NFL Playoffs: Two No. 1 Seeds Face Sixth Seeds Saturday

At a Glance

• The Divisional Round opens with No. 6 seeds at No. 1 seeds in both conferences
• Bills visit Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET; 49ers visit Seahawks at 8 p.m. ET
• Denver’s league-best 68-sack defense tries to slow Josh Allen’s sixth straight Divisional Round trip
• Why it matters: Conference championship berths-and a step closer to Super Bowl 60-are decided tonight

Saturday’s NFL postseason slate features two heavyweight matchups that pit rested No. 1 seeds against battle-tested No. 6 seeds. A trip to the conference championship is the prize for the winners.

Bills at Broncos: 4:30 p.m. ET

Denver owns the second meeting in as many years with Buffalo. The Bills routed the Broncos 31-7 at home in last season’s Wild Card Round, but this time they travel to Empower Field at Mile High.

Buffalo reached the Divisional Round for the sixth consecutive season after Josh Allen rallied the team past Jacksonville 27-24 in the Wild Card Round. Allen produced two go-ahead touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to erase a late deficit.

The Broncos counter with the league’s top defense by several measures:

• 68 sacks-11 more than any other team
• Second in yards allowed
• Third in points allowed
• Only one home loss all season

Coach Sean Payton’s club is seeking Denver’s first playoff victory since the 2015 championship season.

49ers at Seahawks: 8 p.m. ET

San Francisco limps into Seattle after losing star tight end George Kittle to a torn Achilles in its Wild Card upset of defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Despite the injury, Brock Purdy directed a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter and the defense sealed the 23-19 win.

This will be the third meeting between the NFC West rivals this season and the second in three weeks:

• Week 1: 49ers won in Seattle
• Week 18: Seahawks won 13-3 to clinch the division and No. 1 seed

Seattle’s defense dominated the most recent matchup, holding San Francisco to 173 total yards and a combined 2-for-11 on third and fourth downs.

Quarterback Sam Darnold is listed as questionable after an oblique injury landed him on the final injury report. His status is the biggest storyline entering kickoff.

The Seahawks aim for their first conference title game appearance since 2014, while the 49ers are one victory away from their fourth trip in five years.

How to Watch

Bills at Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET

The Las Vegas Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick after finishing 3-14. More than a dozen teams enter the offseason looking to improve their fortunes.