If you're waking up today, January 16, 2026, and wondering how we already burned through eighteen weeks of regular-season chaos, you aren't alone. It feels like yesterday we were arguing about the Eagles-Cowboys kickoff in September. Now, the dust has settled on the regular season, and the "real" football is just beginning. Honestly, if you blinked during Week 18, you might have missed the entire landscape shifting.
Right now, the countdown is officially on. There are exactly seven games left in the NFL season that actually matter. That’s it. Seven high-stakes, winner-takes-all matchups standing between us and the confetti falling at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
We’ve already seen the Wild Card round tear through the bracket. We saw the Texans absolute dismantle the Steelers on Monday night—did anyone actually see that 30-6 blowout coming? Probably not. And we watched the Rams edge out the Panthers in a 34-31 thriller that basically shaved years off the lives of everyone in Charlotte. With the Wild Card round in the rearview mirror, the path to Super Bowl LX is narrowed down to the elite few.
The Divisional Round: Four Games That Define Legacies
This weekend is widely considered the best weekend in all of sports. Forget the Super Bowl for a second. The Divisional Round is where the rested No. 1 seeds—the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks—finally have to defend their turf against battle-tested teams that just played for their lives.
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Here is the breakdown of the immediate games left in the NFL season for this coming Saturday and Sunday:
- Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos: Saturday, Jan 17 (4:30 PM ET). Buffalo survived a scare against Jacksonville. Now they have to fly into the thin air of Mile High to face a Broncos team that went 14-3. Bo Nix isn't a rookie anymore, and that Denver defense is playing like it’s 2015 again.
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: Saturday, Jan 17 (8:00 PM ET). A classic NFC West bloodbath. The Niners handled Philly, but Lumen Field at night is a different animal.
- Houston Texans at New England Patriots: Sunday, Jan 18 (3:00 PM ET). Drake Maye vs. C.J. Stroud. This is the "future of the AFC" game. Houston looked terrifying against Pittsburgh, but winning in Foxborough in January is a rite of passage most teams fail.
- Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears: Sunday, Jan 18 (6:30 PM ET). Chicago is the No. 2 seed, which still feels weird to say, but they've earned it. Caleb Williams is facing a Rams team that just put up 34 points in the opening round.
It’s a brutal stretch. If your team is still alive, you've basically got 120 minutes of football left to decide if this season was a success or a heartbreaking "what if."
The Final Three: Championship Sunday and the Big One
Once the smoke clears from this weekend, we’re down to the final three games. For those tracking the exact number of games left in the NFL season, mark Sunday, January 25 on your calendar. That’s Championship Sunday.
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The AFC Championship kicks off at 3:00 PM ET, followed by the NFC at 6:30 PM ET. There’s something special about these games. Usually, by this point, the "fluke" teams are gone. You’re left with the two best rosters in each conference. It’s also the last time we get a full day of multiple NFL games until next September, which is a depressing thought.
Then, there’s a gap. A two-week void of media day nonsense and prop bet analysis before Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.
Why the 2025-2026 Postseason Felt Different
This season was the first time we truly saw the "New Guard" of quarterbacks take total control. Look at the AFC. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? They're watching from home this year after a 6-11 disaster. Instead, we have Stroud, Maye, and Josh Allen fighting for the throne.
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Over in the NFC, it’s a similar story. The Packers-Bears rivalry got a playoff chapter that Chicago fans will be talking about for decades after that 31-27 Wild Card win. The parity in the league right now is at an all-time high. When people search for how many games are left, they aren't just looking for a schedule—they're looking for how much time is left before the inevitable off-season boredom sets in.
What You Need to Do Before Kickoff
If you're planning on catching these final seven games, you need to be aware of the broadcast shifts. Unlike the regular season where you could rely on your local affiliate, the playoffs are a messy mix of CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC/ESPN.
- Check your streaming logins: Paramount+ handles the CBS/Broncos game, while Peacock is the go-to for NBC's Sunday night window.
- Monitor the weather reports: Foxborough and Denver are both expecting freezing temperatures this weekend. That usually favors the home team, especially the Patriots, who have built a roster specifically for "ground and pound" January football.
- Watch the injury reports: The 49ers are sweating over Christian McCaffrey’s workload, and the Seahawks have a couple of defensive linemen who are "true" game-time decisions.
The reality of the NFL is that the regular season is just a long, expensive qualifying round. The "real" season is what happens over the next 24 days. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just someone who shows up for the Super Bowl snacks, these seven remaining games are the peak of the 2025-2026 cycle.
Take a breath, clear your Saturday, and get ready. The window is closing fast.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep a close eye on the Friday injury reports for the Bills and 49ers, as both teams are traveling into hostile environments with key starters listed as questionable. If you are betting the "Over," remember that historically, Divisional Round games in high-altitude or cold-weather cities like Denver and Foxborough tend to stay under the projected total due to wind conditions. Set your DVRs now for the Sunday night Bears game, as local 2026 forecasts suggest a potential lake-effect snow scenario that could significantly impact the Rams' high-flying passing attack.