Predicting the entire 2025 NFL playoff bracket and Super Bowl winner as we enter Week 15

It's been a chaotic regular season that should only get crazier once the playoffs kick off

Through the first 15 weeks, this has definitely been one of the most unpredictable seasons in NFL history. For the first time in 11 years, we've made it to Week 15 without a single playoff berth getting clinched. Also, there are five division races currently separated by one game or less, marking the first time in NFL history we've seen that many races with so little separation this late in the year. 

This unpredictability has led to a situation where the Kansas City Chiefs are most likely going to miss the playoffs for the first time in Patrick Mahomes' career.

So will this unpredictable season have an unpredictable ending? Glad you asked. 

We usually wait until January to make our playoff predictions, but we decided we're going to bring them to you a little bit earlier this year by trying to predict who's going to win the Super Bowl this year. Since no one has clinched a playoff spot, we had Stephen Oh of SportsLine project who's going to make the postseason by simulating the rest of the season. 

Before we get to our playoff predictions, let's check out our playoff field based on Oh's projections. 

AFC
1. Patriots
2. Broncos
3. Jaguars
4. Steelers
5. Bills
6. Texans
7. Chargers

NFC
1. Rams
2. Packers
3. Eagles
4. Buccaneers
5. Seahawks
6. 49ers 
7. Bears

Now that we know what the projected playoff field looks like, let's get to our predictions, starting with the wild card round. 

Wild card round

AFC

• No. 7 Chargers 23-20 over No. 2 Broncos. Getting stuck playing the Chargers in the wild card round would definitely be a worst-case scenario for a Broncos team that has lost three straight to Los Angeles. Justin Herbert is very familiar with the Broncos defense and always seems to play well against them. In Week 3, Herbert threw for 300 yards in a 23-20 win over the Broncos, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him get near that passing number again. 
• No. 6 Texans 20-17 over No. 3 Jaguars. There's a reason they say defense wins championships, and that's because a good defense can carry you a long way in the postseason. That's good news for the Texans, because they have the best defense in the NFL. These two teams split their season series with both games being decided by one score, so if they meet in the playoffs, it feels like we'd see another one-score game. We're going to give the slight edge to the Texans due to their dominant defense. 
• No. 5 Bills 27-17 over No. 4 Steelers. The Steelers have lost six straight playoff games dating back to the 2016 season, and it's hard to see that drought ending here. Pittsburgh would need to play a perfect game, and even then, it would be hard to see them beating Josh Allen and the Bills.

NFC

• No. 2 Packers 24-17 over No. 7 Bears. These two teams met in Week 14, and although it was a close game, the Packers felt like the better team. Jordan Love outplayed Caleb Williams, and if we get a rematch in the playoffs, that feels like a scenario we'd see once again. 
• No. 6 49ers 27-20 over No. 3 Eagles. It seems like the Eagles have time-traveled back to 2023. For the second time in three years, they're in the middle of a late-season collapse. Based on how they're playing, Philly feels like a one-and-done team in the playoffs. 
• No. 5 Seahawks 30-20 over No. 4 Buccaneers. The Bucs actually beat the Seahawks in Week 5, but not much has gone right since then. The Bucs offense has been struggling over the past few weeks, and a big reason for that is because Baker Mayfield is banged up. The Bucs are certainly capable of winning this game, but based on how they're playing right now, the Seahawks seem like the safer pick. 

Breakdown: We have five out of six home teams LOSING in the opening round, which sounds about right in this season of unpredictability.

Divisional round

AFC

• No. 1 Patriots 23-20 over No. 7 Chargers. The Chargers have only played in one divisional round game over the past 10 years, and it ended with a loss to the Patriots in 2019. Unfortunately for the Chargers, history is going to repeat itself here. In the first playoff game of his career, Drake Maye outplays Justin Herbert to lead the Patriots to the win. 
• No. 5 Bills 19-16 over No. 6 Texans. These two teams met back in Week 12 with the Texans pulling out a 23-19 win on a Thursday night. The big difference this time around is that this game is going to be played in Buffalo. Josh Allen will have his hands full with the Texans defense, but we'll say Buffalo finds a way to win on a last-second field goal. 

NFC

• No. 1 Rams 27-24 over No. 6 49ers. The last time these two teams faced off in the postseason came in 2022 when the Rams topped the 49ers, 20-17, on their way to winning Super Bowl LVI. Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan are pretty evenly matched in the coaching department, so this feels like a game that will come down to which defense can make more big plays. If that's the case, I have to go with the Rams. 
• No. 2 Packers 24-16 over No. 5 Seahawks. Sam Darnold seems to melt down whenever he's put in a big game, and that's what happens here. With the Seahawks forced to go on the road to face one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Packers force Darnold into throwing multiple interceptions.

Breakdown: If these predictions hold up, that would give us a final four of the Bills, Rams, Packers and Patriots. Three teams that have won multiple Super Bowl titles and one team (the Bills) that has never won a Lombardi Trophy. 

Prisco's Week 15 NFL picks: Bills beat Patriots in AFC East battle, Packers knock off Broncos on road

Pete Prisco

Conference title games

AFC Championship

• No. 5 Bills 23-20 over No. 1 Patriots. Every year that Josh Allen has made the playoffs, there's always been a giant roadblock standing between him and the Super Bowl. In his last five playoff appearances, the Bills have had their season ended by either Patrick Mahomes (four times) or Joe Burrow (one time). With no Mahomes, no Burrow and no Lamar Jackson, Allen doesn't waste what might end up being his best chance to get the Bills to a Super Bowl. The 2024 MVP wills his team to a win here. 

NFC Championship

• No. 1 Rams 22-19 over No. 2 Packers. The Packers have won five straight games against the Rams, but four of those have been in Green Bay. Since adding Matthew Stafford, the Rams have gone undefeated in home playoff games, going 3-0 (and that record is 4-0 if you include their Super Bowl win over the Bengals, which was at SoFi Stadium). This has all the makings of a classic with the Packers defense trying to slow down the Rams' vaunted passing attack, but in the end, Stafford leads L.A. to the victory. 

Breakdown: If this Super Bowl happens, the city of Buffalo better add some direct flights to San Francisco, because everyone is going to want to be on hand to watch the Bills' first Super Bowl appearance in 31 years. 

Super Bowl LX

Bills versus Rams: The last time we saw these two teams on the same field came during the 2024 season, when Los Angeles topped Buffalo, 44-42, in what ended up being one of the craziest games of the year. If we get this matchup in Super Bowl LX, we could be in for even more craziness. 

The Bills have struggled to stop the run this year, and you can bet Sean McVay will look to take advantage of that. On the flip side, the Rams are 1-3 this year when their opponent scores 25 points or more, so if Josh Allen can turn the game into a shootout, the Bills would certainly have a chance to win. 

Super Bowl prediction: Rams 34-27 over Bills. 

In the season of unpredictability, we get a crazy postseason where six lower-seeded teams pull off upsets. 

But in the end, we arrive at not-so-unpredictable ending with a No. 1 seed winning it all.