These 14 NFL Teams Will Reach the Playoffs in 2024
The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens begin NFL festivities this Thursday night, a matchup between teams expected to win their respective divisions.
These 14 NFL Teams Will Reach the Playoffs in 2024
Per oddsmakers, the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are the frontrunners to headline Super Bowl LVIII, as they did seven months ago.
To get there, they must pass through this playoff gauntlet. Consider the following 14 teams as playoff-bound predictions for 2024.
AFC
No. 1 Seed = Kansas City Chiefs
It would be weird, perhaps even sinful, to leave the Chiefs out of any playoff prediction article. Of course, the Chiefs will reach the postseason because they’re the Chiefs.
No. 2 Seed = Houston Texans
The Texans could possibly battle a sophomore slump to the head coach and QB1, but their roster is too deep to succumb fully. Unless Stroud falters in Year No. 2, they’re the cream of the crop in the AFC South. A fabulous young quarterback + a defense-first head coach = team-building immortality.
No. 3 Seed = New York Jets
Listen, this Aaron Rodgers experiment will work if his health is intact. All the Jets lacked in 2023 was a quarterback who could toss 25-30 touchdowns. That’s what Rodgers will do, and New York will, alas, reach the postseason and get frisky inside the tournament.
No. 4 Seed = Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals “took a year off” because of Joe Burrow’s injury in 2023, but he’s back and due for a year of optimal health. The AFC North is again brutal for competition and might remain that way for a couple more years. A fantastic Bengals offense and decent defense ultimately propel them to a division crown.
No. 5 Seed = Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is too electric for Buffalo to slide out of the postseason picture — even if Buffalo lost its veteran defensive leadership this offseason. Allen’s new pass-catching options will jell on the fly, culminating in a Wildcard playoff trip for Sean McDermott’s team.
No. 6 Seed = Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville utterly crumbled down the stretch of 2023 — so much so that folks created memes about it, and the Jaguars’ ticketing department didn’t help by spamming playoff ticket dates prematurely. Doug Pederson’s team will rebound this year, with Trevor Lawrence morphing into a Top 14 quarterback.
No. 7 Seed = Los Angeles Chargers
The Harbaugh experiment will click sooner rather than later, although it won’t be full throttle in 2024. Los Angeles sneaks into the dance because Justin Herbert, Rashawn Slater, and Joe Alt work there.
NFC
No. 1 Seed = San Francisco 49ers
A Super Bowl runner-up hangover is possible here — those are real; go back and look — but the 49ers are trustworthy enough to dominate the NFC once again. Too many offensive weapons to struggle.
No. 2 Seed = Philadelphia Eagles
If the coaching is back on track — the Eagles basically died right before December last season — Philadelphia can return to the Super Bowl. Losing Jason Kelce to retirement is a bummer, but the show must go on. The Eagles will win the NFC East.
No. 3 Seed = Green Bay Packers
The Packers don’t have down years, and with the Lions facing the weight of expectations, Green Bay swoops in for a division crown with an 11-6 win-loss record. Perhaps the defense will improve after a weird season in 2024.
No. 4 Seed = Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts feast because of Kirk Cousins’ arrival, and the Falcons edge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their first division crown in eight years.
No. 5 Seed = Detroit Lions
Detroit won’t disappoint anyone, but it also won’t run away with the NFC North. All of its division foes are good-good or talented. The Lions must shake memories of the largest meltdown in the history of the NFC Championship they suffered eight months ago.
No. 6 Seed = Arizona Cardinals
A surprise pick, the Cardinals are well-coached, Kyler Murray is due for a reclamation season, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is in the house. Arizona will turn heads and win nine or ten games.
No. 7 Seed = Dallas Cowboys
Dallas takes a step back and is noticeably inferior to the Eagles. This prompts the termination of Mike McCarthy, with Bill Belichick or Mike Zimmer taking over as head coach. The Cowboys have about one year to get it right. Otherwise, Dak Prescott could leave, and the team may not be able to afford Micah Parsons.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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