Finally (based on the simulation results), here’s how the 2027 NFL Draft order would look, with the final 14 spots determined by playoff results. After backing up their impressive 2025 campaign with an even better 2026, the Bears enter the playoffs as a genuine Super Bowl contender. If the eight divisions play out exactly as we see above in our projected standings, here’s what the 14-team playoff bracket would look like.
Bracket for the NFL Playoffs
While the Steelers were perennial contenders under Mike Tomlin (and Mike McCarthy has a glowing record when his quarterback stays healthy), this is a non-zero possibility. The Baltimore Ravens rally to reclaim the AFC North title, but the standout result is the Pittsburgh Steelers finishing at the bottom of the table with only five wins. The similarly stacked NFC North also promises to be an intriguing battle for dominance (as just 0.2 wins separate the Chicago Bears), Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions. We also get data on how often that team earns which seed and the number of simulations in which they are selecting at different points in the 2027 NFL Draft. Taken from PFSN’s Football Playoff Meter, the FPM simulates the season 100,000 times and provides average win-loss records. The 2026 NFL schedule release was the final piece of the puzzle towards projecting the upcoming season.
High point: Weeks 1-5.
- A strong start would do wonders for this franchise.
- The Buffalo Bills get back on top of their division, with the Patriots winning six fewer games in this simulation than they did in 2025.
- Aaron Rodgers has yet to commit to the team for 2026 (and even if he does), the Steelers’ schedule is not pretty.
- Every regular‑season matchup is examined by the model, which
- In a tight AFC South battle (the Tennessee Titans narrowly miss out on a playoff spot with eight wins), while the Indianapolis Colts fall short for the sixth straight year.
The battle between humans and AI hasn’t quite reached T2 levels just yet, but it’s clear the computers are pulling ahead. “GMFB” debates is your cup half full or half empty on quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. PFSN’s 2026 NFL Season and Playoff Predictor is a tool that allows you to play out various weekly scenarios to see how the NFL playoff picture changes with each scenario.
Still (there is a chance for this team to get hot under Schottenheimer), a former wunderkind who got plenty of hockey betting tips seasoning before finally taking his first turn at a head-coaching gig. The Cowboys close the season with games against divisional foes, the Commanders and Giants. If the Green Bay Packers were to be eliminated in the Wild Card round, the Jets could potentially end up with three top-20 picks in the 2027 draft.
Oh, my gosh — could you imagine if Dan Campbell and the Lions are the only thing standing in the way of the Bears claiming a No. 2 seed in the playoffs? That’s not to say the team can’t get better this season. The Commanders embarrassed the top-seeded Lions in the playoffs last year; it was pretty bad for the boys in Honolulu Blue. The Eagles are going back to the playoffs — and perhaps all the way back to the Super Bowl. Adding Azeez Ojulari was a pretty nice move, and I like what this team did in the draft, continuing to stock great players.
Peak moment: Week 1 against the Giants.
We’ve each gone through the entire schedule (team by team), week by week, separately projecting who will win during opening weekend, on Thanksgiving Day, in each season finale and every game in between. A stacked NFC playoff bracket includes six teams with 11 or more wins, while the likes of Bijan Robinson and Drake London finally appear in the NFL postseason. After three teams finished with eight wins in 2025, the NFC South standings are a little more straightforward this time around. There is much more positivity surrounding the top teams in the NFC (with seven projected to win at least 9.5 games), compared to just three in the AFC. It’s important to note that the regular-season simulations include projected ties, so expected win-loss records may not add up to exactly 17 games for all teams. I think the Cardinals’ offense will be more consistent this season, so I was surprised when I ultimately had them losing five of their final seven games, just as they did last year.
One potential first-time Pro Bowler from each NFC team heading into the 2025 NFL season For now (though), I have to treat McCarthy like a rookie, which means factoring in the bumps that could keep his team’s immediate ceiling on the lower side. McCarthy’s first career regular-season start, on the prime-time stage of Monday Night Football? Myopic Bears fans , like me, think their Ben Johnson-infused team is going to the playoffs this season. They have some tough matchups in that stretch, and the long time away could really impact them.
Peak moments: Weeks 4 and 5.
I had a difficult time here, because the game will take place in December, when the Packers usually play their best, and it will be in Green Bay. I really had a tough time with this one, but am leaning Washington. Jayden Daniels had one of the best rookie seasons by an NFL quarterback since Cam Newton. At Commanders — at Cowboys, vs. Chiefs is a tough way to start things off.