The Philadelphia Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy Sunday night in New Orleans, capping off one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history.

The defense sacked Patrick Mahomes six times, and intercepted him twice, while the offense took advantage of their teammates' dominance.

Jalen Hurts turned in another superb performance on the Super Bowl stage, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith both caught touchdowns, and Saquon Barkley effectively wore down the Chiefs' defense by attracting their full attention.

On the heels of one of the most one-sided Super Bowls in NFL history, should fans expect the Chiefs and Eagles back in the postseason next year and which teams may join them?

Find out with these way-too-early predictions.

Playoff Bracket Predictions

AFC

1 Baltimore Ravens (BYE)

2 Kansas City Chiefs vs. 7. Indianapolis Colts

3 Buffalo Bills vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers

4 Houston Texans vs. 5 Cincinnati Bengals

NFC

1 San Francisco 49ers (BYE)

2 Washington Commanders vs. 7 Dallas Cowboys

3 Detroit Lions vs. 6 Philadelphia Eagles

4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5 Los Angeles Rams

AFC Breakdown

The one-two punch of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry led the Baltimore Ravens to the No. 3 seed in 2024 and there is no reason to believe that, with another offseason together, the MVP candidates cannot produce strong seasons that lead the birds to the top of the AFC.

The team will have to make changes to a pass defense that was second-worst in the league in 2024, head of only the Jacksonville Jaguars, but even the slightest improvement should land Charm City at or near the top of the conference, especially if Jackson can continue the MVP-level of play that the league has come to expect from him.

Like the New England Patriots dynasty before them, Kansas City will always be in contention for the top spot because of their historically great quarterback, Mahomes. Regardless of whether Kelce opts to continue his playing career next season, the Chiefs have the pieces offensively and an underrated defense to continue the extraordinary run they have been on over the last six seasons.

Buffalo's Josh Allen gives the Bills a chance to win any time he is on the field, and they are the clear favorites in the East. Ditto for CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans, though that team could see competition from the Indianapolis Colts. That team played tough this season and was in contention for the final playoff spot in the conference until ultimately being eliminated with an 8-9 record.

Indianapolis could be one of the new faces in the postseason picture if the coaching staff can inspire more consistent play across the board. Anthony Richardson needs to stay healthy and avoid interceptions. The receiving corps needs to hold onto the ball. The defense cannot give up huge chunks in key situations. One fix and the team can sneak into the playoffs.

The other fresh face in the bracket is Cincinnati, which is returning to the playoffs for the first time in two years. Joe Burrow was lights out and, for all the talk about Allen and Jackson this past season, the game's best quarterback. The key to their return to playoff football will be solidifying the defense and returning wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

The Los Angeles Chargers under head coach Jim Harbaugh return to the postseason behind quarterback Justin Herbert, doing just enough to slot in at the No. 6 seed but not inspire championship aspirations from fans who remember the franchise quarterback throwing four passes to the wrong team this postseason.

NFC Breakdown

The San Francisco 49ers had a season to forget in 2024, following up a Super Bowl LVIII appearance with a 6-11 record that landed them in the NFC West basement. With running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk expected back on the offensive side of the ball, and Robert Saleh back as the highest-paid defensive coordinator in NFL history, the red and gold are poised for a comeback that could, and should, see them top a winnable NFC.

The defending conference champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, are noticeably low in the bracket at the No. 6 seed. Part of that can be attributed to a young and energetic Washington Commanders squad in the same division but also, the inevitable Super Bowl hangover. The Chiefs have managed to avoid it but nearly every other team has struggled to get back to that level the next season and the Eagles will be no different.

They still have Hurts and Barkley, and a smothering defense, but expect the team to take a step or two back and for the Commanders to leapfrog them, entering the postseason atop the division and as the No. 2 seed, especially if head coach Dan Quinn can shore up the defense.

Whether Washington sticks around in the playoffs longer than Philly is another question.

The Detroit Lions will take a step back after head coach Dan Campbell had his staff gutted this offseason, with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson moving on to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Gleen departed for the Jets' head coaching vacancy.

Tampa Bay has the best situation in the NFC South and should be able to punch their ticket to the playoffs as division champions for the fifth consecutive season. Even more so if Baker Mayfield can continue compiling career highs in touchdowns.

The Los Angeles Rams were the one team with a legitimate shot at knocking off the Eagles this postseason and, barring any drastic trade that sends Matthew Stafford out of Hollywood, should be able to ride underrated back Kyren Williams and a young, explosive defense led by Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse back to the postseason as a wild card in the fifth seed.

The always-controversial Dallas Cowboys round out the bracket at No. 7, thanks to the return of Dak Prescott under center, the playmaking of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and the game-wrecking ability of Micah Parsons on the defensive side of things. They will not be good enough to make a deep run in the playoffs, especially under first year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, but they will be able to string together enough wins to sneak into the tournament as the final seed in the NFC, likely outlasting Green Bay and Minnesota to do so.