2026 NFL Playoff Bracket: Updated Divisional Round Schedule, Matchups, AFC/NFC Playoff Seeds, More

With the NFL’s 2025 postseason underway with Wild Card Weekend, the group of contenders will start to be whittled down. Let’s break down the postseason bracket, Divisional Round schedule, and Wild Card matchups as teams try to advance to Super Bowl 60.

NFL Playoff Bracket for Divisional Round

Here is the graphic for how the NFL playoff bracket shapes up after the conclusion of the Wild Card round:

NFL Divisional Round Matchups and Schedule

With the 49ers’ 23-19 win over the Eagles, the Rams will head to Chicago to take on Ben Johnson and the Bears, while San Francisco will head to Lumen Field to face off against the Seahawks for the third time this season.

As for the AFC, the Bills’ victory over the Jaguars eliminates the third seed from the AFC playoffs. With the Patriots’ win, the Bills will travel to Denver. The Buffalo’s third-overall offense, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, will go head-to-head against the Broncos’ top overall defense, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric.

Meanwhile, New England will face off against the Houston Texans. The Patriots’ No. 2-ranked offense, according to OFFi, will take on the Texans’ No. 2-ranked defense, according to DEFi, in their first matchup of the season.

Here’s a look at when the Divisional Round games will kick off and where you can catch the action.

Saturday, Jan. 17

• Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
• San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, Jan. 18

• Houston Texans at New England Patriots, 3 p.m. EST, ESPN or ABC
• Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears, 6:30 p.m. EST, NBC

NFC Playoff Seeds and Standings

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
2. Chicago Bears (11-6)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) -Eliminated
4. Carolina Panthers (8-9) – Eliminated
5. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) – Eliminated

AFC Playoff Seeds and Standings

1. Denver Broncos (14-3)
2. New England Patriots (14-3)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) – Eliminated
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) – Eliminated
5. Houston Texans (12-5)
6. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) – Eliminated

Remaining 2026 NFL Playoffs Schedule

Conference Championships (Sunday, Jan. 25)

• AFC Championship, 3 p.m. EST
• NFC Championship, 6:30 p.m. EST

Super Bowl 60 (Feb. 8, 2026)

• Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
• Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
• Channel: NBC

2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend Results

Los Angeles Rams Defeated Carolina Panthers 34-31

The first game of Wild Card Weekend provided fans with a thrilling back-and-forth matchup as the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers delivered an NFL postseason classic.

The Rams got out to a 14-0 lead, and it seemed like the dominant team we saw all season was making quite the opening statement. However, it wouldn’t be long before the Panthers fought back, tying the game at 17 apiece after kicking a field goal on their first drive of the second half. The two franchises would go back and forth, leading to a vintage Matthew Stafford moment.

After the Panthers blocked a punt and scored on the ensuing possession to take a 31-27 lead, Stafford and the Rams offense would march down the field courtesy of his arm, as he completed six of seven passes on the drive for 71 yards, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown strike to tight end Colby Parkinson, winning the matchup 34-31.

ONTO THE DIVISIONAL ROUND! pic.twitter.com/rqb8RvXRo4

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 11, 2026

While the Rams didn’t quite resemble the league-leading offense according to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, everything fell into place when it mattered, as Stafford drove down for the winning touchdown. However, they will need more consistency from the offense as they draw closer to Super Bowl 60. With the Bears winning their matchup, here are the possible scenarios for the Rams’ Divisional Round destination.

Chicago Bears Defeated Green Bay Packers 31-27

With the Rams and Panthers giving us a back-and-forth affair, the Saturday night matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears proved to be a tale of two halves. Facing off for the third time in six weeks, there was a lot of excitement ahead of the postseason NFC North showdown.

The Packers came out firing in the first half, getting out to a 21-3 lead, as quarterback Jordan Love completed nine of 15 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, looking especially sharp after missing the last three weeks of the regular season. Despite the lead, if there’s anything Chicago has proven this season, it’s that you can never count them out.

After holding the Packers to a three-and-out to start the second half, the Bears would begin their second-half comeback, chipping away with a field goal. While they would only score three points in the third quarter, an astonishing 25-point fourth quarter saw the Bears take the lead from the Packers, 31-27, with a 6-play, 66-yard drive ending with a 25-yard touchdown pass to WR DJ Moore.

DJ MOORE FOR THE LEAD

GBvsCHI on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ov47yAYC56

— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026

As for Green Bay, after a productive first half, the offense completely folded, scoring just six points in the second half despite getting seven second-half drives. Couple that with a missed extra point and field goal from kicker Brandon McManus, and Green Bay found themselves in desperation mode after the Moore touchdown with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter.

Despite an eleven-play, 44-yard drive, the Packers could not find their way into the end zone to finish off the win. With the seventh seed in the NFC knocked out, the Bears get at least one more playoff game at Soldier Field in the postseason.

Buffalo Bills Defeated Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24

Through three matchups, the 2025 NFL playoffs have delivered three classics as the action continues on Sunday, Jan. 11, with the Buffalo Bills heading down to Everbank Stadium to take on the AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars. While the game got out to a slow start, you could tell that these two juggernauts were going to push each other to the final moments of the game.

The Bills took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter. While the Jaguars were able to find their way to the end zone in the second quarter, Buffalo would match them and maintain a 10-7 lead heading into the locker room at halftime despite quarterback Josh Allen getting looked at for three different injuries.

Jacksonville and Buffalo would trade field goals in the third quarter before putting on a show in the final 15 minutes of action, giving fans four lead changes as both squads scored two touchdowns.

When the Jaguars took the lead with four minutes left, the Bills found themselves in an all too familiar position: needing a score but also needing to leave as little time as possible. While they drove 66 yards down the field on the arm and legs of Allen, he crossed the goal line with one minute and four seconds remaining in the game.

Thankfully for Allen and head coach Sean McDermott, they wouldn’t have to stress too much about a possible loss as the Bills’ defense intercepted Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the first play of the following drive.

San Francisco 49ers Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 23-19

While the first three postseason matchups provided a load of fireworks, the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles provided a slow burn. After opening drive touchdowns from both teams, both offenses struggled to get going in the first half.

While the Eagles took a three-point lead into the locker room at halftime, the 49ers were a sideline fumble away from drawing it even with a field goal attempt. However, with Purdy going backwards and dropping the ball at the sideline, the clock expired, killing the field goal opportunity.

The offensive struggles continued as both franchises struggled to do much of anything until the Eagles kicked a field goal late in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 16-10. However, the 49ers would come storming back with a 14-point fourth quarter, starting with a jaw-dropping double reverse 29-yard touchdown pass from WR Jauan Jennings to RB Christian McCaffrey, showcasing Kyle Shanahan’s offensive playcalling greatness.

JAUAN JENNINGS TD PASS TO CMC

SFvsPHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/18VxTpTKgj

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2026

While the Eagles would kick a field goal to retake the lead, the momentum was on San Francisco’s side as the offense drove down the field for a 10-play, 66-yard touchdown drive with McCaffrey coming in clutch again, catching another touchdown pass.

The loss of tight end George Kittle is going to make their path back to the Super Bowl that much more difficult, but if the 49ers have shown anything this season, it’s the determination to overcome any injury or challenge this year has thrown their way.

New England Patriots Defeated Los Angeles Chargers 16-3

While the first four matchups of the postseason offered back-and-forth affairs, the New England Patriots shut down the Los Angeles Chargers with relative ease, winning 16-3 in quarterback Drake Maye’s playoff debut. The first half didn’t provide much as both defenses showed out, holding the offense to nine total points as the Patriots took a 6-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

MORE: 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft

New England would shut the Chargers out in the second half as the Patriots were finally able to make their way into the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard pass from Maye to former Chargers tight end Hunter Henry.

While New England’s defense was solid this season, it came in as the 12th-ranked defensive unit in the league according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric. However, their No. 2-ranked offense according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric failed to find much momentum. They’ll need to ensure the offense wakes up if they want to make a push for the Lombardi Trophy.

Houston Texans Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6

While the 2025 Wild Card Weekend started with a bang, it ended with a couple of duds. While the Patriots and Chargers at least kept things close, the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers engaged in a defensive battle for three quarters before Pittsburgh’s defense gave way.

There would be limited points until the fourth quarter, and the Steelers managed to kick things off with a first-quarter field goal but would only be able to score one more as the offense struggled for most of the night, ending with six points. With struggles that have haunted them all season, the Steelers will have to make some difficult decisions this offseason surrounding head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

As for the Texans, while the NFL’s second-ranked defense according to PFSN’s DEFi metric showed out, quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled mightily against the Steelers’ 16th-ranked defensive unit. Stroud would throw one interception while putting the ball on the turf five times, losing two fumbles to the Steelers.

Incredibly, despite losing the turnover battle and not getting closer until the fourth quarter, the Texans were still able to pull off a huge 30-6 win over Pittsburgh. Houston created some distance in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 unanswered points to advance to the Divisional Round.

However, after watching wide receiver Nico Collins go down with his second concussion of the season, the offense will be crossing their fingers hoping Houston’s WR1 is good to go against New England. If not, Stroud and the offense will have to find a way to maintain some offensive consistency against an offense that’s bound to produce some big plays against the Patriots.