I KNOW I'M READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

TNF..FNF...2025 NFL PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

We begin the year with our predictions for each division winner, the playoff field, and the Super Bowl winner...

NFC NORTH - DIVISION RECORD = 45-23

This is the league’s best division with three title contenders and a Bears squad that looks to improve greatly from the absence of Matt Eberflus, and the development of Caleb Williams at QB.  

Chicago drafted five offensive players of their eight 2025 picks--three to start the draft--and Williams should have more offensive weapons.

Unfortunately, the Lions, Vikings, and Packers have legitimate Super Bowl rosters.

OUR PREDICTION:  The Jungle Kings will win the division and the NFCCG...The Norsemen and Green Bay will make the playoffs...

NFC SOUTH - DIVISION RECORD = 28 - 40

I love the way Tampa’s Head Coach Todd Bowles carries himself.  Often, he has the look of someone who knows important information his competitors aren’t privvy to.

It doesn‘t make me Colombo if I can figure out what Coach’s newest secret is--he has the best roster in the division and after choosing stud WR, Emeka Egbuka at number 19, The Matey’s braintrust went all in on defense for the next four rounds.

Exactly what they needed.

This division is the NFL’s least elite--the kindest way to say it.

OUR PREDICTION:  AARGH!  The Buccaneers can walk the plank all the way to the NFCCG...

NFC EAST - DIVISION RECORD = 36 - 32

Philly earned the 2024 Lombardi with the best front office and roster in the division.  Their FO operates under the most important philosophy in football: replenish your lines every draft and you will always have a shot...

We believe the Commandoes will be taking a step backwards.

• They won’t sneak up on anyone...

• Jayden Daniels was studied during the off-season; his honeymoon is over...

• Their draft was thin in numbers--only five picks--and impact talent.

Dallas, we’ll discuss them in the TNF game breakdown, is Dallas...And yes, we still hate them...

Big Blue will be singing the Blues all year...

OUR PREDICTION:  It’ll be a major tsunami if anyone from the NFC East but the Bald Birds qualifies for the postseason.

NFC WEST - DIVISION RECORD = 34 - 34

This division feeds on each other and by year’s end only a divisional upset or untimely turnover, or freak injury separates the champ from the cellar dweller.

Consensus has the Gulls as division champs with the Rams and Sean McVay always in the hunt, along with the Niners coming off a bad year, Robert Salehs return as DC --and a peach-cobbler schedule.

OUR PREDICTION:  Though the Goldminers will surprise nobody inside their division and could emerge on top, we like the Cardinals to surprise everyone and win the crown; Kyler Murray will get MVP votes...

Fun Fact--Every team in this division, except Seattle, was in the Top Five of more than one list of who had the best off-season...

NFC DIVISION WINNERS& WILDCARDS

North = Detroit

South = Tampa Bay

East = Philadelphia

West = Arizona

#5 = Green Bay

#6 = Minnesota

#7 = San Francisco

AFC NORTH - DIVISION RECORD = 34-34

Much like the NFC West, this division beats itself up throughout the year.  Unlike the NFC West, this North features the league’s most intense rivalry--Ravens/Steelers--and two stud QBs in Joe Burrows and Lamar Jackson.

The AFC North can also lay claim to being the most unpredictable division in 2025.

The Crows field the best roster, have an excellent coach, the most punchable face in America notwithstanding, and a two-time MVP quarterback entering his prime.

The Bengals fail repeatedly at drafting/keeping defensive talent and Joe Burrow doesn’t have the offensive talent to make up the difference.

Cleveland should change its name to the Steamers because the hot mess that is the Browns shows no signs of cooling off.

The Steelers have more “ifs” than Jamesons has whiskey.  Rodgers?  The “O” Line?   WRII?  Cam Heyward?  The suddenly old secondary?  Such ifs are expected from a team still searching for a new franchise QB.  

With a coach as talented as Mike Tomlin, there is always the flickering hope that enough of those ifs turn Pittsburgh’s way--and the Steelers finally win a playoff game for the first time in a goddamned decade.

Anyone misguided enough to read my rants and ramblings knows Coach Tomlin has no bigger fan than the Gairzo. I hope he doesn’t mind a bit of advice:  

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!...”

I’m sick of hearing about how historical you think a defense might be before its history has unfolded!!  Shut. The. Hell. Up.

OUR PREDICTION:  The Ravens are one of the elite organizations in football--(you can’t fathom how much this Steeler fan hated writing that sentence.)

Only a bad injury or a rash of them can keep this Murder of Crows from facing the Bills in the AFCCG.

AFC SOUTH - DIVISION RECORD = 25 - 43

Okay maybe I was wrong--this is the NFL’s least elite division.

Texans head coach, Demeco Ryans and QB C.J. Stroud are the foundation for a future Super Bowl champion.

The rest of the division has to catch up.

OUR PREDICTION: Can’t see anyone but the Shit-Kickers, from this dreadful group, making the playoffs  

AFC EAST - DIVISION RECORD = 30 - 38

Buffalo is the Alpha Dog of the AFC East.  Like the South, maybe the North, also, the division’s best team has no equal. 

OUR PREDICTION:  The Bills...

AFC WEST - DIVISION RECORD = 40 - 28

Who will win the West? 

Love me some Wilford Brimley--er, I mean Andy Reid--but the Arrowheads are aging fast.  Three consecutive SB appearances are to blame, and their off-season grades were tamped down because they really didn’t improve an offensive line that was the weak link in KC’s SB loss to the Eagles.

Sean Payton and his team of Wild Horses correctly believe they can step into the West's winner’s circle.  Bo Nix has shown great progress, and the offensive line is solid.

But, that’s not why Denver will be a force this year. 

The Mile High City hasn’t seen a defense this talented since the Orange Slush--er, I mean Crush--defense was wreaking havoc in the ‘70s. (I used to  live in Denver.  They hated when I made that “mistake.”) 

Payton has the goods to ride his Wild Horses all the way to Santa Clara.

He’ll have to navigate a thorny division with Pete Carrol coaching in Vegas and Jim Harbaugh conducting the Bolts in L.A..

OUR PREDICTION:  Denver takes the division--but that’s all

AFC DIVISION WINNERS

North = Baltimore

South = Houston

East = Buffalo

West = Denver

#5 = L.A. Chargers

#6 = Pittsburgh

#7 = New England

AFCCG = Ravens @ Bills

NFCCG = Eagles @ Lions

Super Bowl = Bills @ Lions

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Thursday, September 4th at 8:20 pm ET

Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Prime Video (Amazon)

Cowboys vs. Eagles Odds

Moneyline: Eagles -395, Cowboys +310

Spread: Eagles -6.5 (-105), Cowboys +6.5 (-115)

Total: Over 47.5 (-110), Under 47.5 (-110)

Yet again, the NFL features an overrated Cowboys team that hasn’t sniffed a championship in 30 years...

The sheer joy I feel writing that sentence--nearly brings tears to my eyes.

Remember, we seldom place bets on September games--especially September division games.  The truncated pre-season really stunts offenses and defenses are more vanilla than Liverpool pudding.

And, when the World Champs play a rival who just traded away the NFL’s premiere edge rusher, it’s a no brainer to pick the Champs.

We lean to the Unders the first few weeks, until offenses knock off the rust.

Eagles 27

Cowboys 20

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Friday, September 5th at 8:00 pm ET

Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil

You Tube

Chiefs vs. Chargers Odds

Moneyline: Chiefs -175, Chargers +145

Spread: Chiefs -3 (-105), Chargers +3 (-115)

Total: Over 46 (-110), Under 46 (-110)

We think the Chargers are the team to watch in 2025 because Jim Harbaught has been a winner, no matter what sideline he patrols.

We respect the hell out of the Chiefs and won’t be surprised by any outcome in this matchup.

Well go with the Bolts and the 3 points--and the Under...

Chargers 23

Chiefs 20