Super Bowl 2025 Predictions: Early Contenders for NFC, AFC Championship

We’re nearing the 2024 NFL Playoffs as we get into December, so we now have a solid perspective on who are — and who aren’t — Super Bowl 2025 contenders.

Below, we’ll analyze the landscape of each conference, highlight the teams with the best chances of making it to the Super Bowl, and provide our Super Bowl 2025 prediction.

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AFC Contenders for Super Bowl 2025

The question is, can anyone dethrone the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs? We haven’t seen any teams look dominant in the AFC this year, even Kansas City. If someone is to take them down, this might be the year.

Let’s get into the top contenders for Super Bowl 2025 for the AFC.

Kansas City Chiefs (11-1, #1 in AFC)

The Chiefs’ perfect season is over, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They’ve overcome bigger challenges in the past and continue to find ways to win. Now, they’re chasing history as they attempt to become the first team to win three-straight Super Bowls.

Despite injuries on offense, the Chiefs have managed to stay competitive. RB Isaiah Pacheco is set to return, bolstering the backfield alongside RB Kareem Hunt. The wide receiver corps has taken a hit: WR Rashee Rice is out for the season, and WR Marquise Brown has yet to play this year, though he could return for the playoffs. Rookie Xavier Worthy has stepped up for the wideouts, WR DeAndre Hopkins has been a valuable addition via trade, and TE Travis Kelce remains Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target, though he does look a bit aged this season.

What could carry this team to New Orleans is its defense. They rank eighth in points allowed per game (19.1) and third in rushing yards allowed per game (85.3). The interior is stout, and the secondary remains one of the best in the league.

Their talent and experience, in addition to stellar coaching across the board, make them the overall favorites to make it out of the AFC and get a shot to threepeat.

Buffalo Bills (10-2, #2 in AFC)

If there’s a team capable of dethroning the Chiefs, it’s the only team that has beat them this year — the Bills.

After back-to-back losses, including a 25-point defeat to the Ravens, the Bills have turned things around with a seven-game winning streak, which includes against the defending champs, 30-21.

This resurgence has also boosted quarterback Josh Allen, who is now the MVP favorite. He has thrived despite losing Stefon Diggs, his favorite receiver in recent years, thanks to improved decision-making. His interception rate is just 1.5%, the lowest of his career.

The Bills’ defense is also a strong point, ranking tenth in EPA per play (-0.038) and ninth in points allowed per game (19.5). They may have found the formula to beat Kansas City, and they’ll need it again when they likely face them in the playoffs.

🏈 All you need to know about the Super Bowl 2025

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NFC Contenders for Super Bowl 2025

The NFC is a lot more diluted with teams that make the playoffs with 11 teams realistically having a chance at the playoffs. However, a few stand above the rest. We’ll look at the two best at this moment.

Detroit Lions (11-1, #1 in NFC) 

The Lions came close to the big game last year, and they look even better this season.

Their offense has improved significantly, jumping from 27 points per game to 33. Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs form the best running back duo in the league, helping the Lions rank third in rushing yards per game (152.2).

QB Jared Goff has been one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks, leading in completion percentage (77.3%) and ranking second in success rate (53.1%).

What makes them serious contenders, however, is their vastly improved defense. They’ve gone from 23rd in points allowed per game (23.2) to fifth (17.7), and from 21st (-0.008) to second (-0.117) in EPA per play. Even with the loss of defensive leader Aiden Hutchinson, the unit has been outstanding, and they can defend both the run and generate pass rush.

The crazy thing is they are No. 1 now, but they could drop all the way to seventh with  Minnesota and Green Bay right behind them in the standings, and the Lions have to play them before the end of the season.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-2, #2 NFC)

The Lions’ biggest concern might be the Eagles, who are the hottest team in the league after their slow start. Philadelphia has won seven straight games and could secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

RB Saquon Barkley’s first year as an Eagle has been phenomenal. In a game against the Rams, he rushed for 255 yards, setting a new career high. With 1,499 rushing yards so far and six games remaining, 2,000 yards is a realistic possibility. He is thriving behind the best offensive line he’s had in his career.

The Eagles’ defense has been dominant during this streak. Since Week 6, they rank second in net EPA per play (-0.193) and third in net success rate (38.0%). 

After struggling against the pass last year, they addressed the issue by drafting cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean with their first two picks. This investment has paid off, as they now rank third in passing yards allowed per game (175.6).

Super Bowl 2025 Prediction: Eagles defeat Chiefs

The path in the AFC runs through the Chiefs, and even with all of the injuries they have dealt with this year, they are still the top team in the league. The offense has been efficient with players like Worthy and Hunt stepping up, and they could get Brown back for the playoffs to add another layer to the offense.

That said, it’s been the defense that has helped them through every close game. When it’s close, Mahomes can make magic happen.

This would be a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII, with the Philadelphia Eagles making it to the big game.

This Eagles’ team is better than the one that played in that game, especially defensively, as they’ve become one of the top units in the league. The catalyst this time is Barkley, and he’s showing that he’s a game-changer. He will be the factor that helps them hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

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