The ultimate road to Super Bowl LX: Full playoff bracket, predicted matchups, and game-by-game picks

The NFL playoffs begin this weekend, ushering in a month of postseason action - 13 games in total - at the end of which the Super Bowl champion will be crowned for the 2025/26 campaign.

With the Wild Card matchups starting on Saturday, we can start predicting the route through the Divisional Round, Conference Championships, and Super Bowl before declaring who we think will claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Here's our too-early take on the road to Super Bowl LX, with matchups and predictions for each game along the way.

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Wild Card Round

AFC

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence is on a tear, the Jaguars are the in-form team, and their defense ranks in the top five against the run with only 3.9 yards per carry allowed. All signs suggest they have what it takes to limit the effectiveness of Josh Allen and James Cook on the ground and take the game to the Bills.

However, even with a defense that ranks second among all teams in interceptions, I suspect Allen won't make enough mistakes to give the Jags a chance. He hasn't thrown an interception since November, and has tossed only four in his 13 postseason appearances.

Predicted winner: Bills

Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots

The Chargers' defense has done an excellent job of limiting big plays through the air, but this Patriots offense, led by MVP candidate Drake Maye, is a very different proposition from what most teams have to offer.

Herbert could and should play much better than he did in his disastrous playoff appearance last year, but it may not matter. Even if Maye cannot replicate his regular-season heroics, Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson could do some serious damage on the ground.

Predicted winner: Patriots

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Few predicted the Steelers would top the Ravens in the division, and for that, Aaron Rodgers deserves plenty of praise. But beating one of the in-form teams, and arguably the best defense in the league, will be an uphill task.

C.J. Stroud and Woody Marks are no world-beaters, but when you've got the likes of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter making life hell for your opponent's QB, it makes the job at hand a lot simpler on offense. Houston could even win this one with field goals alone.

Predicted winner: Texans

NFC

Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young has done wonders in helping his side reach the postseason, and the future for the Panthers will be bright if they can build on their achievements this season, but I suspect the Rams will be their undoing.

Barring everything falling their way, it's tough to see how Carolina can hang with Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and that Rams' defensive line. There's simply too much talent, experience, and confidence among Sean McVay's ranks for this to be anything other than a Rams' win.

Predicted winner: Rams

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

This is one of the more challenging outcomes to predict, with two evenly-matched teams going head-to-head. If Zach Tom and Edgerrin Cooper are good to go, we'll side with the Packers. If not, and considering the Bears get Kyler Gordon back, this could lean the other way.

The Packers defense, as much as - if not more than Jordan Love - has what it takes to win this one for Green Bay. The Bears' D is no joke either, but Love should be a little better at playing keep away than Williams, especially without CJGJ on the field for Chicago.

Predicted winner: Packers

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

What Kyle Shanahan has managed to do with this team, without their defensive stars Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, is nothing short of extraordinary. Of course, much of the credit also goes to Christian McCaffrey and to quarterback Brock Purdy for his performances in December.

Unfortunately for them, the Eagles are, contrary to their performances at times, still the team to beat in the playoffs. Philadelphia knows how to win in the postseason, and that experience counts when the pressure is on.

Predicted winner: Eagles

Divisional Round

Enter the No. 1-seeded Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.

AFC

Buffalo Bills @ Denver Broncos

Allen spurns a golden opportunity, with Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson not making the postseason, to exorcise his postseason ghost, and this time, it's Bo Nix - a quarterback nowhere near his own level who authors his exit.

More accurately, it's Denver's vaunted defense that came away covered in glory, doing what they have all year, creating pressure at relentless levels and leaving Sean Payton's offence with little to do.

Predicted winner: Broncos

Houston Texans @ New England Patriots

Maye vs Houston's defense sounds like a titanic battle, especially when you factor in how the Patriots' OL has allowed 47 sacks this year. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would have a gameplan for that problem, likely involving quick throws and a heavy reliance on the ground game.

With the help of Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz and Jayden Higgins, C.J. Stroud can put up the points to keep this close. Unfortunately for DeMeco Ryan's side, I predict the Texans come up short.

Predicted winner: Patriots

NFC

Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks

Jordan Love is a good player, as are Josh Jacobs, Christian Watson, and Romeo Doubs. But the home crowd will be deafening every time Love tries to relay plays, and more importantly, Seattle's D is elite.

The Packers' defense contains the Seahawks' running backs, but Sam Darnold combines with JSN for enough gains through the air to punch Seattle's ticket to the NFC Championship game.

Predicted winner: Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

This Eagles' secondary is as good as any when they play to their potential, but Matthew Stafford - Falcons game aside - is playing at a level that suggests he can overcome whatever defenses throw at him.

It could be a high-scoring affair once the Eagles fall behind and Hurts realises he has to air it out, but the Rams win that shootout.

Predicted winner: Rams

Conference Round

AFC

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos

This would be a game for the ages, with two young, ascending quarterbacks and talented head coaches going head-to-head. On one side, you have arguably the best quarterback of 2025 and on the other, a top-three defense. Chaos should ensue.

After defeating the Chargers and Texans en route to the AFC Championship game, Maye has learned a thing or two about how to defeat talented defenses. He puts that to good use here, and Mike Vrabel's defense delivers under the bright lights, exposing Nix's inaccuracy under pressure.

Predicted winner: Patriots

NFC

Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams

As good as the Patriots-Broncos game could be, this could be even better. It has some similarities to the AFC game, too, in the sense that it's a potent offense (Rams) vs a great defense (Seahawks).

If any game so far is to test what Stafford is made of, it's this one. The Seahawks lead the NFL in run defense, allowing only 3.7 yards per carry, suggesting they could stop Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in their tracks.

Ultimately, the veteran quarterback passes another stern test, toppling the favourites to win Super Bowl LX.

Predicted winner: Rams

Super Bowl

New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams

Here we are, then. The big one. The only game that matters. The contest all 32 teams strive to play in. And what a final this would be.

Neutral fans who have been following the NFL for more than six years may groan at the prospect of seeing the Patriots in yet another Super Bowl. I get it. Others may question whether their soft schedule means they'll come unstuck long before they reach this point. I get that, too. If there is any consolation for those fans, it's this. I believe this is Stafford's year.

On paper, New England may measure up well with the Rams, but Stafford to Nacua has been as unstoppable as any combination all year. When you also factor in Kyren Williams and Blake Corum keeping the chains moving and Adams catching his trademark 1-yard touchdowns, they'll be more than a handful for anyone.

Couple that offensive firepower with the fearsome Rams' defensive line, which can create no end of problems for opponents, and it equals success.

Predicted winner and Super Bowl champions: Rams

Final thoughts

I've never seen anyone correctly predict every outcome throughout any of the 22 NFL playoffs I've watched in my lifetime. These predictions will be no different, and it won't simply be because of the injuries we cannot foresee, the weather which can swing outcomes, or the fluke plays that often prove pivotal.

Upsets happen all the time, when players who have flown under the radar suddenly produce at the highest level, and regular-season heroes disappear when they're needed the most. That's football.

The parity of the league, not to mention the fact that so many juggernauts are missing from the 2025/26 playoffs, makes it all the more exciting this time around. So buckle in, take advantage of DAZN's £19.99 for the entirety of the playoffs, and enjoy.

One last thing. Don’t forget to check in on this article each week, as I'll shamelessly update the results I got wrong before predicting how the following weeks will unfold.