The NFC didn’t just win two straight championships, they demolished their AFC opponents. Philadelphia crushed the AFC best Chiefs two years ago. At one point, they led 40-6 in their game. Then Seattle whooped New England. The Patriots didn’t score until the fourth quarter, and the Seahawks sacked regular season MVP candidate Drake Maye six times. Seattle lost three games last season by a total of nine points. Head coach Mike Macdonald became the eighth head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his first postseason appearance. The Seahawks and Eagles are the undoubted favorites in the NFC to go far in the playoffs this year.
However, the conference isn’t just a two team race. Many see the Los Angeles Rams as the Super Bowl representative this year. The entire NFC North will be up for grabs and at least one team won’t make the postseason. Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay are seen as playoff contenders. Every division race will be a slugfest and have a lot of drama.
Unfortunately, not all the teams mentioned above will make the playoffs since there are seven spots. It’s time to break down which seven teams in the conference have the best chance to reach the playoffs this season. There are a lot of quality teams, so expect a thrilling journey to the end of the season and some surprises based on this years draft and last years film.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks brought most of last year’s roster back, including Leonard Williams (left, contract extension) and DeMarcus Lawrence (who announced this is his last season).
There is no doubt two teams make the playoffs in the NFC West. Unlike last season, there won’t be a three team race for first place. Arizona will be a bottom three team in the league and San Francisco’s long mess of a calendar year will continue. Seattle and Los Angeles are two of the three titans in the conference that eyes will lock onto and the NFL will push to the forefront. While both teams play each other twice in the last three weeks of the regular season, pressure will mount each month and both team philosophies will constantly clash in sports media.
East: Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys
Head coach Nick Sirianni surprisingly has a lot of pressure on him to do well this season despite getting Philadelphia into the playoffs every year since his hiring and a Super Bowl championship. Despite the harsh criticisms, the offense and defense must play better this year.
Philadelphia is the other juggernaut in this conference and will be a favorite to advance past wild-card weekend. The Eagles traded receiver A.J. Brown after a drama-filled 2025-26 season, replaced their offensive and defensive coordinators, and revamped the offensive line. Better play-calling and play from the offense and secondary should erase speculation of how good head coach Nick Sirianni is at his job.
It is tempting to go with a more talked about team this offseason like New York or if Washington can climb back to where they left off two years ago, but neither seems favorable. The Giants still have a messy roster and the older, more decrepit unit the Commanders trot out won’t be enough to sniff the postseason. That leaves Dallas as a good wildcard pick.
Former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker should have some success this year after Dallas’ defense set franchise and league worst records last season.
The Cowboys wound up surprising viewers last year after the offense and special teams dragged them to a sub-.500 record. Quarterback Dak Prescott was in MVP conversations for half the season and kicker Brandon Aubrey cemented himself as one of the league’s best kickers. The defense was dreadful, but more talent was added this offseason. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has his players fully committed into practices and games. Though the offense and special teams might not be as stellar this season, the defense should improve and make sure there are some easier wins. That would be good enough to get Dallas back into the postseason.
South: New Orleans Saints
New Orleans is a playoff contender because of head coach Kellen Moore’s optimism and thoroughness.
Yet again, the NFC south will be awful. Do not be surprised if another sub-.500 team makes it out with a home game next wildcard weekend. The true headache is figuring out which team will win this division. All four teams have plenty of weaknesses, but some are too much to look past. Atlanta has no starting caliber quarterback to make a difference, which is a shame because the current roster would give many teams fits in the playoffs if any of the NFL’s top 20 quarterbacks were on the Falcons. Tampa Bay is already fractured because of last year’s dismal end to the regular season and a worse offseason. Carolina will be most analysts’ pick, but season ending injuries to most of their incoming draft class and defensive talent means this could be another year of dreadful play from the Panthers. There is one team that stands out though.
That would be New Orleans. Yes, the Saints are not fully stable at quarterback yet, but they play hard and are coached well. Kellen Moore made the most out of a terrible situation last year and New Orleans almost made the playoffs in the last two weeks of the regular season. Tyler Shough is a work in progress but proved to viewers he can win crucial games, especially in the division. That might be enough to squeak into the fourth conference seed if the defense and offensive talent around Shough keep improving.
NFC North: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears
Kyler Murray (with ball) is back to full health and on a new, more competitive team. Thankfully, that means audiences don’t have to watch J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer anymore.
At first glance, the North seems the most competitive division in this conference. A closer look shows it’s a two team race. Green Bay is in serious trouble over the Micah Parsons trade and a regressing offense. Detroit’s defense is already banged up and a regular season game hasn’t been played yet. The Lions can’t beat teams by outscoring them with outrageous numbers every week. That leaves Minnesota and Chicago as the two competent teams.
The Vikings already have an elite defense thanks to coordinator Brian Flores. They also have a good special teams unit. What they needed was a quarterback who didn’t play blind, untalented or as the common civilian like J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer do. Minnesota signed Kyler Murray, Arizona’s former 2019 number one overall pick. Murray is debatably the best running/scrambling quarterback on an NFL roster. With Kyler Murray out of the west and with a more competent head coach in Kevin O’Connell, he could put up career best numbers this season. There is a lot of pressure on the Vikings to make a deep playoff run, and the players feel and want it. Minnesota could surprise many throughout the year.
Chicago’s Ben Johnson could have the last laugh on which teams face each other in the playoffs.
Then there is Chicago. The Bears had a whole lot of luck last season and were at least a DJ Moore catch away against Los Angeles from making the conference championship. A number of analysts believe the Bears will come back down to earth and have some regression. There are valid reasons: the pass rush and run defense look to be among the lower half of the league, and it doesn’t help that Chicago lost a good amount of talent in their secondary. Still, the offense should make progress and play consistently for all four quarters more than they did last season. Special teams and scheduling will be questioned each week. Since the Bears wound up first in the north last year, it will take a lot more skill to repeat as division champions. Chicago has more going for it than Green Bay and Detroit, and there isn’t another NFC team able to step up or close the gap even if the Bears are in a slump. A wildcard spot is just right in Johnson’s second season as head coach.
Total 2025-2026 regular and postseason NFC picks: 7-6
The last two years have been tough for the American Football Conference. Despite more competition with Kansas City, the AFC is much weaker compared to the NFC. That weakness has led all 16 teams in this conference to re-think and approach roster construction differently. While the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and Texans are favorites to reach the Super Bowl, at least a half dozen other teams are playoff hopefuls, and two plan to defend their conference championship appearance. Of the four divisions, the west is the strongest. Meanwhile, the other three divisions could have any team come up on top and no wild card team make the postseason.
As all 16 AFC teams prepare for another season, the conference must continue to address their management issues, roster construction/adjustments, and how to win another Super Bowl. It’s time to break down which seven teams in the AFC have the best chance of reaching the playoffs in 2027.
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens
A fully healthy Lamar Jackson (8) and new head coach with better game-planning makes Baltimore the easiest choice to win the north.
No team was sicker Seattle’s head coach Mike Macdonald won Super Bowl 60 last season than the Baltimore Ravens. Macdonald was the architect of an elite, shut-down defense before the Seahawks hired him (after letting go of their all-time winningest head coach Pete Carroll) in 2024 and the Ravens continued to support John Harbaugh. Owner Steve Bisciotti quickly fired Harbaugh and brought in the closest coach/person to Mike Macdonald they could find: Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter was also on Baltimore’s staff when Macdonald ran the defense.
This season, Baltimore should return to what many were used to seeing from them before the last two seasons. Jesse Minter will have some rough patches, but the veteran, exceptionally talented roster will make his first year as a head coach smoother than what most first year hires will have. What helps Minter more now will be how the other three north teams won’t be much of a factor toward their division winning paths. Any positive gains Cleveland and Pittsburgh make on offense this season will be erased by their depleted or older defenses. Cincinnati is elite on offense and special teams, but they have no linebacker or secondary depth. That will be exposed as the season goes on and injuries become a factor.
East: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots
Buffalo is taking a chance with their Super Bowl window after they hired a new, inexperienced head coach take over. Former head coach Sean McDermott got the Bills close to multiple championship appearances.
The east could be the hardest division to figure out in the conference this season. Yes, Buffalo and New England are the front runners to win the division. However, both teams could face a series of setbacks this season. While the Bills have a new head coach and more importantly, a season long experiment switching from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 one, they are more poised to win the east.
Buffalo’s Joe Brady will have a lot to prove this season. Like New England, the Bills will have a rough first half to their schedule. One positive they have over the Patriots is the lack of off-field distractions. Buffalo also addressed their position needs in the offseason, adding receiver DJ Moore, linebacker Bradley Chubb, center Lloyd Cushenberry and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Bills could have a slow start, but watch out the closer we get to 2027.
A.J. Brown was the most coveted player by New England’s front office, coaching staff and…Diana Russini? What a season this will be for the Patriots.
While Buffalo will be scrutinized for their play, New England will be criticized and watched closely on and off the field. General manager Eliot Wolf had a great off-season, adding more talent at wide receiver with the signing of Romeo Doubs and trading for disgruntled Philadelphia star A.J. Brown. Wolf also bulked up the defense by signing turnover magnet safety Kevin Byard III and linebacker Dre’Mont Jones. In many ways, the Patriots have a better roster than they did last season.
Despite New England’s active offseason, they will have a rough time this year. The Diana Russini scandal that almost every major sports outlet, journalist and reporter tried to downplay and cover up in the offseason will be in front of every NFL fandoms’ mind, especially with fanbases of teams New England plays this year. Speaking of schedule, the Patriots one is just as vicious as Buffalo’s. New England may not have won the Super Bowl last season, but they still went to the championship round and won a conference championship. They have just as large a target on their back as Seattle, Los Angeles and Denver. This could be a great season for the Patriots, but it could also be a hellacious year that won’t ease up on or off the field. As Mike Vrabel could learn from his predecessor, sometimes less is more.
South: Houston Texans
Houston made a smart move this season extending defensive end Will Anderson Jr. He’s a reason the Texans have one of the NFL’s best defenses.
On paper, the South is the second best division in the AFC. On the field, there are both a lot of inexperience and question marks. Tennessee will have more growing pains on the offensive line, defense and special teams. Indianapolis has a decaying roster and Jacksonville will face regression on both offense and defense.
That means Houston is the de facto best team. The Texans beefed up depth on the offensive line and wide receiver after last year’s season ending injuries to Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz. On defense, Houston retains almost all their star playmakers in the secondary and even added more talent like former Philadelphia safety and defensive captain Reed Blankenship. Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud IV now has no excuses heading into his fourth season. If he plays poorly this year and the Texans don’t have a deep playoff run, Houston will look for another quarterback to compliment a Super Bowl worthy roster.
West: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos
Kansas City’s odds to return to the Super Bowl improved when they signed Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency.
Great news everybody! No prediction in the AFC West this year about every team making the playoffs! Las Vegas should have a bold and educational first season with Klint Kubiak as head coach, but the other three teams will capitalize on the Raiders’ early season mistakes to keep them at the bottom for now. The other three teams are serious contenders to at least make it to the divisional round.
Kansas City will again lead the way. Until head coach Andy Reid’s brain stops working, quarterback Patrick Mahomes II can’t throw a ball anymore or defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo forgets what a defense is, the Chiefs will remain the favorites to go all the way in the conference. Love it or hate it, that is how all 15 teams in the AFC see it every season. Mahomes back to full health is the deciding factor for which team takes the division.
Could this be the season six year veteran Justin Herbert finally wins a playoff game?
Kansas City will have two teams in the division nipping at their heels. Throughout most of the Reid-Mahomes era, Denver and Los Angeles have played them close, and this year will be no different. The Chargers look to at least be second best in the west with the addition of former head coach Mike McDaniel at offensive coordinator. Los Angeles should have one of the best offenses in the NFL…if they can get past a brutal seven game schedule that has them facing Buffalo, reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, the Rams, Houston, and Baltimore. If the Chargers leave that seven game stretch over .500, they will coast into the playoffs.
Los Angeles could lose out on the division title because of the defense and special teams. New defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary has his hands full with an aging defense that features solid depth but no standout players outside of safety Derwin James Jr. and tackle Teair Tart. Jesse Minter made Los Angeles’ defense one of the more appreciated units in the NFL. O’Leary’s defense may not feature a lot of the same creativity and precision. As for the special teams, kicker Cameron Dicker had one of his best years last season. Those who have followed the NFL for a while are aware the Chargers have been plagued by special teams problems when everything else goes well and no one expects it. Given how great they were last year, a regression is likely.
Expect this look on Sean Payton’s face for a good part of the 2026-27 season!
It was hard to pick which NFL team would round out the top seven in this conference. Any of the south teams (after Houston) have a good case to be playoff bound. The Jets are a great dark horse pick, but they don’t have the talent to enter this conversation. That leaves Denver, which will be an interesting team to watch throughout the season.
Like New England, the Broncos will face more resistance just for playing in the conference championship. While Denver played an ugly game outside of their first score, they took out the Super Bowl favorite Bills and upended the franchise’s title aspirations with Sean McDermott as head coach. The Broncos will also face similar offensive issues much like they did last season with quarterback play. Inconsistent starter Bo Nix returns after he broke his leg earlier in January.
The biggest issue Denver could face is with play-calling. Offensive coordinator Davis Webb will call plays instead of head coach Sean Payton because Payton desperately wanted him to stay on staff. Sean Payton will have to give Webb a good amount of autonomy throughout the season since the promotion, but many wonder if that will be the case the longer the season goes and Denver plays to secure a high playoff seed, much less a playoff game. Expect a lot of Broncos drama this season, but enough determination from them to clinch one of the lower two wildcard seeds.
Total 2025-2026 regular and postseason AFC picks: 7-6
This article contains multiple opinions that have been supported and given the green light by the editor, promoter and owner of this website. These views contain the true thoughts and happiness of the writer regarding one of America’s top sports teams.
The 2025-2026 NFL season was unlike any other. Every week was wild and there were few consistencies. Both Super Bowl participants from the prior season struggled almost every week they played. Three of the eight divisions had at three teams that could make a deep run in the playoffs. The number of comebacks defied expectations.
Yet one consistency remained: Seattle played like the best team even in a loss. In the game that wound up being the Seahawks worst loss and lowest moment of the year, the offense turned the ball over five times against Los Angeles on November 16th. Still, Seattle was yards away from sweeping the Rams despite kicker Jason Myers missing a 61 yard field goal attempt. Every franchise painfully longs for that consistency in a landmark Super Bowl year.
So what made the Seahawks second Super Bowl championship a contender for the best or most special moment in franchise history? Was it the dominant defense in a second year head coach’s tenure? How about playing almost every important game in the NFL’s most feared stadium? Maybe it was beating almost a dozen teams that won at least eight games during the season, with at least eight of them against teams with double digit wins? Could it have been because Seattle was in the top ten of almost every major statistic on all three sides of the ball?
The Seahawks got to claim division rival San Francisco’s home locker room as their own throughout Super Bowl week. Just another reason Seattle had the best and most special season in franchise history.
All of those are a yes, but there was a lot more to appreciate. The Seahawks dominated/won every game they were supposed to. Quarterback Sam Darnold exorcised his “ghosts” against pivotal teams from Minnesota, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New England. The offensive line was the best since the 2005 Super Bowl run. Two thorough beatdowns of the 49ers wounded the northern California franchise…which had to host and watch their pacific northwest division rivals win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. For all the traveling Seattle does each season, it was poetic that the furthest they had to travel in the last month of the season was to Santa Clara, California (twice).
The other two division rivals fared no better. Arizona was the only NFC West team the Seahawks swept. Los Angeles went from thinking Seattle would be easy to beat to having two postgame meltdowns in their losses at the Emerald City. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald not only out dueled Rams head coach Sean McVay when it mattered most, but he made Los Angeles spiral mentally top to bottom. There’s a chance star receiver Puka Nacua is in a similar situation as former receiver Antonio Brown with his rapidly deteriorating mental acuity. Outside linebacker Jared Verse admitted once the Seahawks got the edge early in the conference championship, the Rams defense had no idea how to flip things around. Now the Rams must figure out what has to be fixed on every side of the ball compared to how things were in mid-January.
When it came to Super Bowl hopefuls, Seattle played some of their best football of the season. A closer game than many expected against Jacksonville ended as a double digit win because of turnovers and Jaguar special teams mistakes. The Seahawks defense treated Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud IV like a punching bag in a dominant October 20th Monday night 27-19 win. A run heavy, one-sided performance in San Francisco lit up the final week of the regular season. If any team wanted to beat the Seahawks, they needed every one dialed in with some luck and maybe bad officiating to get a close win. That almost never happened.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald created a helmet tree at the beginning of the 2025-26 season to create more winning motivation. More teams could try and replicate something like this next year.
Maybe the sweetest thing about this Super Bowl win is that unlike 2013-14, it was completely unexpected. Unlike the Super Bowl 48 season, every serious sports analyst (including the ones here on jdsportscorner) had Mike Macdonald’s team as a wild card team at best. Most believed the defense and special teams were great, but the offense was a big question mark with a rookie left guard as the highlight new player. “Everyone” knew Sam Darnold may have won 14 games with the Vikings the year before, but he didn’t show up in games where the stakes were raised. The losses of talented pass catchers D.K. Metcalf, Noah Fant and offensive captain Tyler Lockett meant third year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be the main receiver. Outside of Smith-Njigba and maybe second year tight-end AJ Barner, who could step up at wide receiver or tight-end and put opposing secondaries on their heels? This was an objective, reasonable and well-thought out take and question many analysts had.
This is why general manager John Schneider earned the Executive of the Year award. Drafting receiver Tory Horton (even though he was on injured reserve half the season) was an underrated, perfect pick. The trade for receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed changed the season’s trajectory. The signing of veteran, division rival Cooper Kupp did wonders for everyone on the roster who could catch a pass. Kupp played his best in every important game. Then the running game finally broke out with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet splitting carries and responsibilities throughout the season. When one faltered, the other came in and put the offense back on track.
There were franchise and league records set in this dominant Super Bowl run. Seattle’s average playoff win margin was 18.3, the highest since their twin Buccaneers in 2003. The Seahawks had the most road wins for any team in Levi’s Stadium history with nine. They trailed for only 95 seconds the entire postseason, the best since 1991 Washington and easily the best this century. Seattle became the first Super Bowl champion to not have a turnover the entire playoffs. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde became the first British coach to win a Super Bowl. Head coach Mike Macdonald became the first head coach to win a Super Bowl as the primary defensive play-caller. Macdonald won a championship in dominant fashion on his first trip to the playoffs as a head coach like another NFC west rival head coach did. That coach was Bill Walsh. Mike Macdonald is also the third head coach to lead a number one scoring defense as a coordinator, lead a number one scoring defense as a coach and win the Super Bowl as a head coach. The other two? Bill Belichick and Chuck Noll.
Even before the season ended, teams like Baltimore and Las Vegas were trying to find the next Mike Macdonald
All of this speaks volumes to how much care and consideration have been put into the Seahawks under current owner Jody Allen. Personally, my favorite thing with Seattle this year is how all the players don’t just like, love and care about each other, but they also like, love and care about the whole fanbase. When I was in Nashville for Seattle’s 30-24 win against the Titans on November 23rd, I saw firsthand how the players and coaches love and enjoy interacting with regular people. A guy next to me was promised by cornerback Tariq Woolen he’d sign his hat and shirt. Woolen, jokingly hoping to not get caught, was more than thrilled to talk with us and interact with those around us. I found out live that AJ Barner purposely loves finding fans after games just to interact with them. The first thing Barner did after exiting Nissan Stadium was to head over and say hello to fans, sign things and chat with those in nearest proximity to him. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, punter Michael Dickson and kicker Jason Myers instantly lit up seeing the fans near the locked gate near the team buses. There were even parents of players like tight end Elijah Arroyo who took pictures with fans even before leaving for the airport. Then there’s me, the person writing this article, and fan-guy for the day who chanted for Mike Macdonald to be coach of the year. We saw Macdonald smile and fight temptation to turn around and say something. Unfortunately, he kept his composure. Macdonald probably got a lot of that this season in King County, Washington. He probably never expected that in Nashville, Tennessee.
From easier, regular season wins to the Super Bowl parade, star players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to rookies like Grey Zabel didn’t think for a second they were better than anyone else outside the field or inside the building. In fact, when Zabel struck a conversation with Williams during a game late in the regular season on how to improve against an opposing guard, the veteran listened to his teammate. Many learned after that moment that both players helped and talked with each other throughout the season, suggesting how they could improve and what to keep in mind. The coaches, higher management, personnel and security turned words to actions on practicing what they preach, and it showed with the players every day.
Speaking of higher management, Seattle’s ownership could change by the end of the 2026-2027 season. If that is the case and say, things don’t improve (I knocked on wood after writing this), it makes this dominant Super Bowl win even more special. The Allens turned an afterthought team into one of the NFL’s most coveted organizations, continually changing how the game is played. The NFL also has made the Seahawks a team to promote on at least three different continents both in and outside the U.S. If you don’t believe ownership has changed much, then check out the image below.
Paul Allen’s ownership turned the Seahawks into a bona fide winner after the NFL re-aligned divisions in 2002. Seattle has only had one last place season in their 24 year history as an NFC team. Their stadium is fully paid off and generates surplus revenue for the public. That stadium is also the envy of the NFL, and several owners have tried to replicate the designs. The Seahawks also have one thing few teams claim in the sport: a total monopoly over their region and nearby out-of-state markets. That doesn’t happen if Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen didn’t buy the team in 1997.
It wouldn’t be a memorable, unforgettable season without a few cherries on top. Seattle dominating, winning and being the NFL’s face of the season means more on a special anniversary. This year, both the Buccaneers and Seahawks celebrated their 50th NFL anniversary. While both teams have many differences, they both won two titles each in their first 50 years of existence. Most teams can only dream of just playing in one Super Bowl. It’s incredible both franchises have accomplished this much after a rough few decades last century.
More milestones stand out for Seattle more than for Tampa Bay. On the 20th anniversary of a painful, controversial Super Bowl 40 loss, the Seahawks soared back and won their second title. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won that controversial Super Bowl 20 years ago, lost one of their best head coaches in franchise history, imploded in the wildcard round, face a major roster re-build over the next few seasons, and had the lowest grade and worst rated owner in what’s likely the final release of the NFLPA’s franchise report cards. Over a decade ago in what many still consider the best Super Bowl played, Seattle lost after an agonizing set of plays to New England. Not only did the Seahawks get to settle the score, but they capped off an odd season for the Patriots. New England started their season with a week one loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, led by former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith. They ended their season with a Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. When retired Patriot and Buccaneer great Tom Brady enjoyed calling national games in Seattle to the point he didn’t want to pick a Super Bowl winner, it should have shown more viewers how much he respects and to a degree, appreciates the franchise.
Finally, while many don’t know this, another factor making this a particularly special season, especially for those in the organization, was how many beloved people were lost throughout the year. For anyone who either didn’t have the chance to watch the victory parade or didn’t know, a lot of players and front office staff lost their fathers throughout the season. While it is saddening that a good number of parents didn’t get to see their sons become world champions, best believe they would be proud of how dominant, relentless and determined they were throughout the year. Maybe Seattle can do what they have not done before and follow up with a repeat championship. Perhaps there are a lot more moments for that victory than this one. Still, it will never take away how great this second Super Bowl win was and the plethora of once-in-a-lifetime moments and memories.
Be honest, you know you expected a goal-line reference at some point while reading the article. One does not simply lie on this website.
The Super Bowl features the best team in each conference. Seattle and New England mirror each other in their running games, solid quarterback play and total defense. Both offensive and defensive lines play better each week and the secondaries know when to shut down receivers. It is now time to reveal which team has the best chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and why.
#1 Seattle Seahawks v. #2 New England Patriots
The NFC’s top seed and the AFC’s second seed both excel in running the ball, executing deep-ball plays and have a lot of speedy playmakers. These combinations may result in one of the best games of the year. It is an unexpected sequel to the championship matchup from 11 years ago. Although both head coaches have defensive-first philosophies (the first since Super Bowl 51), the names in this re-match are different.
Like the last time these teams met in Super Bowl 49, both the winner of this game and the champion of the 2025-26 season will be determined by which team’s defense makes the bigger plays and forces the quarterback to make more mistakes. Pass rush is the most important factor because of how well both teams run the ball. Seattle has better depth at the edge-rusher positions and at defensive tackle. One big disadvantage could be veteran linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence against left tackle Will Campbell. Lawrence is one of the best and smartest outside linebackers who is feared by several tackles. He finds ways to beat and get past them. Campbell was surprisingly the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. He was picked higher than many predicted despite his shorter arms and wingspan. The Patriots have had a drop-back success rate of 39.8% and a rushing success rate of 31.7% in their three playoff games. That would have ranked second-to-last and last if it were during the regular season. Seattle’s front wall of Lawrence, Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed, Brandon Pili, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Leonard Williams ranked eighth in sacks and were third against the run. Any pass rush where the front four can generate tons of pressure without assistance is dangerous for any opposing offense. Believe they will take advantage of New England’s weaknesses almost every snap.
If Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finds open receivers and hangs in the pocket long enough to read the field, he’ll have to beat a deep Seahawks secondary. Receivers Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, and tight-ends Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry give most secondaries problems. They bring a lot of experience and precise route running. Seattle can easily counter with their defensive back depth that features Devon Witherspoon, Quandre Diggs, Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe, Julian Love, Ty Okada, Tariq Woolen, Shaquill Griffin, and defensive rookie of the year Nick Emmanwori. It will be hard for Maye to find a receiver who isn’t in double coverage every passing play.
On the opposite end, the Patriots front seven struggled to sack opposing quarterbacks throughout the season, but stepped up and averaged four in their last three playoff games. They’re sixth best against the run. However, New England hasn’t faced an offensive line like the Seahawks. Seattle’s whole line is healthy and has received high ratings against end rushers. The runningback tandem of Kenneth Walker III and George Holani will be a problem since the Patriots face a mismatch at the line of scrimmage.
The Seahawks passing attack has been one of the NFL’s best this season. Tight-ends A.J. Barner, Eric Saubert and Elijah Arroyo could dominate the middle of the field against the Patriots linebackers. Receivers like the 2026 Offensive Player of the Year and league leader in yards Jaxon Smith-Njigba, former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and deep-field threat Rashid Shaheed could be too much for New England’s Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones. Smith-Njigba got the better of Gonzalez the last time they played and both Smith-Njigba and Kupp don’t give away routes or hints at the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Sam Darnold has had brutal games against the Patriots in the past, and with head coach Mike Vrabel having a similar playbook as his predecessor, there are valid reasons to believe Darnold could have a turnover filled game. Despite the valid takes, there is no doubt Vrabel will have his hands full against these receivers when he calls defensive plays.
As in every Super Bowl, coaching will determine who wins this game. Both Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald know how to make adjustments, listen to their players and get creative with play-calling. Although Vrabel is one of the best head coaches to come from the Bill Belichick tree, Macdonald gets the nod here. New England had the easiest schedule (via every NFL schedule predictor) in the regular and postseason. A season split versus the Buffalo Bills were the hardest games the Patriots played. Seattle played 12 teams that won eight games or more. Of those wins, three were against division winners and two versus division rivals with at least 12 wins in three attempts (each). The Seahawks maintained some of the NFL’s best stats despite playing some of the most complete teams start to finish.
Even the special teams units favor Seattle. The veteran, All-Pro caliber trio of kicker Jason Myers, punter Michael Dickson and returner Rashid Shaheed could tilt the game towards the Seahawks favor or get them a win in the final seconds. New England’s rookie kicker Andy Borregales will have more pressure to play perfect against one of the NFL’s best special teams.
Finally, Seattle’s stats after a bye week are resounding. Mike Macdonald is undefeated and the Seahawks have outscored opponents 99-37. They have never allowed more than 17 points as a defense or scored fewer than 20 points as an offense in those games. New England simply does not have enough talent or firepower to win this game.
Super Bowl 60 Winning Prediction: Seahawks win Super Bowl 31-17 and take home their second Vince Lombardi Trophy
Three games remain. Four teams with two in each conference. The remaining two in the NFC are the west wildcard Los Angeles Rams and the west division winning and conference leading Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have potent offenses, solid quarterbacks, hard-hitting defenses, and intelligent coaches. It is time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.
#5 Los Angeles Rams v. #1 Seattle Seahawks
Another division rivalry in the conference finals will make this one of the best and most memorable games of the 2025-26 season.
Conference championship games featuring division rivalries are some of the best and most memorable playoff games in NFL history. Casual viewers can remember which year a team won a Super Bowl because of a rare, divisional matchup in this round. It’s also more fun if the teams split their regular season series.
Los Angeles hasn’t played well throughout the playoffs. Chicago struggled to get pressure and sack opposing quarterbacks during the regular season, but had success against the Rams. Los Angeles’ defense has faltered since Thanksgiving weekend, giving up 20+ points in five of their last seven games. Poor defensive performances put a lot of pressure on the offense to win a lot of shootouts. That’s not a winning formula.
Coincidentally, Seattle has solidified their claim as the NFL’s best team. Head coach Mike Macdonald is undefeated when his team faces an opponent they have already played that season. The Seahawks depth on the defensive line and secondary will keep this a lower scoring game than the last matchup in Lumen Field. An almost fully healthy offensive line and the return of running back George Holani off injured reserve makes Seattle’s offense more dangerous and adds more pressure on defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s predictable defense.
Better play from quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and runningback Kenneth Walker III (9) has Seattle one win away from the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks have more advantages than the Rams. Los Angeles will again play in a colder, outdoor climate. Seattle’s offense has taken better care of the football, posting an NFL best plus seven turnover ratio since their first game against the Rams in week eleven. More importantly, the Seahawks are more fresh and rested compared to a battle-weary Los Angeles roster. This will stand out in the second half, especially if the game is close. Seattle has also played a division rival their last two games. That means the Seahawks are dialed in to play physical and nasty on every side of the ball. Los Angeles hasn’t played a mean opponent in a month. A fresher, nastier and more physical team on every side of the ball may be too much for the Rams to handle.
Finally, this conference finals game will be in Seattle. One could argue that while the Seahawks are undefeated in conference finals games played at home, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay is also undefeated in conference championship matchups. However, McVay has never had to coach the Rams in a sold out Lumen Field in the postseason. This is also the ninth game since 1970 in the conference championship or later to feature the NFL’s top offense versus the NFL’s top defense. The top defensive team is 7-1 in the first eight matchups. Both Seattle and quarterback Sam Darnold have been plagued by Los Angeles getting the last laugh too many times. This is the weekend head coach Mike Macdonald flips the narrative, reclaims the Seahawks dominance of the West and wins the NFC George Halas trophy.
Prediction: Seahawks win the NFC championship 30-24 and advance to Super Bowl LX
John Gibson might be the NHL’s best goaltender since December 2025
When former team captain Steve Yzerman was hired to be Detroit’s general manager back in 2019, Red Wings fans were ecstatic. It had been three years since Detroit made the Stanley Cup playoffs. The roster wasn’t good and the minor league systems had no pro-level talent. Yzerman went from building up a roster in what many consider the best team of the 21st century in Tampa Bay, to figuring out how the Red Wings could become relevant again. As many expected, it has been rough.
Unlike many viewers, this website and those affiliated don’t see Steve Yzerman as the problem holding back Detroit. Many fans and pundits firmly believed the former captain would have instant success after the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted. After all, current captain Dylan Larkin finally had some help on the first and second lines. Goaltending was fine, but nowhere close to being the best in the NHL. Defensemen pairings were a problem, and depth scoring was non-existent. That meant more changes in both free agency and the draft. Yzerman stayed the course.
Three years after the pandemic lifted, the Red Wings came within a few games of clinching their first postseason spot of the 2020s. Injuries, lack of defensive depth and average goaltending were reasons Detroit missed out. Add in division losses, especially a sweep by Ottawa in their regular season series, and that made a lot more viewers frustrated. Questions ranged from what was the front office and ownership doing, to hometown fans wanting more people out the door because the amount of offensive production was being wasted on plug-in acquisitions.
After a disappointing 2024-25 season where the Red Wings plunged in the standings after Larkin missed a month with an illness, upper and lower body injuries, the noise reached a tipping point against the front office. It’s important to highlight that when Steve Yzerman first came back as general manager, Detroit had almost no workable talent in both their minor and major league levels. Former general manager Ken Holland traded those players away in order to keep the Red Wings playoff streak alive and maybe get close to the conference finals. That meant whoever came in had to build everything back up. Former number one overall pick and the former Lightning general manager Brian Laughton (hilariously, he was their GM before Yzerman took his job) once said in an NHL Network off-season segment that if a team commits to a full re-build, the process takes about a decade to complete. This is year six of Steve Yzerman’s tenure.
That brings us to this year. Like four other U.S. original six teams, it is Detroit’s centennial season. Unlike Boston and Chicago, there were expectations for the Red Wings. It might not be the Stanley Cup finals expectations the Rangers had, but a playoff berth was objective. Detroit traded for Anaheim’s prized goaltender John Gibson and kept backup Cam Talbot. They signed Travis Hamonic in the offseason and brought up Emmitt Finnie from the minor leagues. Due to how the talent Yzerman drafted and acquired in trades needed time for development, the Red Wings added more veterans the last few off-seasons. Centers and forwards Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, Patrick Kane, Mason Appleton, and James Van Riemsdyk were great for scoring depth, the power-play and five-on-five offense. Detroit’s defense got boosts with Hamonic and Ben Chiarot playing a lot of minutes and helping the younger players develop and ease into starting roles. The defense is easily the biggest issue Yzerman still must to work on long-term. Though, with one of the league’s best offenses and special teams consistently scoring, that won’t matter for a while.
If you wonder how well the Red Wings development minor league affiliates are doing, here’s an update on their American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins have six losses in 37 games. Steve Yzerman’s first phase of the Detroit’s re-build is almost complete since the farm system is brimming with up and coming talent. The biggest name to watch for will be Grand Rapids starting goaltender Sebastian Cossa. A behemoth at 6’7, Cossa has lost one game this season and is bound to make a start at some point this NHL season after he became the first Griffins goalie to make consecutive AHL All-Star selections. Forwards Dominik Shine and John Leonard are going to the All-Star game with Cossa and are considered two of the AHL’s best players. Even coach Dan Watson has made an impression. Watson is the second coach in Grand Rapids history to attend multiple All-Star games (the other being Vegas’ Bruce Cassidy).
Even the most ardent optimist didn’t have Detroit as one of the NHL’s best teams this year. Coach Todd McLellan has the Red Wings tied for first with Carolina and Tampa Bay in the eastern conference with 66 points. Detroit is a top five team with a lot of young players, a captain who’s been through a whole rebuild, and veteran players wanting the franchise moving toward a postseason return. Part of their success has to do with Florida’s injuries, Boston’s and Ottawa’s fall and Toronto’s inconsistent play. Even if all those teams get hot at some point the second half of the season, it will be hard to keep Detroit out of the playoffs. Audiences of all walks of life have waited hungrily for almost a decade to see America’s hockey team return to relevance. There’s no louder statement the Red Wings are back than in their 100th year of existence.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) tries to make a play on the puck in Detroit’s 4-3 OT home win versus Carolina. Edvinsson is one of the European standout players general manager Steve Yzerman drafted almost five years ago.
Time for the first power rankings of 2026. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to December. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off how they’d perform on a neutral site.
#32 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 26)
Vancouver had an eleven game losing streak and they’re main concern was about <checks notes> trading for Jesperi Kotkaniemi? Former captain Quinn Hughes got out at the best time. Management and ownership seemingly have no concept of priorities.
#31 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 25)
Only one player has 30+ points after 50 games: Robert Thomas. It’s hard to win games when the roster can’t score. The defense has issues too but the Blues offense might be one of the worst this decade. General manager Doug Armstrong has to do something.
#30 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 31)
Forward Blake Coleman was placed on long-term injured reserve January 13th after he was injured in Boston on the eighth. There are rumors general manager Craig Conroy could trade Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson by next month. If the Flames didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.
#29 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 28)
Without face of the franchise Connor Bedard, Chicago is a solid team without anything special. While that does show how valuable Bedard is to the franchise, it also shows how the Blackhawks are a big work in progress. They are where Detroit was five years ago.
#28 New York Rangers (last ranking: 21)
The only team to have fewer home wins than New York this season is Vancouver. As I said in the article above, there were championship expectations for the Rangers this year when Mike Sullivan was hired. Last week, general manager Chris Drury told star forward Artemi Panarin he won’t play for New York after this year. Everyone except goaltender Igor Shesterkin and maybe defenseman Adam Fox are on the trade block. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Sullivan is fired after the season. This is not why Igor Shesterkin signed that massive extension.
#27 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 24)
Firing Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy is one of the weirdest moves this season. Evason’s not only a good coach, but he did a great job almost getting Columbus into the playoffs last year despite all the chaos that happened. The Blue Jackets are one of the more dysfunctional franchises since coach John Tortorella left.
#26 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 32)
Much better month for Nashville. We’re starting to slowly see how good this Predators team is when everyone is on the same page and not injured. They might be 5-5 to begin 2026, but there’s a lot more hope Nashville can make a playoff run two months from now.
#25 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 23)
It has been a wild week for Ottawa’s goaltenders. Linus Ullmark’s mental health concerns after what he saw as an abrupt trade to Canada are valid. Then defenseman teammate Jake Sanderson torched backup Leevi Merilainen for blowing a two goal lead with under four minutes left against Montreal last Saturday. Although Sanderson is not wrong and had to apologize, the Senators defensive struggles are straining most of the roster and NHL analysts’ patience. General manager Steve Staios’ biggest test right now is how he can fix and improve the defense by next season.
#24 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 18)
Do you see why the ten spot max up or down in the rankings works well? Anaheim wasn’t a top ten team by the time December’s power rankings were published, and they definitely aren’t a top 20 this month. Like Peter DeBoer, Joel Quenneville is seen by many as goaltender killer and wants all offense, all the time. A nine game losing streak followed by a five game winning streak also screams inconsistent.
#23 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 13)
This about sums up New Jersey’s season
The cherry on top is the Devils crushing Minnesota 5-2 on the 13th and instead of good energies, news outlets broke out that the organization is looking to move veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton. What a nightmare season!
#22 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 22)
Utah is a year or two away from a breakout, dominant season. Before that happens, they might need to get a new coach. I like Andre Tourigny, but he’s not getting most out of the young talent put together. Yes, injuries are a part of why things have slowed down. Yet Tourigny is one of the most tenured coaches in the NHL. He should have more solutions for the Mammoth than what they have shown almost every week.
#21 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 29)
Defense is all the rave in Seattle these days. The Seahawks are the crowned jewel in the NFL and the Kraken are a true playoff threat. Having former Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer return to top form should give Seattle a massive edge when the playoff race heats up.
#20 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 10)
If someone were told in January of 2025 that a year later Winnipeg would be tied as the second worst team in the NHL despite a healthy Connor Hellebuyck in net, they might suggest you see a therapist. Perhaps it’s bad luck to cancel out last year’s phenomenal season. Still, it would be a disappointment if the Jets implosion led to a lot more permanent moves.
#19 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 27)
NHL media and pundits have the Hart Trophy (MVP) race winner either as Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid. Both names are worthy of the award. Real NHL analysts should look closely and consider picking San Jose sophomore Macklin Celebrini instead. He is third in the league with 72 points at the time of this publishing. The player with the second most points on the Sharks? Alexander Wennberg with THIRTY FOUR. If San Jose somehow clinches one of the two lower seeds, Celebrini may have the best case to win the Hart Trophy.
#18 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)
Someone in Buffalo must have read December’s rankings because the Sabres were on a mission to win every game possible after. A bad loss in Columbus could have brought Buffalo back down to earth. Instead they won three straight and lost a close game to the two time defending champion Panthers. The Sabres are 17-4 since December ninth. They earned this jump.
#17 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 9)
There are discussions on which coach could be next to get fired. Jim Hiller has to be at or near the top of the list. Los Angeles has underperformed in Anze Kopitar’s final season and we should best believe ownership and the front office will make moves to make sure he doesn’t miss the playoffs. That starts with fixing an almost unwatchable offense that can’t fall back on Darcy Kuemper in net for a few games.
#16 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 17)
If there was a Comeback Player of the Year award in the NHL, it would easily go to Philadelphia forward Trevor Zegras. After Anaheim did their best to destroy any shot at a stellar career, they traded him to the Flyers. Philadelphia easily won that trade. Zegras leads the team in points (44), goals, (19), and assists (25). He’s the Flyers offensive engine.
#15 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 16)
It had been a while since former Norris trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson was placed on injured reserve. His absence after Pittsburgh is now in the thick of a muddled eastern conference could have serious effects on every team involved in the playoff race. Odd to think no one would have batted an eye about that five years ago.
#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 14)
Forward Morgan Geekie scored 50 goals in the 83 games he played in 2025. Every NHL viewer who tuned into a Bruins game knew that if Boston had any chance of making the playoffs, they needed more scoring from players not named David Pastrnak. Geekie could be a long-term option or a valuable trade piece.
#13 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 15)
Toronto is another example of why teams need a ten spot limit on these rankings. The Maple Leafs beat a number of playoff and Stanley Cup championship contenders this month and held their own most of December. Toronto is trying to stay well positioned for the playoffs like other veteran teams, and that means the type of hockey they play every week won’t be pretty. This is why the Fire Craig Berube takes were stupid.
#12 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 8)
TNT play-by-play broadcaster Kenny Albert gave a great stat in the third period of the Winter Classic January second: Sergei Bobrovsky had the most wins AND shutouts in the 2025 calendar year. Think of how great Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Darcy Kuemper were all of last year. None of them came close to Bobrovsky’s stellar play. He is easily the best goaltender in the NHL with Marc-Andre Fleury retired and a major reason Florida has a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.
#11 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 12)
It took the third full week of January to have a goaltender not named Stuart Skinner be number one in both goals against average and save percentage. Skinner was traded over a month ago to Pittsburgh. Hilariously, he’s keeping the Penguins close in as tight a playoff race as possible in the east. The Oilers however wonder how long Tristan Jarry will stay hot with no Leon Draisaitl in the lineup.
#10 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 20)
At one point this month, Detroit had the second highest point percentage at .762 (second only to Colorado’s .800). General manager Steve Yzerman has assembled a temporary juggernaut on offense that will get better once the minor league talent gets to play in the NHL.
#9 New York Islanders (last ranking: 19)
The NHL Muse twitter account raised an interesting point two weeks ago. What could have happened if San Jose won the draft lottery instead of New York? A Macklin Celebrini-Matthew Schaefer tandem would have the Sharks on a terror spree throughout the western conference, with the possibility of only the top three teams in the central division shutting the duo down. Thankfully, greed like that only exists in the Bible. The Islanders have to be relieved that the last three years of struggle gifted them a generational player.
#8 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 3)
Remember how valuable I said Tom Wilson was in the last rankings? The last four weeks have shown how important Wilson is to both this Washington roster and coach Spencer Carberry. Without Tom Wilson in the lineup, the Capitals are easier to defend against and opposing offenses chip away at Washington’s defense. Wilson’s return comes at the most critical point in the season as the Capitals have a slate of playoff favorites the next few weeks.
#7 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 5)
It’s wild how getting Carter Hart did little for Vegas except land Hart on injured reserve. Goaltending was a serious issue until Adin Hill came back. Hill might have been the NHL’s most missed player after the Golden Knights became a sieve in net.
#6 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 11)
Montreal could be the most underrated team this season. They’re a good team in the east that hasn’t stood out too much because of Detroit’s success, Tampa Bay’s resurgence and Carolina’s consistency. At the moment, they don’t look like a team that will do much damage in the playoffs. That’s why general manager Kent Hughes re-signed most of the young talent to long-term deals. They will be fearsome to see every regular and postseason within the next decade.
#5 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 3)
Dallas has cooled off after a red-hot two first months. The weird thing is how the roster is also getting healthier. Whether it’s a slump or everyone finally playing together under coach Glen Gulutzan, the Stars have to snap out of it if they don’t want Minnesota to surpass them.
#4 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 6)
Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov missing the rest of the season makes the Brandon Bussi story more special, and it was already a fun one. It will also make Carolina question what to do with 36 year old veteran Frederik Andersen once the season ends. Kochetkov was expected to be the future starter in net, but if Bussi steals that from him, the Hurricanes will need to decide who to trade.
#3 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 7)
No one laughed harder than I did after Minnesota stole Canucks captain Quinn Hughes in a lopsided trade. Hours after I wrote, edited and published that the Wild would be taken more seriously by everyone if they added or traded for a veteran scoring threat, that’s what Minnesota did. Hughes wasted no time and scored in his third game with the Wild in a 6-2 beatdown of Boston. Minnesota has some things to clean up this month, but they deserved this ranking.
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 4)
The NHL on TNT dropped some interesting numbers on Tampa Bay on Tuesday night’s double-header. Since December 20th, the Lightning have the NHL’s best record (13-0-1), the most goals per game (4.36), goals allowed (2.14) and the sixth best power play at 29.6%. What makes this fascinating is how most of this has been when captain Victor Hedman was placed on IR. Tampa Bay’s dominance has returned with little resistance in the eastern conference, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looks almost unbeatable.
#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 1)
The Wild, Lighting, Stars, Golden Knights or Hurricanes will probably switch each rankings between which team is the NHL’s second best. No matter. Right now, Colorado is the de facto one. The Avalanche have 77 points and five regulation losses this season. Beating Colorado without them getting a point is starting to feel like a Stanley Cup winning moment. They had their first home loss of the season without overtime last week. I don’t know how Jared Bednar doesn’t win coach of the year.
Hurricanes forward Shayne Gostisbehere flails in vain before MVP favorite Nathan MacKinnon (29) shoots the puck into an empty net in a January third 5-3 Avalanche win.
The NFC wildcard weekend had everything audiences wanted. History was made when San Francisco won their 40th playoff game, the most in NFL history. Chicago won their first playoff game in 15 years, and their first against a team with a winning record since their Super Bowl 41 run. Los Angeles eked out a close win in Carolina. The remaining four (the Seattle Seahawks had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with the injury plagued 49ers remaining, no team is an easy out. It’s time to analyze which two teams have the best chance at making the next round.
#6 San Francisco 49ers v. #1 Seattle Seahawks
Elijah Arroyo’s return from injured reserve means fellow tight-end A.J. Barner (88) will be a bigger threat than he was in week 18.
If there was any game that could be a decisive blowout, this would be it. San Francisco lost star tight-end and team co-captain George Kittle to a torn achilles the rest of the year. That means the 49ers have to rely on runningback Christian McCaffrey and receivers Ricky Pearsall (who still has an injured knee), Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne to consistently beat Seattle’s deep secondary. That won’t happen.
The Seahawks are ecstatic to face a battered and depleted 49ers team they whooped in Santa Clara, CA. week 18. Both teams get their starting left tackles back, but only one offense has the fire power to score consistently. Quarterback Brock Purdy has never played in Seattle when it’s either a playoff game or near full capacity for the hometown fans. He will learn why nobody in the NFL wants to travel to the pacific northwest during the postseason.
Prediction: Seahawks win 37-7
#5 Los Angeles Rams v. #2 Chicago Bears
A Bears win depends on how well quarterback Caleb Williams (18) plays all four quarters.
This could be the best game in either conference. Every NFC team this round is in the western division except for Chicago. Head coach Ben Johnson is very familiar with Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay. Anyone thinking this will be a blowout is mistaken.
The Bears have multiple advantages against the Rams. Johnson has consistently beaten McVay with a dual threat running game and an offensive line that leads from the interior. Runningbacks coach Eric Bienemy remains one of the NFL’s best offensive minds. Left guard Joe Thuney has won Super Bowls with multiple teams. A younger, less experienced Los Angeles defensive line will be on their heels most of this game having to deal with Chicago’s offensive line and the runningback duo of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
A major factor many have forgotten since the Rams won last Saturday was the hand injury veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered in Carolina. That will be tested early and often against a Bears defense that is the NFL’s best in forcing turnovers. Since this will be a Sunday night game, temperatures are predicted to be at four degrees (fahrenheit). Stafford has not played in many frozen temperature games over the last five years. The Rams are also 2-7 in games that are under 50 degrees since Stafford arrived in 2021. Los Angeles is in for a long game despite having an almost fully healthy roster.
This year’s wildcard weekend was slightly more competitive in the AFC than last year’s. Houston and New England dominated their games and won with few scares. The only nail-biter was Buffalo’s last minute win over Jacksonville. Two teams return to the divisional round, while the other two play their first divisional round game in the post COVID-19 era. The remaining four (the Denver Broncos had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with the inexperienced Broncos remaining, no team is an easy out. It’s time to pick which two teams have the best chance of making the next round.
#6 Buffalo Bills v. #1 Denver Broncos
Both quarterbacks Josh Allen (left) and Bo Nix (right) have a lot of pressure to make the conference championship.
The easiest of the four divisional games to predict. Buffalo crushed Denver in their last playoff meeting with similar rosters. The Broncos were lucky in most of their close, regular season wins. A serious playoff contender with Super Bowl aspirations will teach Denver some valuable lessons.
Prediction: Bills win 30-24
#5 Houston Texans v. #2 New England Patriots
While Drake Maye (left) had the better regular season, Houston’s C.J. Stroud IV (right) has more playoff experience.
This is easily the best matchup in the AFC. Both teams have elite defenses and good offenses. Both offenses also have many weaknesses, and this game will come down to which defense cracks first.
At one time, both head coaches were intimidating middle linebackers with playoff success. The main coaching difference for Houston’s DeMeco Ryans is his playoff experience with the current roster. New England’s head coach Mike Vrabel is great, but his starting quarterback Drake Maye struggled more than expected in what many believed would be an easy home win against Los Angeles. The Texan defense has more than enough to shut down the Patriots offense no matter how often they have the ball.
The 2025-2026 NFL regular season is over. Seven teams in each conference have a chance to win the Vince Lombardi championship trophy. For those unfamiliar with the updated playoff format, an extra team was added. That means there’s one bye week for the top seeded team in each conference and a Monday night playoff game. Everyone wants to know which three teams in the NFC advance to the divisional round, so here are the best picks come Sunday.
#5 Los Angeles Rams v. #4 Carolina Panthers
MVP candidate Matthew Stafford had no answers for Carolina’s defense in their regular season matchup.
This will be one of the most intriguing games of wild card weekend. On one hand, there’s little chance Carolina completes the sweep of Los Angeles. On the other, the Rams are going through the motions and don’t look excited to play (outside of a second half comeback against Arizona last Sunday). The Panthers played Los Angeles well in their regular season matchup, with the defense scoring 14 points and stealing a win. Best believe Rams head coach Sean McVay will get his team to play Carolina more seriously this week…even if the game ends in a close score.
Prediction: Rams win 30-23
#7 Green Bay Packers v. #2 Chicago Bears
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams has to lead the offense to more touchdowns and less three-and-outs.
The last time Chicago and Green Bay faced off in the playoffs, the Packers won a wild 2010 conference championship game. Much has changed in 15 years, but a lot has stayed the same. The Bears defense again led the league in interceptions and Green Bay ran the ball well in both regular season games.
The Packers rested their starters whereas Chicago suffered an ugly loss last Sunday with all their starters. Head coaches Dan Campbell, Matt Lafleur and Kyle Shanahan have exposed the Bears defense in two ways: having their offense’s receivers run multiple crossing routes against the secondary, and consistently running the ball well against Chicago’s front seven each possession. That’s a bad sign when three head coaches of veteran, playoff caliber teams keep exposing the same mistakes. It doesn’t help that the Bears offense usually plays inept for at least a half in most games. This is one time the more veteran roster and coaching staff should prevail and advance.
Prediction: Packers win 28-24
#6 San Francisco 49ers v. #3 Philadelphia Eagles
Brock Purdy (left) and Jalen Hurts (right) have a lot of pressure to get their teams into the divisional round.
The Eagles could have been the second seed, but decided to start their backups in a close loss against Washington. Thus, Philadelphia drew a favorable opponent. Many consider San Francisco v. Philadelphia to be the best matchup of the weekend. Some do not and see this matchup as one team is well rested while the other is exhausted.
As bad as Seattle bullied the 49ers, the Eagles could be worse. Saquon Barkley is more dangerous than Kenneth Walker III and A.J. Brown is a physically, more intimidating receiver. Philadelphia’s offensive line should be able to bully a depleted and exhausted San Francisco defensive line.
Anyone thinking 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will have a much better game is mistaken. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has a top five defense that’s played well the last two months. They may allow a few more scoring drives, but Philadelphia should have a comfortable first round win.
The 2025-2026 NFL regular season is over. Seven teams in each conference have a chance to win the Vince Lombardi championship trophy. For those unfamiliar with the updated playoff format, an extra team was added. That means there’s one bye week for the top seeded team in each conference and a Monday night playoff game. Everyone wants to know which three teams in the AFC advance to the divisional round, so here are the best picks come Sunday.
#6 Buffalo Bills v. #3 Jacksonville Jaguars
If Jacksonville’s defense can stop Buffalo’s run game, they will advance to the divisional round.
Wild card weekend in the AFC starts with a bang. Buffalo’s run game has been one of the NFL’s best. It will face a challenge against Jacksonville’s number one running defense. The Jaguars defense is also top three in interceptions and the front seven does a great job of getting to opposing quarterbacks.
The Bills have a lot of pressure to make both the conference finals and Super Bowl. Jacksonville’s on an eight game winning streak playing their best, carefree football. Head coach Sean McDermott will have to figure out how to get Buffalo’s first ever postseason win against the Jaguars, and the Bills first road playoff win since 1992 with an undermanned defense and a thin receiver core.
Prediction: Jaguars win 31-21
#7 Los Angeles Chargers v. #2 New England Patriots
New England quarterback Drake Maye is a favorite to win MVP this season
The easiest pick of either conference. New England is the healthier, better coached team and doesn’t play down to the competition. Head coach Mike Vrabel will expose the offensive line woes Los Angeles faced all regular season. Drake Maye’s playoff debut won’t be perfect, but he won’t have to worry about a tough loss with the head coach, defense and running backs taking the pressure off of him in this matchup.
Prediction: Patriots win 34-23
#5 Houston Texans v. #4 Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) high-fives friend and fellow quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after scoring a touchdown versus Miami last month.
This could be the best game in either conference. The return of wide receiver D.K. Metcalf after a two game suspension will open up Pittsburgh’s passing game. Unfortunately for the Steelers, they’re playing a top three defense that features a deep, elite secondary. Houston’s eight defensive backs are dangerous and they shut down one-on-one matchups like it’s practice.
Pittsburgh also lacks a strong running game. The Texans defense could turn this into a blowout if the Steelers can’t find a way to run the ball. While Houston’s offense will struggle with Pittsburgh’s defense, their issues won’t matter if the Steelers offense doesn’t do anything right. It might not matter how many points the Texans offense scores.
JD's Sportscorner 