Today is January 15, 2026. If you're frantically Googling "what is the nfl football score" right now, you might notice something weird—the stadiums are empty. Actually, they aren't empty; they're just waiting. We are currently sitting in that tension-filled "dead zone" between the Wild Card round and the Divisional playoffs.
Wild Card weekend just wrapped up on Monday, January 12, and honestly, it was a bit of a bloodbath for some home teams. If you missed the scores because life got in the way, here’s the quick and dirty version of what happened. The Houston Texans absolutely dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 30–6 to close out the round. Earlier that weekend, the Los Angeles Rams narrowly escaped Carolina with a 34–31 win, and the Chicago Bears pulled off a massive fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Green Bay Packers 31–27.
Checking the NFL Football Score During the 2026 Playoffs
The thing about the NFL is that the "score" isn't just a number on a screen anymore. It’s a moving target. Since we’re between games, the next time you'll see a live ticker will be Saturday, January 17.
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Here is the upcoming schedule so you aren't staring at a blank scoreboard on Friday night:
- Saturday, Jan 17 (1:30 PM PT): Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos
- Saturday, Jan 17 (5:00 PM PT): San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Sunday, Jan 18 (12:00 PM PT): Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots
- Sunday, Jan 18 (3:30 PM PT): Los Angeles Rams vs. Chicago Bears
Kinda wild to see the Bears and Texans still alive while teams like the Eagles and Dolphins are already booking tee times at the golf course. The 49ers and Seahawks game is probably the one everyone is circling. Sam Darnold has been playing out of his mind for Seattle lately, even with that oblique tweak the news cycle won't stop talking about.
Why Does the Score Sometimes Lag?
You’ve probably been there: your phone buzzes with a "Touchdown!" alert, but on your TV, the QB is still dropping back to pass. It’s annoying. This "latency" is the bane of any sports bettor or fantasy manager's existence.
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Most "Live Score" apps are pulling from a data feed like Sportradar or Genius Sports. Depending on your internet connection or the broadcast delay (especially on streaming-only games like those on Peacock or Prime Video), the real-world nfl football score might be 30 to 60 seconds ahead of what you’re seeing. If you want the absolute fastest updates, sometimes the old-school radio broadcast or a basic text-based play-by-play tracker is actually faster than the 4K stream.
Looking Ahead to Super Bowl LX
Everything we’re seeing right now—the wins by the Bills, the defensive stand by the Patriots—is leading to Santa Clara. Super Bowl LX is set for February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium.
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Interestingly, the "score" everyone is talking about there isn't football-related; it's the halftime show. Bad Bunny is headlining, which is a massive first for a Spanish-speaking artist. But back to the turf: the Denver Broncos are currently the favorites to represent the AFC, holding that 14–3 regular-season record and the home-field advantage.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're trying to stay on top of the madness this weekend, don't just rely on a single Google search result that might be cached from three hours ago.
- Sync your calendar: Most team sites offer a "Sync to Calendar" button. It’s the easiest way to make sure the kickoff time (which changes based on TV networks) is actually correct for your time zone.
- Watch the injury reports: For the upcoming Bills-Broncos game, the score will likely be decided by who's actually on the field. Buffalo is incredibly "banged up" right now, according to local reports, which is why the line flipped to make Denver the favorite.
- Use a secondary tracker: If you’re watching a game on a streaming service, keep a low-data app like Flashscore or the official NFL app open. It’ll give you the box score stats (like "Red Zone efficiency" or "Yards after catch") that you can't always see on the main broadcast.
The Divisional Round is usually the best weekend of football in the entire year. Better than the Super Bowl, honestly. The stakes are high, but the teams are still fresh enough to put up big numbers. Get your snacks ready for Saturday.