Before we get into 2026, a look back at the last 7 years of NFL previews, graded by ChatGPT.
When you look at my Super Bowl predictions results, it's kind of amazing. For reference, here's how the Las Vegas Sportsbooks did over that stretch:
6 out of 21. I got 9 out of 21, except my strategy was basically spam my favorite team and they actually came through for me. The big question...will I stick with that strategy entering the 2026 NFL Season?
Let's mix it up this year and start with a different division.
AFC East
The Patriots went 14-3, went to the Super Bowl, and I still never believed in them. And yet, maybe I was right? And now Vrabel is seeing what it's like to be inside an NFL insider.
For years, you could pencil in Josh Allen in first place. They finish in 2nd place and fire their head coach. New coach bump?
The Dolphins blew everything up and are in complete rebuild.
The Jets have at least on paper, a chance not to finish 4th in the division which is really exciting for them.
Bills, Pats, Jets, Dolphins.
AFC North
Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh are no longer coaching Steelers and Ravens.
Meanwhile, the Bengals are relying on consistsency and the fact that it's an even year. They're at least attempting to improve their dogshit defense.
Minter is a complete unknown. I've seen it pay off with Cohen and Ben Johnson, but I'm not convinced replacing John Harbaugh is as easy.
The Browns went 5-12 with Myles Garrett last year. That's probably the ceiling for them this year without him.
I think that Tomlin was good for a couple wins and the Steelers are going to get a taste of a losing record.
Bengals, Ravens, Steelers, Browns.
AFC South
You've got the Titans with Cam Ward hoping to make a year two leap.
You've got the Liam Cohen Jags in year two who went 13-4 but couldn't win a playoff game.
You've got Daniel Jones off an Achilles injury.
And then the Texans. Who kinda, maybe, seem like they could be this year's version of the 2025 Seahawks.
Texans, Jags, Colts, Titans.
AFC West
I was stalling as long as I could.
I moved to Denver in 2011. Then I moved from Denver to Kansas City in 2016.
For 14 straight seasons, I lived in the city that won the AFC West. Alas, I did not move to Denver in 2025. The streak is over.
But hey fun fact, the gray is Super Bowl appearance, the gold is Super Bowl Champion. My whole Chiefs life had been centered on 7 straight playoff losses and a playoff drought from 1993 to 2015.
But the first time I moved out of Kansas City (to Peoria) was in Summer 1994. Curse of Dave? I come back and we start winning Super Bowls?!
- - -
Anyways, back to the preview. the Broncos broke the Chiefs NINE year streak of winning the division.
The Chiefs were 6-7 entering Week 15 so things were not going great. When Mahomes injured his ACL, that was a wrap on the season.
But after week 8, the Chiefs were 5-3 and still had the number 1 Super Bowl odds. Sure they would go 1-4 over the next five, only winning the game where I took my boys to see their first NFL game, but...what's the point again? Ah yes...we used to just slot the Chiefs as division winners and feel good about it. Now we have to think about it.
The Broncos, whether I like it or not, are good. Good defense. Nix is good enough to go 14-3 and likely to get better.
The Chargers are kind of quietly looming. 11-6 last year. This is exactly the trajectory you want. Good QB, Good Coach, build on continuity and success. Instead of being a perennial hot pick in August and falling short, now the spotlight is seemingly on the Broncos and Chiefs, ironically making them an interesting hot pick for me.
And the Chiefs. Impossible to be objective about. I still believe in Mahomes and Reid. Bienemy back is good. Kelce is washed. In 2020 they lost the Super Bowl, in 2021 had the hangover season missing the Super Bowl, and then won the Super Bowl in 2022. This time around, in 2024 they lost the Super Bowl, in 2025 had the hangover season missing the Super Bowl. It's not that crazy to think their track record at least puts them back in contention.
The Raiders are last.
Three good teams in this division, all three could be in the hunt for the division title in November.
Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders.
1 Bills
2 Texans
3 Chargers
4 Bengals
5 Ravens
6 Chiefs
7 Broncos
- - -
NFC East
John Harbaugh comes to the Giants...should we be expecting a Vrabel-like turnaround? I'm not convinced. I'll bump them out of 4th but not into playoff contention. (Editor's Note: This Giants prediction feels like the most Likely thing to be wrong.)
Commanders still have a ton to prove to me. I'm more in the camp that the Commanders playoff run that one time was a flash in the pan.
Cowboys...in the regular season I still think they're competent. Some curtains would help.
I think the Eagles are the most complete team and they've got the depth. Plus, getting rid of AJ Brown might be addition by subtraction.
Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, Commanders.
NFC North
4 winning teams last year. 2nd place, 3rd place, 4th place all had 9 wins. On paper, the places can feel like tiers, but in reality, sometimes they're razors.
The addition of Kyler Murray gives the team with the biggest question mark reason to get excited. So on paper all four should be roughly around 9 or 10 wins.
So we're looking for razor thin edges and it's like who do you trust? Well, Ben Johnson has been on the right side of winning over the last couple years in Detroit and Chicago. So Chicago still feels like they're ascending. The Lions without him feel like they might be descending.
The thing is it's tough to repeat. Bears got lucky last year, hard to be lucky twice in a row.
The Packers are intersting and seem like they should be good, offense and defense. I've been waiting for Jordan Love to go to the next level, he's 27, seems like this could be the year.
And the Vikings...do I really trust Kyler Murray to play all year and be great?
Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings.
NFC South
I'm fucking done picking the Falcons man. I don't care if they win the Super Bowl, I'm tired of being wrong about them.
These teams mostly stink but someone has to win.
Saints, Bucs, Panthers, Falcons.
NFC West
The Rams were basically just as good as the Seahawks last year. Now they've added Myles Garrett.
The Seahawks got a parade. Not going back to back.
The 49ers practice facility is inside a nuclear reactor.
The Cardinals should be relegated.
Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals.
NFC Playoff Teams
1 Rams
2 Packers
3 Eagles
4 Saints
5 Seahawks
6 Lions
7 Bears
Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles:
Rams over Bills
No comments:
Post a Comment