The NFL got a wildly entertaining Wild Card round weekend, with virtually every game coming down to the wire, as fans were treated to a quality slate. However, for most football fans, the Divisional weekend becomes arguably the most exciting weekend in the sport, as the eight best teams in the league collide.
With four epic matchups to decide who represents each conference in the championship game, fans should have their hands full over the course of the weekend. But for those wondering about the exact schedule, here’s everything you need to know about the slate on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Schedule
Once the regular season is wrapped up, the focus of the games centers entirely on the weekend. Last week, as part of the Wild Card round schedule, now having two more games, fans were privy to two games on Saturday and the usual three-game Sunday slate.
Additionally, the playoffs wrapped up with a clash between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. Now, with four games remaining, fans wondered if Friday would have a game allocated as well.
However, the wait for one of the most important weekends in football has to be a little longer, as no games are on the official schedule for Friday. Instead, the games will be televised as follows:
Saturday, January 17
1.) Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS
The Divisional Round kicks off with the one-seed in the AFC taking on the Buffalo Bills in a matchup that could essentially boil down to the Denver Broncos’ defense facing the reigning MVP, Josh Allen.
With home-field advantage, rest, and injury luck on their side, this should be Denver’s game to lose. But the Bills beat them handily in the Wild Card round last season, and Bo Nix remains relatively unproven on the biggest stages.
As a result, this is a game that could come right down to the wire.
2.) San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX
The most complete team facing the most injury-riddled roster should be an easy game to decide for the Seattle Seahawks. But Kyle Shanahan has made the most out of the devastated San Francisco 49ers, including going into Philadelphia and beating the reigning Super Bowl champions last week.
Their Cinderella run has gone on so far, but after George Kittle got added to the ever-growing injury list, it feels improbable that they can carry on this trend against the team that ended their regular season on a 13-3 stinker.
Sunday, January 18
1.) Houston Texans at New England Patriots, 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
After starting the season 0-3, virtually no one gave the Texans a chance at where they are currently. A remarkable turnaround fueled by their defense allowed them to come out with a playoff berth, where they blasted the Steelers 30-6.
However, the New England Patriots are an entirely different animal. After overcoming a shaky first half, Drake Maye looked like the MVP candidate once again, as they took care of business against the Los Angeles Chargers, who ranked eighth in PFSN’s NFL Defense Impact Metric.
The Texans’ defense, though, has made life hell for every quarterback they’ve faced this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Maye can prove to be the exception to that trend, or if Houston will be a problem for him.
2.) Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears, 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC
An emotional, dramatic win for the Chicago Bears and a shaky showing from the Los Angeles Rams make this a more evenly fought contest than most would assume. But inside a rocking Soldier Field stadium, it might turn into an all-out shootout between two of the most impressive quarterbacks in the NFC.
The question, though, will be on the Bears’ defense and if they can replicate their performance from the second half of the Wild Card round against the potential MVP in Matthew Stafford and an offense powered by Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, and head coach Sean McVay.
