Dude, remember last year? Seriously, the NFL is just built different. Who even saw the New England Patriots going 14-3 and snatching the AFC East crown after *two* straight 4-13 seasons? And the Chiefs, man, after ten straight playoff appearances, nine consecutive AFC West titles, five Super Bowl trips, and three championships, they were sitting at home in mid-January! That’s just wild. The only predictable thing about this league is how unpredictable it is. So, with that in mind, let’s talk about some of the biggest shockers we might see in the 2026 season.
The Broncos’ 2025 Was a Total Mirage, And It’s Over Now
Let’s just be real for a sec: the Denver Broncos *massively* overachieved last year. They finished 14-3 and grabbed the AFC’s No. 1 seed, even winning a Divisional game against Buffalo. Quarterback Bo Nix fractured his ankle late in that game, missing the AFC Championship. But here’s the kicker: they played just five games against 2025 postseason teams, going 3-2 in those contests. They also caught division rival Kansas City in a totally unexpected down year. Plus, they were incredibly lucky on the injury front. Sports Info Solutions reported the 2025 Broncos were among the five healthiest teams in terms of total points lost to injury. That’s a huge factor in their success.
Now, their 2026 schedule? It’s a straight-up minefield, period. We’re talking ten games against 2025 playoff teams and another two against the Chiefs, who are obviously still the consensus AFC West favorite. And get this, the landmines hit early. The Broncos open at Kansas City, then get the Jaguars and Rams at home, hit the road for the 49ers and Chargers, and then, get this, they host our very own defending champion Seahawks. It’s not crazy to think Denver could be 2-4, maybe even 1-5, by mid-October. If that happens, their playoff hopes are toast before Halloween.
The Colts’ Brutal 2025 Collapse and What It Means for This Season
Then there are the Indianapolis Colts. Last season, they looked like they were finally breaking their four-year playoff absence. They ripped off eight wins in their first ten games, man, they were rolling! Then the bottom just fell out after their Week 11 bye. They dropped narrow games to the Chiefs (23-20 in overtime) and Texans (20-16). And then, in Week 14, quarterback Daniel Jones, who was having an impressive bounce-back season, suffered a torn Achilles in a 36-19 loss at Jacksonville. The spiral was real. They followed those three defeats with four more, finishing 8-9 and landing outside the playoff picture for a fifth straight year. That’s their longest drought in over three decades.
It was a brutal finish for Indy, but sometimes that kind of collapse can fuel a serious bounce-back. You know how it is, the hunger is real after something like that.
So yeah, the NFL is a wild ride, and the 2026 season is already shaping up to be another one. Will the Broncos crash and burn early like we’re all expecting? Can the Colts finally get back to the postseason after such a devastating finish last year? We’ll be watching every snap, Emerald City, ready for whatever this league throws at us.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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