The AFC was a massive shock during the 2025 NFL Season, as not many people predicted the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos would be the top two seeds in the conference for the playoffs. Furthermore, how many people actually thought the Jacksonville Jaguars would win the AFC South, or that the Kansas City Chiefs would miss the playoffs by a long shot?
The 2026 NFL Season could bring more of the same insane scenarios. And there should be some 'good' teams that end up missing the playoffs - that happened in the NFC last year of note. With the 2026 NFL Schedules now out and the season all sorted out in that regard, we can dive into more predictions.
Let's predict all seven AFC playoff teams after the NFL schedule release.
Predicting every AFC playoff team for 2026 after the schedule release
1. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have been one of the more consistent teams in the NFL over the last half-decade. This team wins the AFC East like it's nothing, but the team failed to do so in 2025 thanks to the Patriots insanely easy schedule.
With the Pats' schedule regressing to the mean, and the Bills overhauling the defense in a series of stellar moves, Buffalo, once again, wins a ton of games. They'll also earn the top seed in the AFC.
2. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos won 14 games in 2025, and while it might be a tall task for the team to replicate this win total in 2026, it's not crazy to think that Denver wins the AFC West for a second year in a row. This roster does not have a notable hole, and it's a tier above Kansas City and Los Angeles.
3. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans shored up their offensive line this offseason and also added David Montgomery to the backfield. Those obvious improvements can help Houston make up the ground they shockingly lost to Jacksonville in another AFC South title season.
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