The 2016 NFL regular season schedule is out, and with teams starting to take shape — the NFL draft will not dramatically change the outlook of a lot of teams — we can start to throw out more educated predictions on how teams will finish next season. After going through every single regular season game and predicting a winner, here are our early picks for how the NFL season, including playoffs, will shake out. You can find the final standings below.

(Home team in CAPS)

Week 1

Panthers 24, BRONCOS 16

FALCONS 30, Buccaneers 27

Vikings 23, TITANS 13

EAGLES 30, Browns 20

JETS 24, Bengals 21

Raiders 27, Saints 24

Chargers 31, CHIEFS 21

Bills 23, RAVENS 16

TEXANS 17, Bears 14

Packers 34, JAGUARS 28

SEAHAWKS 27, Dolphins 10

COWBOYS 37, Giants 20

COLTS 28, Lions 17

CARDINALS 27, Patriots 24

STEELERS 41, Redskins 20

49ERS 23, Rams 13

Week 2

BILLS 20, Jets 13

PANTHERS 34, 49ers 20

Cowboys 27, REDSKINS 24

STEELERS 31, Bengals 28

GIANTS 35, Saints 31

PATRIOTS 37, Dolphins 19

CHIEFS 32, Texans 17

LIONS 24, Titans 23

Ravens 28, BROWNS 20

Seahawks 21, RAMS 17

CARDINALS 30, Buccaneers 23

CHARGERS 28, Jaguars 22

RAIDERS 21, Falcons 13

BRONCOS 23, Colts 17

VIKINGS 27, Packers 23

BEARS 26, Eagles 19

Week 3

PATRIOTS 34, Texans 17

Cardinals 23, BILLS 14

Raiders 30, TITANS 19

REDSKINS 27, Giants 26

DOLPHINS 23, Browns 17

JAGUARS 27, Ravens 21

PACKERS 27, Lions 16

Broncos 20, BENGALS 14

PANTHERS 23, Vikings 9

BUCCANEERS 27, Rams 13

SEAHAWKS 41, 49ers 17

CHIEFS 23, Jets 18

COLTS 37, Chargers 30

Steelers 38, EAGLES 24

COWBOYS 23, Bears 20

SAINTS 31, Falcons 22

Week 4

BENGALS 26, Dolphins 20

JAGUARS 34, Colts 31

TEXANS 27, Titans 23

REDSKINS 28, Browns 24

JETS 19, Seahawks 13

PATRIOTS 29, Bills 19

FALCONS 27, Panthers 21

RAVENS 32, Raiders 17

BEARS 27, Lions 24

Broncos 31, BUCCANEERS 14

CARDINALS 30, Rams 17

CHARGERS 41, Saints 34

49ERS 21, Cowboys 20

STEELERS 27, Chiefs 23

VIKINGS 20, Giants 10

Week 5

49ERS 27, Cardinals 20

PATRIOTS 37, Browns 17

LIONS 23, Eagles 21

COLTS 27, Bears 20

DOLPHINS 34, Titans 12

RAVENS 24, Redskins 13

VIKINGS 24, Texans 19

Jets 23, STEELERS 20

BRONCOS 21, Falcons 16

COWBOYS 26, Bengals 23

Bills 14, RAMS 10

RAIDERS 23, Chargers 21

PACKERS 37, Giants 7

PANTHERS 31, Buccaneers 13

Week 6

CHARGERS 24, Broncos 20

49ers 27, BILLS 17

REDSKINS 31, Eagles 23

Browns 27, TITANS 24

GIANTS 31, Ravens 28

Panthers 32, SAINTS 27

BEARS 23, Jaguars 16

RAMS 27, Lions 21

Steelers 24, DOLPHINS 20

PATRIOTS 34, Bengals 21

RAIDERS 20, Chiefs 13

SEAHAWKS 27, Falcons 13

PACKERS 27, Cowboys 17

TEXANS 34, Colts 23

CARDINALS 28, Jets 20

Week 7

PACKERS 20, Bears 17

RAMS 23, Giants 21

CHIEFS 27, Saints 20

Colts 27, TITANS 6

Vikings 13, EAGLES 6

BENGALS 20, Browns 3

Redskins 20, LIONS 17

JAGUARS 31, Raiders 24

Bills 23, DOLPHINS 21

JETS 20, Ravens 17f

49ERS 31, Buccaneers 27

FALCONS 28, Chargers 24

STEELERS 34, Patriots 29

Seahawks 31, CARDINALS 20

BRONCOS 17, Texans 6

Week 8

TITANS 27, Jaguars 21

BENGALS 26, Redskins 19

COLTS 31, Chiefs 20

BUCCANEERS 23, Raiders 21

SAINTS 30, Seahawks 29

TEXANS 24, Lions 21

Jets 26, BROWNS 23

Packers 27, FALCONS 20

Patriots 30, BILLS 20

BRONCOS 24, Chargers 13

PANTHERS 30, Cardinals 20

COWBOYS 28, Eagles 17

BEARS 20, Vikings 14

Week 9

BUCCANEERS 30, Falcons 27

VIKINGS 23, Lions 10

GIANTS 28, Eagles 23

DOLPHINS 20, Jets 17

CHIEFS 23, Jaguars 13

Cowboys 21, BROWNS 16

RAVENS 20, Steelers 17

49ERS 34, Saints 31

Panthers 23, RAMS 20

PACKERS 30, Colts 28

CHARGERS 31, Titans 13

RAIDERS 17, Broncos 13

SEAHAWKS 31, Bills 0

Week 10

Browns 17, RAVENS 14

JAGUARS 23, Texans 20

SAINTS 24, Broncos 13

JETS 22, Rams 14

EAGLES 27, Falcons 23

PANTHERS 20, Chiefs 10

Bears 24, BUCCANEERS 23

REDSKINS 21, Vikings 13

Packers 45, TITANS 20

CHARGERS 27, Dolphins 19

CARDINALS 34, 49ers 13

STEELERS 33, Cowboys 27

PATRIOTS 30, Seahawks 27

GIANTS 27, Bengals 20

Week 11

PANTHERS 34, Saints 17

BROWNS 20, Steelers 17

COWBOYS 37, Ravens 28

Jaguars 37, Lions 21

COLTS 24, Titans 16

BENGALS 20, Bills 13

Buccaneers 23, CHIEFS 21

GIANTS 27, Bears 20

VIKINGS 27, Cardinals 21

RAMS 13, Dolphins 10

Patriots 38, 49ERS 20

SEAHAWKS 24, Eagles 10

REDSKINS 31, Packers 23

RAIDERS 20, Texans 17

Week 12

Vikings 27, Lions 7

COWBOYS 27, Redskins 17

COLTS 32, Steelers 29

BEARS 21, Titans 10

BILLS 20, Jaguars 16

RAVENS 27, Bengals 24

Cardinals 30, Falcons 21

Giants 23, BROWNS 20

SAINTS 34, Rams 24

DOLPHINS 24, 49ers 21

TEXANS 20, Chargers 17

BUCCANEERS 23, Seahawks 21

Panthers 28, RAIDERS 21

BRONCOS 27, Chiefs 20

Patriots 30, JETS 10

Packers 24, EAGLES 13

Week 13

VIKINGS 23, Cowboys 20

FALCONS 27, Chiefs 21

SAINTS 34, Lions 30

PATRIOTS 42, Rams 10

Broncos 21, JAGUARS 20

PACKERS 26, Texans 14

BENGALS 26, Eagles 20

RAVENS 26, Dolphins 20

BEARS 27, 49ers 17

RAIDERS 23, Bills 20

STEELERS 37, Giants 24

CARDINALS 27, Redskins 17

CHARGERS 30, Buccaneers 20

SEAHAWKS 30, Panthers 17

Colts 24, JETS 18

Week 14

CHIEFS 17, Raiders 13

Steelers 20, BILLS 16

Broncos 24, TITANS 10

BUCCANEERS 34, Saints 20

EAGLES 17, Redskins 14

Cardinals 26, Dolphins 20

PANTHERS 37, Chargers 23

BROWNS 20, Bengals 17

Bears 23, LIONS 21

COLTS 27, Texans 20

Vikings 27, JAGUARS 21

49ERS 30, Jets 22

RAMS 27, Falcons 23

PACKERS 23, Seahawks 15

Cowboys 27, GIANTS 21

PATRIOTS 34, Ravens 27

Week 15

SEAHAWKS 31, Rams 10

JETS 27, Dolphins 10

Packers 24, BEARS 20

COWBOYS 31, Buccaneers 12

TEXANS 26, Jaguars 14

BILLS 23, Browns 13

RAVENS 30, Eagles 28

CHIEFS 20, Titans 7

Lions 28, GIANTS 23

VIKINGS 34, Colts 24

CARDINALS 32, Saints 27

49ers 24, FALCONS 21

BRONCOS 21, Patriots 20

CHARGERS 30, Raiders 23

BENGALS 24, Steelers 20

REDSKINS 30, Panthers 27

Week 16

EAGLES 28, Giants 27

Dolphins 14, BILLS 10

Buccaneers 27, SAINTS 20

PATRIOTS 31, Jets 20

JAGUARS 38, Titans 30

PACKERS 21, Vikings 13

Chargers 22, Browns 14

BEARS 26, Redskins 21

PANTHERS 35, Falcons 8

RAIDERS 20, Colts 18

SEAHAWKS 23, Cardinals 14

RAMS 20, 49ers 14

TEXANS 20, Bengals 17

STEELERS 30, Ravens 21

CHIEFS 20, Broncos 10

COWBOYS 30, Lions 7

Week 17

FALCONS 30, Saints 20

BENGALS 24, Ravens 21

GIANTS 31, Redskins 27

TITANS 31, Texans 27

Panthers 27, BUCCANEERS 14

LIONS 18, Packers 10

COLTS 35, Jaguars 32

DOLPHINS 37, Patriots 30

VIKINGS 20, Bears 17

JETS 23, Bills 13

EAGLES 27, Cowboys 20

STEELERS 21, Browns 10

Cardinals 24, RAMS 14

BRONCOS 24, Raiders 13

CHARGERS 27, Chiefs 20

Seahawks 30, 49ERS 20



The final standings…

Some notes from the regular season…

– Three new playoff teams in the AFC, with the Raiders and Chargers taking up the two wild card spots and the Colts overtaking the Texans in the AFC South. Just one change to the NFC playoff field with the Cowboys replacing the Redskins as NFC East champs.

– The Titans grab the No. 1 overall pick for a second consecutive year. But don’t worry, Titans fans: This team is on the right track after fleecing the Rams. If GM Jon Robinson can take advantage of all of those draft picks, a breakout season should be coming in the next few years.

– The Bears, Chargers and Raiders are our surprise teams in 2016. Chicago, however, just missed out on a playoff berth in a tough NFC.

– The Patriots, and their re-tooled offense, lead the league in scoring at 30 points per game. Mike Zimmer’s Vikings finish as the league’s stingiest defense, allowing just 16.6 points a game — slightly better than Seattle’s 16.9 points allowed per game.

Here’s our playoff field…



AFC

1) Patriots

2) Steelers

3) Broncos

4) Colts

5) Chargers

6) Raiders

The road to the Super bowl goes through New England, where the Patriots finished the season undefeated thanks to a high-powered offense. The Steelers finished one game behind New England’s pace and have the offense to hang with the favorites. The rest of the field is a bit weak. The Broncos offense is inconsistent at best with Mark Sanchez under center. The Chargers can score with anyone but the defense is not playoff caliber. And the Raiders are just happy to be playing football in January again.

NFC

1) Packers

2) Panthers

3) Seahawks

4) Cowboys

5) Vikings

6) Cardinals

Green Bay lands homefield advantage thanks a tie-breaker over the Panthers. Seattle finished the season strong (nothing new for the Seahawks) and will take on the Cardinals for a third time in the wild card round after sweeping the regular season series. The Vikings have to go on the road to Dallas despite winning 12 games.

And our picks for how the postseason will play out…



WILDCARD ROUND



BRONCOS 23, Raiders 6

Denver’s pass rush is too much for the Oakland line, and the Broncos force Derek Carr into two interceptions in his postseason debut.



Chargers 31, COLTS 24

Philip Rivers has his way with the Colts defense, and Andrew Luck’s last-minute interception ends the Colts season.



SEAHAWKS 30, Cardinals 28

The Cardinals keep it close, but Russell Wilson does just enough to outscore Carson Palmer, who finds some success against the Legion of Boom after two difficult regular season games.



COWBOYS 23, Vikings 14

The Cowboys’ balanced offense is able to move the ball effectively against the NFL’s best defense, and, with Adrian Peterson in street clothes due to injury, Teddy Bridgewater struggles in his first road playoff game.

DIVISIONAL ROUND

PATRIOTS 37, Chargers 20

New England intercepts Rivers three times and Tom Brady picks San Diego’s overwhelmed defense apart.

STEELERS 27, Broncos 13

The Broncos’ title defense ends here, as Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell all have big days.

PACKERS 30, Cowboys 21

There’s no controversy this time as the Packers build a big lead early and hold off a Tony Romo-led comeback.

PANTHERS 34, Seahawks 28

Cam Newton out-duels Russell Wilson in what has become the NFL’s biggest quarterback rivalry.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PATRIOTS 27, Steelers 22

Bill Belichick figures out a way to slow down Pittsburgh’s loaded offense and Tom Brady tosses three touchdowns, two going to Rob Gronkowski.

PACKERS 35, Panthers 24

Homefield advantage makes the difference here. After a slow start, Rodgers figures out the Panthers defense and his two fourth-quarter touchdown passes send Green Bay to Houston.

SUPER BOWL LI



Patriots 29, Packers 23

The two best quarterbacks in the league square off in a dream Super Bowl matchup. Belichick wins the coaching battle against Mike McCarthy, which makes the difference in the end. Brady and Belichick get their fifth Super Bowl ring.