The regular season is over. The dust has settled, and the 2026 NFL playoff bracket is finally set. If you've been casually checking the standings and feeling a bit lost, don't worry. It's basically a whole different game now. The grind of the 17-game schedule is replaced by a high-stakes, "one loss and you're out" sprint toward Super Bowl LX.
Honestly, the way the field shook out this year is wild. We have some perennial heavyweights like the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers still in the mix, but there are also teams like the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans making serious noise. Understanding who plays NFL playoffs means looking at more than just the names on the jerseys; it’s about the seeding, the byes, and the weird path these teams took to get here.
The Elite Eight: Who is Left?
We just finished Wild Card Weekend, and it was a bloodbath for the higher seeds. Only eight teams remain standing. If you're looking for your favorite team and don't see them here, they're probably already scouting college prospects for the draft.
In the AFC, the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots are the big dogs. Denver spent last week relaxing on their couches because they earned the number one seed and the only first-round bye in the conference. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills pulled off a gritty win on the road against Jacksonville, and the Houston Texans absolutely dismantled Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers on Monday night.
Over in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are the team to beat. Like Denver, they had the week off. The Chicago Bears held off the Packers in a classic rivalry game, while the Los Angeles Rams survived a thriller in Carolina. And you can never count out the San Francisco 49ers, who took down the defending champion Eagles in Philadelphia.
The AFC Divisional Round Matchups
The AFC side of the bracket feels like a collision course.
- Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos: This is the Saturday afternoon opener. Buffalo (the 6 seed) has to travel to the thin air of Mile High to face a rested Broncos team that went 14-3 this season.
- Houston Texans at New England Patriots: Houston is the "scary" team right now. They started the year 0-3 and then basically forgot how to lose. They’ll head to Foxborough on Sunday to face a New England defense that just suffocated the Chargers.
The NFC Divisional Round Matchups
The NFC is looking just as chaotic.
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: A divisional rivalry for a trip to the Championship game? Yes, please. These two split their regular-season series. San Francisco is the 6 seed, but they play like a 1 seed when they're healthy.
- Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears: Matthew Stafford vs. Caleb Williams. The veteran against the kid. Chicago is hosting a divisional game at Soldier Field for the first time in 15 years, so the atmosphere is going to be electric.
How Do You Even Get Into the Playoffs?
It's sorta complicated but also simple. 14 teams make it. Seven from the AFC, seven from the NFC.
Basically, if you win your division (North, South, East, West), you’re in. That’s four spots per conference. The remaining three spots go to the "Wild Cards"—the teams with the best records who didn't win their division. This year, the NFC West was so stacked that three teams (Seahawks, Rams, 49ers) all made the cut.
Seeding matters. A lot. The number one seed in each conference gets a bye week. That means they skip the first round. It’s a massive advantage because everyone else is getting beat up while the 1 seeds are resting. Home-field advantage also goes to the higher seed. That’s why the Broncos and Seahawks are playing in their own stadiums this weekend.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Bracket
A common mistake is thinking the bracket is fixed. It's not. The NFL uses "reseeding."
This means that in the second round (the Divisional Round), the number one seed always plays the lowest remaining seed. They don’t just follow a line on a piece of paper. For example, because the 6-seed Bills won their game, they automatically have to play the 1-seed Broncos, because 6 is lower than the 5-seed Texans.
📖 Related: Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball: Why the Hype Failed the Reality Test
Also, people often forget that records don't matter once the playoffs start. The Carolina Panthers made the playoffs this year with an 8-9 record because they won a weak NFC South. They actually hosted a playoff game against a 12-5 Rams team. The Rams won, which feels "right" to most fans, but the rules prioritize division winners over better wild card records. It’s weird, but it keeps the division rivalries intense.
Key Dates You Need to Circle
If you want to keep track of who plays NFL playoffs, you need to know when to be on your couch.
The Divisional Round happens this weekend, January 17th and 18th.
- Saturday, Jan 17: Bills at Broncos (4:30 PM ET) and 49ers at Seahawks (8:00 PM ET).
- Sunday, Jan 18: Texans at Patriots (3:00 PM ET) and Rams at Bears (6:30 PM ET).
After that, we hit the Conference Championships on January 25th. That’s when we find out who represents the AFC and NFC in the big game. Super Bowl LX is scheduled for February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Actionable Steps for the Divisional Round
If you're planning to watch or follow along, here is how to stay ahead of the curve:
- Check the Injury Reports: In the playoffs, depth is everything. Keep an eye on the Seahawks' offensive line health; they've been shaky lately, and the 49ers' pass rush is relentless.
- Monitor the Weather: It’s mid-January. Buffalo at Denver could be a snow bowl, and the Texans (a dome team) might struggle with the freezing rain forecasted for Foxborough.
- Watch the "Hot" Team: Don't just bet on the higher seed. The Houston Texans have won nine games in a row. Momentum in the NFL is a very real, very dangerous thing.
- Set Your Streaming: Most games are split between CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. Make sure your Paramount+, Peacock, and ESPN+ logins are actually working before kickoff so you aren't scrambling.
The road to the Super Bowl is narrow, and by Sunday night, we'll be down to just four teams. Enjoy the chaos.