Seahawks Projected to Beat Chiefs in Super Bowl LXI — SkimNews
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- Stephen Oh simulated the rest of the 2026 NFL season to project the full 14-team playoff bracket, with the Seahawks beating the Chiefs 20-19 at SoFi Stadium for the second straight week the model has crowned Seattle.
- Chiefs earned the No. 1 AFC seed in the projection despite Patrick Mahomes returning from an ACL injury, with the model jumping from uncertain to "sold" after Kansas City's 2-0 start.
- Panthers are projected to win the NFC South at just 7-10, which would be only the third time in NFL history a seven-win team made the postseason—and a callback to Carolina's 7-8-1 playoff squad in 2014.
- Texans and Colts, both 0-2, are projected to take the AFC South title and a wild-card spot respectively, while the Jaguars are projected to miss out despite finishing in a virtual tie with the Bengals.
- Bears dropped out of the playoff field following their Week 2 loss to Minnesota, with Caleb Williams potentially missing games after injuring his hamstring in that game.
- The simulation sets up a Super Bowl rematch narrative with reigning MVP Kenneth Walker facing his former Chiefs teammates, while Travis Kelce would potentially play his final NFL game on Valentine's Day.
- Seahawks are projected to handle the NFC playoff path—beating the Rams 23-20 in the divisional round and the Lions 27-21 in the title game—even though the model is running this projection without Sam Darnold.
Why it matters: The model's 7-10 Panthers division winner and two 0-2 AFC South teams reaching the playoffs illustrate how little Week 2 results move the needle in season-long simulations—while the Seahawks' projected repeat (something no NFC team has done in 30 years) signals the computer's conviction that Seattle's roster construction, even without Darnold, is historically dominant.
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