2025 SimNFL Predictions

[Sarge]

Why are we going to wait for preseason games? Rosters are flushed out and there will likely be minimal movement on depth charts going forward (save for injuries).

 

Give me some predictions on:

Super Bowl favorites ( top 4? )

Division winners

Most likely to pick #1 in the next draft

Breakout stars

Roster moves made by teams that are big deals (positive or negative)

Trash talk your rivals.

#1 seeds for each conference 

Give me two teams you expect to appear in the playoffs this year that didn't last year.

[alexfall862]

Super Bowl favorites ( top 4? )

Denver
Washington
Miami
Dallas 

In no particular order.

Division winners

AFC West - Denver
AFC South - .......Jacksonville?
AFC North - Cleveland
AFC East - Miami
NFC West - LA 
NFC South - Carolina
NFC East - Washington
NFC North - Green Bay

Most likely to pick #1 in the next draft

If it isn't Arizona give KGreene COTY 

Breakout stars

- Dekoda Link finally stops throwing so many picks, but keeps the yardage production
- Garibay balls out for Green Bay

Roster moves made by teams that are big deals (positive or negative)

- Chargers upgrading from a 58 ovr to 80+ ovr RB is crazy when the 58 ovr RB was producing like a legit NFL player last year. 
- Denver not upgrading their LB corps cannot possibly be a weakness.
- Miami replacing their weak points on defense will help their team balance out.
- LA Rams are starting to get long in the tooth. The most effective offensive play the last two seasons (LA Rams go deep!) might start to struggle to carry the rest of team forward by itself.

Trash talk your rivals.

- Las Vegas is a trash city for trash people and trash teams. If they had a landfill that was big enough, the stadium would be in there, but obviously in Las Vegas people just throw trash on the ground instead of in receptacles.

[Piercewise1]

Super Bowl favorites: Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami (yawn)

Division winners (in addition to the above): Cleveland, Tennessee, Green Bay, Carolina

Most likely #1: New York Giants

Breakout stars: Alen Riley. Obvious homer pick, but he's a great EDGE rusher joining one of the best defenses in the league with new blitz rules in place. Had 6 sacks last year but I bet he more than doubles that in 2025.

Two new playoff teams: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia

Hottest take: Cleveland beats Denver in the playoffs to end their 3-year run as conference champion

[Sarge]

Super Bowl favorites ( top 4? )

Washington, Carolina, Broncos, Browns

Division winners

Denver, Browns, Miami, AFCS (Anyone?), Carolina, Washington, Packers, and probably Rams?

Most likely to pick #1 in the next draft

Arizona but @kgreene829 just need some time. I believe in the uncrustables.

Breakout stars

Aaron Stokes for Carolina is going to take over games. I also think both Knebels establish themselves as defacto pro bowlers early.

Roster moves made by teams that are big deals (positive or negative)

Carolina now has 2 80+ WRs and 2 80+ CBs so that's cool. 

Washington getting a 70 OVR A- potential rookie WR is fucking stupid and I'm jealous.

I have a gut feeling depth is going to be legitimately tested this year for a lot of teams.

Trash talk your rivals.

It's the NFC South, I think that says enough.

#1 seeds for each conference 

Carolina / Broncos for ultimate Link revenge game in the SB

Give me two teams you expect to appear in the playoffs this year that didn't last year

Falcons

Chicago

[Kirby]

Super Bowl favorites ( top 4? )

Denver, Washington, Dallas, Miami

 

Division winners

AFC: Denver, Miami, Cincinnati, and the Longacre led Jaguars.

NFC: Washington, Carolina, GB and the SEAHAWKS. Yes, I believe they can topple the Rams (who still sneak in as a wildcard).

 

Most likely to pick #1 in the next draft

Cards. I think it's a good thing too, next year they can load up again and begin their ascent to relevancy.

 

Breakout stars

Taylor Allen will have a historic rookie TE year for the Seahawks, with 1000+ receiving yards and 10+ TDs.

 

Roster moves made by teams that are big deals (positive or negative)

Denver cleaning up some good UDFA's will help them in the long run, though not this season (they don't need help).

Jets have enough pieces to still cause upsets but I think by mid-season they pull a 2024 Cards and run the Punter out there, just for shits and giggles. I fancy the Jets to be thinking long and hard about the 2026 off-season, and how to put themselves in the best position possible.

 

Trash talk your rivals.

Fuck the Jets.

 

#1 seeds for each conference 

Washington and Miami. I'm going on the limb here and saying we get the #1 seed in the AFC, purely because our schedule is by far the most friendly of all the "contending teams". Whether we actually do anything with Home Field is a totally different story though.

 

Give me two teams you expect to appear in the playoffs this year that didn't last year.

Seattle and Jacksonville

[kgreene829]

On 1/9/2025 at 12:47 PM, alexfall862 said:

Most likely to pick #1 in the next draft

If it isn't Arizona give KGreene COTY 

No that's all Dearden

[Bundy]

Super Bowl favorites ( top 4? )

Denver, Washington, Vegas, Los Angeles Rams

Division winners

Denver - Los Angeles

Washington - Miami

Carolina - Houston

Green Bay - Pittsburgh

 

Most likely to pick #1 in the next draft

Arizona is obvious

 

Breakout stars

I think Alex Williams III reuniting with Paul Gurule in Pittsburgh is big. He's sucked pretty hard thus far in Minnesota (albeit with a young QB and we know how those have played), but he can be the clear #2 instead of force fed as WR1 and I think he could abuse some poor CB2s now that he's got a veteran QB

 

Roster moves made by teams that are big deals (positive or negative)

Green Bay getting DE Phillip Wilcox is going to make them stupid. He doesnt even fit the rest of their DE's ideal schemes but hes so good. Honestly wouldnt be surprised to see @JC. play him at OLB so that he gets that Pass Rush OLB role to fit the rest of the team's scheming if they want to go that route. That's enough glazing my damn rival tho.

Chargers getting Hiram might actually be a negative because I think he NEEDS to play in order to progress, and you're not gonna bench Aguilera for him. But then Aguilera is a pending FA, so if the goal is to play Hiram in the future, you have to basically toss this season. Will be interesting to see what Dean figures out

Trash talk your rivals.

Well the trash 2024 Vikings finished their season with 2 wins in the final month against Chicago and Detroit, so there's not much that needs to be said to them.

I used to like @JC. and was indifferent to the simPackers until he took over GB and now I view the simPackers with the same vitriol as IRL. Bad enough they signed our main FA target and draft my Kansas players, now they have to be consistently panned out as division preseason champs (I had to delete a 10 minute rant about how I hate the IRL Packers and their fanbase)

#1 seeds for each conference 

Washington and Denver. I think a couple more years of them and LAR competing for the juggernaut spots and then when retirements hit, the windows will open more for more consistent success from others (Carolina, Dallas, Vegas, Chargers?)

 

Give me two teams you expect to appear in the playoffs this year that didn't last year.

Houston/Pittsburgh/Philly