2026 NFL Schedule Release: 5 Bold Predictions After Unveiling Of Regular Season Slate

Yes, we already knew who every team was playing in the 2026 NFL season. However, after Thursday's schedule release, it's now a bit easier to predict the year ahead in the NFL. With dates of all 272 regular-season matchups set, we can take a closer look at the ebb and flow of schedules for specific teams and hazard a guess as to what the potential outcomes might be. Last year, I predicted the demise of the Kansas City Chiefs, along with bounce-back seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots. But I also believed the ever-optimistic Pete Carroll would lead the Las Vegas Raiders to respectability in his first season and the Washington Commanders would reach the Super Bowl, so I’m not exactly puffing my chest out. So, here are five bold predictions for the upcoming season with the release of this year’s schedule. It’s finally Joe Burrow’s time to shine — again. The Cincinnati Bengals have the third-easiest schedule, based on the projected win totals of their opponents. However, the Bengals had one of the easiest schedules last year and still finished 6-11. Of course, Burrow could not stay out of the training room, playing in just eight games in 2025. Cincinnati traded for Joe Flacco to rescue the offense, but the defense couldn't keep up, allowing at least 30 points in serve games. So, in the offseason, the Bengals finally went all in and spent major resources to fix an ailing defense, trading with the New York Giants for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. They also signed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and edge rusher Boye Mafe, along with safeties Bryan Cook, Kyle Dugger and Ja’Sir Taylor in free agency. The Bengals added defensive linemen Cashius Howell and Landon Robinson, along with cornerback Tacario Davis, in the draft. So, the defense should be much better than No. 31 in total defense, which is where the Bengals finished last season. Along with that, the Bengals' three other AFC North rivals all have new head coaches (Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers; Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens; Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns). In all, the Bengals play nine games against teams with head coaches leading them for the first time this season (the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans are the others). Cincinnati has the advantage of most continuity in the division, including all 11 players returning for one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL and one of the top quarterbacks in the league when healthy in Burrow. If the LSU product can stay upright, it’s the Bengals best shot at reaching the Super Bowl since Burrow led them there after the 2021 season. If not, the Bengals have an experienced backup with a Super Bowl ring in Flacco. New Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are taking a long-term approach to building a winner in South Beach. That means there will be some bumps in the road with new quarterback Malik Willis leading them. Expect some struggles for Miami this season, going winless on the road amid a first-year rebuilding effort. That might not seem like a surprise when you consider that they have games at the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers on their slate. That slate is made even more difficult when you consider that Miami was 1-7 in games that were 45 degrees or colder at kickoff under head coach Mike McDaniel, and four of those aforementioned games take place in November or later. But the Dolphins also have road games at the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts, giving them opportunities to win games on the road. And while you might think there's a team that goes winless on the road every season, that hasn't been the case as of late. There's only been one winless team on the road in the last four seasons. On top of that, the last time Miami went winless on the road was in 2007, when the Dolphins finished 1-15. That was Cam Cameron's first and only season leading the Dolphins. (Miami hired Tony Sparano and he finished 11-5 the following year.) Miami moved on from a handful of the team’s best players this offseason in wide receiver Tyreek Hill, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, edge rusher Bradley Chubb and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots rode the third-easiest schedule in the league last year to a magical Super Bowl run. Drake Maye emerged as an MVP-worthy candidate in his second season, and the Patriots returned to their mantle as one of the dominant teams in the NFL. However, New England played only three teams that reached the playoffs during the regular season, the fewest of any team in the league. The Patriots finished 1-2 against those teams during the regular season. Well, fast-forward to this season and Vrabel is now dealing with off-the-field distractions. The Patriots are also coming off a Super Bowl where they were dominated up front on both sides of the ball, losing in ugly fashion to the Seattle Seahawks. And after enjoying a schedule that allowed them to travel no further than New Orleans in 2025, the Patriots will travel the fifth-most miles this season (27,590). The inevitable addition of No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown should help an offense that lacks explosive plays and moved on from the team’s best receiver in Stefon Diggs this offseason. But the Patriots have the sixth-hardest schedule in the league. The Patriots face nine playoff teams from last season. Only the Seahawks (10) face more. The previous two Super Bowl losers failed to have a winning record the following season, with the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs stumbling in each of the last two years. Expect the Patriots to follow a similar path. The New Orleans Saints return Louisville product Tyler Shough at quarterback in 2026 after the second-rounder showed promise as a rookie in 2025. Shough took over as the starter midseason and finished 5-4 as the team’s starter, so the Saints believe they have their franchise quarterback of the future. New Orleans certainly approached the offseason with that mindset as well. The Saints surrounded Shough with playmakers on offense, including first-round pick receiver Jordyn Tyson, an athletic tight end in the third round in Oscar Delp and underrated receiver Bryce Lane. The Saints also added running back Travis Etienne, veteran tight end Noah Fant and offensive lineman David Edwards in free agency. The Saints finished 7-10 last season and have the second-easiest schedule, based on opponents, based on the projected win totals of their opponents. New Orleans also plays in one of the easiest divisions in football in the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers won the division at 8-9 last season.  The Saints also face the fewest playoff teams this season at five. So, expect the Saints to reign supreme in the NFC South and win their first division title since Drew Brees was their quarterback. Yes, the Los Angeles Rams are the current betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. But Father Time is undefeated. Matthew Stafford is 38 years old and coming off a year when he played in all 17 games for the first time since 2021, winning the NFL’s MVP Award for the first time in his 17-year career. Can Stafford play at that level again and stay healthy? Stafford had a balky back that forced him to miss time during training camp in 2025. And oddly enough, Stafford-led teams finished below .500 in three of the four seasons after he started and won double-digit games. The only time that didn’t happen was this past season, when the Rams followed up a 10-7 record by going 12-5, reaching the NFC Championship Game and finishing four points short of reaching the Super Bowl. If Stafford does suffer an injury, the Rams no longer have an experienced backup in Jimmy Garoppolo. Instead, it’s surprise first-round pick Ty Simpson, who some scouts I spoke with around the league did not believe was a first-round pick. Los Angeles also has the fifth-hardest schedule, based on projected win totals, facing nine teams that made the playoffs in 2025. That includes two late-season matchups against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, facing Seattle twice in the final three weeks. Teams with five of the six hardest projected schedules finished under their projected win totals last year. The Rams travel the second-most miles in the league this season (35,487), including a season opener against their NFC West rival in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers. That's just the start of a five-game stretch that includes games at the Broncos and Eagles, plus a home game against the Bills.

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2026 NFL Schedule Release: 5 Storylines To Watch In Patriots-Lions Game In Munich On FOX

When Sunday, Nov. 15, arrives, be prepared to keep the TV on FOX from the moment you wake up and through nearly the entire day. FOX will air its first tripleheader in over a decade, which will conclude with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the San Francisco 49ers on "America's Game of the Week." But the game that starts the Week 10 tripleheader is overseas. The New England Patriots will host the Detroit Lions at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 9:30 a.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. Munich has hosted NFL games at Allianz Arena twice before, drawing about 70,000 fans each time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, and the Carolina Panthers narrowly defeated the New York Giants in overtime in 2024. Munich will host a game again in 2028 as the NFL continues to expand its presence in Germany and all over the world. German fans love American football, and you'll hear word-perfect singing of songs like John Denver's "Country Roads" and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" belted from the crowd during games. FOX Sports had the NFL's first international game in 2007 when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in London as well. Here are five storylines that could play out in this year's game: It makes sense that a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance is going to fare well no matter where they play, and the Patriots will try to improve on a 4-1 record in the past decade for teams in international games the year after playing in the Super Bowl. The lone loss came last year, when the Kansas City Chiefs, coming off a Super Bowl loss, opened the 2025 season in São Paulo, Brazil, and lost to the Los Angeles Chargers. The other four were all international wins, including the Chiefs, who also played in Frankfurt in 2023 as defending Super Bowl champs and beat the Miami Dolphins that year. In 2019, the Los Angeles Rams were coming off a Super Bowl loss and won in London against the Cincinnati Bengals; the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in 2018 as defending Super Bowl champs, and the Patriots beat the Raiders as defending champs in 2017. Some New England players have played in Germany before. The Patriots faced the Colts in Frankfurt during the 2023 NFL season, losing 10-6 in Bill Belichick's final season. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 88 yards in the game, and receiver DeMario Douglas, then a rookie, led the team with six catches for 84 yards. That game also saw the Patriots bench Mac Jones on the final drive, with quarterback Bailey Zappe throwing a game-sealing interception following a fake spike. The Patriots are 3-2 all-time in international games, also losing to the Jaguars in London in 2024. Only three teams have played in more international games than the Patriots — the Jaguars (14), Miami Dolphins (7) and Minnesota Vikings (6). The Lions, meanwhile, have only played two international games in their history, edging the Atlanta Falcons in London in 2014 and losing to the Chiefs there in 2015. He's no lock to make the 53-man roster, but the Patriots have one current player who was born in Germany in offensive tackle Lorenz Metz, a massive 6-foot-9, 310-pound prospect who is part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program and was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the last two offseasons. And one of the most successful NFL players ever from Germany was Patriots offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who won two Super Bowl rings with New England and made 80 starts for the Patriots between 2009 and 2015. Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis played every snap for the Bucs in their 2022 win in Munich, collecting four tackles, and he's played for both of these teams in the last two seasons. He started 13 games for the Lions in 2024, then signed with the Patriots, starting every game last year in their path to a Super Bowl, getting two interceptions in the playoffs. Myles Adams, a defensive end who spent the last two years on Detroit's practice squad and will compete for a roster spot this fall, played for the Seahawks in Munich in 2022, getting one tackle in the loss. Detroit's offense ranked in the top five in scoring from 2022-24 and led the NFL in 2024 before Ben Johnson left to become the Chicago Bears' head coach. They ranked fourth last year, averaging 28 points per game, and the Lions still moved on from offensive coordinator John Morton, hiring Drew Petzing. Petzing is only 39, and a successful season could make him a head coaching candidate as a sharp, young offensive mind. He grew up in New England, going to high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, just west of Boston, during the Patriots' heyday with three Super Bowls in four years under Tom Brady. He stayed in New England, playing in college in Middlebury and had his first coaching jobs at Harvard, Boston College and Yale. Detroit's offense has some significant changes for 2026, with running back David Montgomery traded to the Texans and replaced by Isiah Pacheco, and moves on the offensive line. Pro Bowl tackle Penei Sewell is moving from right to left tackle, with free agent Cade Mays stepping in at center and first-round pick Blake Miller stepping in at right tackle. Second-year receiver Isaac TeSlaa could also emerge after getting six touchdown catches among his 16 receptions as a rookie. Maye just missed out on MVP honors as runner-up, but his emergence in his second NFL season was central in the Patriots' amazing turnaround from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 and AFC champs. Maye threw for 31 touchdowns, more than doubling his rookie total, all while throwing only eight interceptions, two fewer than he did as a rookie. The Patriots paid $68 million to bring in receiver Romeo Doubs from the Packers, put a first-round pick into offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and added guard Alijah Vera-Tucker from the Jets in free agency as well. They should get improvement from two key rookies last year in offensive tackle Will Campbell and running back TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie and could take on a larger role in his second season. A potential trade for Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown also continues to linger. New England averaged 28 points per game in 2025, second-best in the NFL and a full 12 points a game better than it had the year before. Can the Patriots sustain that high level of play — or exceed it — with Maye's continued growth?

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2026 NFL Odds: Back Cowboys, Chiefs To Win In Week 1

Okay, friends — we're getting closer to football season. The NFL schedule release is a nice little teaser and does just enough to get us excited about what lies ahead. Also, now that we know which matchups we have to look forward to, it's time to put our money where the calendar is. Let's take a glance at the first two games I've got my eyes on. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. COWBOYS @ GIANTSSept. 13 — Week 1 I’m high on the Cowboys this season. Quarterback Dak Prescott seems underrated, despite playing well year after year. The Cowboys' offensive line is outstanding. Their wide receivers are elite. They clearly have things together on offense. Defense was a struggle last season, but they’ve done much to improve it with late, in-season moves last year and free agency this spring. They’ve improved at all three levels, either in the draft with Malachi Lawrence and Caleb Downs, or in free agency with Rashan Gary and Cobie Durant. The Giants also improved with the addition of John Harbaugh as the squad's coach. They had a productive draft by selecting Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa. Quarterback Jaxson Dart will start this season healthy and presumably so will star receiver Malik Nabers. Their defense should be fantastic once again this season with a hellish pass rush. But there's this: The Giants do not have a home-field advantage that’s worth much, in my opinion. That opinion is backed by years of data showing that they don’t cover as often. Part of that is because they've been stinky for years, but also, that stadium provides them no real upside. The Cowboys, on the other hand, have advantages all over the field in this game. They have a returning coaching staff with a better quarterback. Their offensive line can neutralize the Giants' defensive line. The Cowboys' improved defense should play well against a New York offense with that new staff that will be attempting to find its footing early in the season. PICK: Cowboys (-2.5) to win by more than 2.5 points BRONCOS @ CHIEFSSept. 14 — Week 1 I’m prepared to lose money again this season wagering on the Chiefs when the number is under a field goal. Last season was bad. The offense had no rhythm or flow. Nothing easy was designed. Then injuries started to pile up. Receiver, offensive line and eventually, Patrick Mahomes. But now, Mahomes appears healthy, and the offensive line is healthy. K.C. has added Kenneth Walker at running back and have acknowledged it needs to change the offense. Defensively, it always felt like the Chiefs allowed fewer points than their talent. The Chiefs added some young pieces on defense and will need those guys to get up to speed fast. The Broncos made the AFC Championship Game last season in the second year of Bo Nix being paired with head coach Sean Payton. They lost when Nix was out of the lineup. Now, he’s on track to be under center in Week 1. Denver didn’t need to do much this offseason with the roster. It already had a top-notch offensive line and added Jaylen Waddle to the receiving core. The Broncos return nearly everyone from that outstanding defense. It’s a team that feels primed to make another deep playoff run. Honestly, I just won’t ever quit betting on the Chiefs getting less than a field goal at home — especially when there's motivation to start this season much better. They’ve heard all offseason about their demise and how it’s over as currently constructed. Hear me out, though, when I say their roster is much better. They’ve improved their coaching staff and Andy Reid's teams are fantastic in Week 1. I think the Broncos will compete for another AFC West title but will lose in their first game of the season. PICK: Chiefs (-2.5) to win by more than 2.5 points

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2026 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule: Win-Loss Record Prediction and Full List of Games

The Terrible Towels can officially start waving again as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 schedule has arrived. Pittsburgh’s road ahead is finally set, giving fans their first glimpse at the journey to come. Now, the countdown to football season in the Steel City officially begins. Week 1: Sept. 13 vs. Atlanta FalconsWeek 2: Sept. 20 @ New England PatriotsWeek 3: Sept. 27 vs. Cincinnati BengalsWeek 4: Oct. 1 @ Cleveland Browns (Thursday)Week 5: Oct. 11 vs. Indianapolis ColtsWeek 6: Oct. 18 @ Tampa Bay BuccaneersWeek 7: Oct. 25 vs. New Orleans Saints (in Paris)Week 8: Nov. 1 vs. Cleveland BrownsWeek 9: BYEWeek 10: Nov. 15 @ Cincinnati BengalsWeek 11: Nov. 22 @ Philadelphia EaglesWeek 12: Nov. 27 vs. Denver Broncos (Friday)Week 13: Dec. 6 vs. Houston TexansWeek 14: Dec. 14 @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Monday)Week 15: Dec. 20 vs. Baltimore RavensWeek 16: TBD vs. Carolina PanthersWeek 17: Jan. 3 @ Tennessee TitansWeek 18: TBD @ Baltimore Ravens Despite the transition from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy, our Ralph Vacchiano expects a familiar finish in Pittsburgh. He's predicting the Steelers to go 9-8. "So much of the Pittsburgh Steelers' season is riding on the old shoulders of Aaron Rodgers — whether he plays again, or whether he can defy his age for one more season. Whoever their quarterback is will immediately have a tougher challenge if Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow can stay healthy, making the AFC North games much more of a minefield," Vacchiano wrote. The Steelers' projected win total for the 2026 season currently sits at 7.5 wins at FanDuel Sportsbook. Their odds to win the Super Bowl sit at +7500, making them a longshot to win it all. Their odds to make the playoffs are +175. The Steelers’ offseason was highlighted by the hiring of Mike McCarthy and the ongoing question surrounding whether Aaron Rodgers will return to the team this season. Pittsburgh also made upgrades on offense, signing running back Rico Dowdle and acquiring wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. The defense saw improvements as well with the additions of defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day and former Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. During the NFL Draft, the Steelers continued to bolster the offensive line by selecting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and Iowa's Gennings Dunker. Following the draft, our Ralph Vacchiano placed the Steelers at No. 24 in his power rankings. "This draft would’ve looked better if the Eagles hadn’t stolen Makai Lemon from them in the first round," Vacchiano wrote. Pittsburgh's draft haul was one of this year's best, earned a A- grade from our draft analyst, Rob Rang. "Whether [Drew] Allar lives up to his upside or not, this was the kind of draft Steelers fans deserved and it kicks off the Mike McCarthy era in fine form," Rang wrote.

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2026 NFL Schedule Release: Playoff Predictions From Wild-Card Round To Super Bowl LXI

With the 2026 NFL schedule now released, we know what the regular season will look like. But of course, we don’t know how it will end — or which 14 teams will make the playoffs. That’s what I’m here to tell you. And I’m not just here to tell you who will make the playoffs. Let’s also go through the postseason with a Madden-like simulation to imagine what might happen, from the wild-card games to the Super Bowl. I’m going to project the scores in every playoff game, because there’s no detail too small for a way-too-early playoff prediction bracket. This is the fun time of the year, when every team can win the Super Bowl. I’ll take a crack at predicting who will win. And how they’ll do it. AFC Playoff Standings The most obvious omission is superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. And my reasoning is fairly simple. First, Mahomes is coming back from an ACL injury that he suffered in December. Even if he returns in Week 1 (and I’m dubious), he won’t be the same player until late in the year — and maybe even 2027. Second, the AFC West is one of the best divisions in the NFL, especially because the Las Vegas Raiders should improve drastically this year. And third, the Chiefs’ roster sorely lacked talent last year, and you could argue they traded their third-best player, cornerback Trent McDuffie, this offseason. The AFC South feels like a coin flip between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. I’ll take the Jags, in large part because I trust coach Liam Coen, and because of Texans quarterback. C.J. Stroud's playoff collapse. But Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence and Coen figured something out last year, and I think they can sustain their success. The Bengals, meanwhile, invested in their defense this offseason and should see a real return on that investment. Their schedule is easy. They’ve assembled talent. All they have to do is avoid the slow start that has plagued them seemingly every year under coach Zac Taylor — and I like them to win at least three of their first five games going into their Week 6 bye. Don’t count me as a believer in the Pittsburgh Steelers — or Aaron Rodgers, if he returns. I have even less faith in the playoff-hopeful Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones, who's returning from a torn right Achilles tendon. NFC Playoff Standings Every one of my NFC playoff permutations left out an elite team, which made for an impossible decision. In this case, it was the Green Bay Packers who didn't make the cut. It genuinely pains me to leave them out, because they’re as good as any of the other teams in the NFC’s playoff pool. Also left out were the Washington Commanders, a team that, if quarterback Jayden Daniels is healthy, could see a real surge, particularly if all their new defensive pieces come together. Even after making the NFC Championship Game two years ago, they’re somehow a sleeper in their conference. Ultimately, I couldn’t bet against the Chicago Bears — which, admittedly, is a little bit crazy. They won several close games last season to finish at 11-6, and those sorts of teams tend to regress. But over the offseason, I spoke to head coach Ben Johnson about the team’s plan to fend off regression and I came away convinced that Chicago is here to stay. Johnson and third-year QB Caleb Williams should take a big step forward. But most importantly, I think defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit will improve drastically, which is what this team really needs in order to finish with a similar record as last season. As for the seeding order, the NFC West is about as hard to predict as can be. The 49ers get the edge because they have a weak schedule and they put together a solid free-agency class, which includes veteran receiver Mike Evans. But the NFC’s top seed could just as easily be the Rams or Seahawks (again). As usual, the NFC South is up for grabs. And as usual, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the consensus favorite. But the Saints have a hilariously easy schedule. In his first season at the helm, coach Kellen Moore got the New Orleans offense humming, admittedly against bad defenses last year. And given all that the Saints did to invest in their continued reboot, with receiver Jordyn Tyson, guard David Edwards and running back Travis Etienne, I think they could find themselves at the top of the division. AFC Wild-Card Round Bye: Broncos NFC Wild-Card Round Bye: 49ers Wouldn’t it be crazy to have a road-team sweep in the NFC? There’s no way the Saints advance. And the Lions will likely have a record that reflects their weak schedule, which could leave them ripe for an upset in Round 1, particularly when matched up against former Detroit OC Ben Johnson, who knows the team's system and personnel inside and out. Even with the Lions executing a pair of 2-point conversions, Dan Campbell can’t take down the coach he mentored. On the AFC side, the Patriots won’t have the same endurance this year — despite getting better over the course of last postseason. They seem like a team that will regress, which will look like a one-and-done playoff appearance. The Bills are going to be a team with a new-ish identity, particularly on defense, and I think that could make them as dangerous as ever in the postseason, even if it means generating the final stop in a shootout with the Ravens. And remember: Josh Allen is 2-0 against Lamar Jackson in the playoffs. The Chargers get an upset, fueled largely by their run game, which new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is going to turn into something special. AFC Divisional Round NFC Divisional Round The Bengals were — just a few years ago — one of the best-built teams in the NFL and a few points away from a Super Bowl win over the Rams. A lot has changed since then. The quarterback, Joe Burrow, has not. This feels like the season when his love for football returns. This feels like the season when the Bengals support him. As a result, Burrow takes Josh Allen down to advance to the AFC Championship Game. In a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game, the Rams get their revenge. L.A. was essentially one play away from beating the Seahawks in Seattle, and I think that the Seahawks would be lucky to see New Orleans in Round 1. Seattle looks bound for a regression year as it restocks the defense. (If the Seahawks saw anyone other than an NFC South team, they’d probably be one-and-done.) AFC Championship NFC Championship If quarterback Bo Nix didn't break his ankle in the divisional round last season, the Broncos would have made the Super Bowl. They might have even made it if that crazy snow storm hadn’t blown into Denver so quickly and intensely. And it looked like, with Nix, the Broncos were the only great team in an otherwise unspectacular conference. So with the AFC still lacking (compared to the NFC), the Broncos get their second chance. And they'll convert on it, taking care of Cincinnati, whose questions at cornerback might prove too severe to make a complete Super Bowl run. The Rams can’t quite make good on their second chance in the conference title game. Instead, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford watch as the 49ers eke out a win in San Francisco, in part because they have home-field advantage and in part because they earned the NFC bye. The 49ers are a deep team. They have elite players at premium positions. They have a relatively easy schedule outside their division. This could be their year. Super Bowl LXI What a strange matchup of quarterbacks: Nix and Brock Purdy. What a logical matchup of coaches: Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan. What an excellent matchup of defenses. It feels like Payton and Nix are only coming to understand each other better. It feels like Broncos OC Davis Webb will be the hot head coaching candidate next offseason. And it feels like former Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle is the perfect addition to the Denver offense. (Don’t sleep on rookie tight end Justin Joly either!) That offensive unit proves to be too much against the 49ers, whose age might start to show at this point in the postseason. Running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle and receiver Mike Evans might all be among the best at their positions, but they have plenty of wear and tear. That’s how the Broncos find their advantage, with their young and fast defense taking care of Purdy & Co. Payton gets his second Super Bowl victory. And he does it by making Nix look a little bit like Saints legend Drew Brees, including on the game-winning drive when the Broncos convert a two-pointer, rather than settling for a tie (and, likely, overtime).

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2026 NFL Thanksgiving Odds: Lines, Spreads, What to Know for All 4 Games

Fans are gonna get to gobbling up some football during Thanksgiving week. The NFL Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Day games have dropped, and there are some bangers. Let's check out the odds for the holiday slate at FanDuel Sportsbook, as of May 14. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. NOV. 25 — THANKSGIVING EVE Packers @ Rams Spread: Rams -3.5Moneyline: Rams -198, Packers +164O/U: 49.5 What to know: The Rams went 12-5 last season (second in the NFC West) and were one win away from the Super Bowl, falling to division rival Seattle in the NFC Championship. Entering this year, they are favored to win it all, after adding Trent McDuffie to the secondary. As for the Packers, they finished second in the NFC North (9-7-1) and lost to division rival Chicago in the wild-card round. NOV. 26 — THANKSGIVING DAY Bears @ Lions Spread: Lions -2.5Moneyline: Lions -126, Bears +108O/U: 53.5 What to know: A classic NFC North rivalry game. Despite the Bears winning the division last season (11-6), and the Lions finishing last (9-8) and missing the playoffs, Detroit did sweep Chicago. The Lions smashed the Bears in Week 2 (52-21) and then closed the regular season with a 19-16 win over Chicago. Eagles @ Cowboys Spread: Cowboys -1.5Moneyline: Cowboys -116, Eagles -102O/U: 49.5 What to know: Arguably the biggest rivalry in the NFL. The two NFC East foes split the regular-season series, with Philadelphia outscoring Dallas 45-44 across the two games. The Cowboys missed the playoffs last year after finishing the regular season at 7-9-1, second in the division. The Eagles (11-6) won the division and were the defending champions entering the postseason, but fell in the wild-card round to San Francisco. Chiefs @ Bills Spread: Bills -2.5Moneyline: Bills -142, Chiefs +120O/U: 50.5 What to know: This one comes down to one thing: How will Patrick Mahomes look? Chances are he will be back on the field for Kansas City after tearing his ACL at the end of last season. But will he be the Mahomes of old? The Chiefs (6-11) missed the playoffs last season for the first time in forever, while the Bills (12-5) lost a heartbreaker to Denver in the divisional round. Josh Allen is 5-1 against Mahomes in the regular season all-time.

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2026 NFL Schedule Release: Inside the Process of Making an Epic Reveal Video

In 2024, when the Los Angeles Chargers created what became their viral "Sims"-themed schedule release video, several members of their social team sat in a room filming the New England Patriots matchup in the life simulation video game. The scene was a retirement home. At some point, something strange started to happen. "One of the Sims peed his pants because I guess we had him standing there for too long," Megan Julian, the Chargers’ vice president of social media and digital marketing, told me. "And then he’d like go take a shower. We were all just sitting there, waiting for this little Sim [character] to go do his thing. Sometimes, this job and this process is such a ridiculous thing. "And then at the end, when everybody gets to see [the video] and my boss is yelling from down the hall, ‘Is it doing well? Do people like it?’" Julian added. "We’re reading the comments out loud. We’re looking at the Reddit threads to see what jokes people picked up on. I think it just brings us together in a really cool way before the season every year." This is just one example of how big the schedule reveal has become in NFL culture. Over the past several years, schedule release day has become known as the Super Bowl for social media teams. Their videos are analyzed and ranked for the quality of jokes, nostalgic nods and pop culture references. Videos like the Chargers’ anime creation in 2022 and the Tennessee Titans’ 2023 reel, in which they quizzed people on Broadway Street in Nashville on the logos of their opponents that year, broke the internet. In 2019, the Atlanta Falcons' schedule release video paid homage to "Game of Thrones" by using the cityscapes and mascots of their opponents. In 2024, the Patriots had Julian Edelman portray the title character in "Good Will Hunting" in a parody of the Oscar-winning movie set in Boston. That same year, the Los Angeles Rams had video game versions of Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and other star players recklessly drive around the cities of the team's opponents in a takeoff on "Grand Theft Auto." Ahead of Thursday’s 2026 schedule release, I spoke to leaders of the Chargers and Falcons’ content teams about what it takes to make a great schedule release video. Both franchises expressed an appreciation for the camaraderie and creative freedom involved. "It’s a chance for creative teams to kind of let their hair down. It’s a chance for all clubs to kind of use its proverbial one night to roast, and they roast and can be roasted and that’s just part of the fun of it," Falcons chief marketing officer Shannon Joyner told me. "These videos really do kind of live on their own. … It’s truly just a creative exploration that doesn’t have any set rules or necessities that go along with it. I think that is what — in a positive way — lends to such a spectrum of 32 amazingly creative ideas that all have their own unique flavor." The Chargers began working on their 2026 schedule release video in late January, not long after their opponents were finalized. Every year, their video and social teams get together for an initial meeting, where "upwards of 100" ideas are pitched, according to Julian. Nothing is ruled out early. This year, the Chargers pared their ideas down to five themes and then examined the constraints and opportunities for each potential concept. "You could almost say you’re burning a lot of time by doing that, but you almost need to be really exhaustive on the pre-production to really know that you’re hitting on the right idea," Tyler Pino, the Chargers’ vice president of production, told me. "And so that process is probably the most painful of all this. "Then there always comes a moment when everyone in the room — you don’t even have to say it — is like, ‘This is it.’ … Then you just take off like a rocket ship," he added. "From there, it’s like a Manhattan Project. The team is like ‘OK, like we gotta go.’" There’s a challenge of being "niche while also being broad" with the project, as Pino put it. The video should speak to your fan base, the NFL at large and broader pop culture simultaneously. Both teams acknowledge that there have been jokes in their schedule release videos that were completely missed. Some jokes, thrown in at the last minute, land better than expected. Others, which took a lot of time, don't land at all. And some things that weren’t even intended to be jokes become ones. "I think that’s just the nature of the beast," Julian told me. The Falcons, who also began their schedule release prep in January, have an initial meeting that is an "organizational open invitation," according to Joyner — employees from the social media team to the stadium tours business participate. This year, Atlanta's creative team involved the franchise’s new football regime — head coach Kevin Stefanski, president of football Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham. "We do want to use this moment to tastefully call back to things or honor things, or that our fans will react to or that the internet will react to," Ryan Delgado, the Falcons’ director of digital platforms, told me. "It’s important for us to kind of think through that lens, but realizing that everyone has a different version of that and how that comes across is always going to be kind of a challenge for sure. "It’s very difficult to stick to one thing and you put your head down and look up months later and be like, ‘Here it is.’ I mean, that’s just the way the internet works and how quickly things move and whatever the new moments are and if you’re able to integrate those in there, then great." Organizationally, the schedule release video is "really important" to the Chargers, per Julian. There’s an understanding that it can help the team sell tickets and generate excitement. No other creative pursuit in the calendar year takes as much time. "Normally in social and video, we’re going really quickly," Julian told me. The Chargers had meetings on the schedule release video five days per week dating back to February. That doesn’t include all the technical and creative work that employees put in on the project. "It’s like creating a sequel to anything: You want to make it bigger and better and subvert expectations of what people think we’re going to do," Pino told me. "Every year we’re like, ‘How can we do this again?’ When you’re at the bottom of the mountain, it’s pretty daunting, especially when you don’t have the idea yet. You always have doubt of can we actually pull this off again? And then somehow, through us all just kind of being in rooms for hours and hours and hours and banging our heads against the wall, we usually get to a good result. "It’s definitely become a bigger thing than we’ve ever imagined." Joyner called the schedule release "the ultimate brand and business moment." "The floor has been raised so, so high for what clubs are doing and how you show up on this day, how you show up in this moment," Delgado told me. "And you’re naturally going to observe all 32 clubs and kind of see what they did. Learn from it. Try to figure out, ‘How did that happen? How did that come about?' You’re always going to be sort of a fan first or try to walk yourself through this and be able to watch all of them as much as you possibly can." [Ranking the 10 Best Schedule Release Videos of All Time] Pino sees the schedule release video process as rewarding. At no other point in the year are there so many people working on one project. Before publishing their video each year, the Chargers find peace in the answers to a couple of questions: Did we like our process? Did we work as hard on this as we could to make it as good as it could have been? The work on the 2026 schedule release videos is now done. Tonight is the Super Bowl for social teams. "That last 15 minutes before we release the video, there’s always all of us in the room like really nervous," Pino told me. "Like, ‘Oh, I don’t know about this year.’ It happens every year. And then you just have to kind of release it to the world and hope for the best."

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