In a season flipped upside down, fallen giants like the Kansas City Chiefs miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, while underdogs like New England and Chicago surge from last place to division champs. This wild ride sets up Super Bowl 60 on February 8, 2026, promising epic clashes among fresh faces and veteran holdouts.
Unprecedented Shifts in the Standings
Veteran analyst Cris Collinsworth calls this the most unusual NFL year he recalls. Eleven of the 14 playoff teams notched at least 11 wins, a feat seen only once before in 35 years.
A record five squads bounced back from 11 or more losses last season to qualify now. Defending champions Philadelphia stumbled in dominance, and preseason favorites Buffalo fell short of hype.
AFC Race: New Blood Takes Center Stage
The AFC lacks stars like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, marking the first Super Bowl without them since 2019. Chiefs, Bengals, and Ravens all sit out.
Top seed Denver, with rookie Bo Nix, eyes glory. New England’s Drake Maye, under coach Mike Vrabel, flipped a 4-13 record to 14-3.
Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers, 42, chases one last run amid retirement talks.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen aims to break his playoff curse against hot teams.
NFC Powerhouses and Surprise Contenders
Seattle clinched the top seed at 14-3, riding a seven-game win streak after topping the tough NFC West over Rams and 49ers.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads MVP odds at 37, fresh off league-high passing yards and touchdowns.
Chicago’s Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson turned a 5-12 mark into 11-6 and the second seed.
Philadelphia rests starters after clinching NFC East, facing injury-plagued San Francisco.
Carolina sneaks in at 8-9, the seventh team ever with a losing record in playoffs.
Wild Card Weekend Breakdown
Kicking off January 10, matchups promise drama:
Rams visit Panthers at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Packers at Bears, 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday.
Bills at Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday.
49ers at Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
Chargers at Patriots, 8:00 p.m. ET Sunday.
Texans at Steelers, 8:00 p.m. ET Monday.
Jacksonville enters on an eight-game streak, with Trevor Lawrence shining. Green Bay gets Jordan Love back from concussion.
Why This Matters Moving Forward
These playoffs could birth new legends among young quarterbacks like Maye and Nix. With experience thin in AFC and stacked in NFC, upsets loom large.
As Collinsworth notes, no clear favorite exists. Fans await if veterans like Rodgers or Stafford seize the moment, or if rookies rewrite history en route to Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium.
This chaos underscores the NFL’s parity, where one bad season flips to triumph. Eyes now turn to wildcard action, where surprises could define the path to Super Bowl 60.
