Honestly, if you're looking for a final score from a game that kicked off this afternoon, I've got to level with you: the field was actually quiet today. There were no NFL games played today, Thursday, January 15, 2026.
It's that weird, tense "calm before the storm" part of the postseason. We just finished a Wild Card weekend that was, frankly, kind of a fever dream, and now the league is taking a collective breath before the Divisional Round starts up on Saturday. If you feel like you missed something, you probably didn't—unless you’ve forgotten just how wild the last few days were.
The Wild Card round wrapped up on Monday night with the Houston Texans absolutely dismantling the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6. That game was the final piece of the puzzle. It set the stage for a Divisional weekend that looks like a gauntlet for the top seeds.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Playoff Bracket
A lot of fans think the No. 1 seeds—the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos—have an easy path because they’re coming off a bye. Historically, that’s usually true. But look at who they’re playing.
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The Seahawks have to face the San Francisco 49ers this Saturday. This is a divisional rival that just clawed its way past the Eagles in a 23-19 thriller. Even though Seattle beat them 13-3 just a couple of weeks ago to clinch the top seed, beating Kyle Shanahan three times in one season is a nightmare task.
Over in the AFC, the Denver Broncos are staring down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are coming off a 27-24 win over the Jaguars, a game decided by what people are already calling the most impactful "Tush Push" in the history of the sport. Denver is technically the favorite, but most Vegas sportsbooks have this as a pick’em. That tells you everything you need to know about how much respect the Bills are getting right now.
Who Won the NFL Football Games Today? The Recap of the Week
Since there wasn't a kickoff today, the real "winners" are the teams that used today to get healthy. Here is exactly how we got to this point, looking back at the Wild Card results that defined the bracket:
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- Los Angeles Rams 34, Carolina Panthers 31: A total shootout. The Rams' offense looks like a juggernaut, but their defense is giving fans heart attacks.
- Chicago Bears 31, Green Bay Packers 27: Caleb Williams is basically doing magic tricks at this point. The Bears scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to stun Green Bay.
- Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24: Josh Allen put the team on his back. Period.
- San Francisco 49ers 23, Philadelphia Eagles 19: A defensive masterclass by Robert Saleh’s unit that shut out the Eagles in the second half.
- New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3: Drake Maye didn't have to do much because the New England defense turned the Chargers into a shell of themselves.
- Houston Texans 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 6: The most lopsided game of the weekend. Houston’s defensive front is terrifying right now.
Why the Divisional Round Changes Everything
The stakes for the upcoming games on January 17 and 18 are massive. We are seeing a real shift in power. You’ve got the old guard like the Rams and 49ers trying to hold off the "new" era led by the Bears and Texans.
The Bears, specifically, are a fascinating story. They’ve won six games this year where they were trailing inside the final six minutes. That is statistically impossible to maintain, yet here they are, preparing to host the Rams on Sunday. Most experts, including the sharps in Vegas, think the "luck" runs out this weekend. The Rams are 3.5-point favorites for a reason; their power ratings have been the best in the league since mid-November.
The Saturday Schedule (Jan 17, 2026)
- Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (4:30 PM ET on CBS): This is the heavy-hitter matchup. Denver has the altitude and the #2 ranked defense, but Buffalo has the momentum.
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (8:00 PM ET on FOX): A rematch of the Week 18 slugfest. Seattle is a 7.5-point favorite, but if Brock Purdy finds his rhythm against Mike Macdonald’s defense, that line won't matter.
The Sunday Schedule (Jan 18, 2026)
- Houston Texans at New England Patriots (3:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN): This is going to be a "first to 17 wins" kind of game. Both defenses are elite.
- Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (6:30 PM ET on NBC): Can Caleb Williams escape the Rams' pass rush? This is the game everyone will be talking about at the water cooler on Monday.
Actionable Insights for the Weekend
If you're looking to follow the action or maybe place a casual wager, keep an eye on the injury reports that dropped this afternoon.
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Check the status of George Kittle. The 49ers tight end is a huge question mark for Saturday, and without him, their offense loses its safety valve. Also, watch the weather in Denver. Empower Field at Mile High is notorious for January winds that can turn a deep-passing offense like Buffalo's into a ground-and-pound unit very quickly.
Basically, enjoy the day off from the gridiron. The next 48 hours are going to be a whirlwind of highlights, heartbreak, and hopefully, some of the best football we've seen all decade.
For the most accurate live updates once the games actually start, keep your eyes on the official NFL scoreboards or the CBS/FOX local broadcasts this Saturday afternoon. You’ll want to be in front of a screen by 4:30 PM ET when the Bills and Broncos finally kick off the next phase of this postseason.