Wild-card weekend in the NFL delivered on all the drama fans have come to expect, and now the stage is set for a divisional round packed with high-stakes rematches, storied rivalries, and plenty of intrigue. As the dust settles from a slate of nail-biting finishes and upsets, eight teams remain in the hunt for football’s ultimate prize—and each brings its own compelling narrative into the second round of the playoffs.
Let’s start with the NFC, where the Seattle Seahawks, after clinching the top seed with a gritty win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, enjoyed a well-earned bye while the rest of the conference battled it out. Their reward? Hosting those very same 49ers in a divisional round clash that promises fireworks. The two teams split their regular-season meetings, with the 49ers taking the opener and the Seahawks prevailing in the critical season finale. Now, with everything on the line, Seattle will host San Francisco at Lumen Field on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast on Fox. The oddsmakers have the Seahawks favored by 6.5 points, but if wild-card weekend taught us anything, it’s that nothing is certain in January football.
San Francisco arrives in Seattle riding the momentum of a 23-19 victory over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, a game that saw quarterback Brock Purdy orchestrate a late comeback to end Philly’s title defense. The 49ers have become the postseason’s giant slayers, but can they topple the NFC’s top seed on the road? That’s the question that will dominate the headlines all week. Seattle, meanwhile, has the benefit of home-field advantage and a week of rest, not to mention a recent win over these very 49ers. According to USA TODAY’s predictions, the Seahawks are “locked in against San Francisco, especially after three consecutive weeks of preparation against a singular opponent.” Their experts predict a 17-10 victory for Seattle, but as the saying goes, that’s why they play the games.
The NFC’s other divisional matchup features the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams, set for Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. ET at Soldier Field in Chicago. This game, airing on NBC, marks the first playoff meeting between these franchises since the 1985 NFC Championship Game—an encounter Bears fans remember fondly as a 24-0 shutout. The Rams, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, survived a 34-31 shootout with the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round, but questions linger about whether they’ve recaptured their midseason dominance. The Bears, meanwhile, staged a thrilling comeback to edge out the rival Green Bay Packers, 31-27, in a game that electrified the home crowd and cast a shadow over Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s future.
Chicago’s recent win over the Rams in the 2024 regular season, guided by quarterback Caleb Williams, adds another layer to this matchup. There’s no shortage of storylines: Can Stafford rediscover his MVP-caliber form? Will the Bears’ home-field advantage and surging confidence carry them to the NFC Championship? The betting line gives the Rams a 4.5-point edge, but experts like those at USA TODAY are leaning toward the Bears, predicting a 28-24 win for the home team. It’s a classic toss-up—one that’s sure to keep fans glued to their screens until the final whistle.
Over in the AFC, the Denver Broncos claimed the conference’s top seed with a 14-3 record, narrowly edging out the New England Patriots for a first-round bye. The Broncos will host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. ET at Empower Field at Mile High, with CBS handling the broadcast. The Bills arrive on the heels of a dramatic 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game decided in the final minute thanks to the heroics of quarterback Josh Allen. Buffalo has been tabbed as a 1.5-point favorite, and there’s a sense that Allen’s knack for late-game magic could be the difference-maker against a Broncos squad that’s shown some vulnerability late in the season. USA TODAY’s experts are predicting a 24-20 win for the Bills, but Denver’s defense and home-field altitude are always X-factors in January.
The other AFC contest features the New England Patriots hosting the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN/ABC. The Patriots, who finished the regular season with a 15-3 record, dispatched the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the wild-card round, while the Texans steamrolled the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 behind a suffocating defense and a balanced offensive attack. Houston, the AFC’s No. 5 seed, went 5-3 on the road during the regular season—a stat that could loom large as they try to upset New England in hostile territory.
There’s plenty of intrigue in this matchup as well. The Patriots have benefited from what some analysts have called “one of the easiest NFL schedules...ever,” but they looked sharp in their playoff opener, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye picking up his first postseason win. The Texans, meanwhile, have thrived against top competition all year, allowing fewer than 20 points in six games against playoff teams during the regular season. USA TODAY’s prediction: Texans 20, Patriots 10, citing Houston’s ability to “love the bright lights.” Still, the Patriots’ playoff pedigree is hard to ignore, and with home-field advantage, they’ll be tough to beat.
Across wild-card weekend, fans were treated to a string of unforgettable performances. Matthew Stafford, Caleb Williams, Josh Allen, and Brock Purdy all delivered late-game heroics, while the Texans’ defense stifled Pittsburgh and the Patriots advanced with a rookie quarterback at the helm. The Bears’ comeback over the Packers and the Bills’ last-minute win over the Jaguars were just the tip of the iceberg in a weekend full of drama.
Looking ahead, the divisional round schedule is as follows:
Saturday, January 17, 2026:
Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)
Sunday, January 18, 2026:
Houston Texans at New England Patriots, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears, 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Betting lines and over/under numbers have been set, but as this past weekend showed, the only certainty is unpredictability. As the NFL playoffs march on, all eyes turn to the divisional round, where the stakes are higher, the rivalries are deeper, and every snap could change a team’s destiny. Will the favorites hold serve, or are more upsets in store? We’ll find out soon enough—but one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a wild ride.
