Honestly, if you told me in August that the teams in this year's Super Bowl would be decided by a playoff bracket that looks like this, I would've probably laughed. It’s wild. We are sitting right in the middle of the Divisional Round, and the energy is different this year.
Levi’s Stadium is waiting. Santa Clara is basically turning into a fortress for Super Bowl LX, and the path to February 8, 2026, is currently being paved by a mix of old dynasties and absolute underdogs. You’ve got the heavy hitters like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos sitting on those top seeds, but the way the Wild Card round just shook out? Pure chaos.
The heavyweights are waiting
Seattle is the team everyone is looking at right now. They basically steamrolled the 49ers at the end of the regular season to grab that No. 1 seed. It’s scary. They’ve got this momentum that feels impossible to stop, and they are favored at +270 to win it all. But here’s the thing: they have to face those same 49ers again today. San Francisco just bounced the defending champion Eagles, so they aren’t exactly coming in quiet.
Then you have Denver. 14 wins. Top seed in the AFC. They’ve been resting up, watching the Buffalo Bills scrap their way through the Wild Card. Today is the day. Mile High is going to be freezing, and the Bills are coming off their first road playoff win in 33 years.
Why the "sure things" aren't so sure
People love to talk about the top seeds, but the teams in this year's Super Bowl are often the ones that get hot at exactly the right moment. Take the Houston Texans. They just handed the Steelers a 30-6 loss. That wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. C.J. Stroud looks like he’s playing a different game than everyone else. They’ve never even been to a conference championship. Not once since 2002. Now, they are a legitimate dark horse standing in the way of a Patriots team that is somehow back in the mix with rookie Drake Maye.
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It’s easy to look at the betting odds and think you know what’s going to happen. You don’t. Football doesn’t work like that. The Chicago Bears just pulled off the third-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history against the Packers. They were trailing 21-3 at halftime! Now they are heading to the Divisional Round against the Rams.
Who is actually left?
As of right now, January 17, we are down to the elite eight. The bracket is split down the middle, and the winners of this weekend will head to the Conference Championships on January 25.
- AFC Contenders: Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and the Houston Texans.
- NFC Contenders: Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams are an interesting case. Matthew Stafford is still Slinging it, and Sean McVay has this team playing like it’s 2021 again. They barely edged out the Panthers 34-31, but they have that "been there, done that" vibe that younger teams like the Bears might struggle with.
What most fans are missing
Everyone is focused on the quarterbacks. Obviously. But look at the defenses. The Texans held a veteran-led Steelers team to 175 yards. Total. That is insane for a playoff game. If Houston's defense keeps playing like that, it doesn't matter how many points New England thinks they can put up.
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Also, the venue matters. Santa Clara isn’t just a neutral site. It’s home turf for the 49ers, and if they manage to upset the Seahawks today, the road to the Super Bowl suddenly goes through their backyard. The logistics for the fans are already a mess. SF.gov is already warning people about traffic starting January 30. If the Niners make it, the Bay Area might actually explode.
The Bad Bunny factor
I know, I know. It’s about the football. But you can’t talk about the teams in this year's Super Bowl without mentioning the spectacle. Bad Bunny is headlining the halftime show. This isn't just a game; it's a global event that's expected to break viewership records, especially with Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 performance setting the bar so high.
How to track the final matchup
If you are trying to figure out who to put your money on, watch the injury reports for the 49ers and Seahawks. The Niners are playing on five days' rest. That's a brutal turnaround for a playoff game against a rested No. 1 seed.
The path is clear:
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- Divisional Round (Today/Tomorrow): Cuts the field from 8 to 4.
- Conference Championships (Jan 25): Determines the final two teams.
- Super Bowl LX (Feb 8): The big one at Levi's Stadium.
Check the schedules on CBS, FOX, and NBC. If you're streaming, Peacock and Fubo are the way to go.
Keep an eye on the Bills vs. Broncos game today. If Buffalo pulls off an upset at Mile High, the entire AFC bracket opens up. It’s the kind of game that defines a season. Honestly, just sit back and watch. This year’s road to the Super Bowl is proving that the regular season records barely matter once the January cold hits.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep a close eye on the defensive snap counts from this weekend's games. Teams that are forced to stay on the field for 80+ plays in the Divisional Round rarely have the legs to survive the Conference Championship a week later. Watch the "time of possession" stats—it’s the boring stuff that actually decides who lifts the Lombardi.