The playoffs are here. Honestly, if you aren't glued to the screen right now, are you even a fan? We’ve just survived a Wild Card weekend that felt more like a fever dream than a football slate. Now, we are staring down the barrel of the Divisional Round. January 17, 2026, is basically a national holiday for anyone who cares about scores for nfl games, and the stakes have never been higher.
People think checking a score is simple. You refresh an app, you see a number, you move on. But that's not how the post-season works. A 30-6 blowout doesn't tell the same story as a 31-27 thriller that came down to a deflected heave on the final play. You've got to look at the context—the "how" and the "why" behind those final digits.
The Wild Card Chaos We Just Witnessed
Last weekend was a literal rollercoaster. If you were looking for predictable scores for nfl games, you were looking in the wrong place. Take the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers game. Chicago was down by 18 points. Eighteen! Caleb Williams looked human for three quarters, and then something just... clicked.
The Bears dropped 25 points in the fourth quarter alone to win 31-27. It was their first playoff victory in 15 years. You can't just look at that score and understand the sheer panic in Soldier Field until Jaquan Brisker deflected Jordan Love’s last-second prayer.
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Then you had the Houston Texans. They didn't just win; they dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6. It was the first road playoff win in their franchise history. They held Pittsburgh to a measly 175 yards. That score is a statement of dominance that puts the rest of the AFC on notice.
Wild Card Scoreboard Recap
- Rams 34, Panthers 31: Matthew Stafford found Colby Parkinson for a 19-yard touchdown with less than a minute left. Bryce Young played his heart out, but the Rams' experience won out.
- Bills 27, Jaguars 24: A classic Josh Allen grind. Not pretty, but effective.
- 49ers 23, Eagles 19: San Francisco came back from 16-10 down, but the real story was losing George Kittle to injury. That's a "score" that hurts more than the points show.
- Patriots 16, Chargers 3: Drake Maye did enough, but the New England defense was the star, sacking Justin Herbert six times.
- Texans 30, Steelers 6: Pure defensive suffocation.
Divisional Round: Today’s Heavy Hitters
So, what about right now? If you’re hunting for live scores for nfl games today, January 17, we have two massive matchups.
First up, the Buffalo Bills (13-5) travel to Empower Field at Mile High to face the top-seeded Denver Broncos (14-3). Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Denver is a slim 1.5-point favorite. This is a clash of identities: Buffalo’s top-ranked rushing attack against Denver’s top-tier scoring defense.
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Later tonight, the San Francisco 49ers (13-5) head into the "Loudest Stadium in the World" to take on the Seattle Seahawks (14-3) at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Seattle is a heavy 7-point favorite. The 49ers are gritty, but without Kittle, the mountain looks a lot steeper.
Why Live Scores Don’t Always Tell the Truth
Kinda crazy how much we rely on a scoreboard to tell us who is "better." Most fans just check the box score and assume they know what happened. They don't see the 4th-and-2 conversion that shifted the momentum. They miss the "non-contact" injury that changes a team's entire season trajectory.
When you're tracking scores for nfl games during the playoffs, you have to watch the "middle" of the game. The second and third quarters are where the conditioning shows. In that Rams-Panthers game, the score stayed tight, but the Rams’ ability to execute a 7-play, 71-yard drive in under two minutes at the very end proved they were the more composed unit.
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Where to Track the Most Accurate Data
Honestly, stop relying on slow-refreshing social media feeds. If you want the real-time truth, stick to these:
- NFL+ and the Official NFL App: It's the source. No lag.
- Stat-Heavy Sites: Places like Pro-Football-Reference or Next Gen Stats give you the "expected points" and "win probability" which are often more predictive than the current score.
- Local Broadcasts: If you can watch, watch. There's no substitute for seeing the body language of a quarterback after a pick-six.
Looking Ahead to Sunday’s Slate
The madness doesn't end tonight. Tomorrow, January 18, we get the rest of the picture. The Houston Texans take their red-hot defense to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots at 3:00 p.m. ET. Then, the Los Angeles Rams visit the Chicago Bears at 6:30 p.m. ET in what's expected to be the highest-scoring game of the weekend (over/under is 48.5).
The winner of these four games moves on to the Conference Championships on January 25. Every point matters. Every missed extra point could be the difference between a trip to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara and a long, quiet flight home.
To get the most out of your playoff experience, don't just look at the final scores for nfl games. Check the turnover margin. See how many times the quarterback was hit. Those are the numbers that actually predict who will be holding the Lombardi Trophy in February.
Next Steps for the Die-Hard Fan:
- Sync your calendar: Set alerts for the 4:30 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET kickoffs today so you don't miss the opening drives.
- Monitor the injury reports: Watch the status of San Francisco’s supporting cast before the Seattle game; if they’re thinner than expected, that 7-point spread might actually be too low.
- Check the weather in Denver: High-altitude games often see kickers struggle or thrive depending on the wind, which directly impacts those late-game field goal decisions.