Wait. Stop searching for the remote for a second because, honestly, the NFL schedule this deep into the 2025-2026 season gets a little chaotic. If you are asking who's on sunday night football tonight, you aren't just looking for two team names. You are looking for the stakes. It's mid-January 2026. We are currently staring down the barrel of the NFL postseason, and the "Sunday Night" slot is no longer just a standard NBC broadcast—it’s the high-stakes theater of the NFL Wild Card Weekend.
Tonight, January 11, 2026, the spotlight hits a massive AFC showdown. We have the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Miami Dolphins.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 PM ET. It’s cold in most of the country, but the atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium is basically electric. Lamar Jackson is looking to cement a legacy that some critics still want to nitpick, while Mike McDaniel is trying to prove his track meet of an offense can actually survive a physical playoff dogfight in the January chill.
Why the Ravens vs. Dolphins Matchup is Everything
Usually, by this point in the year, we’re used to seeing the "flex" scheduling drama. But tonight is different. This is a win-or-go-home scenario. The NFL specifically carved out this time slot for these two because of the sheer speed on the field. You've got Zay Flowers on one side and Tyreek Hill on the other. It’s basically a track meet with pads on.
People keep asking who's on sunday night football tonight because the playoff bracket was only finalized a few days ago. The Ravens secured the higher seed, granting them home-field advantage, which is huge. Have you ever been to Baltimore in January? It’s brutal. The wind coming off the Patapsco River does weird things to a football.
The Lamar Jackson Factor
Lamar isn't just a quarterback anymore; he’s a system. He’s spent the 2025 season shredding defenses not just with his legs, but with a refined pocket presence that honestly surprised a lot of the skeptics. His connection with Mark Andrews—who seems to have found a fountain of youth this season—is the engine of this offense. If Miami can't keep Lamar in the "phone booth," it’s going to be a long night for the Fins.
The Dolphins' Explosive Problem
On the flip side, Tua Tagovailoa has had a career year in terms of durability. That was always the question, right? Can he stay on the field? He did. And with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill healthy, they can score from anywhere. A simple five-yard slant can turn into a 70-yard touchdown in a blink. It’s terrifying for defensive coordinators. Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton is likely the most important player on the field tonight because he’s one of the few humans alive with the size and speed to potentially erase those deep threats.
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How to Watch Sunday Night Football Tonight
You probably already know it’s on NBC. That’s the classic home. But if you’ve cut the cord, things are a bit different than they were a few years ago.
- Peacock: This is the exclusive streaming home. If you aren't near a TV with an antenna, you're logging in here.
- NBC Sports App: You’ll need cable credentials for this one.
- NFL+: Good for mobile viewing, but there are usually blackout restrictions if you're trying to put it on a 75-inch screen without the right tier.
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth are in the booth. Love him or hate him, Collinsworth is going to "slide" into the frame, and he’s going to obsess over the offensive line play. Honestly, he’s usually right about the small details that we miss while watching the ball. Melissa Stark will be on the sidelines, likely bundled up in about four layers of thermal gear given the Baltimore forecast.
What the Betting Markets are Saying
If you’re into the spread, the Ravens opened as 3.5-point favorites. That’s a "respect" line. It means Vegas thinks Baltimore is better, but not so much better that a single turnover couldn't flip the whole game. The over/under is sitting at 48.5. That feels high for a playoff game in the cold, but with these two offenses, the "over" is always tempting.
Expert analysts like those at PFF (Pro Football Focus) have pointed out that Miami’s offensive line has struggled against interior pressure this season. Baltimore’s Justin Madubuike has been a wrecking ball. If he gets into Tua’s face early, those timing routes to Hill and Waddle fall apart. Timing is everything for McDaniel’s scheme. Break the rhythm, break the team.
The History You Should Care About
These two teams have a weirdly lopsided recent history. Remember that game a couple of years ago where Miami came back from way down in the fourth quarter? Baltimore fans haven't forgotten. There is genuine animosity here. It’s not a traditional rivalry like Ravens-Steelers, but it’s a "new age" rivalry built on two different philosophies of what modern football should look like.
Baltimore is "bully ball" mixed with a wizard at QB.
Miami is "finesse and fireworks."
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When these two styles clash, it’s rarely a boring game. Most people checking who's on sunday night football tonight are hoping for a repeat of those high-scoring affairs.
Breaking Down the Key Matchups
1. Roquan Smith vs. De'Von Achane
Roquan is arguably the best off-ball linebacker in the league. Achane is a human blur. If Roquan can't tackle him in space, Miami will nickel-and-dime the Ravens to death before hitting the home run ball.
2. The Baltimore Crowd vs. Tua's Cadence
The "Bank" gets loud. Really loud. In the playoffs, that crowd noise causes false starts and burned timeouts. If Miami wastes timeouts in the first quarter because they can't hear the play call, they'll regret it in the final two minutes.
3. Todd Monken's Play Calling
The Ravens' offensive coordinator has been a revelation. He’s moved away from the "run-run-pass" predictability of the old Baltimore days. Expect some trickery tonight. A flea-flicker or a tackle-eligible play wouldn't be out of the question in a do-or-die game.
Why Sunday Night Football Hits Different in the Playoffs
There’s a specific blue-tinted cinematic look to the NBC broadcast. It feels bigger. Maybe it’s the Carrie Underwood intro—which, let's be real, we all know the words to by now—or maybe it's the fact that it's the only game on. The entire football-watching world is tuned into this one feed.
For the players, this is where "clutch" tags are earned or lost. A drop tonight haunts a receiver all offseason. A missed kick is a lifetime of "what ifs."
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What to Watch For in the Fourth Quarter
Keep an eye on the fatigue. Miami’s defenders have spent the season playing in the humidity. Running around in 25-degree weather drains your glycogen stores faster than you’d think. If Baltimore starts pounding the ball with their heavy sets late in the game, watch for the Dolphins' defensive line to start standing up taller. That’s the sign they’re gassed.
Preparing Your Sunday Night Setup
If you’re hosting or just settling in, get the logistics out of the way before the 8:15 PM kickoff.
- Check your streaming connection now. Peacock has a habit of lagging if your bandwidth is being hogged by other devices.
- The game will likely run until about 11:30 PM ET. Plan your Monday morning coffee accordingly.
- Have the "NFL Weather" reports pulled up. If the wind speed exceeds 15 mph, the deep passing game for both teams becomes a lottery.
Knowing who's on sunday night football tonight is just the start. Understanding that this is a clash of identities—the cold-weather physical grit of Baltimore versus the warm-weather speed of Miami—makes the viewing experience ten times better.
Actionable Insights for Tonight:
- Monitor the injury report up until 90 minutes before kickoff for any "active/inactive" surprises regarding the Dolphins' secondary.
- Watch the first two drives closely to see if Baltimore is blitzing Tua or playing a "shell" defense; this will dictate the entire pace of the game.
- Check the wind direction at M&T Bank Stadium; kicking toward the open end of the stadium is notoriously difficult in the playoffs.
Tonight isn't just a game; it's the beginning of the end of the road to the Super Bowl. Grab your gear. It’s going to be a wild one.