AFC 4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals
The 4th seed in the AFC is one of our first real "surprises" of the list here. The Cincinnati Bengals have not made the playoffs since the 2022 season, which is rather shocking when you consider the core of offensive players they have.
Joe Burrow's injuries and the defensive issues have plagued this team, but they're primed for a return to the postseason in 2026. Again, with all of these teams, health is the primary concern going into the season. But as far as the defense is concerned, the Bengals have done what they need in order to get back to a postseason berth, and even win the division.
Trading the 10th pick for Dexter Lawrence was huge, but the Bengals also landed Boye Mafe in free agency, they signed Jonathan Allen on the defensive line, and have young players like Shemar Stewart and Cashius Howell ready to contribute.
A healthy Joe Burrow alone should put the Bengals back in the AFC title discussion.
NFC 4th seed: New Orleans Saints
And here we have one of our biggest surprises of the playoff predictions. The New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South. And is it really that far-fetched, when you think about it?
A lot of this prediction will be based on how well Tyler Shough progresses in his second NFL season. He had a great finish last year, but he's not going to be catching anyone off-guard and teams have a lot of film on him from last year. He'll need to show plenty of progress, but the Saints have done a lot to help him out.
Getting David Edwards to start at the left guard position, a massive upgrade next to 2025 1st-round pick Kelvin Banks, and then they added weapons galore. They signed Travis Etienne to join a talented backfield, then added Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance at receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Saints already had a really strong defense last season, one of the most underrated in the league. They ranked 9th in points allowed, 4th against the pass, 3rd in 3rd-down efficiency, and 10th in red zone efficiency. If that unit improves again, this team will easily win 10 games and possibly the division as well.
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