Welcome back, football.
The NFL season kicks off Thursday night with the reigning champion Eagles hosting the Cowboys in primetime. Three days later, the Patriots will kick off the Mike Vrabel era at home against Las Vegas.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
Will the Patriots make a surprise playoff run?
Are the Eagles going to repeat?
Who will win MVP?
The Herald’s Patriots beat writers make their 2025 NFL predictions.
AFC East
Bills: There’s Buffalo, and then there’s everyone else. The Bills have won this division every year since 2020, and barring a catastrophic injury, that won’t change this season. The Patriots are still a year or two away from reclaiming their old crown. — Callahan
Bills: The division belongs to Josh Allen. The biggest question here is whether the Bills can make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 30 years. – Kyed
AFC North
Ravens: The most talented team in the AFC isn’t losing its division. Baltimore is one of the few teams in the league that could field a top-5 offense and defense this season, and that will be more than enough to handle the Browns, 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, and the Bengals whose defense, again, projects to be among the worst in football. — Callahan
Ravens: The Bengals should make a push, but their defense was atrocious last season, and they didn’t make enough upgrades in free agency. Plus, edge rusher Sam Hubbard retired. – Kyed
AFC South
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud celebrates after a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second half of an NFL wild-card game Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Houston. (Eric Christian Smith, AP)
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud celebrates after a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second half of an NFL wild-card game Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Houston. (Eric Christian Smith, AP)
Texans: No other team in the South is ready to challenge Houston. Easy call. — Callahan
Texans: Expect a bounce-back season from C.J. Stroud. He took a step back in 2024 after a rookie of the year performance in 2023. – Kyed
AFC West
Broncos: At some point, Kansas City will pay a price for so many consecutive playoff runs. The bet here is that happens in 2025, with either Denver or the Chargers jumping them in the standings. The Broncos get the nod, thanks to their defense (the best unit in the division) and Bo Nix’s Year 2 leap in a Sean Payton-run offense. — Callahan
Chiefs: The AFC West should be tough this season, but Andy Reid has won nine consecutive divisional titles. Until Reid and Mahomes falter, we’ll keep betting on the best current head coach-quarterback combination in the NFL. – Kyed
AFC Wild Card
Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots: The Chiefs aren’t missing the playoffs, Los Angeles is too well-coached to miss the playoffs with Justin Herbert still at quarterback, and look at Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye! The Patriots finish 9-8, thanks to a home win over Miami in their season finale and that’s enough to put them in over fellow playoff hopefuls Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. — Callahan
Bengals, Chargers, Broncos: It would be fun to see the Patriots make a playoff push in 2025, but it seems one year too soon. The Patriots made major upgrades, but they still seem a year away from truly contending. The Bengals, Chargers and Broncos are more ready to compete right now. – Kyed
NFC East
Eagles: Saquon Barkley and Co. aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Like the Ravens, the Eagles are one of the few teams with elite potential on both side of the ball. With Washington likely to experience some regression, Philly is an easy pick. — Callahan
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 19: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball for a 62-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Lincoln Financial Field on January 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball for a 62-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 19, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Commanders: The Eagles are the favorites, but Super Bowl hangovers are real. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders are ready to contend for a Super Bowl, which is why it was so smart for them to re-sign Terry McLaurin. – Kyed
NFC North
Packers: Adding Micah Parsons pushed Green Bay over the top in this division, according to the oddsmakers, and they’re right. The Packers don’t have a single glaring weakness on their roster. There’s enough star power here to supercharge a Super Bowl run. Count on it. — Callahan
Packers: The Packers proved they’re all in when they traded two first-round picks and Kenny Clark for Parsons. The Lions have some holes on their roster, most notably at pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson. – Kyed
NFC South
Falcons: The Bucs are more talented, more balanced and yet … their time has passed. Michael Penix Jr. will lead an Atlanta team with enough blue-chip players to steal a division title. — Callahan
Buccaneers: This is probably the worst division in the NFL. Expect some growing pains from the Falcons and Penix Jr. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has an impressive arsenal of wide receivers and a top young running back in Bucky Irving. – Kyed
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) (Abbie Parr, AP)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game in Seattle, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) (Abbie Parr, AP)
Cardinals: The trendiest preseason pick is a smart one. Arizona seizes on an NFC West where every other team has big questions and continues its rise under third-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. — Callahan
Seahawks: This should be a tight race between all four NFC West teams. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has no one to throw to this season, we don’t trust Matthew Stafford’s injury situation in Los Angeles, and the Cardinals aren’t talented enough to make a push. The Seahawks’ success is dependent on quarterback Sam Darnold, but Klint Kubiak is a good offensive coordinator. – Kyed
NFC Wild Card
Lions, Vikings, Buccaneers: For a second straight year, three NFC North teams make the cut, and the Buccaneers join them. The Commanders and Rams both take a step back, particularly with Stafford’s health already threatening to derail LA’s season. — Callahan
Eagles, Lions, Rams: The NFC, outside of the South, is a tough conference. The Eagles, Lions and Rams promise to make things interesting in the postseason. – Kyed
Super Bowl matchup
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks to pass over Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt during a game Dec. 5, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (Winslow Townson, AP)
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks to pass over Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt during a game Dec. 5, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (Winslow Townson, AP)
Ravens over Packers: Baltimore finally takes another turn with the Lombardi. There are any number of teams who could win the title this year — Kansas City, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Detroit and Green Bay — but the Ravens are ready after repeatedly falling short in the Lamar Jackson era. — Callahan
Chiefs over Commanders: We’re banking on big things from Daniels and the Commanders. If Daniels can improve on his performance from his rookie season, then the Commanders should go deep into the playoffs. The Bills and Ravens will be tough to beat this season, but they need to prove they can get past the Chiefs. Until then, we have Mahomes and the Chiefs continuing to advance. – Kyed
MVP
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson: Yes, a third MVP award for Jackson, who had a better statistical case than last year’s winner, Josh Allen. Jackson is in the prime of his career and too dangerous not to take home more hardware. — Callahan
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels: Daniels proves last season wasn’t a fluke while improving his passing and rushing production. – Kyed
Offensive Player of the Year
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb: Playing opposite George Pickens should free Lamb up like never before. And now that Dallas is down Parsons, their defense should put Dak Prescott in plenty of shootouts, which means maximum targets for Lamb and a record season. — Callahan
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase: No injuries. No contract issues. With no drama and Tee Higgins continuing to play across the field, Chase could eclipse 2,000 yards receiving. – Kyed
Defensive Player of the Year
Packers DE Micah Parsons: Parsons got his money, but should still play with an extra chip on his shoulder after getting traded. So long as Green Bay is playing from ahead, he should expect to set a new career best for sacks in a season. — Callahan
Packers DE Micah Parsons: The former Cowboys pass rusher proves he was worth the Packers’ high price to acquire him. – Kyed
Coach of the Year
Mike Vrabel: The Patriots make the playoffs after four losing seasons in five years and back-to-back 4-13 campaigns. Enough said. — Callahan
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the field during an Aug. 25 practice in Foxboro. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the field during an Aug. 25 practice in Foxboro. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Mike Macdonald: If the Seahawks can win the NFC West over the Rams, 49ers and Cardinals, then Macdonald, a fantastic defensive coach, deserves this award. – Kyed
Comeback Player of the Year
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: Prescott returns after a season-ending hamstring injury last year and plays a full season. He and Aidan Hutchinson are tied for the best odds for this award, and the quarterback for America’s Team gets the nod. — Callahan
Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson: I considered Hutchinson for Defensive Player of the Year, but he doesn’t really have anyone rushing across from him, allowing opposing teams to give him more attention. Still, he’s an uber-productive pass rusher who will have another stellar season if he can stay healthy. – Kyed