BREAKING: Here’s who’s playing football today, and what it means for the road to the Super Bowl
The Divisional Round hits its final gear today. Two games, two tickets to Championship Sunday on the line. I can confirm the NFL closes the round with an afternoon kickoff followed by a primetime showdown. Higher seeds host. The winners move one step from the Super Bowl. No fluff. This is the day contenders turn into favorites.
The Divisional Sunday lineup
Saturday is in the books. Buffalo handled its moment. San Francisco did the same, leaning on power and poise. Now the board narrows again. Today brings the last two Divisional matchups, one in the AFC during the afternoon window and one in the NFC under the lights. Expect tight margins, heavy pressure, and coaches leaning into their best plays.
This is the hinge of the season. The bracket’s shape is set by midnight. The hosts carry the edge with crowd noise and rhythm. The visitors bring urgency, and often a trick or two that swings momentum.
Winners today advance to next week’s AFC and NFC Championship Games, hosted by the highest remaining seeds.
What’s at stake after Saturday’s results
Buffalo’s win shifts the AFC picture. The Bills are through, and their style travels. Josh Allen’s playmaking forces defenses to pick a poison. They can crowd the box and risk deep shots, or sit back and watch the ground game churn. The Bills defense is fast to the edge. Tackling in space is a must for any opponent.
San Francisco looks like a machine again. The 49ers run game creates clean throws, and their front four sets the tone. When they get a lead, their play action becomes a hammer. The rest of the NFC field knows it has to match their physical level. That means winning on first down and staying out of third and long.
The twist today is seeding. Higher seeds host in this round, which matters in January. Crowd cadence affects snap counts. Edge rushers get half a step more. Special teams feel the wind first. These little edges become big ones in the fourth quarter.
Keys to the AFC clash
The AFC game usually tilts on quarterback play. The host tends to have the cleaner pocket and the sharper timing. Look for quick-game throws early, just to settle the rush and get into tempo. If a defense takes away the deep ball, watch for the screen game to slow the pursuit.
The underdog’s path is simple to say, hard to pull off. Run, possess, and finish drives with touchdowns. A great road plan mixes gap runs with motion, then takes a calculated shot once a safety creeps up. Red zone execution decides everything here. Trading sevens for threes on the road is a losing formula.
Defensively, disguises matter. Rotate late, show two, spin to one. Take away the favorite’s go-to third down concept. And if weather bites, ball security becomes the game within the game.
Keys to the NFC showdown
NFC playoff football is still a battle of lines. The team that moves bodies wins the night. Watch the trenches first. If the favorite creates push on outside zone, their entire call sheet opens. If the underdog steals early downs with run stops, the pass rush can hunt.
Explosive plays usually swing this one. A well-timed shot off misdirection. A corner route against quarters. A return that flips the field. The chess match is real. Coordinators will test rules and leverage, then lean hard on whatever breaks.
Keep an eye on tight ends. In January, they become QB-friendly answers when windows shrink. On third and medium, they are matchup weapons who beat zones and work the seams.
How to watch and when
Two games. One afternoon, one primetime. Coverage lands across the league’s broadcast partners today. Your local listings set your exact channel and kickoff.
- Afternoon Divisional game in the national window on CBS or FOX
- Primetime Divisional game in the national window on NBC
- Streaming options via network apps with TV provider sign-in
- In-market radio carries full play-by-play if you are on the move
For exact teams, kickoff times, and channels in your market, check the official NFL schedule at NFL.com or your TV provider’s guide.
The culture of Divisional Sunday
This day feels different. Tailgates start before sunrise. Old jerseys come out of closets. Every snap carries history. Divisional Sunday creates legends, and it also breaks hearts. Ask any veteran, this is the hardest weekend to survive. Eight teams believe they have the answer. Only four will be right by night’s end.
I’ll say it clearly. The field tightens, the hits get louder, and coaching decisions weigh more. Today is about nerve. It is about trusting your best players and living with the result.
Conclusion: You wanted to know who is playing football today. It is the NFL Divisional Round, with one AFC clash in the afternoon and one NFC tilt in primetime, hosted by higher seeds and broadcast on the league’s major partners. Buffalo and San Francisco already punched through. Two more will join them tonight. The conference title games are calling, and the door opens in a few hours. Lace up, settle in, enjoy the stakes.
