As the excitement around the World Series cools down, the NFL season heats up with fresh faces, new storylines, and dramatic predictions. Sure, we’ve seen teams like the Chiefs and Eagles dominate the past few seasons, but with the 2024-25 season upon us, expect new contenders and shake-ups in the standings. Sports Editor Rohan Bhatia and Photo Editor Rahul Shetty take a look at the playoff picture at the trade deadline.  NFC belongs to the Lions Starting with the NFC, it’s impossible for us to overlook the Detroit Lions as the one seed. It’s fair to say they surprised fans last season with a deep run into the playoffs. While they’ve been a franchise known for mediocrity, the Lion’s offense is poised to prove last season wasn’t a fluke, with the second-highest points per game in the league. Jared Goff is an experienced quarterback and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is terrorizing the NFC North. The defense has been picking up the slack as well, keeping a 13.8-point differential per game, even with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson.  For the second seed, we see the NFC East’s Philadelphia Eagles as a dominant force. With Jalen Hurts continuing to develop, and a loaded roster on both sides of the ball, including a menacing defensive line, Philly will continue to challenge every team they face. With an accurate Jalen Hurts, acrobatic Saquon Barkley, and a Wide Receiver core including AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, this team is capable of shredding defenses when they’re locked in. Additionally, the defense has conceded the third-fewest yards in the league with leaders like safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. The Atlanta Falcons are our pick for the three seed in the NFC. Kirk Cousins has been bouncing around teams for years but finally established his dominance putting up 2,600 yards through nine weeks, a top-three figure in the league. With a receiving core of Darnell Mooney and Drake London, and Kyle Pitts being a top-five receiving tight end, its offense has strongly rebounded. Its defense may need to pick up the slack in the playoffs, but it remains passable. The combination of improved offense and solid defense, combined with the weaker AFC South will allow them to snag the third seed.   In fourth, we predict the San Francisco 49ers will snag the spot. Maybe it’s just denial speaking because the Niners have been struggling, spouting a 5-4 record. However, they have also been dealing with a difficult injury crisis, and quarterback Brock Purdy proved he’s a playoff-caliber quarterback because of his developed skill, not his team’s superstar offense. Additionally, with star running back Christian McCaffrey returning, we predict the offense will hit the ground running for a strong second half of the season. And the defense is still a top 10 defense in the league, likely to be boosted by Trump-supporting Nick Bosa given the election results. This prediction is one made with reservation, because the NFC West is one of the more competitive divisions, with the Cardinals carried by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyler Murray, and the Rams boosted by returning Cooper Kupp likely to give a fight, but we believe the Niners can hold out and win the division. Moving on to the Wild Card spots, it’s impossible not to give the fifth seed to the Commanders. They have been perpetually mid, so it was a surprise to see a 7-2 start to the season following longtime owner Daniel Snyder’s sale of the team to Josh Harris. But the Commanders have a newfound resolve, with Jayden Daniels throwing for 2100 yards thus far, and also being the team’s rushing leader with 464 yards. Additionally, our fantasy goat Terry McLaurin remains criminally underrated with more than 700 receiving yards to his name, the third most in the league. Paired with a passable defense, this Commanders team can rival the Eagles for the division title spot, but we think they’re going to settle into a Wild Card spot.  In the penultimate seed for the NFC, we have the Minnesota Vikings. Headlined by one of the best receivers in the league, Justin Jefferson, the Vikings embody a solid team all around. Sam Darnold is having an alright year with 2100 yards, proving once again how bummy the Panthers are. Jefferson is second in receiving yards, with 831 to his name, Aaron Jones is having a solid rushing season, and the defense has conceded the fewest points in the NFC.  Finally, the Green Bay Packers round out the NFC playoff picture. Jordan Love has looked decent as the starting quarterback, but they’re still a young team with a lot to prove. These days, the Jets look more like the Packers than the Packers; they will continue to seek their own identity. The Packer defense is another solid one, slotting in just behind the Vikings in terms of yards conceded per game. The playmaking ability of Josh Jacobs and Jayden Reed should help them make a playoff push, but they’re just a step behind the other NFC teams vying for the top spots. Chiefs will dominate AFC In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs remain the class of the conference. With Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, Andy Reid at the helm, and the refs in the booth on their side, this team is always dangerous. They remain the only undefeated team in the league at the time of writing. Age catching up with veteran talents like Travis Kelce won’t stop the Chiefs from cruising to first place in the AFC West. We are expecting yet another deep playoff run from them. The Buffalo Bills have a lot to prove after heartbreak in the postseason, but with Josh Allen remaining a dynamic quarterback with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, they’re set to push Kansas City for that top spot. Their defense will need to pick up the slack, but the Bills are a lock to at least compete given their record and the apathy from the rest of the AFC East.  The Baltimore Ravens are our pick for the third seed. Lamar Jackson, now in his prime and with a bolstered supporting cast like league-leading rusher Derrick Henry, will make this offense as difficult to stop as any in the league. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are another underrated receiving pair contributing to the deadliness of the offense, which has achieved 440 yards per game, an unrivaled figure. Their primary challenge will be out-throwing and out-rushing a struggling defense, but we predict the Ravens will still secure the AFC North, despite tough competition from the Steelers. The Texans will nab the fourth seed as the final division leaders, redeeming football in Texas given an embarrassing Cowboys season (though the Longhorns remain the pride of Texas). The Texans are a decent team, especially with CJ Stroud at the helm. But besides Stroud, no other offensive player has impressed. In addition, a similarly mediocre defense means the Texans grab the spot mainly out of a lack of competition from the rest of the division.  The Pittsburgh Steelers are an easy pick for the fifth seed; don’t sleep on Mike Tomlin and his ability to get the most out of his squad. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields sharing the quarterback role, a solid Najee Harris in the backfield, and George Pickens headlining a decent receiving core, the offense is in good hands. Additionally, allowing just 2,700 yards so far, the sixth fewest in the NFL, the Steelers Defense is quite impressive. They rival the Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North, but we predict they will comfortably settle into a Wild Card spot and a decent playoff run.  The Chargers will slot into the sixth spot. Other than Justin Herbert, the Chargers don’t have the deepest or most talented squad. Additionally, their stats indicate a middle-of-the-road team. Despite this, they just keep winning, with a record of 6-3 so far, they are the only team in the AFC West to show any sort of resolve against the Chiefs. Legendary head coach Jim Harbaugh is coaching this squad to an impressive record, earning a Wild Card spot for their efforts.  Rounding out the AFC playoff picture are the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow is still putting up incredible numbers following that Super Bowl heartbreak, leading the NFL in yards thus far. Ja’Marr Chase is another incredible wide receiver stuck in Jefferson’s shadow, about to hit the 1000-yard mark; the offense has the tools they need to succeed. Though saddled with a mid-tier defense, the Bengals are an unimpressive 4-6. Despite this, we think they can make a second-half push to secure the final wildcard spot, just edging out Sean Payton’s Broncos for the spot. As always, the NFL is unpredictable, and with the talent across both conferences, nothing is certain besides uncertainty –– and the Chiefs getting favorable decisions from the refs. Time will tell who will ultimately come out on top, but one thing is for sure: the 2024-25 NFL season will be one for the ages.