It’s the most wonderful time of the year: making NFL predictions that we inevitably will look back on in four months and laugh at how wrong we were.
Even still, we continue to do it, thinking that one of these years, we’ll get it all right. Well, here’s my version. You can find a full breakdown of where I’m picking each team to finish this year in the NFL standings as well as a full playoff bracket down below.
You can make your own predictions here.
Last year, the New England Patriots rode a light schedule to a 14-3 record and representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. This year could be a rude awakening for the defending AFC champs as they play three of their first four games on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, reigning AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars, and division rival Buffalo Bills. They certainly won’t be a bad team, but they’ll have a tough time replicating their 2025 success. The addition of A.J. Brown to replace Stefon Diggs will be an x-factor.
The Buffalo Bills may not have overwhelming talent at receiver, but the combination of Josh Allen, James Cook, and an above-average offensive line has been a recipe for success in Buffalo for nearly a decade. New head coach Joe Brady and additions of DJ Moore and Bradley Chubb should be positives for them as well.
Don’t be surprised if the New York Jets are a little bit more frisky this year. They kept Aaron Glenn around, added some beef to their defense, and signed Geno Smith to lead their offense in hopes that he can regain his form from two years ago. This is a team that is trying to win games. Will they accomplish that feat? Probably not enough to sniff a playoff spot, but they might just stick around in a few more games than we’ve become accustomed to.
The Miami Dolphins brought in Malik Willis at QB and extended De’Von Achane, but they’re going to be circling the bottom of the league all year. They traded Jaylen Waddle and released Tyreek Hill, so there is little left of what once was a high-octane offense. Dolphins fans can at least get excited to see Jeremiah Smith routinely sent their way in mock drafts, though. There was good news and bad news for the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. They landed Trey Hendrickson despite the debacle that was the Maxx Crosby trade attempt along with some other firepower on the defensive side of the ball. They also drafted a pair of wide receivers in Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt who could be solid complementary pieces to Zay Flowers. However, they also lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency (but picked up a very polished guard prospect in Vega Ioane), fired longtime coach John Harbaugh, and are coming off a season where Lamar Jackson had career-lows in rushing yards and rushing TDs. Still, this team is good enough on paper to be a playoff squad.
The Bengals have been a tricky team to figure out over the past half-decade. Zac Taylor is on the hot seat of all hot seats entering the year, and if they miss the playoffs as I’m predicting, he almost certainly will be out in January. They didn’t do much to improve their offensive line, but despite trading Trey Hendrickson, their defensive front as a whole could end up being better this year with additions of Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and rookie Cashius Howell.
After a very impressive tenure, Mike Tomlin is out as head coach in Pittsburgh, and Aaron Rodgers is reuniting with his old friend Mike McCarthy. They also brought in Michael Pittman to pair with DK Metcalf, which gives Rodgers a pair of massive, physical targets at wide receiver, and Rico Dowdle will be taking carries out of the backfield. Can a Rodgers who is 42 going on 43 lead a strong enough offense to compete for the playoffs, though? I have my doubts.
The Cleveland Browns no longer have Myles Garrett, and they are being forced to choose between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. Those are two massive hurdles the Browns are facing that they almost certainly won’t get over, but the offensive line should be better, they have exciting wide receiver prospects alongside Jerry Jeudy, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has the potential to be a highlight player at safety. It won’t be a winning season in Cleveland, but it could be a fun one at times if the quarterback position doesn’t completely fall flat once again. That’s a big if at this point.
I’ve settled on the Houston Texans being the cream of the crop in the AFC this year. They had the best defense in the NFL last year, retained basically all their talent, and may have gotten a steal in the draft in Kayden McDonald to plop in the middle of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. The addition of Kayshon Boutte to bring a deep threat to their receiver room was a fun one as well. As long as they get a C+ or B- version of CJ Stroud, they should cruise in this division.
The Indianapolis Colts looked completely unstoppable for the first two months of the season before collapsing down the stretch, losing their final seven games. They opted to run most of the same roster back in 2026, choosing to believe their first half of the season was the real version of this team. The problem is: they face Baltimore, Kansas City, and Houston in the first three weeks of the year rather than Miami, Denver, and Tennessee. They could face a pretty big hole coming out of the gates.
Jacksonville ranked among the top 10 in scoring and points allowed in 2025, which is very impressive. In part due to last year’s success, though, they are another team that has drawn a brutal schedule to start the season. After Week 1 at home against Cleveland, they have to face Denver, New England, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Houston before their bye. They also make trips to Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, and Dallas after their bye. The Jags be scratching and clawing for wins all season, so we’ll see if Dave Coen is up for the challenge in year two of his head coaching tenure.
The Titans hired Robert Salah as head coach and immediately went out and snatched two of his former Jets, Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers, along with some secondary reinforcements to help a defense that has been among the worst in the NFL over the past couple years. They’re also hoping Carnell Tate can be a true WR1 for Cam Ward. However, this offensive line is one of the worst in the league, and their backfield is underwhelming with Tony Pollard still at the top of the RB depth chart. Ward has potential, but there might be too many obstacles in front of him until this offense gets a makeover, particularly in a division that features the Texans’ and Jaguars’ defenses.
The Chargers enter 2026 with new coordinators in Mike McDaniel and Chris O’Leary. They also have the benefit of actually having their star offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater being healthy, and they luckily drafted Jake Slaughter in the second round, who is set to step in at center after Tyler Biadasz’s season-ending ACL tear. 2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton only played nine games last year because of injury, but I see a breakout year for the second-year running back behind a healthy offensive line. They also gave McDaniel a very powerful toy in Brenen Thompson, who has blistering speed at the wide receiver position. This should be a fun offense to watch, and they have a strong defense to go along with it.
If not for the Houston Texans, it would be very easy to make an argument that the Denver Broncos had the best defense in the NFL last season. They did suffer a few losses to that unit this offseason (John Franklin-Myers to Tennessee, P.J. Locke to the Dallas Cowboys, and Jonathon Cooper will start the year on the Commissioner’s Exempt List), but this group should still be more than acceptable. They also made one of the biggest splashes on offense, trading to acquire Jaylen Waddle from Miami. I don’t think they repeat their 14-3 record in 2025, during which they won seven games by four or fewer points and 11 by one-score margins, but they are certainly a playoff team. Plenty of questions are circulating in Kansas City right now after missing the playoffs in 2025. How healthy is Patrick Mahomes after tearing his ACL nine months ago? Will the defense recover from losing Leo Chenal, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and others? How much does Travis Kelce have in the tank? Here’s the good news, though. The running game should rebound after signing Kenneth Walker, and they drafted Mansoor Delane and Peter Woods in the first round to begin filling some of those holes on defense. The Chiefs may start off slow, but they have a three-game stretch against the Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals in the middle of the season that could serve as a launching pad toward the playoffs.
The Las Vegas Raiders have the essence of a good team around their locker room. There are uber-talented skill players on offense in Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. They signed Tyler Linderbaum to be the centerpiece of their offensive line. They revamped their defense with Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Kwity Paye. It all comes down to how the quarterback room plays, and when they turn to Fernando Mendoza. Kirk Cousins will be getting starts to begin the year, but how long that lasts likely depends on their early season success. There will be plenty of bumps in a competitive division, but the Raiders are trending in the right direction.
From free agency to the draft, the Dallas Cowboys had one of the best offseasons in the draft. They extended Quinnen Williams, brought back George Pickens on the franchise tag, and signed Javonte Williams to shore up their rushing attack. They completely revamped their defense as well, landing Rashon Gary and Von Miller while drafting Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the first round. If Dallas can do a 180 on that side of the ball, they’re a legitimate contender.
I really don’t know how to feel about the Philadelphia Eagles going into any season, and this year is no different. They basically gave away A.J. Brown this spring and are hoping the trio of Marquise Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, and rookie Makai Lemon can solidify their passing offense around DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Their defense should be good, but a return to their Super Bowl form relies on offensive line health, a bounce back from Saquon Barkley, and team chemistry not being an absolute nightmare.
There will be some excitement going in New York going into the season with Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo leading the offense along with top-10 picks Arvelle Reese and Francis Mauigoa . Despite trading away Dexter Lawrence, the defensive front should be elite with Reese being added to a group that is terrifyingly deep. Long-term success will be dependent on the performance of the offensive line as well as the health of Dart and Skattebo. They also have to play the Rams, Texans, Seahawks, and Lions on the road in addition to their always-competitive divisional schedule.
Washington could not be entering the year on a worse note having lost Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps, and Nick Allegretti dealing with a calf strain that could sideline him. That is a recipe for disaster for Jayden Daniels, who has taken cartoonishly massive hits throughout his football career and missed most of the 2025 season due to injury. They added Stefon Diggs to the wide receiver room, but there is concern over a lack of a true WR1 talent in that room. The schedule makers didn’t do them any favors either, starting the year on the road against the Eagles and Cowboys before hosting the Seahawks. 2-4 or even 1-5 is in the cards for this team by the time they get to their bye.
A high-powered offense led the way for Chicago in 2025, and they should be as explosive as ever on that side of the ball. The question is: can their defense be a little bit more consistent to propel them from a frisky team to a bonafide contender? They gave up 40+ points three times and relied heavily on turnovers to balance things out. They forced more turnovers than anyone in the league, and while that likely will see a regression, the addition of Dillon Thieneman at safety was the steal of the draft, and QB Caleb Williams has another summer of progression under his belt.
This might be a make-or-break year for Dan Campbell’s Lions. They went into 2025 with high expectations but struggled down the stretch, losing four of their final six games to finish outside the playoff picture. Because of that, though, they have a last-place schedule that should play into their favor. Isiah Pacheco starting the season on IR is a concern, but Jahmyr Gibbs is capable of holding things down on his own for a few weeks.
The Packers had a very active offseason, but they are starting the year without two of the highest paid players on their roster: Josh Jacobs and Micah Parsons. That by itself could cause some bumps in the road to begin the season. They also parted ways with do-it-all offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins. Additions of Zaire Franklin and Benjamin St.-Juste should be positives on the defensive side of the ball, and MarShawn Lloyd could be poised to take a step forward, but I worry about consistency on either side of the ball, particularly with early divisional matchups with the Vikings, Bears, and Lions in the first seven weeks. ALSO READ: Know Your Enemy: Week 1 – Green Bay Packers
The simple answer for the Minnesota Vikings to get back to the playoffs this year is this: Kyler Murray plays much better than the absolute mess that their quarterback room was for much of 2025. However, it might be a bit more complicated than that in reality, especially if their defense takes even the slightest of steps back. They haven’t proven to have a consistent running game, and there could be some growing pains on that aforementioned defense with some new young players stepping into the fold. Murray’s health is an uncertainty too, having played 11 or fewer games in three of the past five seasons. If everything goes right, this team could compete for an NFC North title, but a few hiccups could result in them missing the playoffs entirely. I’m leaning toward there being a few hiccups.
ALSO READ: A Trio of Questions the Vikings Will be Looking to Answer in 2026
Two cornerstones of Tampa Bay’s success from early in the 2020s are gone after the departures of Mike Evans and Lavonte David. There also seemed to be some locker room turmoil with Baker Mayfield not getting a contract extension and Vita Vea requesting a trade before ultimately signing a new deal. All that being said, this team remains the most talented group in the NFC South. Kenneth Gainwell was a great pickup in the backfield, and they re-tooled on defense, including the selection of Rueben Bain in the first round of the draft. They reclaim the top spot in the NFC South.
Despite Tampa Bay being at the top, it won’t come without some competition from the bayou. New Orleans brought in Travis Etienne to be their new lead back while countering Tampa Bay with defensive moves of their own like bringing back linebacker Kaden Elliss and drafting Christen Miller at defensive tackle. This team was 5-4 with Tyler Shough under center last year, including a win in Tampa Bay, and they should take another step forward in year two of the Shough/Kellen Moore tandem.
The Carolina Panthers walked backwards into a division title last year despite losing three of their final four games to finish 8-9, but they’ll have to do better than that to win the NFC South this year. Bryce Young took a promising step forward, posting career highs in completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns. They also brought in Jaelen Phillips to add premiere talent to their group of pass rushers. However, they will be without star tackle Ikem Ekwonu to start the year, and that could impact Young’s ability to make another leap in 2026.
Everything comes down to the quarterback position for the Atlanta Falcons, and for now, they’re starting Tua Tagovailoa over Michael Penix. They brought in two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski to run the show, but we’ve seen him struggle in a somewhat similar QB situation in Cleveland. The skill of Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts should drag the Falcons to a few wins, but it’s hard to imagine much more than that.
The Los Angeles Rams were the big winners of the offseason. They snagged Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. They traded for Myles Garrett. They convinced Aaron Donald to come out of retirement. Oh, and Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP season where he led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns at age 37. This is a veteran team with championship aspirations, but injuries to any of their older stars could set them back. That’s why I’m hedging with 12 wins, especially against what could be a tough schedule.
The reigning Super Bowl champions lost some key pieces of that championship team this offseason, namely Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, Coby Bryant, Boye Mafe, and Riq Woolen. Still, there shouldn’t be doubt that Sam Darnold can lead a strong offense, particularly with star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba still around, and they added Jadarian Price in the draft to replace Walker. A repeat could be tough this year, but they will be highly competitive once again. Once again, the 49ers are facing injury questions. Ricky Pearsall is out for the year while both Nick Bosa and George Kittle are coming back from their own season-ending injuries in 2025. Christian McCaffrey also missed two weeks of training camp. The argument for San Francisco is that they’ve always faced these injury troubles and have found a way to make it work. The argument against is how much longer can they continue to do that, especially with one of the oldest rosters in the league?
The Arizona Cardinals went 1-11 with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback last year and have decided to run it back. Third overall pick Jeremiyah Love has already suffered an ankle injury, too. Making matters all the worse, this schedule is unbelievably hard for a team that went 3-14 a year ago. Their first 11 games feature: the Chargers (road), the Seahawks, the 49ers (road), the Giants (road), the Lions, the Rams (road), the Broncos, the Cowboys (road), the Seahawks (road), the Rams, and the Chiefs (road). Where are they getting wins here?
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
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