We're still months away from the 2026 NFL Playoffs, but that won't stop us from getting ahead of ourselves a bit and looking into the postseason. Right now, the playoff pictures in both conferences are beginning to take shape, and the one thing we probably know for sure is that the absolute worst teams in the league will likely not make the playoffs and remain the worst in the league.
In a different approach for Week 7, we have identified four potential matchups that we see this week, but we could also see during the playoffs at some point. A couple of them could end up being Super Bowl matchups as well.
Let's dive into these four games and talk about why they could repeat in the postseason.
Four Week 7 matchups we could again see in the playoffs
New England Patriots @ Chicago Bears, October 22nd
I am going back in time a bit, but the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots could be an obvious Super Bowl matchup this year, as the Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl appearance and did just prove that they can get there, and what we have seen from the Chicago Bears thus far is outstanding.
Caleb Williams is a very good quarterback on the cusp of superstardom, and with how much better the defense has played this year, Chicago suddenly checks all of the boxes a team would need to make a deep playoff run.
Even in year one of the Ben Johnson era, the Bears won the NFC North and advanced into the Divisional Round, so a logical jump this year could very well be a Super Bowl appearance.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens, October 25th
This would be a neat matchup at any point in the AFC Playoffs. Both Cincinnati and Baltimore sport generational QBs and meet in the 1:00 PM window in Week 7. We have seen both Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson go blow-for-blow, as both are simply better than most of their peers.
The Ravens may have one of the more talented rosters in the league, while the Bengals finally got serious about the defense this offseason, and they already have a Super Bowl appearance under their belt, so we know this franchise is capable of it.
Baltimore and Cincy are in good hands with their respective QBs and rosters. An early meeting in the AFC Playoffs, which could look like the No. 3 and No. 6-seeded matchup, would provide for must-see TV.
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