The NFL finally returns Thursday as the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles open the season against the rival Dallas Cowboys, and theScore's football staff is kicking things off with playoff, Super Bowl, and awards predictions. The panel consists of Alex Chippin, Brenden Deeg, Caio Miari, Sam Oshtry, Eric Patterson, Daniel Valente, Matt Washington, Dan Wilkins, and David P. Woods.
AFC
The Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens figure to maintain their stranglehold on the AFC, so let's get to the more interesting picks. The Texans have four new starters on the offensive line, but that didn't deter most of our panel. Two voters have finally given up on the Bengals, while the rest of us haven't learned our lesson yet.
NFC
Expectations for the Commanders are at an all-time high locally, but only three of us have the conference finalists getting back to the playoffs. It's safe to say we weren't as bullish on their offseason moves as they were. The Packers are a popular pick after trading for Micah Parsons, while Matthew Stafford's ailing back has a few of us concerned about the Rams.
AFC Championship Game
Only two voters were bold enough to venture outside the Chiefs-Bills-Ravens triangle, but even they didn't have the courage to send a secondary contender all the way to the Super Bowl.
NFC Championship Game
Three panelists foresee the Eagles returning to the Super Bowl, while one is buying the offseason retool in San Francisco and jumping on the bandwagon early. The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl two years ago before missing the playoffs last season.
Super Bowl LX
Only one person picked the Eagles to repeat. The Chiefs went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, but the last team to do it before that was the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.
Team drafting No. 1 overall
The Saints and Browns are both going to be awful and received eight of nine votes. One panelist went a different route with the Jets, who only won five games last year and potentially downgraded at quarterback with Justin Fields.
1st head coach fired
Steichen is relying on Giants flameout Daniel Jones to save his job in Indy, while Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is known to have a quick trigger. One voter predicts Panthers owner David Tepper will be impatient with Canales if his team stumbles out of the gate again.
Offseason acquisitions
Two panelists expect Alexander to pay dividends in Baltimore, where he won't have to be the top corner. The Ravens signed the former Pro Bowler for just $4 million. Two voters also cast ballots for Smith, and it's hard to disagree considering how the Raiders' quarterback room has looked lately.
Samuel attributed his declining production in San Francisco to play-calling, but that didn't convince everyone. Meanwhile, another two voters are passing on the Darnold buzz in Seattle.
Coach of the Year
AFC West coaches are popular, with the Broncos' Payton and Chargers' Harbaugh garnering two votes apiece. Their respective backers anticipate a leap from Bo Nix that will translate to more wins for Payton and expect Harbaugh to expertly navigate Rashawn Slater's season-long absence.
Rookies of the Year
Running backs and receivers fill the offensive side of the board given the subpar class of quarterbacks, though one vote for Dart sneaked in. On defense, our panel is high on Carter, a blue-chip prospect from Penn State who'll anchor the Giants' pass rush.
Players of the Year
Chase claimed the receiving triple crown last year, but Saquon Barkley stopped him from winning his first Offensive Player of the Year award. One voter took a shot on Bowers, who broke the rookie receptions record and has a better quarterback throwing to him this year.
Two panelists love the Parsons fit in Green Bay and believe a monster year is coming. The former Cowboy has never had fewer than 12 sacks in a season. Parsons took over as the betting favorite upon joining the Packers.
Comeback Player of the Year
There are plenty of McCaffrey backers in this group. The 29-year-old was an MVP contender in 2023 but injuries limited to him to four appearances in 2024. If the Cowboys contend for the playoffs after all the offseason hoopla, it'll mean Prescott has turned in one of his best seasons.
MVP
Oddsmakers favor Lamar Jackson to win his third MVP award, and so do we. One voter likes Justin Herbert, who certainly has the talent and now has a young core of receivers developing around him.
