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NFC North

1. Packers (11-6)

2. Lions (10-7)

3. Vikings (8-9)

4. Bears (7-10)

I’ve long felt that Green Bay was a WR1 away from true contention, and that problem has finally been solved. My affinity for Matthew Golden far predates the 4.29 at the combine; above all else, I’ve long appreciated the way he carries himself. At a position that has historically bred self-centered attention hogs, that kid is nothing of the sort.

If Brian Gutekunst musters the courage to go grab an edge rusher at the deadline, the Cheeseheads are in a really nice spot.

Dan Campbell starts sniffling in front of a microphone, and he suddenly receives more grace from the general public than any other coach. Give me a break. The man chucked away a 24-10 lead in the NFC championship game, and a year later was too arrogant to prepare earnestly for Jayden Daniels. Detroit’s interior offensive line has descended into mediocrity, and the team as a whole will begin to follow suit.

The Vikings got a brilliant campaign out of Sam Darnold and won nine of their 10 one-score contests in 2024; a regression is inevitable. Caleb Williams endures another rocky season, and Chicago remains stuck in the mud.

NFC South

1. Falcons (11-6)

2. Bucs (10-7)

3. Panthers (7-10)

4. Saints (4-13)

Atlanta is going to be so much fun. Michael Penix absolutely passes the eye test, and I think Jalon Walker breaks the franchise’s all-time sack record someday. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay quietly makes its sixth consecutive playoff appearance.

I’m so proud of Bryce Young. People tried to turn him into a laughingstock, and he now sits one solid campaign away from a huge extension. His team is a non-threat, but I think the individual numbers will look good. The Saints are awful. Let’s move on before I go on a rant about how little I like Tyler Shough.

NFC East

1. Eagles (12-5)

2. Commanders (10-7)

3. Cowboys (8-9)

4. Giants (5-12)

We have a repeat NFC East champion! Philadelphia is built to break that infamous streak, though its defense won’t be quite as dominant following the offseason departures. Dan Quinn’s crew - in spite of that barren running back room - follows behind once again. No. 17 cashed out, and the vibes in D.C. couldn’t be any higher.

I would love to know what it is that has Dak Prescott feeling so cocky these days. Surely it wasn’t his eight picks in eight games last year. With or without Micah Parsons, Dallas is unequivocally average. I do believe that the NFL is a touch more exciting when the Cowboys are good; unfortunately, they’ll be at home in mid-January alongside the rest of us. As an unabashed Russell Wilson supporter, I’m pulling for a resurgent run. New York actually does have the personnel to be competitive, but I’m totally out on this coaching staff. Maybe the front office will finally admit that Brian Daboll isn’t cut out to be a head coach.

NFC West

1. 49ers (10-7)

2. Rams (9-8)

3. Cardinals (8-9)

4. Seahawks (7-10)

The conference - to a certain extent - hinges on the health of San Francisco. People are chalking up the six-win catastrophe to injuries; don’t forget that this group looked broken even before that bug struck. Still, it’s mostly the same core that was a play away from a ring 18 months ago. I’ll begrudgingly trust Kyle Shanahan to take the division. Los Angeles has a crop of awesome young talent, paired with a quarterback that I think is about to start fading quickly. Matthew Stafford is almost too tough for his own good, and those bumps and bruises are going to catch up at some point. The Rams linger in the wild-card hunt because of their friendly schedule, yet are never considered a legitimate contender.

I’m only paying attention to the Cards and Seahawks for Buckeye-related purposes, quite frankly. As long as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba combine for 2,500 yards, I’ll be happy.

Playoff Seeding:

1. Eagles

2. Packers

3. Falcons

4. Niners

5. Bucs

6. Commanders

7. Lions

Wild Card Round

#2 Packers OVER #7 Lions

#6 Commanders OVER #3 Falcons

#4 Niners OVER #5 Buccaneers

Divisional Round

#1 Eagles OVER #6 Commanders

#2 Packers OVER #4 Niners

NFC Championship Game

#2 Packers OVER #1 Eagles

I found that Packers-Eagles playoff game in January extremely interesting. It was in Philadelphia, an ailing Jordan Love had the worst day of his career, and Green Bay was -4 in the turnover battle. Yet… that was a one-possession game in the fourth quarter.

Those two squads meet again, and we’re getting a different result here. The Eagles’ valiant repeat bid falls short, and the Pack claim the NFC for the first time in 15 years.

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