The NFL playoffs continue this weekend as the eight remaining teams try to keep their championship hopes alive. This is the divisional round.
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Four teams from the AFC and four teams from the NFC will make up the matchups for the four games. One team from each game will move on to the respective conference championship games next weekend. The rest, however, will move into the offseason.
Divisional round game No. 1: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
For the first time this postseason, the Broncos will play a game. The No. 1 seed in the AFC had the wild-card round off while the Bills had to take part in a back-and-forth battle with the Jaguars.
This marks the 43rd time these two teams have met and the third time in the playoffs. The Bills hold a 24-17 advantage over the Broncos, who make their second playoff appearance under head coach Sean Payton.
These two teams last met in the playoffs last season. The Bills won the wild-card round matchup 31-7. The other postseason matchup was the 1991 AFC championship when the Bills won 10-7 despite Jim Kelly throwing two interceptions.
Divisional round game No. 2: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Fox)
For the third time this season, the 49ers and Seahawks will meet. They have split the first two matchups, both low-scoring affairs. The Seahawks won the No. 1 seed by defeating the 49ers 13-3 in Week 18.
These NFC West foes have extensive history but only two previous games in the playoffs. The most recent occurred on Jan. 14, 2023. Brock Purdy threw three touchdowns as the 49ers rolled 41-23.
Of course, the biggest playoff game between these two teams took place on Jan. 19, 2014. This game featured Russell Wilson under center for the Seahawks and Colin Kaepernick under center for the 49ers.
RICHARD SHERMAN TIPS THE BALL TO MALCOLM SMITH 😤
The @Seahawks secure the win 👏 pic.twitter.com/JLn6z5EKt8
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) January 16, 2026
This game came down to the wire, but it was the Seahawks defense that secured the 23-17 win. Kaepernick dropped back with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and he launched a pass toward Michael Crabtree in the corner of the end zone. Seahawks corner Richard Sherman batted the ball to linebacker Malcolm Smith, who caught the game-sealing interception.
The Legion of Boom no longer resides in Seattle, nor does Kaepernick bring a dual-threat to the 49ers offense. This game will bear no similarities to past playoff matchups, but it will have no shortage of intensity as each team tries to lock up a spot in the NFC championship game.
Divisional round game No. 3: Houston Texans at New England Patriots (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
For only the third time, the Texans and Patriots will meet in the postseason. The Patriots won the first matchup 41-28 on Jan. 13, 2013. The Patriots won the second matchup 34-16 on Jan. 14, 2017, after forcing three Brock Osweiler interceptions.
The situations have drastically changed in both organizations. The new-look Patriots have Mike Vrabel as head coach and Drake Maye at quarterback. The defense is eighth in yards allowed (295.2 per game) and fourth in scoring (18.8 points per game).
The Texans have DeMeco Ryans at head coach and CJ Stroud at quarterback. The Texans have the top defense in yards allowed (277.2 per game) and the second-ranked scoring defense (17.4 points per game).
The big question entering this game focuses on Stroud. How will he perform in the divisional round after fumbling five times — losing two — and throwing an interception? Will he be able to move the offense if top receiver Nico Collins misses the game as expected due to a concussion?
Divisional round game No. 4: Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
This game marks the first playoff matchup between these two teams since the 1985 NFC championship, and it will feature two big-armed quarterbacks with Super Bowl dreams.
One, Caleb Williams, is a second-year starter flourishing under new head coach Ben Johnson. The other, Matthew Stafford, is a 38-year-old veteran who already has one Lombardi Trophy on his resume. He and the Rams won the Super Bowl to close out the 2021 season.
The Rams are known for putting up points early with Stafford playing like an MVP. The Bears have developed a reputation for comeback wins. The wild-card round victory over the rival Packers served as the fitting example as the team turned a 21-3 halftime deficit into a 31-27 win.
Will either quarterback get an opportunity to show off some heroics? The weather forecast creates questions. WeatherUnderground predicts snow showers in the afternoon, temperatures below 20 degrees at kickoff, and gusty winds.
