2025 NFL predictions revisited: Seahawks blindsided us, but we were right about Jets
We didn’t see Super Bowl LX coming, but some of us were early believers in Ben Johnson’s Bears, Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars and the fallibility of the ChiefsIt doesn’t take long for the egg the start dripping from our faces.The early September headline accompanying our 2025 NFL predictions – Will it be Mahomes, Jackson or Allen in the Super Bowl? – was the ultimate hedge.After all, what were the odds that one of them wouldn’t emerge from the AFC?Then there was the reality.Mike Vrabel’s dramatic turnaround of New England.The Bears transforming from worst-to-first in the NFC North under Ben Johnson.
The first-half magic of Daniel Jones.The successful pairing of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold.Aside from foreseeing the annual disaster that is the New York Jets, our crystal balls largely failed us.The good news is that we weren’t alone in faceplanting on our predictions.Seriously, who saw MVP contender Drake Maye coming?Time to take a few deep breaths, grab a security blanket, and revisit our 2025 NFL predictions.
(You can read them in full here.)What we said before the season: We thought the Rams would miss out due to Matthew Stafford’s herniated disc being a “case of when, not if, he is replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo”.We also believed Washington would thrive under “phenom” Jayden Daniels and that Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the NFL’s “top quarterback-wide receiver duo”, would get the Bengals close.(Yes, we assumed Burrow would remain healthy for an entire season.) We thought Minnesota would narrowly miss out because JJ McCarthy is no Darnold, We believed the Bears offense would take a leap under Johnson but still miss out.
What actually happened: Burrow lasted two weeks before turf toe erased most of his season.Cincinnati finished 6-11.Daniels was riddled with a litany of injures and completed only four full games.Washington was eliminated after Week 14.Meanwhile, 37-year-old Stafford was named MVP after the best season of his career.
The 12-5 Rams reached the NFC championship game, a thrilling battle many will consider the real Super Bowl.What we said before the season: Three of us were firm believers in the Lamar Jackson revenge tour.We believed that Jackson’s mightiest MVP challengers, aside from Josh Allen, would be “Mahomes, Hurts, Daniels, Stroud, Purdy and Jordan Love”.Earning one vote each were Patrick Mahomes, who “won’t turn the ball over and he will have the comeback narrative on his side”, and Daniels, who would confirm he is a “legit superstar”.What actually happened: Stafford.
Maye,Stafford,Maye,Stafford prevailed in the closest MVP vote since 2003,Of the names we bandied about, including Jackson and his seven contenders, only one (Allen) finished in the top five in MVP voting.
What we said before the season: Two of us loved Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, believing he “has all the tools to transform a franchise”.Another two believed that the addition of Abdul Carter would help the New York Giants “quietly have one of the most fearsome pass-rushs in the league”, and that Carter could “flirt” with the 13 sacks Micah Parsons attained as a rookie.Also receiving a nod was No 1 overall pick Cam Ward, who we said has “better targets than one might expect for a guy taking over a 3-14 team”.What actually happened: Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan was the runaway winner for Offensive Rookie of the Year after collecting 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a constant nuisance, took defensive rookie honors.
Carter started slow, finishing the season with four sacks, though the Giants still had one of the league’s better pass rushes.Ward’s season was forgetable.He was sacked a league-high 55 times and Tennessee again finished 3-14.Fellow rookie quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Jaxson Dart were far more impactful.Productive as Jeanty was (1,300-plus yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns), it turns out the Raiders need far more than a rookie rusher to transform their franchise.
What we said before the season: Five prognosticators.Five votes for Buffalo.We called the Bills “the biggest division lock across the NFL”, though we pointed out “serious concerns” about the Bills defense.A few of us all acknowledged that the Patriots were “up-and-coming”.Still, we thought Buffalo would “waltz through the division.
”What actually happened: Buffalo’s five-year hold on the division was snatched by New England, who miraculously finished 14-3 after a 4-13 campaign in 2024.Buffalo earned a wildcard berth despite many gaps in their defense, especially against the run.Allen had the highest completion percentage of his career, though was only the second-best quarterback in the division.Maye narrowly lost out on MVP after his breakout season.Meanwhile, the Jets became the first team in modern NFL history not to collect a single interception over the course of a season.
What we said before the season: It was another sweep, this time in favor of the Ravens with their “top-tier defense” and “most stacked roster in the NFL”,We called Jackson “the best player in the NFL” and while we acknowledged the Steelers’ improvement, we considered Cincinnati the most legitimate contender,What actually happened: The Ravens missed the playoffs,Jackson was inconsistent and riddled with a litany of injuries,Baltimore’s defense was a disappointment.
Jaire Alexander, thought to be a key addition, was traded to Philadelphia after two games.It was Pittsburgh who took the division at 10-7 thanks to some gutsy wins.Their defense was brilliant at times, and Aaron Rodgers did enough to keep them in games.More importantly, Rodgers kept the drama away.Myles Garrett set the NFL’s season-sack record, and that’s all worth mentioning about Cleveland.
What we said before the season: More group-think as we unanimously picked the Texans thanks to their “top-five defense”.We didn’t sleep on Jacksonville, noting that “no team has a higher floor or ceiling given the weapons on offense and the new coaching staff,” but thought them “too green”.One of us thought the Titans would be entertaining with Ward but couldn’t say the same about the Colts since they were “rolling out Daniel Jones as their win-now option”.What actually happened: A hot start from the quite entertaining Danny Dimes – with a wee assist from Jonathan Taylor – put the Colts in the driver’s seat until they petered out in the second half.Jacksonville and Houston ended the regular season as two of the hottest teams in football.
Both earned a postseason berth, but it was Jacksonville under first-year coach Liam Coen who took the title.Trevor Lawrence took the next step, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen was a standout, and the Jags appear to be a force to reckoned with for the near future.What we said before the season: Only three of us took the Chiefs, while two picked Denver.We were enamored with the Broncos defense and believed “Bo Nix doesn’t need to take a major leap forward for Denver to be a force”.No one who picked Kansas City was exactly confident, acknowledging the Broncos and Chargers’ potential but ultimately said “it’s the Chiefs until it ain’t”.
What actually happened: Denver happened.Their defense was a force, collecting 68 sacks.Bo Nix worked perfectly in Sean Payton’s system.And the Broncos ended the Chiefs’ nine-year rule of the division.Kansas City missed the playoffs amid a disappointing campaign from Mahomes that ended with the star QB tearing his ACL in Week 15.
What we said before the season: It was an Eagles sweep.“Is there a more foolproof roster in the NFL?”, we asked rhetorically.We did consider the Commanders a threat given how they “strengthened the offense around Daniels”.What actually happened: Philadelphia easily took the division thanks to the no one else topping.500.
The 11-6 Eagles fell flat on offense, finishing just 21st in points per game,Dallas at 7-9 finished as division runner-up, while Washington went 5-12 and rolled out an offense that was anything but fortified,What we said before the season: Another unanimous vote, this time for Green Bay,We said the acquisition of Parsons would be “division altering” and thought the Packers had entered the season with all the ingredients of a contender,We thought the Lions and Vikings would duke it out for a wildcard spot, though one of predicted Minnesota would miss Darnold.
Only one of us even mentioned the Bears and it was just to say they are “improved but not quite there yet”.What actually happened: None of us saw the immediate impact of Ben Johnson coming.Chicago took the title as Johnson turned Caleb Williams into a star who proved clutch as they come.The NFC North was the tightest of divisions with the Vikings and Lions, both at 9-8, narrowly missing out on the postseason.And yes, the Vikings did miss Darnold.
What we said before the season: Three of us believed the Buccaneers would take the title thanks to “the most well-rounded roster in the division” and “best offensive line in the league – when Tristan Wirfs is healthy”.One writer picked the Falcons due to their “high-powered offense” while the another opted for Panthers deeming the division up for grabs.What actually happened: What the division lacked in quality, it made up in late season intrigue – namely who of these uninspired teams would spark the playoff-seeding debate.The Bucs and Panthers entered Week 18 with the division up for grabs.Despite finishing 8-9 and scoring fewer points than all but one NFC team, the Panthers took the title.
The Bucs and Falcons also finished 8-9.What we said before the season: We made a case for all four teams – yes, even the Cardinals.Two of us thought the 49ers would rebound from a nightmare 2024 season with “MVP caliber” Brock Purdy and the return of Robert Saleh.One of us thought Klint Kubiak “making the most of Sam Darnold” would lead Seattle to the division title.Another gave the nod to the Rams, believing Stafford’s back would stay in one piece.
Our last writer picked Arizona somewhat by fault.What actually happened: Aside from the Cardinals, the division was insanely competitive with the Seahawks taking the crown – and at 14-3 the No 1 seed.Los Angeles and San Francisco both finished 12-5 and were also in the running for the division and home-field heading in the final month of the regular season.For LA, Stafford’s back not only remained intact but he had the best season of his career and was named league MVP.And San Francisco, despite their usual slew of injuries to star players (headlined by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner), found ways to win as Purdy settled in.
What we said before the season: Ravens over Packers,Broncos over Packers,Eagles over Bills,Ravens over Lions,Eagles over Ravens.
What actually happened: Seattle over New England.The Super Bowl none of us came close to predicting.In fact, neither team was mentioned in our championship round picks.We didn’t see Seattle’s smothering defense being that smothering.Or Darnold playing the best game of his career in the NFC championship battle for the ages against the Rams.
Or Kenneth Walker III being such a force.We didn’t see New England’s defensive trajectory in the playoffs.No one saw Maye being that good in the regular season and that bad in the Super Bowl.Seattle’s 29-13 Super Bowl LX domination may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but at least we’re not afraid to roll back the clock and admit that we never saw it coming.Literally
Reform and Greens undermining UK commitment to Nato, Cooper says
The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has accused Reform UK and the Green party of undermining Britain’s commitment to Nato.Cooper was speaking at the Munich Security Conference, where Keir Starmer used a speech at the weekend to claim that Labour’s populist rivals, Reform and the Greens, were “soft on Russia and weak on Nato”.“Our national security depends on us having partnerships abroad that make us strong and we have seen both Reform and the Greens undermine that commitment to the Nato alliance,” Cooper said in an interview with Sky News.In the case of Nigel Farage’s party, Cooper said this had led to Reform “not taking seriously the threat from Russia”.“They have refused to have an investigation into Russian interference in their own party despite the fact that their own Welsh leader was convicted of links to Russia,” she added, referring to the jailing of Nathan Gill, the former MEP and colleague of Farage, for taking bribes from a suspected Russian asset to repeat pro-Kremlin positions
Senior Reform UK figures attend launch of How to Launder Money book
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Starmer stresses ‘urgency’ of closer defence ties with Europe at Munich conference
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US lawmakers ask Mandelson to testify to Congress over Epstein relationship
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‘Handmaid’s Tale future’: Reform’s Matt Goodwin sparks outcry with fertility comments
Reform UK’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection has been accused of wanting a “Handmaid’s Tale future” after unearthed YouTube footage revealed he called for “young girls and women” to be given a “biological reality” check.In a clip posted to his personal YouTube channel in November 2024, Matt Goodwin stated that “many women in Britain are having children much too late in life”.He said: “We need to also explain to young girls and women the biological reality of this crisis. Many women in Britain are having children much too late in life and they would prefer to have children much earlier on.”The comments, first reported by the Independent, have sparked a furious backlash, with one MP describing it as an “alt right fantasy” and an equality campaigner calling it “truly troubling”
Scottish Labour leader says he doesn’t regret calling for Starmer to quit – UK politics live
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has said that he had a “reasonable” conversation with Keir Starmer yesterday, despite Sarwar having not retracted his call for the PM to quit.Sarwar said that he stood by what he said when he announced on Monday that he wanted Starmer to stand down.But he also said he was “looking to the future”, implying that he is not actively trying to orchestrate Starmer’s removal now.The news on Monday that Sarwar was going to say Starmer should go prompted intense speculation as to whether cabinet ministers would also declare he no longer had their confidence. But all members of the cabinet did subsequently issue statements backing Starmer, it became obvious that there would be no immediate leadership contest, and on Wednesday Sarwar indicated that he wanted to draw a line under the dispute
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