MCKEE: NFL Postseason Predictions 2026

While I won’t go as deep into it as my cohort Cole McDaniel did, I too would like to take a stab at how I expect things to shake out in the NFL this year.  Cole’s picks here – https://keeonsports.com/2026-27-nfl-record-and-playoff-predictions/

I’m going to post the standings for each division per conference first, with an explanation below them.  After that, my 1-7 for the playoff seeds and then a round by round.  Enjoy!

Let’s start with the AFC East and go from there.  Despite recent history of the Super Bowl loser taking a step back, I actually think the Patriots will buck that trend and get even better.  They may not sneak up on anyone this year, but they don’t need too either.  If they can block for Drake Maye, he has plenty of threats around him to do damage.  I love Buffalo in this division and this conference as I have long said, their biggest problem was head coach Sean McDermott, he is gone now and they have no excuses left.  Miami and the Jets are both tanking.

The AFC North was the toughest division in the NFL for many years, not anymore as this year’s crew appears to be a trainwreck. Three new head coaches and the team that should have fired their coach, Cincinatti, kept theirs.  I love the weapons on the Bengals but if they cannot block for Burrow, it is pointless.  This is the year the Steelers finally take a step back and make the move from Rodgers to Allar by week 12 when they are already out of it. Ravens win this one by default as the Browns are going to Browns.

Colts were found out late last year and that had nothing to do with the injury to Daniel Jones either, they were never that good to begin with.  This will easily be a two-horse race between the coaching of Jacksonville and the defense of Houston.  In fact, the Texans can win the Super Bowl this year, they are that damn loaded on both sides of the ball.

The AFC West is LOADED this year as well.  I fully expect the Chargers, KC and the Denver Broncos to make the playoffs this year.  KC is coming with a vengeance and will be much improved with Kenneth Walker.  As for the Chargers, they have a great head coach and a rocket armed quarterback in Herbert, he will keep them in any game.  The Denver Broncos may be the most complete team in the entire NFL.  If Bo Nix progresses and doesn’t regress, they have a real shot as Jaylen Waddle will only help matters.

In the NFC North, Detroit is on a revenge tour after last year’s gigantic disappointment.  The Bears won 6 games while trailing in the last two minutes, can they do that again?  The Vikings are not good, do not let that late season winning streak fool anyone, they were playing teams who already quit.  Green Bay needs to play smart, and they can win it all, strange playcalling later in games burned them last year.

Philadelphia will have zero issues winning the East and pretty much have it wrapped up by Week 13 with ease.  Dallas is a fraud but may actually sneak into the playoffs this year.  The Giants have a great head coach in Harbaugh and exciting youth in Dart and Skateboo, but is that nearly enough?  The mystery in this division is Washington, in year three of the Jayden Daniels experiment, we should get our answer.

The NFC South is as weak as ever with the Panthers and Buccaneers set to battle for the division yet again. Honestly, not much to expect unless Ebuka plays out of his mind and gets open downfield for Baker Mayfield to launch it to him.  I think Mayfield comes back down to Earth this year.  However, no one else in the division is good enough to push them.  Carolina won the division last year but are they good enough to repeat? No!

Finally, the division EVERYONE is talking about with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the Super Bowl favorite LA Rams.  Both will contend for the division title this year with the Rams and their revamped defense taking it.  The Rams have the best coach in the division, the best quarterback in the division and the best running back as I will take a healthy Kyren Williams over a banged up Christian McCaffrey any day of the week. Seahawks will be good again this year, but fans will find out fast how important Kenneth Walker actually was.  Arizona, much like the Jet’s and Miami Dolphins will be in tank mode for a high QB draft pick next year.

Here are my 1-7 seeds in both divisions, with my round by rounds after that.  I will say, in the AFC, I’m extremely nervous leaving Jacksonville out, but I have that much faith in KC and LAC.

Here are my round-by-round predictions

Wildcard Round

Hou over LAC

Den over KC

NE over BAL

PHI over DAL

RAM over SEA

GB Over TB

Divisional Round

BUF over NE

HOU over DEN

DET over GB

PHI over LAR

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

BUF over HOU

DET over PHI

NFL Super Bowl Prediction

BUF over DET