Christmas brings playoff gifts for multiple teams as Week 17 gets ready to kick off.
The Philadelphia Eagles became the first NFC East team to win the division in back-to-back seasons in 21 years. The Seattle Seahawks’ thrilling win over the Los Angeles Rams clinched their playoff spot as they control their own destiny in the conference.
The playoff-bound New England Patriots and Denver Broncos are in a race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But the Jacksonville Jaguars are lurking.
We’re in the penultimate week of the regular season with still a lot left to be decided. Who is in best position for a trip to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 60? Here’s an early look at some predictions and picks to win the AFC, NFC and which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.
AFC standings ahead of Week 17
Denver Broncos (12-3)
New England Patriots (12-3)
Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4)
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
Buffalo Bills (11-4)
Houston Texans (10-5)
AFC Championship prediction: Bills survive against Patriots
Josh Allen’s the fourth player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes in six of his first eight career seasons, per NFL Research. The Bills are too reliant on Allen, but I predict he’ll have plenty of assistance against the Patriots in an all-AFC East championship game.
Running back James Cook produces over 130 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Buffalo’s defense gets just enough stops as the Bills upset the Patriots in Foxborough again.
It’ll mark Buffalo’s first Super Bowl appearance since the 1993 season.
NFC standings ahead of Week 17
Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
Chicago Bears (11-4)
Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
Carolina Panthers (8-7)
Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)
NFC Championship prediction: Eagles hang on against Rams (again)
The Eagles are starting to play better football. I believe the Eagles finally find their groove during win-or-go-home situations in the postseason.
Philadelphia’s offense has struggled to establish an identity and they haven’t been consistent this season. But I predict they return to form with running back Saquon Barkley leading the way.
Barkley ran all over the Rams in two meetings last season, but he was limited to 55 yards from scrimmage in a Week 3 win over Los Angeles.
The Eagles have won four straight games, including the playoffs, against the Rams dating back to 2023. The Rams’ explosive offense will keep this game close, but Philly’s overall talent on both sides of the ball prevails.
Super Bowl 60 prediction
Losers of four Super Bowls in a row in the early 90s, the Bills have a painful Super Bowl history. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Feb. 8 will add to the franchise’s Super Bowl misery.
The Eagles have back-to-back standout performances to complete their title defense and win their second-straight Super Bowl.
Philadelphia’s opportunistic defense forces two takeaways and the team scores 14 points off the turnovers.
Super Bowl 60 odds breakdown
According to the current betting odds at BetMGM, the Los Angeles Rams have the best odds of winning Super Bowl 60 at +425.
NFL playoff schedule
Wild card round: Saturday, Jan. 10 to Monday, Jan. 12, 2026
Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
Conference championship: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
Super Bowl: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
