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2025 NFL season sim: Predictions, surprises, playoff teams | ESPN
Both Super Bowl LIX teams miss playoffs
Eleven months after the Chiefs and Eagles squared off in Super Bowl LIX, both teams cleaned out their lockers following Week 18. Neither managed to make it back to the playoffs, easily the shocker of the 2025 campaign in this simulation.
The Eagles were actually done before the final week. Thought to be infallible heading into the season, the Eagles were 5-4 after Week 10 — a game behind the Cowboys but still seemingly in control of their postseason destiny. But that turned into a 6-8 record, leaving Philadelphia in pure panic mode. In the end, the Eagles couldn’t make up the gap, falling short in the NFC East and wild-card battle.
The Chiefs’ collapse was much more startling. Kansas City controlled its destiny in the AFC West after beating the Broncos on Christmas Day to improve to 9-7. It needed to only to beat the Raiders to secure its 11th straight playoff spot. But Patrick Mahomes‘ clutch gene was nowhere to be found as the Chiefs fell 28-19, allowing the Broncos — who won their Week 18 game — to win the division on a tiebreaker. No wild-card bid for the Chiefs either.
The two defending conference champions weren’t the only surprising teams to miss the playoffs in 2025. The Commanders, 49ers and Packers all missed the postseason, too.
Ceiling: 15-2, win Super Bowl
The expectation in Kansas City is a world championship. The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in the past six years and have been to five of them in that span. They have the best head coach-quarterback duo in Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, never missing a conference championship game since Mahomes became the starting quarterback. Josh Simmons should solve the left tackle problem and Mahomes looks primed to have another MVP-caliber season. Let’s not forget the offense has more downfield playmakers and Travis Kelce appears ready for a bounce-back year. The Chiefs are going to be very good again.
Floor: 12-5, lose in conference championship game
A down year for the Chiefs is a conference championship game loss. That’s the standard Kansas City has set for itself in the Reid-Mahomes era. There are some cracks in the pipe for the Chiefs, as the left side of the offensive line has its flaws (even with Simmons) and the depth of this team will be tested. They also have won a lot of one-score games (11-0 last year), so a reversal of fortune may be in order. Regardless, the Chiefs are still one of the best teams in football. If Mahomes is on the field, they have an excellent shot at making a deep playoff run.
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