The dust from Wild Card weekend hasn't even settled yet, and honestly, the NFL playoff bracket current state is basically a nightmare for anyone who likes "predictable" football. We just watched six teams get sent packing. If you had the Philadelphia Eagles or the Jacksonville Jaguars making a deep run, I’m sorry. They're out. The bracket is now lean, mean, and heading into the Divisional Round with eight teams left standing.
It’s January 2026. The weather is brutal, the stakes are absurd, and we have two No. 1 seeds—the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks—finally waking up from their first-round byes. They’ve been sitting on their couches watching the carnage, but now they have to actually defend their home turf against teams that already have playoff dirt under their fingernails.
The AFC Side: Can Anyone Stop Denver’s Sack Record?
The Denver Broncos are the top dogs in the AFC for a reason. They finished the season 14-3, but the real story is their defense. They didn’t just play well; they set a franchise record with 68 sacks this year. That is terrifying for any quarterback, especially Buffalo's Josh Allen, who is heading into Mile High this Saturday.
Buffalo squeezed past the Jaguars in a 27-24 nail-biter. They looked shaky at times, but a win is a win. Now, they are the No. 6 seed traveling to face a rested, hungry Denver unit. It’s a classic "unstoppable force meets immovable object" situation, except the object in Denver is moving very fast toward the quarterback.
Then you’ve got the New England Patriots. Drake Maye has basically spent the last few months proving every doubter wrong. He led the league in completion percentage and yards per attempt. The Patriots dismantled the Chargers 16-3, which was less of a football game and more of a defensive clinic. They’ll be hosting the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Houston is coming off a massive 30-6 blowout of the Steelers. Their defense actually outscored Pittsburgh’s entire offense by itself, thanks to a couple of defensive touchdowns. If the Texans’ defense plays like that again, New England is going to have a much harder time than they did against the Chargers.
The NFC Side: Seattle's Home Field Nightmare
Over in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are currently the betting favorites to win Super Bowl LX. It’s hard to argue with the stats. They have the No. 1 scoring defense in the league, giving up only 17.2 points per game. But their reward for being the top seed? A date with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners are the No. 6 seed, but nobody treats them like one. They just knocked off the defending champion Eagles in Philadelphia. Brock Purdy admitted that playing in Seattle is a different beast, especially after they lost there in Week 18. This is a "rubber match" for the ages.
The other side of the NFC bracket features the Chicago Bears hosting the Los Angeles Rams. The Bears survived a 31-27 thriller against the Packers, which probably took five years off the life of every fan in Chicago. Now they have to deal with the Rams' receiving duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Chicago’s defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, hasn't minced words. He says it’s going to take an "exceptional effort" to slow those two down. The Rams are the No. 5 seed, but they look like a team that could easily be playing in the Super Bowl come February.
What the Schedule Actually Looks Like
Don't go looking for a fancy table here. Just mark your calendars because the windows are tight.
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Saturday, January 17
The action starts in Denver at 4:30 PM ET. The Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos will be on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Once that finishes, flip over to FOX at 8:00 PM ET to see the San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Expect that one to be loud.
Sunday, January 18
The Houston Texans head to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots at 3:00 PM ET on ABC and ESPN. To close out the weekend, the Los Angeles Rams visit the Chicago Bears at 6:30 PM ET. You can catch that one on NBC or Peacock.
Why the Re-Seeding Matters Right Now
One thing people always forget about the nfl playoff bracket current rules is that the NFL doesn't use a fixed bracket. They re-seed. This means the No. 1 seed always plays the lowest remaining seed.
That’s why the Bills (No. 6) are in Denver and the 49ers (No. 6) are in Seattle. If there had been a massive upset and a No. 7 seed had won, the No. 1 seeds would be playing them instead. This setup is designed to give the top seeds the "easiest" path, but in a year like 2026, there are no easy paths. Every single one of these "lower" seeds has the talent to win it all.
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The 49ers and Rams specifically look like "fake" lower seeds. Injuries earlier in the year probably cost them a few games, but they are healthy now. Seeing them at the bottom of the bracket is deceptive. It’s sort of like seeing a shark in the shallow end of a pool—it doesn't matter where it is; it’s still a shark.
How to Navigate the Rest of the Month
If you’re trying to plan your life around the Super Bowl, remember it’s happening on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. We are only three wins away from crowning a champion.
The winners from this weekend will move to the Conference Championships on Sunday, January 25. The AFC game kicks off at 3:00 PM ET on CBS, and the NFC title game follows at 6:30 PM ET on FOX.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the Weather: Denver and Chicago are expecting freezing temperatures. If you're betting or playing fantasy, look at how Allen and Maye handle the cold.
- Sync Your Apps: Since games are split across CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN/ABC, make sure your logins for Paramount+, Peacock, and ESPN+ are actually working before kickoff.
- Watch the Injury Reports: Specifically keep an eye on Texans WR Nico Collins. He’s been dealing with a concussion and his status for the New England game is a huge variable.
- Set Your DVR: Divisional weekend is famous for overtime games. Set your recordings to end an hour late so you don't miss a walk-off touchdown.