NFL playoff predictions: Winners for every game, from Wild Card Weekend through Super Bowl LX

• WHERE: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 11 | 4:30 p.m. ET | FOX, NFL+

With the NFC West title and No. 1 seed on the line this past Saturday evening, San Francisco suffered a humbling home loss to Seattle, producing the fewest yards (173) ever in a game coached by Kyle Shanahan and the fewest points (three) since the esteemed play-caller’s franchise debut back in Week 1 of 2017. The 49ers aren’t the first team to short-circuit against the Seahawks, though, as Mike Macdonald’s loaded defense has yielded the fewest points in the league this season. And prior to that power outage, the Niners strung together six straight wins, averaging an NFL-best 35.7 points per game in that span. That’s the kind of potency San Francisco needs from Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Co., given the injury-ravaged state of Robert Saleh’s defense. These depleted Niners aren’t well-rounded, but they’re well-coached -- and it’s reasonable to expect a positive regression from the offense after last week’s humiliation. What can we expect from these Eagles? That’s the question that makes this game particularly hard to pick. The reigning Super Bowl champions just became the NFC East’s first repeat winners in 21 years, and yet, they ooze uncertainty entering the postseason tournament. I still don’t entirely understand why Nick Sirianni chose to rest starters in Week 18, ultimately squandering a chance to nab the No. 2 seed, but that’s just the latest head-scratcher for a talented team with weird vibes all season long. Vic Fangio’s defense has been solid, but the unit still feels incomplete following last offseason’s attrition. Meanwhile, the offense has fallen off a cliff, becoming a constant source of frustration under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo. So, who do you trust: the undermanned visitors or the underwhelming home team?

-- Gennaro Filice

• WHERE: Lumen Field (Seattle)
• WHEN: Saturday Jan. 17 OR Sunday, Jan 18

This was not a tough call. If things play out how we expect on Wild Card Weekend -- with the Rams beating the Panthers and the Bears notching a victory over the Packers -- it will set up a rematch of NFC West elites. Seahawks vs. Rams, Part III.

Two regular season clashes provided ample evidence of the evenly matched nature of their 2025 existence. The Rams won in Los Angeles, 21-19, in Week 11, and the Seahawks escaped with a 38-37 overtime win at home in Week 16, after a monster comeback that leads our list of the best games of the year. So, how do you choose between these two powerhouses?

Sean McVay’s squad did hit a rough patch, falling in a costly upset to the Falcons, while Seattle has handled its business with consecutive double-digit wins to secure a first-round bye. Keep in mind, though, that the Rams were without star WR Davante Adams in the loss to the Seahawks, and they still gave Mike Macdonald’s defense all it could handle. Adams hasn’t played since Week 15, but he is expected to return on Wild Card Weekend.

The Seahawks are the Super Bowl favorites now, but the Rams are right behind them in the pecking order. In the end, we have more trust in Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford to find a way than Sam Darnold, who fell on his face in first career playoff start last season, a 27-9 Vikings loss to the Rams. There’s a good chance the winner of this projected game will be hoisting the Lombardi on Feb. 8.

-- Dan Parr

The Seahawks have done everything right lately. They have beaten three playoff teams in the last three weeks (Rams, Panthers and 49ers). The league's No. 1 scoring defense has been dominant, allowing a total of 13 points over its last two games. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has torched defenses all season long to lead the NFL in receiving yards, and Sam Darnold has exorcised past demons to lift Seattle to the No. 1 seed -- securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The raucous 12s make Seattle the toughest environment for opposing teams to play in, and Mike Macdonald's squad has proven to be the most well-rounded and consistently great team in the playoff field. That's why the 'Hawks could easily waltz their way to the Super Bowl and win the whole thing, and no one would be all that surprised.

But there's one obstacle that could derail the mission: the Los Angeles Rams, who as the fifth seed are more likely than not to meet Seattle sooner rather than later. The teams split in the regular season, but L.A. relinquished a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in the Seattle win. Bottom line: Seattle's road to Santa Clara could end up being much easier if it can avoid that division rival.  

-- Brooke Cersosimo

Two words: Josh Allen. No disrespect to any of the other QBs in the AFC playoff bracket, but none has proven to be as dangerous as the reigning MVP when the calendar flips to January. (At least not recently.) Allen has nearly as many postseason starts since entering the league in 2018 as the rest of the field combined (13 to 14), with five consecutive Wild Card Round victories and two AFC title game appearances. And No. 17 hasn’t merely been a passenger on those playoff campaigns, either; he boasts the best TD-INT ratio (25-4), the highest total yards per game average (311.0) and the most offensive scores per game (2.54) of any quarterback in this millennium (min. 10 postseason starts). The only thing that’s consistently prevented him from a shot at a Lombardi Trophy has been Patrick Mahomes -- and Allen doesn’t have to worry about the three-time champ in this year’s tournament. He does have to worry a bit about his flawed supporting cast, though, specifically on the defensive side. That unit has been exceptional versus the pass and dreadful against the run. If they can get through the Jaguars this weekend -- arguably the league’s most complete team since mid-November -- then Allen is more than capable of carrying this inconsistent squad from coast to coast over the next three weeks.

Special mentions: 49ers and Chargers. The Niners have a tough opening-round draw (at Eagles) and are dealing with a few lingering injuries that cloud their outlook. But when this club is clicking, it has shown it can beat anybody. The Bolts, with several noteworthy wins under their belt too, could also score an early-round upset (at Patriots). But it will be very hard for L.A. and its banged-up O-line to advance past defenses like the ones in Denver or Houston, which can consistently wreak havoc on opposing passers.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Because they looked like the best team in football entering Week 16, when they held the top spot in the NFC and NFC West standings, and we don't feel much differently about them now, despite their usurpation by the Seahawks and all the deliberation that rivalry has required throughout this file.

Only one team seeded fifth or lower has won it all over the past 14 postseasons: the 2020 Bucs, who caught fire at the right time, carrying the momentum from a 4-0 finish through three straight road victories and a dominant showing against the top-seeded Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. That's more or less the opposite of how these Rams wound down the season, as Dan mentioned above -- but there are two key parallels that portend good things ahead for L.A. First, like that Tampa crew, the Rams finished in the top 10 in EPA per play on both offense (first) and defense (10th), something just three other teams in the current playoff field accomplished: the Patriots (second on offense, ninth on defense), Seahawks (third on offense, second on defense) and Jags (sixth on offense, third on defense). Second, the Rams are led by an experienced, established stud QB -- who actually boasts an advantage that Tom Brady didn't five years ago, having already claimed the whole enchilada with his superstar coach once before. And, as Dan pointed out, L.A. should have difference-maker Davante Adams back in the fold. Chaos might be ruling this season, while Seattle is fully capable of making us look stupid, as Brooke outlined, but ultimately, we're sticking with the most impressive overall squad of the year to end up on top.

-- Tom Blair