These NFL teams seemed destined to make Super Bowl 2026 but fell short

The 2025 NFL season is one of the most memorable in recent history. One of the wildest, most unpredictable seasons in recent memory gave way to a wild postseason that saw favorite fall by the wayside, and upsets reign supreme.

If we go back to September we see how wildly wrong everyone was about the Patriots and Seahawks, both of whom were given an over/under of 8.5 for their win totals in 2025 — with each team finishing 14-3 and blowing that metric out of the water. Before we circle back to the teams that are playing on Sunday, let’s look at those who everyone assumed would be suiting up in Santa Clara this weekend.

Top pick: Buffalo Bills (+700) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (+700)

This seemed like the safe bet going into the year. Everything was about whether or not the Eagles could repeat leading up to the season, but offensively the team fell apart. It was a miracle they managed to sneak into the playoffs, but couldn’t get past the 49ers in the Wild Card round.

Meanwhile for the Bills, they came close. A dicey call at the end of Bills-Broncos decided their season, so we’ll never know how far they could have gone. That said, we know they had a core weakness this season which was their offense — a problem that wasn’t patched at all this season.

Ultimately the Eagles fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, while the Bills parted ways with Sean McDermott and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady. It’s no so much a rebuild inside either organization, but a total retooling. The underachievement this season wasn’t acceptable, though in both cases it might be fair to look at the front office and see some of the deficiencies in the roster construction.

Other teams that were given a chance and the quick-fire reason they failed

• Baltimore Ravens (+700): Lamar Jackson injuries and horrible defense
• Kansas City Chiefs (+800): Losing too many close games they won in 2024
• Green Bay Packers (+1200): Horrible play calling and inconsistent decision making from Jordan Love
• Detroit Lions (+1200): Injury wracked for the majority of the season

What about the Pats and Hawks?

Before the season nobody expected these teams to make the playoffs, let alone to the Super Bowl. Each were given a 8.5 o/u win total, which we already talked about — but their Super Bowl odds were even longer.

Seattle’s odds of winning the Super Bowl were +6000. The Patriots were at +8000.

Meanwhile there’s one person somewhere in America who is sweating this game like nothing in their life.