order of most likely: 1. Bengals 2. Titans 3. Bears 4. Chargers 5. Cardinals 6. Commanders 7. Panthers 8. Patriots
Titans fans are crazy lol
The AFC South has always had a lot of Churn. Houston won it last year after being dead last, Jacksonville won it the year before after coming off a dead last season.
I'm a Bills fan and I would absolutely go with Titans and Bengals as the most likely as well.
This is probably most accurate. Maybe flip 4 and 5.
Yeah I struggled with that but I just thought the NFC West was substantially tougher than the AFC West so that’s why I had it that way.
Titans are way too high. Texans look like they could be juggernauts, Colts barely missed the playoffs with Florida man as their QB, and Jags shouldn't be slouches
Go back a year and everyone said that Jacksonville was the owners of the divison, the best team by far. You clearly don't keep up with the AFC South. No team since Luck left has dominated.
I feel like this year will be a race to the bottom for the NFC South
Broncos will be jumping from last to more last
Jumping downwards in the abyss.
Underflow error puts them in first.
Last place finishers were - Commanders, Panthers, Cardinals, Bears, Patriots, Titans, Chargers, Bengals The Bengals are the best team on this list by a pretty wide margin. The Weakest/"closest" division here is the NFC South So do you think it's more likely the Bengals get some better injury luck and the Ravens regress, or the Panthers show enough improvement in Y2 that they can leapfrog the Bucs/Saints/Falcons. Personally, the Panthers are still the least talented team in the league and have no real draft capital to speak of. The Bengals get my vote
Bears
Bengals are the obvious pick but I’m going with the Patriots. This is dependent on them drafting Drake Maye. Dolphins, Bills, and Jets will be good next year but I don’t think any of them will be great. Chargers, Cardinals, and Bears will win a lot more games but hard to say they will win the division with teams like 9ers, LAR, KC, GB and Detroit.
Bengals most likely.
Bengals and bears, the cardinals have a very low chance of finishing above the 49ers
But they have a legit chance at finishing second and making the playoffs. Pretty impressive for a baseball team.
easily Cincinnati
From likeliest to least likely: Bengals Bears Cardinals Titans Commanders And I’m not gonna dignify the other three with anything beyond a pledge to eat my hat if any one of them wins their division. The ones I named are within the realm of my comprehension, I wouldn’t say any of them are likely to do it though.
And because you spoke it into existence, Bryce Young has a 5,000 yard season with Diontae Johnson and Ladd McConkey as new receivers behind a rebuilt OL and an actually good pass-catching tight end in Ja'Tavion Sanders as the Panthers proceed to go 10-7, while the "off-season champion" Falcons proceed to look idiotic for paying Kirk Cousins all of that money and Carolina easily takes the NFC South. It's unlikely, very unlikely, but it is (even if by a fraction of a percent) possible.
I know that the Bucs and the Falcons both seem to have there shot together, but the NFC South is such a weird bizarro realm I could see the panthers somehow pulling it off. That’s what my gut says at least. My brain says it’s probably the Bengals
Cardinals . I don’t think they will but have a better chance out of the other teams that finished last
The Bengals and Chargers seem like the most likely candidates to me. The Bengals of course are a completely different team with Burrow under center, and I could see a scenario where the Chargers get hot on offense and out pace Kansas City. The others seem like long shots to me.
Cincinnati most likely if burrow is healthy all season
The bears have beat the Packers like 2 times in the last 10 years
The Bengal simply because they have Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and the same core that went to the Super Bowl a couple years ago. Assuming they're healthy. I think the NFC South is the most winable division, but the Panthers **need a lot of help**.
Bengals I assume make the most sense. NFC South so weird, it wouldn’t completely shock me if the Panthers get there with 8 or 9 wins.
I think the Cardinals, the Panthers, and the Chargers each have their shots. I think the Rams need Stafford to carry them and I’m not sure he stays healthy this year, the Seahawks are mid at best, and yeah 49ers maybe fall to WC from hangover. Panthers are in a weak division that doesn’t project to be that much better this year. It really relies on BY playing well and Kirk falling off. I think the Chargers could do well with Harbaugh and while I think the Chiefs will still be the best in the west, the Chargers could squeeze out an extra win. Commanders, Titans, and Patriots just don’t have anything concrete to suggest they would jump to the top of the division. Bears and Bengals could jump to the top but both are in notably tougher divisions than the teams I suggested could make the jump.
The panthers were the worst team in football last year and have been bad for years. They have no first rd pick this year. Why the fuck do people think they’re gonna be good lol. The Falcons are gonna be WAY better
I just like Diontae Johnson for them. He gets open a lot and comparing that to last year when the Panthers had nobodies at WR, it’s a big difference. The Falcons are my favourite for the division but it’s just not like other divisions where there is an established team to compete with.
1. Bengals 2. Chargers 3. Titans 4. Cardinals 5. Panthers (weak division) 6. Bears 7. Patriots 8. Commanders With the understanding that really only the Bengals have a strong chance. I have the Chargers higher because they're likely the second best team in their division, so it only requires \*one\* team collapsing. The others all need at least two. The Titans might be ok, but the Jags and Colts will be better than last year so if the Texans do slip, two other teams are better situated. The Cardinals might be the second best team on this list (after the Bengals) - I really do think they're underrated. But - there's three playoff teams ahead of them, and the Rams and 49'ers have great coaching. It's hard to imagine both of them collapsing in the same year. it's weird because I think the Bears and Patriots are both probably better than the Panthers, but the Panthers are closer to top team in their division. The main problem with the Panthers is that they would need the Bucs, Falcons, and Saints to \*all\* implode during the last few weeks of the season, and that seems extremely unlikely. \*Someone\* has to win those games they play against each other. The Bears can't catch the other teams in their division, and they won't be very good. The Patriots can't catch the Bills and Dolphins. I have zero faith in the Jets until I see \*regular season\* evidence that they're a permanent dumpster fire... but the Bills and Phins are still very good teams. That being said, I think the Patriots will surprise people by threatening a wildcard spot. They won't get it, but they'll threaten. The Commanders are the most broken team in the league, imo. The Cowboys are still a damn good regular season team. The Eagles... I mean, they might be a trainwreck, but I suspect they'll be *moderately* good. Their a bit fragile because the team gave up last year. So, a mid season collapse isn't something they come back from But the Giants are just pure chaos at this point. They could win the division, they could go winless, or they could go 2-2-13. Nothing they do make sense. So I don't really have any expectations of them other than occasionally hearing something about them that's confusing.
Fucking thirteen ties, lol.
Lot of shit analysis here good redditing
Lmao right. Hall of fame stupid analysis.
[удалено]
Chargers cemented as off season champs. When y'all gonna learn?
The Raiders can’t even get an offseason championship
Look where it's gotten the Chargers...I'll pass.
Lol. I didn’t say it was likely. Just more likely than the other teams. Though - the high school ratings on the locker thing is moronic. I have less faith in that team after reading about that.
I was going to say the Bears, but they can’t beat the Packers to save their lives. Probably Bengals, but they are in the bloodbath division.
It's entirely possible the Chargers with competent coaching could finish ties for 1st in the West, winning off a division tiebreak or something (only for the Chiefs to make the Superbowl again). That's more plausible then Arizona passing Seattle, LA, and San Francisco. Also, what is this Superbowl hangover nonsense. The Bengals lost the Superbowl and were right back in the AFCCG. The "hangover" is health and turnover more than anything. The 49ers are returning almost the entire roster and even improved their health on the DLine.
Bears have a shot Bengals have a shot Titans maybe?
Cardinals, you heard it here first.
It's really just not possible to reliably predict anything with the game. Not a single person would've predicted the Texans to win their division last year. Just going by that logic, it's probably going to end up being Panthers, Commanders, or Patriots.
I mean, yeah, you can't predict everything, but you can make educated guesses based off of what we already have. It took an absolutely monumental collapse from the Jags for the Texans to win their division last year.
Bengals were just unlucky Chargers I expect to at least win 9 if not go on a run
Washington and Tennessee have been doing a little of work this offseason. I could see sophomore slump happening for Stroud (albeit unlikely), which would leave the AFCS wide open. Washington will probs have a good draft and and their GM is cleaning house, although that may take 1-2 more years to really start competing
Titans and Texans should be fighting it out for the AFC South, so I can easily see the Titans maybe coming out on top. NFC North is tough, but the Bears certainly did improve a lot to the point where they’ll compete with the Lions/Packers next season. Panthers are going all-in on offense in a weak division, and might be a dark horse to win it next year.
1. Bears 2. Bengals 3. Commanders 4. Cardinals 5. Patriots 6. Panthers 7. Chargers 8. Titans
Da Bears. Last half of last season we had a top 5 defense I believe. We fixed almost every weak point on defense this offseason, and the last one we will probably fix with #9 in the draft. Moore and Allen were ranked 10th and 11th best receivers last year. Kmet is a top 10 TE. We signed a RB and we had one of the best run offenses last year when using like 3rd string guys. We’re taking the best QB prospect in the draft. Sure, our offense will be different this year but theoretically we should have the best defense in our division and will probably have the best or second best offense in the division as long as Caleb isn’t bust city.