The NFL’s divisional round is locked in for January 17-18, with six teams already punching tickets and two more spots hanging on this weekend’s final wild-card games.
At a Glance
- Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams advanced on wild-card weekend
- Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks await as top seeds with byes
- Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers wraps the opening round Monday night
- Why it matters: The remaining eight teams will decide the Super Bowl LX field in the league’s most competitive playoff weekend
The league’s reseeding system means the Broncos and Seahawks will face the lowest remaining seeds in their conferences once Monday night’s Texans-Steelers winner is decided. The divisional round kicks off Saturday, January 17 with a doubleheader, followed by two more games Sunday, January 18.
Teams Already Through
AFC
- Denver Broncos – No. 1 seed, first-round bye
- Buffalo Bills – No. 6 seed, knocked off Jacksonville 27-24
NFC
- Seattle Seahawks – No. 1 seed, first-round bye
- Chicago Bears – No. 2 seed, edged Green Bay 31-27
- Los Angeles Rams – No. 5 seed, outlasted Carolina 34-31
Matchups Still in Flux
The final bracket hinges on two Sunday wild-card results:
- Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers – If the No. 3 Eagles win, they visit the No. 2 Bears and the Seahawks host the Rams. A 49ers upset sends them to Seattle and sets up Bears-Rams at Soldier Field.
- New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers – A Patriots win pairs them with Monday’s Texans-Steelers survivor and sends the Bills to Denver. A Chargers upset flips the AFC bracket.
Divisional Round Schedule
All four games air across NBC, CBS, FOX and ESPN/ABC:
Saturday, January 17
- Game 1: 4:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: 8 p.m. ET
Sunday, January 18
- Game 3: 3 p.m. ET
- Game 4: 6:30 p.m. ET
Exact matchups and broadcast details will be announced once Monday night’s result is in.
Road to Super Bowl LX
Conference championship games follow on Sunday, January 25 – AFC on CBS, NFC on FOX. The winners meet in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Key Takeaways
- The Bills’ upset of Jacksonville guarantees at least one double-digit seed in the AFC final four
- NFC’s top three seeds (Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia) could all host divisional games if the Eagles hold serve
- Monday night’s Texans-Steelers winner becomes the final piece in a playoff puzzle that shapes the path to a championship
