One of many beauties of the NFL is how shortly, fortunes can change across the league year-to-year.
We frequently see worst-to-first turnarounds and there are at all times some shock groups making the playoffs. So, with the in thoughts, we’re presenting 4 groups that we imagine will make the playoffs within the 2025 after they missed the postseason within the 2024 season.
This could’t come as a shock. Within the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch period, San Francisco has been a premier NFC group and fixed playoff risk. Sure, 2024 was a catastrophe within the Bay Space. However we’re not too frightened about it because it pertains to this season. It isn’t uncommon for the loser of three earlier Tremendous Bowl to endure a hangover within the subsequent season and the 49ers’ hangover was a doozy as they didn’t rebound from a heartbreaking additional time loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the earlier Tremendous Bowl. The 49ers stumbled to a 6-11 report final season in a season that was marred by off-field distractions and numerous main accidents. Led by star working again Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers look wholesome, refreshed and decided to return to kind in 2025. Right here’s betting Shanahan will get the very best out of this roster that also has loads of star energy. In any case, we see San Francisco becoming into the postseason with a wild card berth.
The Bengals are considerably an AFC model of the 49ers. They had been bitterly disenchanted to not make the playoffs a season in the past and appear able to make amends for that failure this upcoming season. Cincinnati endured a wierd 2024 season. They opened the season gradual (they had been survivor-league killers by getting upset by New England in Week 1) as they began the season 0-3 and 4-8. They figured it out and received 5 straight video games to complete the season at 9-8. Nobody would have needed to face Cincinnati within the playoffs, however its terrible begin doomed them. Joe Burrow and firm are primed to get it proper this season even in a troublesome AFC. If the Bengals fail to make the playoffs for the third straight season, head coach Zac Taylor will doubtless be in large hassle.
Now, we’re getting slightly extra inventive. The Panthers went 5-12 in 2024 and 2-15 the season earlier than. So, it might be a tad naive to only assume Dave Canales’ crew is definitely going to take a significant leap and be a sure playoff group. But, we predict it’s attainable. Carolina performed higher towards the top of final season and an enormous cause why was the play of y0ung quarterback Bryce Younger. He completed his second season robust after getting one other probability after his gorgeous early-season benching. Have a look at the Panthers group of extensive receivers. It’s robust and Y0ung ought to proceed to make strides in 12 months 3. Additionally, the NFC South is just not robust. We will see the Panthers being one of many tales of the yr this season and sneaking into the playoffs in 2025.
That is one other group that must take a big step to make the playoffs. New England completed 4-13 in every of the previous two seasons and it price head coach Jerod Mayo his job after one season. The Patriots are actually led by former New England standout linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was a prime head-coaching prize this offseason. Vrabel had his selection of jobs and he select a New England homecoming partly due to the y0ung roster, led by promising second-year quarterback Drake Maye. the Vrabel-Maye combo smacks of a quick turnaround. Plus, New England had a terrific offseason led by a number of key pickups within the free company. Sure, the AFC is stacked and the Patriots may have a tough time leapfrogging the Buffalo Payments within the AFC East. However they may struggle for a wild-card berth.
