Figure 1 The teams will be aiming to win the Super Bowl while you concentrate on your office pool – Source: Pixabay
At this time of the year, football might be the furthest thing from your mind. The NBA and NHL are kicking into postseason mode, we’ve just had the excitement of March Madness, and the baseball season is also taking center stage as the days get longer and the prospect of spending quality time at a ballpark becomes all-consuming.
It has only been a couple of months since the Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs to claim Super Bowl LIX. So, it is understandable if you have taken a break from refreshing the NFL news page on your browser. The best online betting websites might already be offering their prices for next season but most people’s minds are elsewhere,
That’s exactly why now is the perfect time to get a head start on your office NFL pools. The NFL Draft is still to come, of course, but, whatever kind of pool you are thinking of competing in, doing your research during the offseason is the first step in succeeding later in the year. With that in mind, here are some of the teams we think you should be keeping an eye on.
Tennessee Titans
Not a lot went right for Tennessee last year. Just three wins all season saw the Titans finish bottom of the AFC South and become one of just three teams with such a terrible record. The good news is that those performances have given the Titans the first pick in the draft this year – and the chance to turn things around.
With little in the way of quarterback talent on the roster, the need for a franchise passer has rarely been more glaring and the first athlete to be picked this year is projected by most to be Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward. Whether the rookie can turn the Titans into contenders remains to be seen but they are in one of the worst divisions in the league, so playoff dreams could come true.
Philadelphia Eagles
From the worst in the NFL to the best. With so much talk ahead of Super Bowl LIX surrounding the prospect of a Chiefs three-peat, Jalen Hurts and his Eagles showed that there was actually another team playing in the championship game. Now the next thing to do is to win it all over again.
Keeping a Super Bowl-winning team together isn’t always an easy job and there have been some departures already this offseason. Retaining Zack Braun was a big move though and this Eagles team should still be confident of winning the division again, at least. Back-to-back championships are not that common but this is one team who could get the job done.
Detroit Lions
After decades of minimal postseason activity, the Lions surprised everyone in 2023 by getting all the way to the NFC Championship game – and then only narrowly losing out to the 49ers. A lot was expected of this team last year and the regular season went just about as good as it could have done.
The Lions finished with the best record in the NFC and the promise of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Then the new surprise team – the Commanders – upended the script and Detroit’s season was over. The Lions could do with some new additions on both sides of the ball but they still have one of the best rosters in the league. Doing so badly in the playoffs last year will only inspire this team to do better in 2025.
Washington Commanders
So, can the Commanders do what the Lions were unable to last year? Washington had made even less of a dent in the playoffs than Detroit in recent years and had won only four games in 2023 before it changed everything last season. Much of the credit has to be given to rookie QB Jayden Daniels.
New head coach Dan Quinn put his faith in Daniels and the rookie fully repaid that. He broke the record for most rushing yards for a first-season QB, as the Commanders offense blew opponents away. That win over the Lions – in Detroit – came after the Bucs had been beaten in Tampa and it was only the eventual champions who ended Washington’s season. Expect greater things this year, with the addition of Deebo Samuels acting as a statement of intent.
Figure 2 The Eagles are expected to do well again – Source: Pixabay
Los Angeles Rams
After going all out to win the Super Bowl in 2021, the Rams have been something of an afterthought for many NFL fans ever since. There were just five wins the season after and postseasons have ended abruptly in the last two years. A weakened division now gives this team another chance to do something special.
There was a lot of concern over the future of Matthew Stafford but now that the talented QB is staying in Los Angeles, there can be greater belief in the Rams for 2025. Add to that offense mix the receiving talent of Davante Adams and things have gotten very exciting indeed. That combination could really take off this year and although a CB is desperately needed, a good draft pick could solve that issue and kickstart a successful season ahead.
Minnesota Vikings
No one really knew what was going to happen when Kirk Cousins swapped Minnesota for Atlanta last year – especially when Sam Darnold was given the chance to step up and call the shots as QB. He led the Vikings to 13 regular season wins and had everyone in the North excited before he reverted to type in the playoffs.
There was talk that Aaron Rodgers might pitch up in town but now it seems as though the Vikings are happy to go with J.J. McCarthy, who missed the chance of a rookie season after suffering a bad injury early on. There have been some really interesting additions on both sides of the ball already this offseason and Minnesota has one of the best WR duos in the NFL. This is one team not to be slept on when it comes to your NFL office pool.
