The Seattle Seahawks locked up the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a defensive masterpiece Saturday night, but the AFC remains a three-team scramble for home-field advantage with Sunday’s games still to play. Week 18 determined four division titles, the final two playoff spots, and a host of seeding scenarios before Wild Card Weekend kicks off on Jan. 10.
Wild Card Weekend and the Road to Super Bowl LX
The Kansas City Chiefs’ absence looms large over this postseason. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the three-time Super Bowl champions are watching from home. Every contender recognizes the opportunity.
Wild Card games run from Jan. 10-12. The Divisional Round takes place from Jan. 17-18, with the Conference Championship games scheduled for Jan. 25.
These are the matchups for the Wild Card round after the conclusion of the regular season:
Saturday, Jan. 10
4:30 p.m. — 5. Los Angeles Rams vs. 4. Carolina Panthers (FOX, FOX Deportes)
8:00 p.m. — 7. Green Bay Packers vs. 2. Chicago Bears (Prime Video)
Sunday, Jan. 11
1:00 p.m. — 6. Buffalo Bills vs. 3. Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS, Paramount+)
4:30 p.m. — 6. San Francisco 49ers vs. 3. Philadelphia Eagles (FOX, FOX Deportes)
8:00 p.m. — 7. Los Angeles Chargers vs. 2. New England Patriots (NBC, Peacock, Universo)
Monday, Jan. 12
8:15 p.m. — 5. Houston Texans vs. 4. Pittsburgh (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+/ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2/ESPN+)
The Divisional Playoffs schedule will be announced next weekend.
AFC Playoff Picture: Broncos Control Their Destiny While Ravens and Steelers Play for Survival
Denver entered Sunday in pole position for the conference’s top seed. A win over a Chargers team resting Justin Herbert clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs — the Broncos’ first since 2015.
“Historically speaking, it’s extremely important. You skip a game in which you’re at risk to not play well or an opponent all of a sudden has a great game. You skip the threat of potentially losing a game,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on securing the bye.
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The night’s headliner arrived in primetime: Ravens at Steelers for the AFC North crown. The loser goes home. No qualifiers, no tiebreakers. In an unbelievable game, the Steelers got the win thanks to a missed kick by rookie Tyler Loop.
NFC Bracket Set at the Top, Chaos Reigns in the South
Mike Macdonald’s defense held San Francisco to three points Saturday night, clinching Seattle’s first No. 1 seed since 2014. The Seahawks finished 14-3 and won’t play again until the Divisional Round.
The NFC South was decided when the Falcons defeated the Saints, causing a three-way 8-9 tie and a Carolina tiebreaker for the division.
The Bears lost to the Lions, but because Washington was able to upset Philadelphia, they locked in the two seed and will face the Packers in the Wild Card Round. Green Bay is locked into the No. 7 seed for the third consecutive season.
The 49ers’ loss Saturday stings beyond just the seeding. San Francisco entered with a chance to play five straight home games through the Super Bowl, which will be held at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. Instead, Kyle Shanahan’s team opens the playoffs on the road.
