Unveiling the NFL Enigma: Human Instinct Rises Amidst the Data Storm

The Opening – A Life-and-Death Bet Against the Algorithm

Back in August, Adam Rank and I embarked on a high-stakes mission: to fight back against the cold algorithms attempting to redefine every football prediction as we know it. With the courage of true analysts, we dared to predict all 272 games of the 2025 NFL season. Our noble goal was to prove once and for all that in-depth human analysis and sharp instinct still hold their place in this cold world driven entirely by data.

Now, midway through the season, things have not been easy—in fact, they have been chaotic beyond belief.

We started with two warriors, but now, only one remains standing in this fierce battle. (Don’t worry, Rank is fine; he’s just too busy for “silly exercises” like this!) And me? I’ve certainly had my fair share of painful “whiffs” over the past 10 weeks.

Data Failed – Instinct Prevailed

However, I challenge you to show me any predictive model that dared to imagine this crazy scenario: The Indianapolis Colts sitting pretty atop the AFC in mid-November, while two giants, the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs, are struggling on the periphery of the playoff picture! (Seriously, don’t show me, because I know one doesn’t exist.)

What’s astonishing is that my accurate predictions (surprisingly) actually outnumber my misses (56% accuracy). This is clearly an overall triumph when considering the volatile and unpredictable nature of this year’s campaign. I was within one loss of 20 teams’ midseason records, and within two losses of 26 teams. The remaining six teams? Let’s set them aside for now, because chaos is the very essence of this sport!

The Return of the “Living Brain”

While the most advanced models have the advantage of running millions, perhaps billions, of simulations to spit out updated projections, it’s only fair that I, too, should have the opportunity to revisit my original picks—at least those for the second half of the season.

This season has defied all logic and exposed the limitations of raw data. Now is the time for human experience, courage, and instinct to speak once more.

So, here again is a decisive, uncompromising, and experience-based look at how every remaining game will play out, complete with a detailed review of my previous projections for each AFC team. Don’t miss this update—it is the single most important map to guide you through the perilous NFL storm!