- The Cowboys will look to bounce back in 2025: After a disappointing 2024 season, Dallas — projected for eight wins by PFF — will be looking to make the playoffs in 2025.
- Tennessee’s PFF wins projection is higher than the bookmakers' line: The Titans' wins total sits at 5.5, while their PFF wins projection is 6.3.
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Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes
Training camp is underway, and the 2025 NFL season is drawing ever closer. Every team will have unique goals, but whether they are accomplished remains to be seen.
Bookmakers have set projected win totals for all 32 teams, and it’s more than likely that certain squads will blow past those numbers. We’re using our PFF's projected win totals to predict which five dark-horse teams can do just that in 2025.
Carolina Panthers
- PFF Wins Projection: 6.9
- FanDuel Wins Projection: O6.5
The Panthers have been in a rut since 2017, the last time the team had a winning season. Although they’re not expected to be real contenders in 2025, things are looking a little more rosy. Though a 5-12 record in 2024 doesn’t scream progression, Carolina was competitive every week in the second half of the season, and gave the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles — all playoff teams — a real run for their money.
The biggest positive to take from last season was Bryce Young‘s improvement once he stepped back into the starting role. Young earned a 74.4 PFF overall grade in 2024, but from Week 9 onward, he logged an 86.7 mark, ranking seventh among quarterbacks, and racked up the second-most big-time throws in the league. He looked more comfortable in the pocket and did well to stand in the pocket and make plays.
Carolina’s chances for improvement live and die with Young, but the front office has done what it can to put him in a better position to succeed. The offensive line is already one of the better units in the league, and adding wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft gives Young a true No. 1 receiver to target. McMillan caught 84 passes for 1,316 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024, earning an 84.8 PFF overall grade.
The front office invested heavily in the defense in free agency. The unit posted a 44.7 PFF overall grade in 2024, the lowest in the NFL, while allowing 31.4 points per game. Historically speaking, it was one of the worst defenses of all time. And surely that can’t repeat itself in 2025. The Panthers signed Tershawn Wharton, Trevon Moehrig, Patrick Jones II and Bobby Brown in free agency, while adding Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen through the draft. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has proven in the past that, with the right talent, he can get a defense humming.
The Panthers should benefit from a 28th-ranked strength of schedule and playing in the NFC South, routinely one of the weaker divisions in the NFL.
Tennessee Titans
- PFF Wins Projection: 6.3
- FanDuel Wins Projection: O5.5
It’s become a cliché over the summer, but Titans quarterback Cam Ward has been one of the least discussed No. 1 overall picks in recent history. Ward led the nation with a 92.5 PFF overall grade in 2024 and was the deserving top pick in the draft. He steps into the Titans’ starting lineup in place of Will Levis and immediately improves the offense. The offense earned a 62.4 PFF grade in 2024 and struggled to put points on the board, while the defense earned a 67.4 mark but allowed the third-most points per game.
The combination of a last-place schedule and residing in the AFC South means the Titans have a chance to outscore their win projection in 2025, which currently sits at 5.5 wins, while PFF’s wins projection places them at 6.3. The hope is that Ward is good enough to elevate the offense and hit the ground running, and his playmaking ability and poise put him in a strong position to do so. It helps, as well, that Tennessee's offensive line is in a much better position than a year ago.
The team added left tackle Dan Moore in free agency, which will allow 2024 first-round pick JC Latham to move back to right tackle after spending the year on the quarterback’s blindside. Peter Skoronski really kicked on in the second half of the 2024 season, earning an 85.4 PFF pass-blocking grade from Week 10 onward, the highest among all guards in the league. If his ascension continues, the Titans could have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. That’s a great place to be in, considering this was one of the worst units in the league in 2024.
The offensive ecosystem generally looks better, too. The Titans drafted receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike and tight end Gunnar Helm in the fourth round of the draft, and they added veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson in free agency. Calvin Ridley, who caught 64 passes for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns, earned a 73.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 and will continue to be the team’s top receiving option while hoping to build a connection with Ward.
Regardless of points allowed, the Titans' defense always plays hard, and the additions of Dre'Mont Jones, Cody Barton and Xavier Woods will likely help the unit stay on that path. There are still talent deficiencies, especially in the secondary, but the defensive front of Jeffery Simmons, Sebastian Joseph-Day and T'Vondre Sweat, with Jones and Arden Key on the edge, has a chance to be a real difference-maker in 2025. Don’t be shocked if a young Titans team pushes for the AFC South title.
Atlanta Falcons
- PFF Wins Projection: 8.0
- FanDuel Wins Projection: O7.5
The Falcons have felt on the cusp of a breakout for the past two seasons but have fallen short each time. Could 2025 finally be the year to end a playoff drought that stretches seven seasons?
The 2025 season will be the fourth straight year that the Falcons open with a new starting quarterback, with the team’s first-round pick from a year ago, Michael Penix Jr., set to lead the way. He earned an 84.1 PFF overall grade in his three starts in 2024 and flashed his arm talent with nine big-time throws. His connection with Drake London was a real bright spot for the team, and that’ll be something offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will continue to utilize this season.
Even if the Falcons' passing game endures the trials and tribulations of starting a young quarterback, they’ll have the benefit of leaning on one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL — a unit that ranked ninth in EPA per rush in 2024. The offensive line will have to recover from losing Drew Dalman in free agency, and new starting center Ryan Neuzil will have big shoes to fill, but this is still one of the best run-blocking units in the NFL.
Blocking for a star like Bijan Robinson makes life easier, too. Robinson rushed for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024, earning a 92.8 PFF overall grade.
The Falcons have the fourth-easiest schedule in 2025, and though the Buccaneers are the best bet to win the NFC South, Atlanta can run them close. However, they’ll need more from the defense in 2025. The additions of rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. will hopefully give the pass rush the juice that it’s been missing for a long time. If that happens, the Falcons are in a strong position to lift themselves to at least eight wins.
Seattle Seahawks
- PFF Wins Projection: 8.0
- FanDuel Wins Projection: O7.5
The Seahawks opted to move on from quarterback Geno Smith in the offseason, trading him to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick, which the team used to draft Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, while signing Sam Darnold to a three-year $100 million contract in free agency. On the surface, Smith to Darnold is a downgrade, but it allows the Seahawks to get younger and build around a new passer.
Darnold impressed in Kevin O'Connell’s offense in 2024, earning a career-high 80.7 PFF overall grade while completing 66.0% of his passes for 4,564 yards and 36 touchdowns. Whether that will translate to Klint Kubiak’s offense remains to be seen, but the offensive ecosystem surrounding Darnold will be better than the one given to Smith last season.
The Seahawks selected offensive lineman Grey Zabel in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and also added pass catchers Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo in the middle rounds. Pairing them with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who earned an 81.0 PFF overall grade in a breakout 2024 season, as well as veterans Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, gives the offense players who can attack every level of the field.
The Seahawks’ win projection sits at 7.5 games in 2025, while PFF’s wins projection has them at eight wins in 2025. Much of that optimism stems from the Seahawks' defense. Mike MacDonald’s defense allowed 21.6 points per game in 2024, earning a 69.8 PFF grade, and really kicked on down the stretch. The unit ranked sixth in EPA per play after their Week 10 bye until the end of the season, and the additions of veteran DeMarcus Lawrence and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori will likely allow the group to carry on growing into one of the best defenses in the league.
Even in a tough NFC West, the Seahawks have the 12th-easiest schedule in 2025. Though a playoff berth seems unlikely, they could still push for a wild-card spot and outperform their projected win total.
Dallas Cowboys
- PFF Wins Projection: 8.0
- FanDuel Wins Projection: O7.5
The Cowboys’ run of three straight 12-5 seasons ended in 2024, and so did the era of head coach Mike McCarthy. The team promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach, and then went about their business in trying to improve upon a 7-10 season a year ago. Having Dak Prescott back for a full season will go a long way. Prescott played just eight games in 2024, earning a 67.9 PFF overall grade, the lowest of his career. A bounce-back year for one of the game’s best quarterbacks is likely.
Dallas' front office did an excellent job during the draft and free agency, spending its first-round pick on Alabama guard Tyler Booker and trading for George Pickens, giving the team an excellent upgrade at receiver. Pairing Pickens with CeeDee Lamb, who topped 1,100 receiving yards for the fourth straight season, gives Prescott a dynamic receiver duo, something he hasn’t had for a couple of seasons. The Cowboys' rushing game is still a work in progress, though the additions of Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and rookie Jaydon Blue can all help in different ways.
The sticking point for the Cowboys is the state of the division. The Eagles are reigning Super Bowl champions, while the Commanders are clearly a team on the rise. But the Cowboys are still talented enough to clear their 7.5-win line. The defense is returning one of the best players in football, Micah Parsons, and he alone is a pure force multiplier who can elevate the unit. Parsons earned a 90.0 PFF overall grade in 2024 despite missing four games.
Dallas added excellent pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round of the draft, and off-ball linebacker DeMarvion Overshown will return early in the season after suffering a knee injury in 2024. The Cowboys' defense, a unit that earned a 62.9 PFF grade in 2024 (27th), needs to be better in 2025. It’s plausible, especially with Matt Eberflus stepping in to be the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Having a quarterback like Prescott gives the Cowboys a strong floor to begin with, and they’ll likely be hunting for a playoff berth once more.
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