Will Ragatz's 2025 NFL predictions: Standings, playoffs, Super Bowl

With the 2025 NFL season kicking off tonight, it's time to make some predictions.

Our Joe Nelson, ever the optimist, has the Vikings going 14-3, landing the offensive and defensive player of the year awards, and beating the Broncos in the Super Bowl. I'm very high on this year's Vikings, too, just maybe not quite that high. I think they'll win the ultra-competitive NFC North and accomplish something they haven't done in 38 years, but ultimately bow out in a familiar round. And the team I'm highest on in the NFC is a team that won just 6 games last season.

Here are my picks.

NFC standings

NFC East	NFC North	NFC South	NFC West
Eagles 12-5	Vikings 11-6	49ers 13-4	Falcons 10-7
Commanders 10-7	Packers 11-6	Seahawks 9-8	Buccaneers 10-7
Giants 8-9	Lions 10-7	Rams 7-10	Panthers 4-13
Cowboys 6-11	Bears 7-10	Cardinals 5-12	Saints 3-14

NFC playoff seeds

San Francisco 49ers 13-4
Philadelphia Eagles 12-5
Minnesota Vikings 11-6
Atlanta Falcons 10-7
Green Bay Packers 11-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-7
Detroit Lions 10-7

NFC Wild Card Weekend

7) Lions at 2) Eagles
6) Buccaneers at 3) Vikings
5) Packers at 4) Falcons

The NFC North, the best division in football, sends the same three teams back to the postseason for a second year in a row. But after going 0-3 last year, all three win on wild card weekend this time, meaning the NFC divisional round is 75 percent made up of teams from the same division. The Lions sneaking into the playoffs via tiebreaker and then upsetting the defending champions in Philadelphia is a bit of a stunner.

NFC Divisional Round and Championship

7) Lions at 1) 49ers
5) Packers at 3) Vikings

3) Vikings at 1) 49ers

The 49ers went just 6-11 last season, but they had been to at least the NFC championship game in four of the five years before that. I think this core has one deep run left in it. The 49ers were extremely injured last season and went 2-6 in one-score games. Their offense is always dangerous when Christian McCaffrey is healthy and their defense now has Robert Saleh back as coordinator. They also have the easiest schedule in the league, which will help them get the No. 1 overall seed and automatic home field advantage.

Can you imagine a Vikings-Packers playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium? The two rivals have met in the postseason twice, in 2004 and 2012, but both games were in Green Bay. This time, they meet in Minneapolis with a spot in the NFC title game on the line, and J.J. McCarthy leads the Vikings to their second win of the playoffs — a feat they haven't achieved since 1987.

However, the Vikings' magical run comes to an end one game short of the Super Bowl, just as it did four times in the last 26 seasons. Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy head back to the biggest stage.

AFC standings

AFC East	AFC North	AFC South	AFC West
Bills 12-5	Ravens 14-3	Jaguars 8-9	Chiefs 11-6
Patriots 9-8	Bengals 11-6	Texans 8-9	Broncos 10-7
Dolphins 8-9	Steelers 9-8	Colts 5-12	Raiders 9-8
Jets 6-11	Browns 5-12	Titans 4-13	Chargers 7-10

AFC playoff seeds

Baltimore Ravens 14-3
Buffalo Bills 12-5
Kansas City Chiefs 11-6
Jacksonville Jaguars 8-9
Cincinnati Bengals 11-6
Denver Broncos 10-7
New England Patriots 9-8

AFC Wild Card Weekend

7) Patriots at 2) Bills
6) Broncos at 3) Chiefs
5) Bengals at 4) Jaguars

The Bills cruise over the Patriots, who made the playoffs over the Steelers and Raiders via tiebreaker. In another divisional matchup, the Chiefs and their devil magic hold off the Broncos in a tight one. And the Jaguars, major home underdogs after winning the AFC South at 8-9, pull off an upset over the Bengals in the first round behind a huge two-way Travis Hunter performance.

AFC Divisional Round and Championship

4) Jaguars at 1) Ravens
3) Chiefs at 2) Bills

2) Bills at 1) Ravens

After so much heartbreak, the Bills are due to finally vanquish the Chiefs in the postseason at some point. The Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup between Buffalo and Baltimore will happen again in the AFC title game, and it'll be Lamar Jackson breaking through to his first Super Bowl appearance.

Super Bowl LX: Ravens 31, 49ers 23

The 49ers had an incredible bounce-back year, but they're going to end up Super Bowl losers for the third time in seven seasons. Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the Ravens won't be denied.

Individual awards

MVP: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Player of the Year: Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, New York Giants