6. Chicago Bears (11-6 in 2025)
When you look at the Chicago Bears, you think potential.
The offensive side of the ball took major strides in the 2025 season. Sure, Caleb Williams' completion percentage dipped below 60 percent, which was an issue, but he was more efficient across the board and was simply much better than he was as a rookie.
And for Ben Johnson being able to bring that kind of change in year one, it really makes you think just how much better Williams could be in year two. We could be talking about easily crossing 30 passing touchdowns and perhaps even flirting with the MVP.
While Williams was erratic at times, he was still quite good and is absolutely a franchise quarterback. The defense, though, does need to play a lot better. Outside of the turnovers, Chicago was rather mediocre defending the run and pass, but with some linebacker and secondary changes, we could see that unit sacrifice turnovers for a more efficient unit on a down-to-down basis, which would yield a better defense overall.
Chicago did notch a ton of late-game wins, but that was and is further indication that this team is well-coached, so the 2026 season could be quite eletric.
5. Buffalo Bills (12-5 in 2025)
The Buffalo Bills again had another strong season, but because of the Patriots shocking breakout, the 12-5 record was not good enough for the AFC East title in 2025. The two main changes Buffalo made this offseason was swapping Sean McDermott for Joe Brady and acquiring DJ Moore in a trade with the Bears.
Brady is an offensive-minded coach, and with Moore's insertion into the offense, we could see that unit carry more weight in the passing game in 2026. Josh Allen's passing production has actually been on a slow decline ever since his first breakout season in 2020, but the Bills have also had to deal with some below-average play from that side of the ball in the post-Stefon Diggs era.
While Moore isn't a top-10 talent, he's a 1,000-yard player and should be someone who eases the pressure off the rest of the unit.
And when you add in an elite run game and offensive line, Buffalo could once again breakout on offense. The defense also saw some change this offseason, as Jim Leonhard is now in as the defensive coordinator, and he was most recently working with the Denver Broncos secondary, so that could certainly mean good things are on the horizon for that side of the ball this year.
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