Josh Frey’s 2026 NFL Playoff Predictions
The NFL regular season has come to an end with the Vikings narrowly missing out on the playoffs with a 9-8 record, just behind the Green Bay Packers’ 9-7-1 record for the final Wild Card spot.
Now, we know which 14 teams will compete to be the one to raise the Lombardi Trophy in February. With the field set, here are my official playoff predictions.
NFL Playoff Predictions
AFC Wild Card
- (5) Houston Texans over (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
- (6) Buffalo Bills over (3) Jacksonville Jaguars
- (7) Los Angeles Chargers 0ver (2) New England Patriots
You want some upsets? You’re getting some upsets in the AFC Wild Card. For Houston/Pittsburgh, let’s remember it wasn’t that long ago when fans were booing the team during Renegade — a seemingly unfathomable event in Pittsburgh. Houston’s defense is arguably the best in the league, and the Steelers offense won’t have many answers.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills don’t have the boogeyman Kansas City Chiefs to worry about this year, but they likely will be on the road throughout the playoffs this year. This first road game is about as tame as it can be in Jacksonville. The weather should be decent, and as long as he takes care of the football, Josh Allen should be able to put up some solid numbers against the Jaguars defense.
Finally, the toughest game to pick, at least for me, came in LA/New England. The Patriots have an MVP candidate in Drake Maye, but they played the easiest schedule in the NFL this year. It feels like this is one of those “year too early” teams against a tough Chargers squad that will be ready to play tough, physical football.
NFC Wild Card
- (5) Los Angeles Rams over (4) Carolina Panthers
- (3) Philadelphia Eagles over (6) San Francisco 49ers
- (2) Chicago Bears over (7) Green Bay Packers
The NFC bracket is very interesting, so let’s get the least interesting game out of the way. The Carolina Panthers limped to the finish line to win the NFC South at 8-9, losing three of their last four games. The Rams are on the road, but Matthew Stafford shouldn’t have too much trouble with that defense.
We follow that with arguably the best game of the weekend as the San Francisco 49ers head to Philadelphia to take on the defending champion Eagles. The 49ers won six consecutive games to make this field before looking completely outmatched against the Seattle Seahawks. Philadelphia’s defense will get the better of San Francisco similarly to how Seattle’s did a week ago.
It’s then the one rivalry matchup of the weekend as the NFC North champion Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers. Caleb Williams took some big strides forward this year, and the Packers are heading into the playoffs banged up and without Micah Parsons on defense. If the Bears are going to get a chance to turn the tides in this rivalry, this is as good of one as they are going to get.
AFC Divisional
- (1) Denver Broncos over (7) Los Angeles Chargers
- (5) Houston Texans over (6) Buffalo Bills
It’s a story of defenses in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. Denver and Houston were two of the top three scoring defenses all season, and they both paced the league in terms of yards allowed all year. For the Texans, they also forced nearly two turnovers per game all year, and that smells like trouble for Buffalo in this spot.
Denver’s offense hasn’t really blown anyone away this season, scoring 30+ points just three times, but frankly, neither has LA’s. With star talent up and down the defense, Denver gets the win at home to move on to the AFC Championship Game.
NFC Divisional
- (1) Seattle Seahawks over (5) Los Angeles Rams
- (3) Philadelphia Eagles over (2) Chicago Bears
This is Sam Darnold’s chance at redemption after a brutal playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams last year with the Minnesota Vikings. I think he gets the job done, especially with Seattle’s elite defense playing some shutdown football down the stretch of the season. They gave up 10 or fewer points in four of their last six games. Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua will have something to say about that, though.
As for Philly/Chicago, both of these teams have proven to have their issues over the course of the season. Philadelphia’s offense, particularly the running game, took a notable step back in 2025. However, Chicago’s defense is a bigger concern heading into this game. That unit was the downfall in the Bears’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers a couple weeks ago, and I have a feeling those struggles will pop up again here.
AFC Championship
- (5) Houston Texans over (1) Denver Broncos
Both of these defenses are fantastic, so this comes down to quarterback play. Bo Nix certainly hasn’t been a disaster for the Denver Broncos, but CJ Stroud has been in the playoffs each of the past two years and has played well in these moments. Houston moves onto the Super Bowl.
NFC Championship
- (1) Seattle Seahawks over (3) Philadelphia Eagles
Maybe Darnold rolls over in this position against a strong Philadelphia defensive front, but with all the inconsistencies surrounding Philadelphia throughout the season, can I really pick them to go to a Super Bowl? I just see them slipping up somewhere along the way, and a top defense could be the place for that to happen.
Super Bowl
- (5) Houston Texans over (1) Seattle Seahawks
Listen, this NFL playoff bracket is as wide open as any in recent memory. Something weird is bound to happen, and I want to take advantage of it and pick a fun, young team to win it all. The Houston Texans started the year slow, otherwise they would be right in the mix as one of the favorites. Stroud gets his Super Bowl in year three, and officially puts to rest the Ohio State quarterback theory.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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