2026 NFL season · after Week 9
The luckiest teams of 2026 so far
The Broncos are the luckiest team of 2026 so far: 7 wins from play that, replayed with the same day’s form, was worth 3.1. The Cowboys are the unluckiest: 4 wins from play worth 6.3.
Luck here is wins minus replay wins: for each game, how often this team wins it when it’s replayed with the way both teams actually played, added up over the season. Regular season only. How the replay works
| # | Team | Record | Replay wins | Luck in wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7–2 | 3.1 | +3.9 | |
| 2 | 6–1 | 4.0 | +2.0 | |
| 3 | 5–2–1 | 3.9 | +1.6 | |
| 4 | 6–3 | 4.5 | +1.5 | |
| 5 | 5–4 | 3.6 | +1.4 | |
| 6 | 7–2 | 5.8 | +1.2 | |
| 7 | 4–5 | 2.9 | +1.1 | |
| 8 | 6–1 | 4.9 | +1.1 | |
| 9 | 6–2 | 5.1 | +0.9 | |
| 10 | 6–2 | 5.2 | +0.8 | |
| 11 | 6–2 | 5.6 | +0.4 | |
| 12 | 3–6 | 2.8 | +0.2 | |
| 13 | 3–6 | 2.8 | +0.2 | |
| 14 | 6–2 | 5.8 | +0.2 | |
| 15 | 5–4 | 4.9 | +0.1 | |
| 16 | 7–1 | 7.0 | 0.0 | |
| 17 | 2–7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | |
| 18 | 3–5 | 3.0 | 0.0 | |
| 19 | 2–7 | 2.2 | −0.2 | |
| 20 | 6–2 | 6.3 | −0.3 | |
| 21 | 3–6 | 3.6 | −0.6 | |
| 22 | 4–5 | 4.6 | −0.6 | |
| 23 | 5–4 | 6.0 | −1.0 | |
| 24 | 2–5–1 | 3.5 | −1.0 | |
| 25 | 1–7 | 2.1 | −1.1 | |
| 26 | 3–5 | 4.1 | −1.1 | |
| 27 | 1–7 | 2.5 | −1.5 | |
| 28 | 2–7 | 3.6 | −1.6 | |
| 29 | 3–5 | 4.7 | −1.7 | |
| 30 | 0–8 | 1.7 | −1.7 | |
| 31 | 5–4 | 7.0 | −2.0 | |
| 32 | 4–5 | 6.3 | −2.3 |
Replay wins: the sum, over every game, of how often the team wins a replay with the same day’s form. Coin-flip wins: the same with only kicks, bounces, drops, conversions and calls re-rolled; it is the number that best predicts the rest of a season (validation). One-score: games decided by 8 points or fewer.
Did luck add wins or take them away?
Each logo is a team. Across: the wins its play was worth (replay wins). Up: the wins it actually got. On the diagonal the two match; above it, luck added wins; below it, luck cost wins.
Game by game
The luck index of every game: 100 × (the result − how often they win the replay). A loss in a game they win 9 times in 10 scores −90. Teams sorted luckiest to unluckiest.
The adjusted standings, 2026
The standings adjusted for luck, if the season ended today: every kick, fumble bounce, drop, conversion and referee call re-rolled, everything else as played. Four division winners and three wild cards a conference make the playoffs (no tiebreakers). Move the sliders to decide how much of each counts as luck; the link keeps your settings.
Order by Group by
AFC
Adjusted for luck, the Browns and the Ravens would make the playoffs if the season ended today instead of the Broncos and the Patriots.
| Adjusted | Now | Team | Record | Adjusted wins | Luck | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1▲1 | 2 | 6–2 | 6.7 | −0.7 | 1 | |
| 2▲2 | 4 | 6–2 | 6.2 | −0.2 | 2 | |
| 3 | 3 | 6–2 | 5.9 | +0.1 | 3 | |
| 4▲2 | 6 | 6–2 | 5.9 | +0.1 | 5 | |
| 5 | 5 | 6–1 | 5.2 | +0.8 | 4 | |
| 6▲2 | 8 | 5–4 | 4.2 | +0.8 | 6 | |
| 7▲3 | 10 | 4–5 | 4.2 | −0.2 | 7 | |
| 8▼1 | 7 | 5–4 | 4.1 | +0.9 | out | |
| 9▼8 | 1 | 7–2 | 4.0 | +3.0 | out | |
| 10▲1 | 11 | 3–5 | 3.9 | −0.9 | ||
| 11▲1 | 12 | 2–7 | 3.2 | −1.2 | ||
| 12▼3 | 9 | 4–5 | 3.1 | +0.9 | ||
| 13▲2 | 15 | 1–7 | 2.1 | −1.1 | ||
| 14 | 14 | 1–7 | 1.8 | −0.8 | ||
| 15▼2 | 13 | 2–7 | 1.8 | +0.2 | ||
| 16 | 16 | 0–8 | 0.6 | −0.6 |
NFC
Adjusted for luck, the Cowboys, the Rams and the Seahawks would make the playoffs if the season ended today instead of the Giants, the Vikings and the Lions.
| Adjusted | Now | Team | Record | Adjusted wins | Luck | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1▲1 | 2 | 7–2 | 6.7 | +0.3 | 1 | |
| 2▼1 | 1 | 7–1 | 6.7 | +0.3 | 2 | |
| 3▲2 | 5 | 6–3 | 6.5 | −0.5 | 5 | |
| 4▲4 | 8 | 5–4 | 6.4 | −1.4 | 6 | |
| 5▲2 | 7 | 5–4 | 5.9 | −0.9 | 7 | |
| 6▲3 | 9 | 4–5 | 5.5 | −1.5 | 3 | |
| 7▼1 | 6 | 5–2–1 | 4.4 | +1.1 | out | |
| 8▲2 | 10 | 3–6 | 4.3 | −1.3 | 4 | |
| 9▼5 | 4 | 6–2 | 4.3 | +1.7 | out | |
| 10▲1 | 11 | 3–5 | 4.2 | −1.2 | ||
| 11▼8 | 3 | 6–1 | 3.9 | +2.1 | out | |
| 12 | 12 | 3–5 | 3.4 | −0.4 | ||
| 13 | 13 | 3–6 | 3.3 | −0.3 | ||
| 14▲1 | 15 | 2–5–1 | 2.7 | −0.2 | ||
| 15▼1 | 14 | 3–6 | 2.3 | +0.7 | ||
| 16 | 16 | 2–7 | 1.7 | +0.3 |
Adjusted wins: every kick, fumble bounce, drop, conversion and referee call re-rolled at your settings, everything else as played. Seed: playoff seed in the adjusted standings; 5 in only in the adjusted standings (luck kept them out), out is in by record only thanks to luck. Adjusted: rank in the conference by adjusted wins, ▲ places up because luck cost them, ▼ down because luck helped. Now: rank by record.
2026, week by week
| Week | Dates | Winners behind in replays | Biggest heist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 9 | Nov 5, 2026–Nov 9, 2026 | 0 of 14 | Saints 23–22 Browns · won 49% of replays |
| Week 8 | Oct 29, 2026–Nov 2, 2026 | 2 of 14 | Broncos 28–24 Chiefs · won 24% of replays |
| Week 7 | Oct 22, 2026–Oct 26, 2026 | 0 of 14 | Bears 30–24 Patriots · won 40% of replays |
| Week 6 | Oct 15, 2026–Oct 19, 2026 | 3 of 14 | Broncos 17–14 Seahawks · won 23% of replays |
| Week 5 | Oct 8, 2026–Oct 12, 2026 | 2 of 14 | Buccaneers 24–16 Cowboys · won 4% of replays |
| Week 4 | Oct 1, 2026–Oct 5, 2026 | 2 of 16 | Colts 30–13 Commanders · won 26% of replays |
| Week 3 | Sep 24, 2026–Sep 28, 2026 | 4 of 16 | Broncos 30–26 Rams · won 7% of replays |
| Week 2 | Sep 17, 2026–Sep 21, 2026 | 2 of 16 | Saints 24–17 Ravens · won 27% of replays |
| Week 1 | Sep 9, 2026–Sep 14, 2026 | 1 of 16 | Giants 28–20 Cowboys · won 15% of replays |
Questions
Who is the luckiest NFL team of 2026?
The Denver Broncos so far: 7–2, from play worth 3.1 wins (+3.9 wins of luck). The unluckiest: the Dallas Cowboys, 4–5 from play worth 6.3 wins.
What is postgame win expectancy?
How often a team would win a game it just played if the game were played again with the way both teams actually played. Ours replays each team’s own plays from that game 4,000 times, with kicks, fumble bounces and turnovers at the rates you would expect. Added up over a season it gives the replay wins above, and wins minus replay wins is the luck.
More from 2026
Turnover luck · Kicking luck · Injury luck · Dropped passes · Where luck comes from
Every upset · Regression candidates · Expected wins · One-score games · Penalties by team · Referee calls