The 2024 NFL season is getting closer, which means it’s time to make our predictions. We used PFN’s NFL Playoff Predictor to simulate the regular season, which unveiled some shocking results. Today, we specifically take a look at the simulation’s predictions for the division standings and playoff picture for the NFC.
Predicting the 2024 NFL Regular-Season Standings in the NFC
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)
- Washington Commanders (9-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (8-9)
- New York Giants (7-10)
Entering 2024, the NFC East had not had a back-to-back winner since the Eagles won their fourth-straight division crown in 2004. That streak now continues into 2025, with Philadelphia ousting the Cowboys as champs following an impressive 12-5 campaign.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
Not only does Dallas finish below rival Philadelphia in the standings, but the Cowboys are also looking up at new head coach Dan Quinn, rookie QB Jayden Daniels, and the Commanders in the standings for the first time in five years.
Washington’s marked improvement is the story of the year in the NFC East, with the chance to put the entire conference on notice in the Wild Card round when they travel to Atlanta for a postseason contest against none other than Kirk Cousins and the Falcons.
NFC North
- Detroit Lions (14-3)
- Green Bay Packers (9-8)
- Chicago Bears (6-11)
- Minnesota Vikings (5-12)
Detroit’s division title last season was convincing. This season, it was downright dominant. The Lions finished five games ahead of second-place Green Bay and went undefeated in the division as well.
While Chicago and Minnesota struggled with rookie quarterbacks and spotty defense, Green Bay grinded its way to another above-.500 season with Jordan Love. The Packers enter the postseason as the NFC’s No. 6 seed, which pairs them with the Eagles on Wild Card Weekend. The Packers will look to avenge a season-opening loss to the Eagles in Brazil and win a playoff game in consecutive seasons.
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons (10-7)
- New Orleans Saints (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- Carolina Panthers (5-12)
Atlanta is back atop the NFC South for the first time since 2016, with their heavy investment in quarterback Cousins and head coach Raheem Morris already paying dividends.
Year 1 of the Dave Canales experiment doesn’t pan out in Carolina, even with Bryce Young now in his sophomore season. And while New Orleans qualifies for the postseason, both the Saints and Buccaneers are stuck in mediocrity following eight-win seasons in what is widely believed to be a weak division.
Cousins came up on the short end of a revenge game during the regular season when he and the Falcons dropped a 19-16 decision to the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. However, he gets another shot at revenge in the Wild Card when the Commanders come to town.
NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers (14-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (7-10)
- Seattle Seahawks (6-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (5-12)
No one questioned the 49ers’ hold on the NFC West entering the season, but most people were bullish on the competition’s chances of putting up a good fight.
FREE: Subscribe to PFN’s NFL Newsletter
It turned out to be a bear market in the division, however, as no other squad finished with more than seven wins. The futile effort to match San Francisco’s success will likely make for some hard decisions and dark days, especially at the quarterback position, for each of the other three franchises in the 2025 offseason.
As far as the 2024 postseason is concerned, though, it’s all sunshine and rainbows for the 49ers. They are the NFC’s top seed thanks to a head-to-head tie-breaking win over Detroit on Monday Night Football in the regular season’s penultimate week.
Projecting the NFC Playoff Picture
- San Francisco 49ers (14-3)
- Detroit Lions (14-3)
- Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)
- Atlanta Falcons (10-7)
- Washington Commanders (9-8)
- Green Bay Packers (9-8)
- New Orleans Saints (8-9)
Whereas the AFC field is rife with parity, the NFC feels top-heavy with a pair of 14-win teams plus a battle-tested, veteran 12-win Philadelphia team as the No. 3 seed. One would be hard-pressed to see a path to the Super Bowl for the others, particularly Washington and New Orleans.
Green Bay, meanwhile, has experience in this spot. Just a year ago, they were heavy underdogs but went into Dallas and won on Super Wild Card Weekend. Philadelphia, losers of two of their final three regular-season games, would be wise to sharpen up in advance of facing Matt LaFleur and Love for a second time this season.
Join Theo Ash: Your Football Opinion
Listen to the Your Football Opinion with Theo Ash! Click the embedded player below to listen, or you can find this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review! Rather watch instead? Find us on the Pro Football Network YouTube Channel!