By Matthew Serocki, Lead NFL Columnist | August 25, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX last season. The redemptive win proved Sam Darnold had truly evolved. 2025 also fast-tracked New England’s rise from a 4-13 squad to a 14-3 team.
We’ve already made predictions for how each conference will finish:
NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
- LOS ANGELES RAMS (NFC WEST WINNER)
- DALLAS COWBOYS (NFC EAST WINNER)
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS (NFC NORTH WINNER)
- ATLANTA FALCONS (NFC SOUTH WINNER)
- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (WC 1)
- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (WC 2)
- GREEN BAY PACKERS (WC 3)
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
- BUFFALO BILLS (AFC EAST WINNER)
- LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (AFC WEST WINNER)
- HOUSTON TEXANS (AFC SOUTH WINNER)
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS (AFC NORTH WINNER)
- BALTIMORE RAVENS (WC 1)
- DENVER BRONCOS (WC 2)
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (WC 3)
With the seeds set above, the following are predictions for each round from the Wildcard to Conference Championships:
WILDCARD ROUND NFC
#7 Green Bay over #2 Dallas
#6 Philadelphia over #3 Minnesota
#5 Seattle over #4 Atlanta
WILDCARD ROUND AFC
#7 New England over #2 Los Angeles
#3 Houston over #6 Denver
#5 Baltimore over #4 Pittsburgh
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
#1 Los Angeles over #7 Green Bay
#5 Seattle over #6 Philadelphia
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
#1 Buffalo over #7 New England
#5 Baltimore over #3 Houston
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #1 Los Angeles over #5 Seattle
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: #5 Baltimore over #1 Buffalo
SUPER BOWL LXI: Los Angeles over Baltimore
Divisions like the NFC West and NFC East could have two teams with better records than some division winners. Due to the playoff structure, however, teams like the Seahawks and Eagles could be on the road for much of the post-season.
While the Seahawks should be among the top teams in the NFL again, they lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Rams improved greatly from last year (on paper), adding playmakers like Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and Jaylen Watson to the defense. Aaron Donald is also potentially coming out of retirement for one more shot at glory. All three games between the Rams and Seahawks were close last year. The Rams represent the NFC in 2026.
As for the AFC, Pittsburgh has slightly more turnover than Baltimore, adding an offensive mind in Mike McCarthy as head coach. Rico Dowdle and Michael Pittman should give Aaron Rodgers multiple options on every play.
When it comes to defense, however, new head coach Jesse Minter should shore up some inefficiencies that doomed Baltimore last year. Buffalo is always in the mix, but didn’t do much to upgrade its defense. The offense will roll, but it’s done that most years with Josh Allen. Having the edge in defense gets Lamar Jackson to the Super Bowl before Allen.
Like last year, the NFC Championship Game may be more competitive than the Super Bowl. The Ravens should be better, especially with a healthy Jackson. The Rams made many more important additions. Matt Stafford wins another ring before retiring in the off-season.
