Everything changed in the span of about seven hours yesterday. If you were looking for a casual weekend of football, you didn't get it. Instead, we got a blowout that felt like a statement of intent and an overtime thriller that might have actually ended a team's championship hopes despite them winning the game.
Honestly, trying to keep up with the score to the nfl games during the Divisional Round is usually a stressful exercise in refreshing apps, but yesterday’s results were so lopsided in one direction and so chaotic in the other that the numbers on the screen barely tell the whole story. We saw the Seattle Seahawks absolutely dismantle the San Francisco 49ers 41-6, while the Denver Broncos outlasted the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in a game that felt more like a heavyweight boxing match than a football game.
But the scoreboard is just the surface. Underneath those digits, there are some really weird, specific things happening that are going to dictate who actually shows up at Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX.
The Seahawks Didn't Just Win; They Ended an Era
Let’s talk about that 41-6 scoreline. That is not a typo. The Seattle Seahawks, playing in front of a home crowd that sounded like they were trying to vibrate the stadium into the Pacific, took the opening kickoff and basically ended the game right there. Rashid Shaheed, who Seattle picked up in a mid-season trade from New Orleans, took the ball 95 yards to the house.
Thirteen seconds in. 7-0.
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You could see the 49ers’ spirit just evaporate. Brock Purdy spent the rest of the night running for his life, getting sacked twice and pressured on nearly every drop-back. Seattle’s front seven, led by Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II, played like they were back in the "Legion of Boom" days. It’s kinda wild to think that Sam Darnold—yes, that Sam Darnold—is now one game away from a Super Bowl after getting his first career playoff win.
The final score to the nfl games for the NFC side of the bracket now shows Seattle hosting the winner of today’s Rams-Bears matchup. If Seattle plays like that again, it doesn't matter who comes to town; they look untouchable.
Denver's Bittersweet Overtime Victory
Over in the AFC, the score to the nfl games gave us a heart-stopper: Denver 33, Buffalo 30. This was a classic Josh Allen experience—magic mixed with tragedy. Buffalo didn't punt a single time. Not once. Yet, they lost. How? Five turnovers. You can’t give the ball away five times in the playoffs and expect to survive, even if you put up 449 yards of offense.
But the real story isn't the Bills going home. It's what happened to Bo Nix.
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The second-year quarterback was incredible, leading a clutch 73-yard drive late in the fourth to put Denver ahead before Wil Lutz eventually iced it with a field goal in overtime. But after the game, Sean Payton dropped a bombshell: Nix broke his ankle in overtime. He’s out. Denver won the game, but they might have lost their shot at the title. Jarrett Stidham is now the man tasked with winning the AFC Championship.
That 33-30 score feels a lot heavier when you realize the price the Broncos paid for it.
Recent Playoff Scores and Results
To put yesterday into context, look at how the Wild Card round shook out. The parity this year is actually insane.
- Seattle Seahawks 41, San Francisco 49ers 6 (Divisional)
- Denver Broncos 33, Buffalo Bills 30 [OT] (Divisional)
- Houston Texans 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 6 (Wild Card)
- New England Patriots 16, LA Chargers 3 (Wild Card)
- Chicago Bears 31, Green Bay Packers 27 (Wild Card)
- LA Rams 34, Carolina Panthers 31 (Wild Card)
What to Watch for in Today’s Matchups
Today is Sunday, January 18, 2026, and we have the remaining two Divisional games. The score to the nfl games today will decide who travels to Seattle and who has to deal with a Nix-less Broncos team in Denver next week.
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First up, we've got the Houston Texans heading into Foxborough to face the New England Patriots. The Patriots' defense is a brick wall right now. They only allowed three points to the Chargers last week. On the flip side, C.J. Stroud and the Texans are playing with house money after blowing out Pittsburgh. Vegas has the Patriots as 3.5-point favorites, which feels about right. It’s going to be cold, it’s going to be loud, and it’s going to be a chess match between DeMeco Ryans and Mike Vrabel.
Then, we have the late game: Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears. This is the one I’m most excited about. Soldier Field in January is a nightmare for warm-weather teams, but Matthew Stafford has seen it all. The Bears' win over Green Bay last week was a gritty, 31-27 comeback that showed this young Chicago roster actually has some teeth.
Actionable Takeaways for the Conference Championships
If you're following the score to the nfl games to get an edge on your bracket or just to be the smartest person at the water cooler, keep these three things in mind for next week:
- Monitor the Broncos' Line: With Bo Nix out, the spread for the AFC Championship is going to swing wildly. Jarrett Stidham is a capable backup, but he isn't a playmaker. If Denver plays Houston, expect a low-scoring grind.
- The Seattle Home Field Factor: The Seahawks are 15-3 and haven't lost at Lumen Field in months. Whoever wins the Rams-Bears game has to go into that noise. Historically, the "12th Man" accounts for at least a 3-point swing in the betting lines.
- Turnover Margin is Everything: Looking at Buffalo’s exit, they outplayed Denver in almost every statistical category except the one that mattered. In these high-stakes games, the score to the nfl games is almost always determined by who fumbles in their own territory first.
Check back after the 3:00 PM ET kickoff for the Texans-Patriots results. By tonight, the road to Super Bowl LX will be fully paved.