Pride of Detroit
It inevitably happens every year, so who’s it going to be in 2025?
In the NFL, success can be fleeting.
One successful season does not always translate into continued success. Many supposed dynasties have fallen apart after a year or two. Many players have crashed and burned after a one-year wonder. Many teams have suffered injuries or had their luck swing against them. At the end of the day, remaining competitive in this football league is difficult.
One of the easiest bars to measure is a playoff berth. If you make the playoffs, you either have an above-average team or a below-average division. The former is more common than the latter, but both can be fickle things to project for the following year. Looking at the teams that were successful in 2024, are there any teams with a difficult 2025 ahead of them?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
My answer: The Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Rams.
The reasoning for the Steelers is obvious: they have a quarterback circus now led by Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was far from horrible last season (3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions), but not only is he at the end of his career, he is a major distraction. Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, yet I fully expect he and Rodgers to clash if Pittsburgh gets off to a rough start. They have some winnable games early on, but I don't think they have done much to improve on their 2024 10-7 campaign.
For the Broncos, I think we could see a sophomore slump from Bo Nix. This has more to do with the pieces around Nix than Nix himself. Their run game was a serious weakness last season, and even if they sign J.K. Dobbins, that running back room is among the worst in the NFL. Elsewhere, the receiving group is subpar outside of Courtland Sutton. Couple that with a tough division, and I think they will compete for a playoff spot yet fall short.
Realistically, the entire NFC North will likely undergo a reshuffle. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are unlikely to win 15 and 14 games again, respectively. The Chicago Bears are shaping up to be an improved team (or so they say every offseason). However, I think it is the Packers that could be on the outside looking in. Jordan Love looks overpaid, and the offense outside of Josh Jacobs looks lackluster in my eyes. Even then, Jacobs is running thin on tread—entering his age 27 season; his career carry total might finally catch up to him.
Similar to the Broncos, I think the Rams are in a tough spot due to their division. I think the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers can each eclipse their 2024 win totals. That leaves the Rams, a team that I do not feel has improved much this...
