The regular season is a distant memory. The Wild Card chaos has finally settled. Now, we’re staring down the barrel of the Divisional Round, which is arguably the best football weekend of the entire year. If you're asking about NFL who's playing tomorrow, Saturday, January 17, 2026, you’re looking at a high-stakes doubleheader featuring the top seeds finally getting their hands dirty after a week of rest.
Tomorrow isn't just about survival; it's about the elite teams trying to prove that their first-round byes didn't make them rusty. We have a heavy-hitting AFC matchup in the afternoon and a classic NFC West rivalry renewed under the lights.
The Saturday Slate: NFL Who’s Playing Tomorrow
The schedule for Saturday is split between Denver and Seattle. Here is the breakdown of the games, times, and where you can actually watch them without scrolling through a dozen apps.
Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos
- Time: 4:30 PM ET
- Venue: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
- TV/Streaming: CBS, Paramount+
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
- TV/Streaming: FOX, FOX One
Honestly, the contrast between these two games is wild. You’ve got the Bills, who just scraped by the Jaguars in a 27-24 nail-biter, heading into the thin air of Denver to face a Broncos team that has been a juggernaut all season. Then you have the 49ers, the ultimate "team nobody wants to play right now," traveling to Seattle to face the #1 seeded Seahawks.
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Why the Bills vs. Broncos Game is a Nightmare for Buffalo
Buffalo is coming off an emotional high. They beat Jacksonville last week, but it wasn't pretty. The Bills offense looked stagnant for long stretches, and Josh Allen had to basically put the team on his back in the fourth quarter.
Now they have to play at altitude.
The Denver Broncos finished the regular season 14-3 for a reason. Their defense is ranked 10th in total offense, but that's a bit misleading—their defensive unit has been the real star, holding opponents to some of the lowest scoring totals in the league. They are fresh. They are rested. And they are playing at home where the oxygen is scarce and the crowd is deafening.
If Buffalo can't establish a run game early, Allen is going to be forced into high-risk throws against a secondary that specializes in baiting quarterbacks into mistakes. Keep an eye on the turnover margin here; it’ll likely decide the game before the third quarter even ends.
Can the 49ers Actually Upset the Seahawks?
The nightcap is what everyone is talking about. NFL who’s playing tomorrow wouldn't be nearly as exciting without a divisional grudge match. The 49ers and Seahawks know each other's playbooks better than they know their own.
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Seattle clinched the #1 seed with a 14-3 record, and Sam Darnold—who has had a career resurgence that nobody saw coming—is expected to start despite an oblique injury that limited him in practice. He told reporters he’s playing. He better be, because the 49ers' pass rush is coming for him.
San Francisco just took down the Eagles 23-19. They are battle-tested. Brock Purdy isn't putting up 400-yard games, but he’s efficient. More importantly, Christian McCaffrey is still... well, he's still Christian McCaffrey. Even though he’s struggled to exceed 6.5 receptions lately, his impact on the ground opens up everything for the 49ers' play-action.
Injury Concerns to Watch
The injury report for this game is a bit of a mess for San Francisco.
- Fred Warner (LB): Out (Ankle). This is a massive blow to the 49ers' interior defense.
- Ji’Ayir Brown (S): Out (Hamstring).
- Ricky Pearsall (WR): Questionable (Knee).
Seattle is relatively healthy by comparison. Their main concern is Darnold’s mobility. If that oblique injury prevents him from escaping the pocket, the Seahawks' top-ranked scoring offense (averaging 28.4 points per game) might stall out.
Betting Lines and What to Expect
The oddsmakers aren't giving the 49ers much of a chance in the loud confines of Lumen Field. Seattle opened as a 7-point favorite. That feels high for a playoff game between rivals, but Seattle has won 11 straight games when they are the favorite. They don't usually "play down" to opponents.
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For the afternoon game, Denver is the clear favorite. The Bills are the #6 seed for a reason—they’ve been inconsistent. If you're looking for a "lock," the Broncos' defense at home is about as close as you get in the NFL playoffs, though the "Josh Allen factor" always makes things unpredictable.
How to Prepare for the Divisional Round
If you're planning your Saturday around these games, here is the move.
First, check your Paramount+ login tonight if you’re planning to stream the Bills-Broncos game. There is nothing worse than realizing your subscription expired five minutes before kickoff. Second, if you're a 49ers fan, don't panic about the Fred Warner news yet. The Niners have depth, but they’ll need to play a much more disciplined game than they did against Philly to survive Seattle.
The winners of these two games will move on to the AFC and NFC Championship games on Sunday, January 25. We’re only two steps away from Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara. Tomorrow is where the pretenders finally get sent home.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Set your DVRs: Set the recording for 4:30 PM ET for CBS and 8:00 PM ET for FOX.
- Monitor the Weather: Denver is expected to be cold but clear; Seattle's Lumen Field is notorious for wind shifts that mess with kickers.
- Check Final Status: Verify Sam Darnold’s status 90 minutes before the 8:00 PM kickoff to see if he’s truly 100% or if the Seahawks will be leaning more on Kenneth Walker III.