2026 NFL Season Previews: Every Team, One Month, Starting August 1st

Starting August 1st, our team is running one NFL team preview a day, every day, for 32 straight days — all 32 teams, one per team, wrapping up right before Labor Day weekend. No shortcuts and no filler: last season’s results, what actually changed this offseason (draft class, free agency in and out, coaching moves), and a real look at what’s ahead — schedule difficulty, the games that’ll decide the season, and where we land on their outlook.

Every preview closes with our team’s projected win total for that team. We’ll flag when that number is meaningfully different from where the season win total market opens — and we’ve got a Bet Smarter piece on how win total betting actually works coming soon to go with it. Bookmark this page: as each preview goes live, we’ll drop a short summary right here and link straight to the full breakdown.

Team	Preview
Arizona Cardinals	A new coach in Mike LaFleur, a Jacoby Brissett-led quarterback reset, and one of the league’s toughest opening schedules make this a transition year in Arizona — our team projects a 5-12 finish, leaning slightly over the Cardinals’ 4.5 win total thanks to a much softer closing stretch. Read the full preview →
Atlanta Falcons	New head coach Kevin Stefanski takes over a Falcons team that finished 8-9 for a second straight year, headlined by a wide-open quarterback battle between newly signed Tua Tagovailoa and an ACL-recovering Michael Penix Jr. Our team projects an 8-9 finish, leaning over Atlanta’s 6.5 win total on the strength of a retooled pass rush and workhorse Bijan Robinson. Read the full preview →
Baltimore Ravens	New head coach Jesse Minter takes over after John Harbaugh’s 18-year run ended following a late-season collapse that saw Baltimore miss the playoffs at 8-9. The Ravens bolstered the pass rush with Trey Hendrickson and addressed the offensive line by drafting Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane. Our team projects a 12-5 finish, leaning over Baltimore’s 11.5 win total on the strength of a lighter schedule and an improved defensive front. Read the full preview →
Buffalo Bills	New head coach Joe Brady takes over after Sean McDermott was fired despite a 12-5 season and a Divisional Round loss to Denver, and the Bills traded for DJ Moore to give Josh Allen a true WR1. Our team projects an 11-6 finish, leaning over Buffalo’s 10.5 win total on the strength of a top-tier offense, with a new coaching staff as the main risk. Read the full preview →
Carolina Panthers	Carolina rode a historic close-game run to an 8-9 record and a surprise NFC South title in 2025, then invested heavily in the pass rush this offseason by signing Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd. Our team projects a 7-10 finish, leaning under the Panthers’ 7.5 win total given the third-toughest schedule in the league and last year’s unsustainable one-score luck. Read the full preview →
Chicago Bears	Chicago went 11-6 and won the NFC North in Ben Johnson’s first year, then reached the Divisional Round before falling to the Rams in overtime. Our team projects a 10-7 finish, leaning over the Bears’ 9.5 win total thanks to coaching continuity and a retooled defense, even with a much tougher schedule ahead. Read the full preview →
Cincinnati Bengals	Cincinnati missed the playoffs at 6-11 after Joe Burrow’s turf-toe injury derailed the season, then overhauled its defensive line by trading for Dexter Lawrence and signing Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe. Our team projects a 9-8 finish, leaning under the Bengals’ 10.5 win total given real questions on the edge and in the secondary despite the offensive upside a healthy Burrow provides. Read the full preview →
Cleveland Browns	New head coach Todd Monken takes over after a 5-12 finish, headlined by the blockbuster trade of Myles Garrett to the Rams for two first-round picks and Jared Verse, plus a rebuilt offensive line and an open Deshaun Watson-Shedeur Sanders quarterback competition. Our team projects a 6-11 finish, leaning over Cleveland’s 5.5 win total on the strength of the league’s easiest schedule. Read the full preview →
Dallas Cowboys	New defensive coordinator Christian Parker arrives from Philadelphia to fix a defense that fell apart in 2025, while the Cowboys retained George Pickens on a fully guaranteed franchise tag to pair with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott. Our team projects a 9-8 finish, leaning under Dallas’s 9.5 win total given one of the league’s toughest schedules and a new defensive scheme still settling in. Read the full preview →
Denver Broncos	Denver went 14-3 and reached the AFC Championship Game behind a franchise-tying win total and an NFL-record nine straight comeback victories, then traded for Jaylen Waddle while losing pass rusher John Franklin-Myers and playoff hero P.J. Locke in free agency. Our team projects a 9-8 finish, leaning under the Broncos’ 9.5 win total given last year’s heavy reliance on one-score wins and a meaningfully tougher 2026 schedule. Read the full preview →
Detroit Lions	Detroit collapsed from a 7-4 start to miss the playoffs at 9-8 after defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left to become the Jets’ head coach, and this offseason poured resources into fixing the defense that let it happen. Our team projects an 11-6 finish, leaning over the Lions’ 10.5 win total on the strength of a strong point differential and a lighter non-division schedule, with the NFC North gauntlet as the main risk. Read the full preview →
Green Bay Packers	Green Bay went 9-7-1 in 2025 before a Wild Card loss to Chicago, then lost over 100 combined starts this offseason, including Rashan Gary and Romeo Doubs, while hiring former Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator. Our team projects 9-8 and leans under the 9.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Houston Texans	The Texans backed up a 12-5, third-straight-playoff-berth season with real investment in protecting C.J. Stroud, adding Braden Smith, Wyatt Teller, and first-round guard Keylan Rutledge to the offensive line while extending Danielle Hunter and the rest of a top-tier defense. Our team projects a 10-7 finish, leaning over Houston’s 9.5 win total, though a brutal six-game closing stretch keeps the under very much alive. Read the full preview →
Indianapolis Colts	Indianapolis followed an 8-2 start with seven straight losses to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs again, then made a blockbuster move this offseason, sending two first-round picks to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. Our team projects an 8-9 finish, leaning under the Colts’ 7.5 win total as Daniel Jones works back from a torn Achilles behind a receiver room that lost Michael Pittman. Read the full preview →
Jacksonville Jaguars	Jacksonville went 13-4 under first-year coach Liam Coen, winning the AFC South and sweeping the division before falling to Buffalo in the Wild Card round. The Jaguars kept their entire coaching staff intact but lost lead back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency, staying quiet otherwise to protect 2027 draft capital. Our team projects a 10-7 finish, leaning over Jacksonville’s 8.5 win total on staff continuity, despite a brutal Weeks 2-6 slate that includes a London date with Houston. Read the full preview →
Kansas City Chiefs	A 6-11 collapse and Patrick Mahomes’ torn ACL ended the Chiefs’ nine-year AFC West reign, but the Eric Bieniemy reunion, a Kenneth Walker III addition, and a Round 1 cornerback in Mansoor Delane give this offseason real direction. Our team projects 10-7 and leans the under on Kansas City’s 10.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Las Vegas Raiders	Las Vegas went 3-14 in 2025 and landed the No. 1 overall pick, then hired Klint Kubiak off a Super Bowl-winning Seahawks staff, drafted Fernando Mendoza, and signed Kirk Cousins to bridge the gap behind a retooled offensive line. Our team projects a 7-10 finish, leaning over the Raiders’ 5.5 win total despite one of the league’s toughest schedules. Read the full preview →
Los Angeles Chargers	The Chargers are chasing their first AFC West title in 16 years after back-to-back 11-6 playoff seasons under Jim Harbaugh. This offseason brought back Khalil Mack and added first-round edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, and our team projects a 10-7 finish leaning under the Chargers’ league-high 10.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Los Angeles Rams	Fresh off a 12-5 season and an NFC Championship Game loss to Seattle, the Rams retooled their defense around two blockbuster trades — landing Myles Garrett from Cleveland and Trent McDuffie from Kansas City. Our team projects a repeat 12-5 finish, leaning over Los Angeles’s 11.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Miami Dolphins	Miami went 7-10 in 2025 and fired both its GM and head coach, then hired Packers DC Jeff Hafley and traded Jaylen Waddle to Denver while signing Malik Willis to run the offense. Our team projects a 4-13 finish, leaning under the Dolphins’ 4.5 win total against one of the league’s toughest schedules. Read the full preview →
Minnesota Vikings	Minnesota went 9-8 in 2025 but missed the playoffs despite a five-game closing streak, and now hands the offense to Kyler Murray after signing him following his release from Arizona and naming him starter over J.J. McCarthy. Our team projects a 9-8 finish, leaning over the Vikings’ 8.5 win total on the strength of Brian Flores’s defense. Read the full preview →
New England Patriots	The Patriots followed a 14-3, AFC East-winning run to Super Bowl LX by trading for star receiver A.J. Brown and reloading the offensive line. Our team projects an 11-6 season, leaning over New England’s 10.5 win total given the added firepower — even against one of the league’s toughest schedules. Read the full preview →
New Orleans Saints	The Saints closed 2025 on a four-game winning streak but still finished 6-11 under first-year coach Kellen Moore. New Orleans stayed the course at coordinator, added Travis Etienne and David Edwards on offense, and used the No. 8 overall pick on receiver Jordyn Tyson to support Tyler Shough. Our team projects 8-9, leaning over New Orleans’ 7.5 win total thanks to the NFL’s second-easiest schedule. Read the full preview →
New York Giants	New head coach John Harbaugh and a wave of Ravens-flavored additions look to turn around a 4-13 team, with Jaxson Dart building on real rookie flashes and the Giants win total set at 7.5. Read the full preview →
New York Jets	New York went 3-14 in 2025 with a franchise-worst 0-7 start, then traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams before firing its offensive coordinator. This offseason brought Geno Smith back via trade, added Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joseph Ossai on defense, and used three first-round picks on David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. Our team projects a 7-10 finish, leaning over the Jets’ 5.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Philadelphia Eagles	Philadelphia went 11-6 and won back-to-back NFC East titles before falling to the 49ers in the Wild Card round. This offseason brought a new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion, a blockbuster trade sending A.J. Brown to the Patriots for future draft capital, and the addition of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Our team projects an 11-6 finish, leaning over Philadelphia’s 10.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Pittsburgh Steelers	Mike Tomlin is out after 19 seasons and Mike McCarthy takes over following a 10-7, AFC North-winning campaign that ended in a Wild Card blowout loss to Houston. Pittsburgh paid Nick Herbig and Cam Heyward to keep the defense intact while adding Michael Pittman Jr. and Jamel Dean, and drafting Penn State QB Drew Allar as a developmental piece behind Aaron Rodgers. Our team projects a 9-8 finish, leaning over Pittsburgh’s 8.5 win total given the coaching transition looks more like continuity than a teardown. Read the full preview →
San Francisco 49ers	The 49ers bounced back to 12-5 in 2025 before a blowout playoff exit to eventual champion Seattle, then retooled this offseason around a Mike Evans signing, a Raheem Morris hire at defensive coordinator, and a Trent Williams extension. Our team is leaning over their 9.5-win total for 2026. Read the full preview →
Seattle Seahawks	The defending Super Bowl champs are back after a franchise-best 14-3 season, but they’ll try to run it back with a new offensive coordinator and without Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who left for Kansas City in free agency. Our team projects Seattle at 11-6, leaning toward the over on a 10.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Posted on August 30th, 2026
Tennessee Titans	New head coach Robert Saleh and a $270 million free-agency spree headline a full reset after a 3-14 season that included a franchise-worst 1-11 start. Our team projects Tennessee at 7-10, leaning toward the over on a 6.5 win total. Read the full preview →
Washington Commanders	Washington fell from an NFC Championship run to 5-12 in 2025, prompting new coordinators David Blough and Daronte Jones plus a $100 million free-agent addition in edge rusher Odafe Oweh. Our team projects an 8-9 finish, leaning over their 7.5 win total if Jayden Daniels stays healthy. Read the full preview →