2024 NFL Season Predictions: Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, and 49ers Claim No. 1 Seed in NFC

With the 2024 NFL season less than a week away, there’s only so much time left to predict how 18 weeks of football can turn out.

For fans who want to run the simulator for this upcoming season, PFN’s NFL Playoff Predictor is a great tool to see possible outcomes of the year ahead. Fans can simulate every week of the 2024 NFL season, seeking potential truths of how their favorite teams could look this year.

In this breakdown, the San Francisco 49ers take over the NFC, while the Baltimore Ravens claim the AFC. But what else comes from this run on the simulator?

Predicting the 2024 NFL Regular-Season Standings in the AFC

AFC East

1. Miami Dolphins (12-5)
2. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
3. New York Jets (7-10)
4. New England Patriots (4-13)

Following his recent payday, Tua Tagovailoa leads the Dolphins to their first AFC East title since 2008. With back-to-back losses in the Wild Card round heading into this season, Miami’s home-field advantage could bring upon more fruitful results in the playoffs.

Joining the Dolphins in the postseason, Buffalo misses out on their fifth straight divisional title. However, their playoff streak continues, as the Bills show their offseason was less detrimental than some thought.

Rounding out the AFC East, the Jets and Patriots end the year with losing records, as New England earns a top-five draft pick.

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (12-5)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-9)
4. Cleveland Browns (8-9)

For the second season in a row, the Ravens claim the AFC North, while Joe Burrow and the Bengals join them in the AFC playoffs after missing out last year.

Coming in as a disappointment for the Steelers, Mike Tomlin’s winning-season streak (17) comes to an end this year, trailing just Tom Landry (20) and Bill Belichick (19) for the most winning seasons in a row under a head coach.

In Deshaun Watson’s third season with the Browns, the year is expected to be a roller coaster, finishing just under .500 after 2023’s winning record.

AFC South

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-7)
2. Indianapolis Colts (10-7)
3. Houston Texans (7-10)
4. Tennessee Titans (4-13)

Following Trevor Lawrence’s extension, the Jaguars win the AFC South for the third time since 2017. Indianapolis joins Jacksonville in the playoffs, with Anthony Richardson’s return leading the Colts to their first playoff berth under second-year coach Shane Steichen.

In one of the bigger surprises from this simulation, the Texans follow up their historic 2023 season with a dud in 2024. After winning the AFC South with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, Houston ends this year with a losing record following an offseason full of hype.

Under second-year QB Will Levis, the Titans’ 2024 season results in one of the worst records across the league, slotting Tennessee to draft at No. 3 overall in 2025.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)
2. Los Angeles Chargers (7-10)
3. Las Vegas Raiders (5-12)
4. Denver Broncos (3-14)

For yet another season, Andy Reid makes it look easy, winning the AFC West for the ninth season in a row. When it comes to inevitable outcomes, the Chiefs winning the AFC West appears to be one of those things, even in a simulator.

Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC West will watch the playoffs from home, as all three teams end the 2024 season with losing records. In his first year with the team, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers improved from where they were last season, but both the Raiders and Broncos regress.

Predicting the AFC Playoff Picture

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Indianapolis Colts

The AFC playoff picture is a full-course meal of quarterback battles, as each matchup features some of the best passers in the league.

For the second season in a row, the AFC runs through Baltimore, with the Ravens earning the first-round bye this season. In a rare postseason matchup, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs host Richardson and the Colts.

Continuing the QB battles, Burrow and Tagovailoa will face off, while Josh Allen and Lawrence will clash in the final pairing.

For fans of high-level quarterback play, the AFC playoff picture will be chock-full of it.

Predicting the 2024 NFL Regular-Season Standings in the NFC

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-4)
2. Dallas Cowboys (10-7)
3. New York Giants (6-11)
4. Washington Commanders (6-11)

After an offseason that included murmurs of the Eagles taking a step back this year, Philadelphia regained the NFC East title and nearly claimed the top spot in the NFC.

Dallas is the only other playoff participant from this division, as paying CeeDee Lamb shows to have been worth it.

For New York and Washington, they both end with identical records but different future outlooks. After paying Daniel Jones, the Giants’ focus appears to be getting the quarterback position right, while Jayden Daniels begins his NFL career with an up-and-down season on a team with plenty of holes.

NFC North

1. Chicago Bears (10-7)
2. Detroit Lions (9-8)
3. Green Bay Packers (8-9)
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-9)

In his rookie season, former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams leads the Bears to their first playoff berth since 2020. While their point differential of -18 is worrisome for a division winner, Chicago’s 10 wins were enough to claim the NFC North and a home playoff game.

Detroit joins Chicago in the NFC playoff picture, following a down year after winning the NFC North last season.

As the two non-playoff participants of the division, the Packers and Vikings end the year with losing records. Green Bay’s defense allowed the second-most points across the league (397), making for a tough road to a winning season.

With the loss of J.J. McCarthy in the offseason, veteran Sam Darnold leads Minnesota to a nearly winning record, showing that the team could’ve been even stronger had McCarthy joined their offense later in the season.

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
2. Atlanta Falcons (10-7)
3. New Orleans Saints (10-7)
4. Carolina Panthers (4-13)

In a bit of a shock, the Buccaneers win the NFC South over the Falcons, who come into this season with much more hype. What’s even more of a shock is that three teams within the division end the year at 10-7, with the Saints narrowly missing out on playoff contention.

The Panthers, meanwhile, remain one of the worst teams in the NFL, winning just four games and earning the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers (14-3)
2. Seattle Seahawks (8-9)
3. Los Angeles Rams (8-9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)

San Francisco’s drama-filled offseason paid off. Their 14-3 record sent them to the top of the NFC, giving them a first-round bye in the postseason. The 49ers’ 440 offensive points rank highest in the NFC by 39 points, as they remain one of the most explosive offenses in football.

In a highly competitive NFC West, the Seahawks, Rams, and Cardinals end the year with eight wins a piece, but just one shows improvement. Arizona doubles its win total from last year after adding WR Marvin Harrison Jr., while both Seattle and Los Angeles move down slightly from their 2023 seasons.

Predicting the NFC Playoff Picture

1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Chicago Bears
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. Atlanta Falcons
7. Detroit Lions

In a contentious battle from last season, the Eagles and Lions face off in what’s expected to be a game fueled by emotions.

The NFC playoff picture also features an NFC South meeting between Tampa Bay and Atlanta, while some fans might think they’re watching an old NFL rerun with the Cowboys taking on the Bears in the Wild Card round.

Both Chicago and Dallas are remembered for previous playoff success, but one team will claim that it is no longer a team of the past.