The start of the 2026 NFL season is finally here and I don’t want to spoil the entire year for you, but we already know who’s going to make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. 

OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but we did simulate the entire 2026 season with the goal of trying to figure out who’s going to be walking away with the Lombardi Trophy in February. The simulation was created by our resident data scientist Stephen Oh of SportsLine. For those of you who are not familiar with Oh’s work, let me just say this: Oh is the closest thing the human race has to AI. 

If Oh’s simulation is any indication, then we should be in for a crazy season, especially in the NFC West, where we got a huge surprise. 

The best part about the beginning of the season is that every team still has hope, and yes, that even includes the Cleveland Browns. Every team is starting with a clean slate, and they’ll all be hoping to end the year in Los Angeles, where Super Bowl LXI will be played. 

So who’s going to end up playing in the first Valentine’s Day Super Bowl ever? Let’s get to our simulation results and find out. 

AFC playoff projection

Projections via SportsLine

1. Baltimore Ravens (AFC North champion) 
Projected record: 11-6

Our simulation has the Ravens coasting to a division title in Jesse Minter’s first year on the job. The Ravens are given a 60.9% chance of winning the division title, well ahead of the Bengals, who have the next-highest chance at 22.7%. Although the simulation has THREE AFC North teams finishing with winning records this year, it has only one of them making the playoffs. 

2. Houston Texans (AFC South champion)
Projected record: 11-6

The Jaguars won the AFC South last season, but there will be no repeat for Jacksonville. The Texans are projected to win the division, but it is expected to be a tight race: Houston has a 47.8% chance of winning it, while the Jaguars (28%) and Colts (23.9%) are right behind. If the Texans end up winning the AFC South, it would be their third title in four years, and it would result in their fourth straight playoff appearance. 

3. Denver Broncos (AFC West champion)
Projected record: 10-7

In the eyes of the oddsmakers, the Broncos definitely aren’t the favorite to win the AFC West. According to most sports books, Denver has the third-best odds to win the division, but our simulation doesn’t agree with that take. According to our projection, the Broncos are the favorite in the AFC West with a 47% chance of winning the division, putting them ahead of both the Chiefs (32.6%) and Chargers (20.1%). 

4. Buffalo Bills (AFC East champion)
Projected record: 10-7

The race between the Bills and the Patriots for the top spot in the AFC East is expected to be a tight one. Our simulation gives Buffalo a 52.4% chance of winning the division, slightly ahead of the Patriots (41.5%). The Bills have dominated this division over the past decade with five first-place finishes since 2020, and our simulation has Joe Brady leading them back on top of the AFC East in his first year as head coach. 

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (Wild card 1)
Projected record: 10-7

We don’t have the Jags winning the AFC South for the second straight year, but our simulation does have the Jaguars getting to the playoffs. If they get in as a wild card, that would be huge news for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 1998-99. 

6. Kansas City Chiefs (Wild card 2)
Projected record: 10-7

One reason the oddsmakers are favoring the Chiefs to win the AFC West this year is because Patrick Mahomes is back and he’s healthy. However, our simulation doesn’t think that will be quite enough for Kansas City to overtake Denver for the division title.

7. New England Patriots (Wild card 3)
Projected record: 9-8

If our simulation is correct, then Week 18 of the NFL season should be pretty wild. Although the Patriots are being projected into this spot, they will be fighting tooth and nail for the final wild-card slot in the AFC. Our simulation has the Patriots, Colts, Chargers, Bengals and Steelers all finishing 9-8 with New England getting in on a tiebreaker. 

Other AFC playoff chances: Colts (55.5%), Bengals (52.4%), Chargers (47.4%), Steelers (40.1%), Browns (7.1%), Dolphins (6.5%), Jets (4.9%), Raiders (1.1%), Titans (1.0%).

NFC playoff projection

Projections via SportsLine

1. Seattle Seahawks (NFC West champion)
Projected record: 12-5

I promised you an NFC West twist when we started things at the top and here it is: Our simulation has the SEAHAWKS winning the division. With the Rams essentially building a super team, everyone seems to be sleeping on Seattle, but computers don’t sleep, so our simulation is all over the Seahawks. Seattle has a 50.3% chance of winning the division while the Rams are at 42.7%. 

2. Detroit Lions (NFC North champion)
Projected record: 11-6

The Lions are officially back! Well, it’s not official just yet, but our simulation definitely thinks it’s going to happen. We have the Lions returning to the top of the NFC North, which is expected to be the toughest division in the NFL this year. Our simulation has all FOUR teams finishing above .500 with the Lions being a heavy favorite: They have a 43% chance of winning the division followed by the Bears (20.9%), Vikings (18.1%) and Packers (18.1%). 

3. Philadelphia (NFC East champion)
Projected record: 10-7

It’s been more than 20 years since we’ve seen an NFC East team win three straight division titles, but our computer thinks that drought is finally going to come to an end this year. Our simulation has the Eagles running away with the division. Philadelphia has a 65.4% chance of winning the title, followed by the Cowboys (15.5%), Commanders (11.4%) and Giants (7.7%). 

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South champion)
Projected record: 9-8

Last year, we saw exactly zero teams in the NFC South finish with a winning record. If you can finish above .500 in this division, that means you can win it and our computer has the Buccaneers doing exactly that with a 9-8 record. This is one of just two divisions where every team is being given a double-digit chance of winning it, with the Buccaneers at 44.2%, followed by the Falcons (22.3%), Panthers (19.8%) and Saints (13.7%). 

5. Los Angeles Rams (Wild card 1)
Projected record: 12-5

The Rams are the overwhelming Super Bowl favorite and our simulation does have them finishing at 12-5, which would be tied for the best record in the NFL. Unfortunately for the Rams, we have them tied with the Seahawks and our computer says Seattle would win the tiebreaker. 

6. Chicago Bears (Wild card 2)
Projected record: 9-8

The Bears have the most difficult strength of schedule in the NFL this year, and because of that, they’re expected to take a small step back in the win column after finishing 11-6 last year. Our computer has them going 9-8, which won’t win them the NFC North, but it will be good enough to put them in the playoffs for the second straight season.

7. Minnesota Vikings (Wild card 3)
Projected record: 9-8

Apparently, our computer loves Kyler Murray, because we have the Vikings stealing the NFC’s final playoff spot over the Packers and 49ers. The computer almost malfunctioned while trying to figure out who should get the last spot between the Vikings and Packers. Minnesota has a 48.3% chance of making the postseason, while the Packers are RIGHT behind them at 48.1%. 

Other NFC Playoff Chances: Packers (48.1%), 49ers (44.9%), Falcons (26.7%), Cowboys (25.4%), Panthers (23.7%), Commanders (19.4%), Saints (16.9%), Giants (13.2%), Cardinals (0.8%).

Wild Card matchups

NFC

(2) Lions over (7) Vikings
(3) Eagles over (6) Bears
(5) Rams over (4) Buccaneers
Bye: Seahawks

AFC
(7) Patriots at (2) Texans
(6) Chiefs at (3) Broncos
(5) Jaguars at (4) Bills
Bye: Ravens

WILD CARD BREAKDOWN: We don’t have any surprises here with the home team coming out victorious in five of our six wild-card games. The only road team to win is the Rams, but that’s not a huge surprise. 

Divisional round matchups

NFC
(5) Rams over (1) Seahawks
(2) Lions over (3) Eagles 

AFC
(1) Ravens over (4) Bills
(2) Texans over (3) Broncos

DIVISIONAL BREAKDOWN: We have our first surprise of the playoffs! Although the computer has the Seahawks winning the NFC West, it actually views the Rams as the overall favorite to win the NFC. The Rams have a 26.03% chance of reaching the Super Bowl from the NFC, while the Seahawks are at 24.14%. 

So there’s your second NFC West twist: The Seahawks are projected to win the division, but the Rams are projected to go farther in the playoffs. 

As for the AFC, the home team has won every game in the AFC playoffs so far and that trend continues here. 

AFC and NFC Championship games

AFC: (1) Ravens over (2) Texans
NFC: (5) Rams over (2) Lions

Conference title game breakdown: If our simulation is correct, then we’re going to get Jared Goff in the ultimate revenge game. Goff and the Lions would get to host Matthew Stafford and the Rams with a trip to Super Bowl LXI on the line. A win by the Lions would give Goff a free trip back to Los Angeles, where he’d get to play a Super Bowl in the Rams’ home stadium on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately for Goff, our simulation has the Rams winning the game. 

As for the AFC, we have the unstoppable force going up against the immovable object with Lamar Jackson facing a Houston defense that should be one of the best in the NFL this year. The unstoppable force is the unstoppable force for a reason, which is why the simulation has Jackson and the Ravens moving on. 

Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium

(5) Rams over (1) Ravens

SUPER BOWL BREAKDOWN: If our simulation shows us one thing, it’s that the Rams are inevitable. Our computer gave us some drama by predicting the Seahawks would win the NFC West, but in the end, the Rams won the Super Bowl on their home turf at SoFi Stadium. 

It’s not easy to slow down Lamar Jackson, but the Rams have the defensive talent to pull that off. 

The computer views the Rams and the Seahawks as the two best teams in the NFL. The Rams have a 16.3% chance of winning the Lombardi Trophy while the Seahawks are at 14.2%. To put that in perspective, no other NFL team is above 9% and no other NFC team is above 6%. Our simulation sees the AFC as more wide open, with the Ravens (8.4%), Texans (5.7%), Broncos (5.8%), and Bills (4.8%) the top four favorites to win the Super Bowl in that conference. 

Bayley’s WWE future has become a talking point again following conflicting reports about her contract status. The Role Model returned to RAW on September 7 after spending several weeks away from television, immediately restarting her feud with 29-year-old Lyra Valkyria.

That could eventually lead to an interesting scenario. If the former Hugger’s WWE contract situation remains unresolved, she could potentially finish her current story with Valkyria before deciding that it is time to move on from the company.

The two women have already gone through a significant change in their relationship. Bayley spent much of the past year helping Valkyria develop, but their partnership fell apart after Valkyria blamed her former mentor for holding her back. Valkyria turned on the veteran following their loss to Brie Bella and Paige in June.

Bayley’s contract situation

Bayley’s long-term WWE status is currently unclear because of conflicting reports about her contract. A recent report stated that she had not signed a new deal, despite other reports suggesting that she had re-signed with WWE. It was also reported that she still had significant time remaining on her existing agreement, meaning there is no indication that she is about to leave immediately.

That uncertainty makes her current rivalry particularly interesting. The veteran’s first singles match in her current rivalry with Valkyria took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Madison Square Garden on July 18. Valkyria defeated her former mentor in a physical encounter before continuing the attack after the match, making it seem as though their story had reached its conclusion.

However, that was not the end. After returning to RAW, the former WWE Women’s Champion interfered in Valkyria’s Money in the Bank qualifying match. She pulled the referee out of the ring as Valkyria appeared to be on the verge of winning, allowing Sol Ruca to take advantage and qualify instead. The Role Model then tried to put Valkyria through a table before the younger star escaped.

The two have only had one singles match, so a rematch would make sense before the rivalry is finally put to rest. WWE could even take it one step further and make their next encounter the second chapter of a potential trilogy.

If Valkyria eventually wins that series, it could serve as a fitting way for the veteran to put over the younger superstar one final time. Bayley has already played a significant role in helping establish Valkyria, and giving her another decisive victory could further cement the 29-year-old as one of WWE’s leading stars.

That said, this scenario is only based on speculation, and nothing has been confirmed.