The regular season is finally in the rearview mirror. Honestly, it was a mess of tiebreakers and cold-weather upsets that left a lot of fanbases scratching their heads. If you're wondering who plays the nfl playoffs right now, we’ve officially moved past the chaos of Wild Card Weekend and into the meat of the bracket.
Only eight teams are still standing.
It's a weird year. We’ve got the Carolina Panthers making it in with a losing record (8-9), only to get bounced immediately, and the Philadelphia Eagles—the defending champs—already sitting on their couches after a shocker against the Niners. If you feel like the field looks a little different than you expected, you aren't alone.
The Current Matchups: Who Plays the NFL Playoffs This Weekend?
The Divisional Round is where things get serious. This is when the No. 1 seeds finally have to lace up after their week off. The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks have been waiting patiently, and now they’ve got targets on their backs.
✨ Don't miss: Simona Halep and the Reality of Tennis Player Breast Reduction
Here is the literal breakdown of the games happening right now:
Saturday, January 17, 2026
- AFC: (6) Buffalo Bills at (1) Denver Broncos – 4:30 PM ET on CBS.
- NFC: (6) San Francisco 49ers at (1) Seattle Seahawks – 8:00 PM ET on FOX.
Sunday, January 18, 2026
- AFC: (5) Houston Texans at (2) New England Patriots – 3:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN.
- NFC: (5) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Chicago Bears – 6:30 PM ET on NBC.
Basically, the bracket re-seeds after every round. This is the part that trips people up. The NFL doesn't use a fixed bracket like March Madness. Instead, the No. 1 seed always plays the lowest remaining seed. Since the No. 6 Bills and No. 6 Niners both pulled off upsets last week, they get the "reward" of traveling to the top dogs.
How We Got Here: The Wild Card Fallout
Wild Card Weekend was a bloodbath for home teams.
🔗 Read more: NFL Pick 'em Predictions: Why You're Probably Overthinking the Divisional Round
The most jarring result had to be the 49ers going into Lincoln Financial Field and taking down the Eagles 23-19. Seeing the reigning Super Bowl champions exit that early is rare, but San Francisco's defense just looked faster. Then you had the Houston Texans absolutely dismantling the Steelers 30-6 on Monday night. It wasn't even close.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams barely survived a scare in Charlotte. The Panthers, despite that 8-9 record, almost pulled off the impossible before Matthew Stafford did Stafford things in the fourth quarter. It’s those kinds of narrow escapes that make people wonder if the Rams are actually Super Bowl material or just lucky.
Understanding the Selection: Who Actually Makes the Cut?
If you’re still a bit hazy on the "who" and "how" behind the postseason, the math is actually pretty simple. Total of 14 teams. Seven from the AFC. Seven from the NFC.
💡 You might also like: Why the Marlins Won World Series Titles Twice and Then Disappeared
- The Four Division Winners: No matter how bad their record is (looking at you, Carolina), if you win your division, you get a home game in the first round.
- The Three Wild Cards: These are the three teams in each conference with the next-best records who didn't win their division.
This year, the NFC West was so dominant that it sent three teams to the postseason: the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers. That's why we’re seeing a divisional rivalry game between San Francisco and Seattle this Saturday. They’ve already played twice this year and split the series. Expect fireworks.
The Odds and the Favorites
According to the latest lines from DraftKings and other major books, the Seattle Seahawks are currently the favorites to win Super Bowl LX at +330. They’ve got home-field advantage throughout, and Lumen Field is a nightmare for visiting quarterbacks.
The Broncos aren't far behind at +650. They finished 14-3, tied with the Patriots, but took the No. 1 seed because of their record against common opponents. It's those tiny statistical margins that decide who gets to sit home in January and who has to travel to Foxborough in the freezing rain.
Actionable Tips for Following the Rest of the Way
Don't just watch; know what to look for as the field narrows.
- Watch the Reseeding: Remember, if the Bills beat the Broncos, they will play the winner of Texans/Patriots. But the location depends on the seeds. The higher seed always hosts.
- Check the Oblique Injuries: Sam Darnold is reportedly dealing with an oblique tweak. If he isn't 100% for the Seahawks, that +330 favorite status might vanish quickly.
- Track the Weather: Buffalo at Denver is a classic "snow bowl" candidate. Denver’s thin air and January cold are massive factors for a Bills team that's used to the elements but coming off a short week.
- Set Your Calendar: Championship Sunday is January 25. The winners of this weekend's games will play then to decide who goes to Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX on February 8.
The path to the Lombardi Trophy is getting narrow. By Monday morning, we'll be down to the final four. Keep an eye on those Sunday afternoon lines, especially that Rams/Bears game. Chicago hosting a divisional game for the first time in 15 years is going to be an atmospheric peak for the season.