Most teams in the NFL playoffs need three wins to reach the Super Bowl. But the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks only need two.
The 13-4 Broncos and 14-3 Seahawks finished atop the AFC and NFC standings, respectively, to earn the coveted No. 1 seeds. Not only does the top seed come with home-field advantage through the conference championship, but also a bye past the Wild Card Round and into the Divisional Round.
The Seahawks, after swapping out Geno Smith for Sam Darnold at quarterback, set a franchise record with 14 wins to clinch their first playoff berth since 2022. Darnold earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod, while Jaxson Smith-Njigba won the NFL’s receiving title with 1,793 yards. And Seattle boasted one of the league’s top defensive units, ranking first in points against (17.2 per game), sixth in yards against (285.6 per game), sixth in takeaways (25), and tying for seventh in sacks (47).
An elite defense also propelled the Broncos to their second straight playoff appearance and first AFC West title since 2015. Denver racked up an NFL-high 68 sacks, 11 more than the next-closest team. Nik Bonitto led the way with 14 sacks, giving him 27.5 over the past two seasons. The Broncos also ranked second in yards against (278.2) and third in points against (18.3) — and that’s despite tying for 26th in takeaways (14). On the other side of the ball, second-yard quarterback Bo Nix finished in the top 10 in passing yards and passing touchdowns while improving to 24-10 overall as the starter.
So, which teams could the Broncos and Seahawks see in the Divisional Round? Here’s what to know about the postseason format:
Do the NFL playoffs reseed teams?
Teams are seeded after the opening round of the playoffs.
Who will the Broncos play in the NFL playoffs Divisional Round?
That means the Broncos will face the lowest-seeded team remaining in the AFC playoff field following the Wild Card Round. So, if the No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers pull off an upset of the No. 2 New England Patriots, Denver will host the AFC West rival Chargers in the Divisional Round.
If Los Angeles loses, the Broncos would be left with three potential opponents: the No. 6 Buffalo Bills, No. 5 Houston Texans and No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers. Buffalo is up against the No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars, while Houston is riding a nine-game winning streak into a matchup with the Steelers.
Who will the Seahawks play in the NFL playoffs Divisional Round?
Should the No. 7 Green Bay Packers defeat the No. 2 Chicago Bears in an NFC North clash, Jordan Love and Co. would next head to Seattle.
If Chicago bounces Green Bay, Seattle’s potential opponents would be down to a pair of NFC West teams in the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers and No. 5 Los Angeles Rams, along with the No. 4 Carolina Panthers. San Francisco has a showdown with the defending Super Bowl champion No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles, while the Rams are facing the 8-9 Panthers.
When is the NFL playoffs Divisional Round?
The Divisional Round will be played from Saturday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 18.
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