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2026 Nfl Playoffs Bracket Predictions Picks For The Entire Nfl

Bonisiwe Shabane
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2026 nfl playoffs bracket predictions picks for the entire nfl

The 2026 NFL playoffs are here, and this season has been one of the most fascinating seasons we've seen in quite some time. Not only are Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson at home on the couch, but no one could have predicted the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks would be the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. Could Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams rebound from their disappointing end to the season to make a run to the Super Bowl? Will Josh Allen finally get the Buffalo Bills to the big stage, or maybe Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are for real despite playing the easiest strength of schedule since the 1999... Remember, that team ended up winning the Super Bowl.

We asked 10 of our CBS Sports NFL experts to turn in their full NFL playoff brackets. Not just Super Bowl picks. We wanted to see their work and how they got there. Let's take a look. "This is the most wide-open playoffs I can remember. With no dominant teams, I expect chaos.

That would be the Jaguars winning it all. Of all the teams, they might be the most balanced. They aren't great at anything, but they don't have as many flaws as the others. They are also riding the hottest quarterback in the league. As for the Eagles, they will find their offense in the playoffs. It's back to Saquon Barkley and the running game.

That will carry them to the Super Bowl, but the Jaguars and their top-ranked run defense will limit him on the biggest stage to win the team's first Super Bowl." "The Rams have been the most complete team in the NFL, with an offense that can both grind out tough wins and go head-to-head in shootouts with anyone left in the league. They also have a pass rush that can put any opposing offense on its back foot and give them the advantage. While I'm worried about RG Kevin Dotson's injury, if WR Davante Adams comes back healthy, this offense has enough to win a Super Bowl. While the NFC is sort of chalk with arguably the four best teams left making the divisional round, the AFC is where we get wild. The Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, with an offense that can go toe to toe with everyone in the league, and they are well-coached on both sides of the...

If they can get past the Bills in the Wild Card round, there might not be another team that could stop their momentum. Both the one and two seeds in the AFC get bounced in the divisional, with both facing bad matchups in the two AFC South teams left." Last Updated: January 9, 2026 8:00 AM EST • 9 minute read X Social Google News Link With the 2026 NFL playoffs kicking off this weekend, I'm breaking down the entire field with my NFL playoff bracket predictions for every game from Wild Card Weekend to the Super Bowl - including... In addition to our experts' NFL playoff predictions for every wild-card matchup this weekend, here are my bracket picks and score predictions along with my pick to hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Check out our free printable NFL playoff bracket for the full playoff schedule, or click on the bracket image below to fill out your own bracket for the 2026 NFL playoffs. The Panthers won this exact matchup six weeks ago by controlling the ball and forcing Matthew Stafford into multiple miscues, which is clearly the roadmap for pulling off the home upset on Wild Card... Carolina should be able to run the ball again, but I trust Matthew Stafford - who tops our NFL playoff QB rankings - to take care of the football this time around and make... Nick's 2026 NFL playoffs bracket predictions, picks for the entire 2025-26 NFL postseason. Which NFL teams will win their playoff matchups and get to the Super Bowl? The regular season is in the history books and has given us our playoff matchups, which means it's time to have some fun with the crystal ball.

We're going to see some experienced veterans square off against others who are getting their first taste of the playoffs. Frankly, the door is wide open for most to make a run, which makes this exercise quite fun! That's not to say that all teams are hitting the playoff weeks with similar momentum, health, and so on. But November and December don't outright define the range of outcomes, and it only takes one well-timed momentum swing to change destinies. We're going to do our best to present informed chatter on each matchup with data that is largely gathered through Week 17, thanks to Week 18 being meaningless to many. So, who's going to advance and make a run in the 2025 postseason?

Let's hop right into it and stroll through the entire playoff bracket, from Wild Card weekend to Super Bowl LX. #7 Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) at #2 Chicago Bears (12-5) The road to Super Bowl 60 starts this weekend. Fourteen teams enter the playoffs but only one will lift the Lombardi Trophy on February 8. The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos earned first-round byes after finishing 14-3. Twelve other teams must battle through Wild Card Weekend to keep their championship dreams alive.

This playoff bracket features defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia fighting to repeat. Young quarterbacks like Drake Maye and Caleb Williams make their postseason debuts. Veterans like Aaron Rodgers might be playing their final games. We break down every game from Wild Card Weekend through Super Bowl 60 with detailed analysis and final scores. Disclaimer: These predictions represent our expert analysis before the playoffs begin. We will update this article with actual results after each round finishes.

Check back after Wild Card Weekend, Divisional Round and Conference Championships for updated predictions based on real outcomes. Carolina backed into the playoffs at 8-9 by winning a weak NFC South. The Panthers scored just 16 points per game over their final four contests. Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 4,743 passing yards and a stunning 48-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Rams get wide receiver Davante Adams back from injury. Adams leads the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns despite missing three games.

The experience gap between Stafford and Bryce Young matters in January. Stafford won Super Bowl LVI and thrives under pressure. Young has never played a playoff game. Carolina’s defense allowed 102 points in their final four weeks. The Rams want revenge after losing 31-28 to Carolina in Week 13. The 2025 NFL regular season has concluded, paving the way for the action-packed playoffs.

This Saturday, the postseason kicks off with the much-anticipated NFL wild-card round. A total of 14 teams are in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 60, set to take place in Santa Clara on Feb. 8. The Philadelphia Eagles will attempt to make history by trying to secure back-to-back Super Bowl victories - an achievement accomplished by nine teams in the history of the sport. On the other hand, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans aim to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in their franchises' histories. Among the contenders, the Buffalo Bills stand out as one of the seven AFC teams eager to seize an opportunity in a postseason that lacks the formidable presence of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or...

A question remains: is there a sleeper team that might rise to prominence from either conference? Before the six wild-card matchups begin, the USA TODAY Sports team gathers around the table to share predictions and insights on which teams will emerge victorious in the AFC and NFC Championships, and who... Buckle up, folks — it's playoff season in the NFL. The 2025 season was an abnormal one, and the postseason bracket exemplifies that. Both No. 1 seeds from last year — the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions — failed to make the playoffs, and the AFC is without Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.

Teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots all took major leaps forward this year. The Seahawks and Broncos have the byes in each conference to the divisional round, with their defense propelling them to the top of the standings. Below are Sporting News' predictions for the 2026 NFL playoffs, complete with updated Super Bowl 60 picks. Our NFL experts break down the brackets and project which players will break out, which contenders will break down, and which teams will break through during the postseason. Bill Bender: Buffalo Bills. Kansas City isn't in the way this year.

Josh Allen is 7-2 against everybody else in the playoffs – but the only thing holding us back is that Buffalo will have to prove it on the road. Allen is 0-4 on the road in the postseason and the path starts at Jacksonville. The Jaguars have allowed more than 20 points one time through a seven-game win streak. The NFL regular season has ended, but the new year brings what is sure to be a hotly-contested postseason. The NFL playoffs begin on Saturday, Jan. 10, with an NFC wild-card matchup between the No.

4 seed Carolina Panthers and the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams, continuing with five more games through a Monday-night AFC matchup between the No. 5 seed Houston Texans and No. 4 seed Pittsburgh Steelers. The NFC's No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks have the best odds to win the Super Bowl (+400) according to BetMGM, with the division rival Rams having the second-best odds (+425).

However, there doesn't seem to be a standout favorite in this crowded field, with the AFC's No. 6 seed Buffalo Bills notably having the fifth-best odds (+1000) of all playoff teams. Here's a quick look at the NFL playoff picture, including game picks all the way through Super Bowl 2026 in Santa Clara, California. Yes, the NFL does reseed in the playoffs. After the wild-card round, the lowest-seeded remaining team plays at 1-seed in the divisional round in each conference. The NFL is the only American sports league of the four major sports that reseeds in the postseason.

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The 2026 NFL Playoffs Are Here, And This Season Has

The 2026 NFL playoffs are here, and this season has been one of the most fascinating seasons we've seen in quite some time. Not only are Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson at home on the couch, but no one could have predicted the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks would be the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. Could Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams rebound from thei...

We Asked 10 Of Our CBS Sports NFL Experts To

We asked 10 of our CBS Sports NFL experts to turn in their full NFL playoff brackets. Not just Super Bowl picks. We wanted to see their work and how they got there. Let's take a look. "This is the most wide-open playoffs I can remember. With no dominant teams, I expect chaos.

That Would Be The Jaguars Winning It All. Of All

That would be the Jaguars winning it all. Of all the teams, they might be the most balanced. They aren't great at anything, but they don't have as many flaws as the others. They are also riding the hottest quarterback in the league. As for the Eagles, they will find their offense in the playoffs. It's back to Saquon Barkley and the running game.

That Will Carry Them To The Super Bowl, But The

That will carry them to the Super Bowl, but the Jaguars and their top-ranked run defense will limit him on the biggest stage to win the team's first Super Bowl." "The Rams have been the most complete team in the NFL, with an offense that can both grind out tough wins and go head-to-head in shootouts with anyone left in the league. They also have a pass rush that can put any opposing offense on its...

If They Can Get Past The Bills In The Wild

If they can get past the Bills in the Wild Card round, there might not be another team that could stop their momentum. Both the one and two seeds in the AFC get bounced in the divisional, with both facing bad matchups in the two AFC South teams left." Last Updated: January 9, 2026 8:00 AM EST • 9 minute read X Social Google News Link With the 2026 NFL playoffs kicking off this weekend, I'm breakin...