NFL 2026 Predictions: Final Standings and Playoff Picks

The time has come the season kicks off on Wednesday night, and here is a breakdown on the landscape of the NFC and AFC.

We will start off in the NFC.

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles 12-5

Dallas Cowboys 11-6

New York Giants 7-10

Washington Commanders: 6-11

The NFC East has always a difficult division to predict. Swapping winners each year it seems. But, the eagles are far too talented on paper not to choose them. Even with the departure of AJ Brown and a first-year offensive coordinator in Sean Manion, I still have them atop the division due to their championship experience and elite defense.

NFC North:

Detroit Lions: 13-4

Chicago Bears 11-6

Green Bay Packers 9-8

Minnesota Vikings 9-8

Maybe a regression year last year was precisely what the Lions needed. Now, with almost the entire team back to full health coming into the season (excluding Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph), improved injury luck, and a more favorable schedule, it’s hard not to choose the Lions. The Lions now boast a formidable trio of wide receivers: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac Tesla, who is expected to have a breakout year. Sam Laporta is fully healthy, and the Lions are ready to give Jahmyr Gibbs the workhorse role in the offense. The offensive line is revamped, and there is optimism for this high-flying offense to return to years of old under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. As long as the defense holds strong until they get their two all-pro safeties back, the Lions could find themselves in Inglewood come February.

NFC South:

New Orleans Saints 9-8

Carolina Panthers 8-9

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-9

Atlanta Falcons 5-12

The NFC South is a division that will produce another weak division winner, and this year that crown belongs to the Saints. They have all the ingredients to become the latest team to go from worst to first. The Saints have an emerging young quarterback in Tyler Shough who is ready to make a significant leap this year. Head coach Kellen Moore also had some positive moments last year, successfully keeping the Saints competitive throughout the season despite a 1-8 start. It helps that they have a soft home schedule to stack up some wins after tough away games against the Lions and Ravens to start the season.

NFC West:

Los Angeles Rams 13-4

Seattle Seahawks 12-5

San Francisco 49ers 9-8

Arizona Cardinals 3-14

The Los Angeles Rams went all in this off-season by adding Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald to their defense. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will make it tough by pushing the back-and-forth division race all the way down to Week 18, where the Rams win the division and clinch the 1 seed in the NFC. It could go either way, this division winner is essentially a coin flip between the Rams and Seahawks. But, my gut leans towards LA.

Now jumping to the AFC…

AFC East

Buffalo Bills 13-4

New England Patriots 11-6

New York Jets 4-13

Miami Dolphins 3-14

Buffalo narrowly missed the AFC Championship game last season, but the hiring of offensive coordinator Joe Brady as head coach and some key off-season additions may help them overcome that hurdle, clinch the 1 seed in the AFC, and make it all the way to Inglewood for the Super Bowl. Is it the Bills year?! The Patriots made it to the Super Bowl last year out of nowhere and added wide receiver AJ Brown this off-season, but with a tougher schedule, there should be a drop-off. I think the Bills are hungry and this is the year they emerge out of the AFC. The AFC East crown resides in Buffalo this year.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens 12-5

Cincinnati Bengals 10-7

Pittsburgh Steelers 9-8

Cleveland Browns 4-13

The Ravens and Bengals will be in a back-and-forth division race all year long. The Bengals have struggled with injuries on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. We know what the offense can be with a healthy Joe Burrow at the helm if the defense can hover around the top 15 in the league, a playoff berth and NFC North title is achievable. The Ravens fired John Harbaugh following an underwhelming 8-9 season. So they brought in Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter for some new blood. Defensively the Ravens struggled last year, but we know what two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and the offense can bring. If the Ravens can find consistency on defense under Minter and the offense finds its strides, the Ravens can find themselves atop this division yet again.

AFC South

Houston Texans: 12-5

Jacksonville Jaguars 9-8

Indianapolis Colts: 8-9

Tennessee Titans 6-11

The best defense in football resides in Houston. Two-time All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. and Pro Bowler Calen Bullock are in the secondary. Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is in the middle. Five-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter and All-Pro Will Anderson Jr. anchor the defensive line. They will be hard to beat and its highly expected to see a bounce back season from a Texans offense that struggled last year. We saw the Jaguars post a 13-4 record last year but have a very tough schedule to start the season and could see some regression facing a first place schedule. The Texans are an underrated contender for the 1 seed in the AFC in my eyes.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs 11-6

Denver Broncos 10-7

Los Angeles Chargers 9-8

Las Vegas Raiders 5-12

The Chiefs come into the 2026 season after some major off-season changes, like the signing of Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III. It’s difficult to bet against Mahomes and Andy Reid. The defense has some uncertainties, but it also possesses championship experience. The Broncos will face a tougher schedule and might see a drop-off from last years incredible season. It will be a close division race between the Broncos, Chiefs, and Chargers, but I smell a big bounce-back year from the Chiefs.

Playoff Seeding Projection:

1. Rams
2. Lions
3. Eagles
4. Saints
5. Seahawks
6. Bears
7. Cowboys

1. Bills
2. Texans
3. Ravens
4. Chiefs
5. Patriots
6. Bengals
7. Broncos