Now that I have thoroughly analyzed the upcoming college football season, it is time for me to publish my seventh annual NFL preseason football guide. Much like my college preview, I have gone through and analyzed every NFL team’s regular season and postseason, as well as selected my disappointment and surprise teams, upsets to watch out for, and over/under win totals to bet.
Here are my predictions for this year’s playoffs. Please read the AFC and NFC regular season predictions entry to see how each team ended up with the seed they have below.
AFC Playoffs
| Wildcard Playoffs (winners in bold) | |
| 2 | Buffalo (12-5) |
| 7 | Baltimore (11-6) |
| 3 | LA Chargers (12-5) |
| 6 | Denver (11-6) |
| 4 | Houston (9-8) |
| 5 | Kansas City (11-6) |
| Divisional Playoffs (winners in bold) | |
| 1 | Cincinnati (13-4) |
| 5 | Kansas City (11-6) |
| 2 | Buffalo (12-5) |
| 3 | LA Chargers (12-5) |
| Conference Championship Game (winners in bold) | |
| 2 | Buffalo (12-5) |
| 5 | Kansas City (11-6) |
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NFC Playoffs
| Wildcard Playoffs (predicted winners in bold) | |
| 2 | Detroit (12-5) |
| 7 | San Francisco (10-7) |
| 3 | Philadelphia (10-7) |
| 6 | Green Bay (10-7) |
| 4 | Atlanta (8-9) |
| 5 | Seattle (11-6) |
| Divisional Playoffs (predicted winners in bold) | |
| 1 | LA Rams (12-5) |
| 4 | Atlanta (8-9) |
| 2 | Detroit (12-5) |
| 3 | Philadelphia (10-7) |
| Conference Championship Game (predicted winner in bold) | |
| 1 | LA Rams (12-5) |
| 2 | Detroit (12-5) |
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Super Bowl LXI (predicted winner in bold)
| 2 | Buffalo (12-5) |
| 2 | Detroit (12-5) |
Let’s give the people what the want! After years of each of these teams flirting with a feel good run to the Super Bowl, I am calling for it to actually happen this season for both the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills. The “lovable loser” Super Bowl will be fittingly be played on Valentine’s Day 2027, as both of these teams will be seek their franchise’s first Super Bowl title in this contest. The only comparable matchup in pro sports that I can think of is the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians where both squads were trying to end lengthy championship droughts. I am ultimately picking the Bills to win this game due to their superior quarterback play and the fact that Lions coach Dan Campbell is destined to make a costly bonehead decision at some point down the stretch of this matchup.
Ramblings of the Ultimate Sports Sentimentalist 