Five weeks of the NFL schedule are in the books, which means just over 27% of the season is done.
Five weeks of the NFL schedule are in the books, which means just over 27% of the season is done. Is that enough to make NFL playoff predictions? We don’t see why not.
Several teams are not where they expected to be, such as the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs. Which of that trio, plus others have shown enough to reach the postseason this year? Below we predict the AFC and NFC playoff brackets for the 2025-26 season.
AFC Playoff Bracket
- Buffalo Bills
- Indianapolis Colts
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos
- Jacksonville Jaguars
While the defense is still coming around, the Buffalo Bills are back to having an elite offense, as expected. Yet, the pass defense has ranked as a top ten unit thus far, which makes us believe they’ll do just fine in the playoffs against most teams. Plus, Josh Allen and James Cook look unstoppable.
Daniel Jones has helped completely transform the Indianapolis Colts‘ franchise. Jonathan Taylor is back to being a top five running back and Lou Anarumo has the Colts’ defense allowing the NFL’s third-fewest points per game. Add it all up and the Colts look like surefire playoff contenders.
Aaron Rodgers has helped create a mini-spark for the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense, now we’re just waiting for a 25th-ranked rushing attack to come around. With a young offensive line, this group should continue to improve throughout the season, and we expect Mike Tomlin’s defense to continue rounding into form too.
What happened to that hot start by the Los Angeles Chargers? After winning three in a row, the Chargers have dropped their past two games, and they’ve yet to score more than 27 points in a single game this season. The Chargers’ rushing attack is worrisome after losing Najee Harris for the season and now with Omarion Hampton being placed on short-term injured reserve too. That leaves the door open for the Denver Broncos to steal the division, but we’re sticking with Jim Harbaugh for now.
A 2-3 start places the Kansas City Chiefs behind the 8-ball for now, but we’re not counting Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones out just because they’re one game below .500. While they have a tough schedule ahead (7-of-11 opponents are 2024 playoff teams), the Chiefs have the 12th-ranked offense and 13th-ranked defense, showing they’re formidable on both sides of the ball, and the scoring attack will likely improve once Rashee Rice returns.
Three teams from the AFC West? Once again, the Denver Broncos have a top three defense, which will keep them competitive all season long. We’re buying Sean Payton’s ability to overcome the minor obstacles in his path, like reducing their turnovers on offense and getting more aggressive on defense. Plus, after Nik Bonitto’s red-hot start, the Broncos are a team to be feared.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have never gotten off to this hot of a start in the Trevor Lawrence era. But it’s not just Liam Coen’s offense that is playing well, ranking 10th in scoring. We’d argue that the defense has been Jacksonville’s true calling card. Anthony Campanile’s defense ranks eighth in points allowed, and linebacker Devin Lloyd looks like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate thanks to leading the NFL with four interceptions. Sneaking them into the seventh spot after a 4-1 start feels criminal, but we’re still a bit skeptical of a passing offense with just one touchdown to their starting receivers.
NFC Playoff Bracket
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Detroit Lions
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Green Bay Packers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Washington Commanders
Once again, the Philadelphia Eagles look like the best team in the NFC. Yet, they’re not without flaws. The passing offense is the biggest wart on the team, and it’s a fairly big one. However, even Saquon Barkley isn’t finding the same rushing lanes as last season. Overall, there’s enough reason to believe another team could steal the top seed, but for now, Philadelphia’s excellent roster keeps them on top.
The Detroit Lions are showing why they shouldn’t have been doubted after losing their offensive and defensive coordinator. Detroit’s scoring more points than anyone, but the defense has largely been average thus far. However, this feels like a team that may only be a piece away from emerging as the top Super Bowl contender in the NFC, so we wouldn’t rule out an impact trade once teams become sellers.
Baker Mayfield is back to playing like an MVP candidate, making the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like runaway candidates to win the NFC South, but this division is always close. Todd Bowles’ defense is a bit concerning at this point, they’ve allowed 135 points, the third most in the conference. With just four forced turnovers, Tampa Bay needs a bit more luck to help tighten things up, but overall, there’s a strong foundation here.
Brock Purdy or Mac Jones, it doesn’t seem to matter who the San Francisco 49ers‘ starting quarterback is this season. Kyle Shanahan’s team is fighting injuries, which is nothing new, but this time they’re persevering in a way that re-inspires belief that this is a group that will end up in the playoffs.
The Green Bay Packers have not won a pair of games that they had no business losing. Yet, we have to remember this is a very young team that’s likely to continue improving as they learn from their mistakes. With experienced leaders on both sides of the ball, plus on the coaching staff, we like the Packers’ chances to return to the playoffs again.
It’s hard to count a Sean McVay team out. GM Les Snead has done well to restock the roster after shedding payroll in the past few seasons, yet, somehow, it’s like the Los Angeles Rams never take a step back. Matthew Stafford‘s consistency, combined with Puka Nacua being unstoppable, makes this team hard to beat. Especially when Jared Verse is wrecking games on defense too.
The Washington Commanders only have a 3-2 record, but they haven’t had Jayden Daniels for two games, and they’ve still found ways to win. Dan Quinn got more pieces on defense this offseason, and it’s resulting in a unit that’s allowed the ninth-fewest points thus far. We still haven’t seen this team’s best, yet they’re on track to make the playoffs.
AFC Playoff Predictions
- Wild Card round: Colts beat Jaguars, Steelers beat Broncos, Chiefs beat Chargers
- Divisional round: Bills beat Chiefs, Steelers beat Colts
- AFC Championship: Bills beat Steelers
NFC Playoff Predictions
- Wild Card round: Lions beat Commanders, Rams beat Buccaneers, Packers beat 49ers
- Divisional round: Eagles beat Packers, Lions beat Rams
- NFC Championship: Lions beat Eagles
Super Bowl Prediction
- Bills beat Lions to win first Super Bowl in franchise history
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