Revisiting 2025 preseason bold predictions for 32 NFL teams - ESPN

Part of the predictions game is seeing how our forecasts fare. It's easy to make a prediction, but we also need to check in on them.

In the preseason, I made one bold prediction for every team as part of our preview of the 2025 season. These were big swings — things I thought could happen but would each be an upset. And five weeks into the season, we've learned a lot.

So it's time to revisit those predictions and find out how we are doing. Which ones are on track? Which could still happen? And which were so far off that we might as well make a new one? In some cases, five weeks means everything has changed. In others, not so much. In fact… one preseason prediction already hit!

Let's dive in now and see where we stand for all 32 teams.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Original prediction: QB Jaxson Dart will make his first start no later than Week 5.

Why we nailed it: Dart started in Week 4 after a slow start from veteran quarterback Russell Wilson that led to an 0-3 beginning of the season for the Giants. The rookie won in his debut against the Chargers, though he struggled this past Sunday with two interceptions and a 50.2 Total QBR (ninth worst in Week 5) in a loss to the Saints.

Original prediction: TE Dalton Kincaid will record at least 900 receiving yards.

Why it's on target: Kincaid is on pace for 976 yards (287 through five games). There is still a long way to go, particularly because Kincaid has run routes on only 57% of the Bills' dropbacks so far this season, but he's catching everything. Kincaid is sporting a plus-15% catch rate over expectation, per NFL