So, you’re looking for the NFL results for today’s games, and honestly, the scoreboard doesn’t even tell half the story. If you were expecting a typical, boring Friday in the middle of January, the NFL had other plans. We are currently staring down the barrel of the Divisional Round, but the dust from the Wild Card weekend hasn't even settled yet.
It’s that weird, frantic energy that only January football brings. Everyone is obsessing over the injury reports and the fluke plays that got us here. You’ve probably seen the headlines, but the nuance is where the real betting money—and the heartbreak—lives.
The Wild Card Dust-Up: NFL Results for Today’s Games Context
Technically, there are no games kicking off right this second because we are in the Friday lull before the Divisional storm. But "today" in the NFL world is all about the fallout from the most chaotic Wild Card round we've seen in years. Basically, the bracket got tossed in a blender.
Take the Buffalo Bills, for instance. Josh Allen basically put the team on his back and carried them across the finish line in Jacksonville. Final score: Bills 27, Jaguars 24. It wasn't pretty. Allen ran for two scores and threw for another, but the real story was the Jaguars letting him walk into the end zone for the game-winner just so they could get the ball back. Bold move. It didn't work. Trevor Lawrence threw a pick on his very first pass of the final drive, and that was that.
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Then you have the San Francisco 49ers. They just narrowly escaped the Philadelphia Eagles with a 23-19 win. If you’re an Eagles fan, you’re probably still screaming about Nick Sirianni and A.J. Brown getting into it on the sideline. Brown didn't catch a single ball after the first quarter. In a playoff game! That’s the kind of drama that ruins locker rooms. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey just kept doing CMC things, scoring the game-winner and proving why he's the engine of that Kyle Shanahan machine.
The Saturday Slate Everyone Is Sweating
Since you’re hunting for nfl results for today’s games, you're likely looking ahead at the massive Divisional matchups starting tomorrow, January 17. The NFL schedule-makers didn't do us any favors with these lines.
- Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (4:30 PM ET): Denver is a 1.5-point favorite. Think about that. The Broncos are the No. 1 seed, hosting their first home playoff game since the 2015 season, and the books still think it’s a coin flip.
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (8:00 PM ET): This is the one everyone is talking about. Sam Darnold—yes, Pro Bowl Sam Darnold—gave everyone a heart attack by showing up on the injury report with an oblique issue. He says he’s "close to 100%," but we’ve heard that before.
Why the "Home Field" Myth is Dying
People love to talk about the "12th Man" in Seattle or the "Mile High" air in Denver. Kinda feels like a myth this year, though. The Bills just went into Jacksonville and handled business. The Rams went into Carolina and survived.
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Home teams were favorites in three out of the four Divisional games, but don't let that fool you. The road warriors are alive and well. C.J. Stroud and the Texans just absolutely dismantled the Steelers 30-6 to get here. Houston’s defense is playing like they’re in a video game, ending the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh with a 23-point fourth-quarter explosion.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Results
Most fans just look at the final score and move on. They miss the "butterfly effect" moments. For example, did you know Josh Allen hasn't thrown an interception in six straight games? For a guy known for being a "gunslinger" (which is usually code for "turnover machine"), that is a massive shift in how Buffalo plays.
And then there's the youth movement. We’ve got Caleb Williams and Drake Maye both winning their first-ever playoff starts last week. That’s rare. Usually, the "rookie wall" hits right around Christmas, but these kids are thriving under the lights. It makes the upcoming Sunday games—Rams at Bears and Texans at Patriots—feel way more unpredictable than they should be.
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Real Talk: The Injury Bug
You can’t talk about results without talking about who wasn't on the field. The Eagles’ collapse against the Niners was partly because they looked exhausted. The Seahawks are currently holding their breath on Darnold's oblique. If Drew Lock has to start against that Niners defense? Good luck.
| Matchup | Trend to Watch | The "Vibe" |
|---|---|---|
| Bills vs. Broncos | Buffalo's #1 Rush Offense | Josh Allen is a tank right now. |
| 49ers vs. Seahawks | Sam Darnold's Health | Pure anxiety in the Pacific Northwest. |
| Texans vs. Patriots | Houston's Defense | They're hunting quarterbacks for sport. |
| Rams vs. Bears | Stafford's Experience | The only SB winner left in the bracket. |
Actionable Insights for the Next 48 Hours
If you’re tracking the nfl results for today’s games to place a bet or just to win an argument at the bar, here’s what you actually need to do:
- Check the 90-minute Inactive List: For the Saturday games, don't trust any reports until the official list drops. If Darnold is out, the line for Seattle will move three points instantly.
- Look at the Weather in Denver: It's January. High-altitude wind can turn a 50-yard field goal into a nightmare.
- Monitor the Houston Hype: The Texans are the "darling" of the media right now. Usually, when everyone starts picking the underdog, the veteran team (Patriots) finds a way to ugly up the game and win.
The road to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara is getting narrow. We’ve moved past the "happy to be here" phase of the playoffs. Now, it’s about survival. Keep an eye on those Saturday morning walkthroughs—that's where the real results start to take shape.
To stay ahead of the curve, make sure you're monitoring the final practice participation reports for the Sunday teams (Rams, Bears, Texans, Patriots) which are released later this afternoon. These lists will confirm whether key defensive starters, particularly in the Chicago secondary, are cleared for the primetime window. Be sure to verify the wind speed projections for Empower Field at Mile High before locking in any total points predictions for the Bills-Broncos game, as gusts over 20 mph historically tank passing efficiency in that stadium.