2025 NFL Season Preview: Rams, Buccaneer's, Steelers, Bengals

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and welcome back to my 2025 preseason NFL countdown. The preseason has started, but that never really tells us much.

At number 12 I have the Los Angeles Rams. This ranking depends a lot on Matthew Stafford's health. I know he has had some off field injuries creep us as of late, but I attribute that to age more than anything. Stafford has proven that he will put up numbers when he is on the field. Kyren Williams is a good back that can make both in the run and pass game out of the backfield. Blake Corum seems primed to make himself known as well this season. Davante Adams comes in to pretty much replace Cooper Kuup. I'd rather have Adams for a myriad of reasons, mainly health. And he puts up great numbers. Puka Nacua has had two good seasons in a row, and I don't see that stopping anytime soon. Tyler Higbee is as reliable as they come at tight end. And the O line is pretty darn good. The defense used to be filled with names, but now they have lesser known guys that can play. Jared Verse is still really good as well. The D line should be improved and more experienced. The secondary is going to have to replace guys, but the new guys coming in are younger and hungrier to make a name for themselves. What it all really boils down to with this team is Sean McVay. He's a great head coach. He has been to two Super Bowls, winning one. He got this team back to the playoffs last season. This team goes as he goes and he is one of the best doing it right now. I say the Rams could easily win 12 games.

At number 11 I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield has proven himself. While not on the level of a superstar number one overall pick, he has found his footing in Tampa and he seems like a good QB to lead this team for the next couple years. Bucky Irving was a shockingly good player last year. My son picked him up and in fantasy and he produced pretty much every week for him. Mike Evans might be the most underrated number 1 wideout in the league. He is big, fast and catches pretty much everything. He also got paid. Chris Godwin is solid. I hated watching Emeka Egbuka in college, and that was because he was productive. That was a great pick by them. And the O line is serviceable. The defense still has Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr and Lavonte David. All three of those dudes are awesome. Haason Reddick had a decent year last year. And the coaching staff excels on the defensive side of the ball. The Bucs are kind of back. They should easily win their division with 10 or 11 wins this season.

At number 10 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are the team that decided it would be a good idea to sign Aaron Rodgers. He is over 40 now, insane and doesn't come close to producing like he did 10 years ago. He is a malcontent and an egomaniac. Jaylen Warren is the number 1 back now. Najee Harris is gone and it is Warren's job, and I think he is ready for the promotion. The Steelers were able to trade for DK Metcalf. Metcalf is big, strong and fast. He has been productive since he entered the NFL. But he too can be a little crazy from time to time. Roman Wilson should be able to do a bit more after missing most of last season due to injury. He was good in college and should be able to do some stuff in the pros. The O line is as good as usual. They always seem to have a good set of dudes on the O line. The defense is this team's calling card. Mike Tomlin has made his career on defense. TJ Watt got paid and is the anchor of the D line. They go as he goes and he usually goes pretty good. Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith are great linebackers. Jalen Ramsey is here for a ride. And Joey Porter Jr gets better and better every season. I loathe Aaron Rodgers and don't want anything good to happen to him. Unfortunately for me he has his best coach ever in Mike Tomlin and all that dude does is win. The Steelers will once again be a 10 plus win team and find their way into the playoffs.

The final team for the day, at number 9 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals offense is incredible. Joe Burrow is one of the five or six best QB's in the league. He has more than proven himself and he should have been in the MVP conversation last season. Joe Mixon was let go last year and Chase Brown easily slid into his spot. He brings running and receiving out of the backfield for this team. Ja'Marr Chase is the best wideout in football. He is open even if he is covered. He is faster than linebackers and much bigger than defensive backs. Chase is awesome. I may take him first overall if I get the number one pick in my fantasy league. Tee Higgins is a wonderful second receiver and a perfect complimentary piece to Ja'Marr Chase. The O line has gotten better ever since their Super Bowl run and I see more of the same this year. The defense is the problem. They should pay Trey Hendrickson. He's their best D lineman and one of the better edge rushers in football. I loved DJ Turner and Dax Hill in college, but I know very little about their NFL careers to this point. And the linebacker unit is not one of the better ones in the league. I feel like we got a glimpse of what this team will look like all season in their first preseason game. The offense easily went up and down the field and the defense did them no favors letting the opponent do just the same. But, Burrow and Chase are so good that I can see this team winning double digit games this year, right at 10.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

 Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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