#upsetwatch

Wild card weekend is the league at its most unhinged. Teams that just squeezed in suddenly look dangerous. Division winners who thought they had a soft draw realise there are no easy outs in January.

This piece walks through the full 2026 playoff bracket with that spirit in mind. It looks at which wild card teams are built to travel, who has the defense that can hold up for four quarters, and which quarterbacks you would actually trust with the season on the line. The article leans into matchups too. Style clashes. Run heavy teams against light boxes. Pass rush units against banged up lines.

You get room for upsets, not just chalk. Some higher seeds feel fragile. Some lower seeds look like the group chats will be calling them the team nobody wants to play by Sunday night.

Full wild card bracket read: