The NFL released the divisional round schedule on Sunday night even though the wild-card round hasn’t concluded.
There’s still the Monday night game to be played between the Houston Texans at the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the NFL didn’t waste any time with their announcement, so now we know what the divisional round schedule would look like next weekend.
NFL Announces Divisional Round Schedule
While the NFL didn’t release all of the details about the divisional-round matchups, here’s what we know so far.
Saturday, Jan. 17
Sunday, Jan. 18
It remains to be seen what times the games will be played, but there are only two options on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET) and two options on Sunday (3 p.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. ET). Check back on Monday night after the conclusion of the Steelers-Texans game to find out the complete schedule with time slots and broadcast assignments.
It’s worth noting that the NFL reseeds its bracket after each round, which is why Denver and Seattle are facing the lowest remaining seeds in their respective conferences. Unlike a fixed bracket where paths are predetermined, the league’s system ensures the top seed always plays the lowest remaining seed to create better competitive balance. However, this requires patience from fans trying to book travel plans or schedule their calendars.
The four broadcast partners — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC — will each air one divisional round game, continuing the rotation the league established in recent years. Then, CBS will handle the AFC Championship on Jan. 25, Fox gets the NFC title game, and NBC has Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
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.
After the Panthers blocked a punt and scored on the ensuing possession to take a 31-27 lead, Stafford and the Rams’ offense marched down the field for 71 yards, winning the matchup 34-31.
Chicago Bears Defeated Green Bay Packers 31-27
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.
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 DJ Moore’s game-winning touchdown with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo Bills Defeated Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24
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.
The 49ers stormed 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.
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, which turned out to be the game-winning one.
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.
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 make sure the offense wakes up if they want to make a push for the Lombardi trophy.
