USA Today’s latest NFL forecast comes with some head-turning calls, and the boldest ones are the kind that will have fans arguing before a single snap is played.
Nate Davis went all the way through the 2026 season and laid out projected final standings for all 32 teams, plus playoff seeding and a Super Bowl LXI winner. In his version of the year, the Dallas Cowboys climb back to the top of the NFC East at 11-6, while the Philadelphia Eagles crash to 8-9 and miss the postseason altogether. He also has the Chicago Bears winning 12 games and landing the NFC’s No. 2 seed under Ben Johnson.
The AFC picture isn’t any calmer. Davis sees the Miami Dolphins finishing with the NFL’s worst record at 1-16, while the Denver Broncos take the AFC West after another jump forward under Sean Payton. Kansas City is projected to rebound from its torrid 2025 season, but still finish behind Denver in the division.
Some of Davis’ biggest swings involve teams he believes are ready to take the next step after last season’s playoff disappointment. The Los Angeles Rams are projected to go 14-3, matching the Seattle Seahawks for the league’s best regular-season record and grabbing the NFC’s top seed. On the other side of the bracket, the Buffalo Bills are picked to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993 after beating the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
Davis has the Rams finishing the job in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium, with Los Angeles beating Buffalo in the title game.
Prediction pieces have a way of aging fast. Sometimes they look sharp, and sometimes they end up as a snapshot of takes everyone is laughing at by Thanksgiving. And with 272 games in play, the picks people remember are usually the ones that went spectacularly wrong.
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