Both the NFC and AFC North are tough and famous divisions. They are filled with bitter rivals and always produce great games. What they haven’t done recently is produced championship winners. The last North team to win it was the Ravens in the 2012 season. To put that in perspective I was 33 years old and my 14 year old daughter had been born just a few months earlier. But hey, maybe this is their year. But probably not. As always, we start with the AFC.

AFC North

First Place: Baltimore Ravens

I was all set to pick the Bengals to win the division but then I saw their starting offensive line play against the back up Lions. The main reason I am picking the Ravens though is their schedule. A lot of predictors just look at the team and how good they think they are. And I do think the Ravens have a good roster. But the schedule plays a big role in my predictions and of the contenders, the Ravens have one of the easier ones out there. They kick off the season against 7 teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year. Their toughest games during this stretch are the Cowboys and Bengals, both at home. They finish the year with 5 games against non playoff teams from last year besides two against the Steelers who I am not high on and really weren’t that good last year, they were just slightly better than everyone else in the division. They do have a new coach which can always be a little unpredictable but I think he will make the defense better and Lamar will do Lamar things that he always does during the regular season, put up big stats and win awards. This team is perfectly set up to end their season in some disappointing playoff fashion.

Final Record: 13-4

Second Place: Cincinnati Bengals

My hatred for the Bengals has decreased some. It’s hard to hate a team that hasn’t been in the playoffs for 3 seasons. I mean, I still hate them. I just hate them a little less. It is an even year which means there is a chance that Burrow makes it through the season without any major injuries. If he does that, then this team can be competitive. On paper they got better defensively and if their defense even has a pulse, they are a playoff contender. The offense has plenty of weaponry and Burrow is good when he is healthy. He’s just never healthy. But this could be the year it all comes together. Their coach Zach Taylor really needs it to be. You can’t keep missing the playoffs with Joe Burrow on your team and stay a head coach in this league for very long. If Burrow stays healthy which is a big if, and if they make the playoffs, which is maybe a bigger if, they would be on my list of teams I wouldn’t want to play. They are talented and they are just dumb and cocky enough to think they can beat anyone.

Final Record 11-6

Third Place: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers brought the same old quarterback back and a different old coach back and a few players came and a few players left. They will probably be slightly better on offense and slightly worse on defense. It’s Aaron Rodgers last dance as he told his mystery wife that he would hang it up after this year. I sort of think that his wife is made up or a figment of his imagination. Maybe he went into one of those caves and came out with a “wife” but really he just did a lot of drugs. Anyway, his made up wife is the most interesting part of this team. I’m bored just thinking about the Steelers so I won’t bore you anymore by making you read about them. They will do what they always do and win 9 games and either not make the playoffs or lose in the first round.

Final Record: 9-8

Fourth Place: Cleveland Browns

We are exactly 3 weeks from the start of the season and the Browns don’t know who their starting quarterback is going to be. Their choices are massage boy or Deion’s son. Woof. The rest of the offense looks better as all the skill position guys are young and filled with hope and talent. And nowhere destroys hope and talent like Cleveland does. Cleveland is so bad they fired their 2 time coach of the year, lost their awesome defensive coordinator and traded away arguably the best defensive player in the league and it will still be hard for them to be worse than last year. I can only assume that massage boy will win the quarterback job. He’s not good but sadly he is their best option. Plus they paid him 500 million dollars so it would be nice to at least get a few starts out of him. Ultimately it doesn’t matter. This team is bad and will continue to be bad. They are a cursed organization.

Final Record: 5-12

NFC North

First Place: Detroit Lions

This division is tough to predict. I think all these teams are good. They also play the NFC South and the AFC East so that doesn’t hurt their chances to have a good record either with 6 somewhat easy games. Since I think these teams are overall pretty equal with different strengths and weaknesses, the schedule has a lot to do with my predictions. The Lions have the easiest schedule because even though they went 9-8, they finished in 4th place. They are favored in 14 of 17 games. Let’s say they split with everyone in the division, well they still have 4 games against the NFC South and play the dolphins, jets, titans and cardinals. They play the Giants late in the season so you know Dart, Skattebo and Nabers will all be hurt by then. So that’s 12 wins right there. Plus, the Lions are good. They have a great offense and what should be an improved defense. And they have the quarterback that I trust the most week in and week out. So crazy Dan Campbell gets his mojo back and the Lions win the division.

Final Record: 12-5

Second Place: Green Bay Packers

The Packers offense is quite talented and good if they can keep everyone healthy. Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, Jayden Reed and Christian Watson have all had injury issues but when they are all there and playing together they are quite good. The Packers ran into issues on both sides of the ball last year as the defense had multiple injuries including to Micah Parsons. Parsons is sort of an idiot and should spend more time rehabbing and less time podcasting but he is still very talented and is a difference maker for their defense. But much has been overstated about how bad the Packers were without him and that they didn’t win a game after he got hurt. While technically true, the Packers lost on the road to the Broncos the game Micah got hurt. Then they lost at the Bears in overtime when Jordan Love got hurt early on by a cheap shot by a Bears player. They then lost to a desperate Ravens team without Micah or Jordan and then lost to the Vikings because they rested all their starters for the playoffs. They then lost another close game to the Bears. So yes, they didn’t win without Micah but putting all that on Micah not being there is a little disingenuous. Anyhoo, they will be without Micah for the first 6-8 weeks. But lucky for the Packers the front half of the schedule is easier. The second half is tough but I think they will do just enough to get the 7 seed in the playoffs…again.

Final Record: 10-7

Third Place: Chicago Bears

The Bears are awesome. Just ask them. Ben Johnson wants to have the highest scoring offense ever. He wants to blow people out. He wants shut outs. He wants to go undefeated. They are obviously riding high on their success from last year. And just ask all the media pundits how great Caleb is. He’s already a top 5 quarterback. I mean sure, he barely completed over 50% of his passes. And sure he has never thrown for 4,000 yards. But did you see that one throw he made off schedule and on the run? He’s obviously the best. Fun fact, the Bears have never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards. Maybe the Bears will be awesome. I didn’t believe in them last year and they proved me wrong. But they won a bunch of one score games coming from behind last year, and usually there is a regression year to year on that. Just ask the 2025 Chiefs. This doesn’t mean I think the Bears will be bad. They have a lot of good players and Ben Johnson is a good coach even though I find him annoying. But I still have questions about their offensive line and their defense. I think they are in the hunt and then the Lions beat them in week 17 to clinch the division and then Dan Campbell gives him a second middle finger by resting his starters in week 18 allowing the Packers to win and take the 7th spot in the playoffs.

Final Record: 10-7

Fourth Place: Minnesota Vikings

Let me start by saying, I would not be shocked if the Vikings won the division. I mean they won 9 games with some of the worst quarterback play I have ever seen in this league. So with Kyler Murray, they very well could win the division. But here is why I have them last. One, I don’t trust Murray to be awesome. Two, I don’t trust Murray to finish the season. He always gets hurt. Three, their defense is good but getting older and are already losing guys for the season. The offense should be much better but I just don’t trust the defense to stay healthy or Kyler to be good for 17 games. They are competitive and in the hunt but end up with the same record as last year.

Final Record: 9-8

Tune in next week as we head east to give our thoughts and predictions on our final divisions.