The road to the Super Bowl is nearly paved.
The final Sunday of the NFL’s regular season began with three division titles, two playoff spots and a bye up for grabs. All spots are now confirmed.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens competed in a win-and-in game during Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock. Pittsburgh got in after rookie Baltimore kicker Tyler Loop missed at the death.
Another essential win-and-in game played out Sunday afternoon between two teams long eliminated from playoff contention. The result of the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints determined whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Carolina Panthers would win the NFC South division and head to the postseason. The Falcons’ 19-17 win created a three-way tie of 8-9 teams atop the division, giving the tiebreaker and the playoff berth to the Panthers.
The Jaguars wrapped up the AFC South title with a rout of the Tennessee Titans, making the second-place Houston Texans a wild-card team.
The Denver Broncos locked up the No. 1 seed with a 19-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Here’s everything to know so far…
Who’s going to the NFL playoffs?
AFC
- Denver Broncos (AFC West champions, top seed)
- New England Patriots (AFC East champions)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South champions)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North champions)
- Houston Texans (wild card)
- Buffalo Bills (wild card)
- Los Angeles Chargers (wild card)
NFC
- Seattle Seahawks (NFC West champions, No. 1 seed)
- Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East champions)
- Chicago Bears (NFC North champions)
- Carolina Panthers (NFC South champions)
- San Francisco 49ers (wild card)
- Los Angeles Rams (wild card)
- Green Bay Packers (wild card)
How do the NFL playoffs work?
Seven teams from each conference make the playoffs. The four division winners in each conference are ranked No. 1 to No. 4 by regular-season record followed by the three wild-card teams ranked by regular-season record.
Who gets a bye in the NFL playoffs?
The top seed in each conference gets a bye to the Divisional Round. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks secured the top seed on Saturday with a 13-3 win over the 49ers.
The Broncos clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Sunday with a win over the Chargers.
What’s the AFC playoff bracket?
Here’s the full AFC bracket:
1. Broncos
2. Patriots
3. Jaguars
4. Steelers
5. Texans
6. Bills
7. Chargers
What’s the NFC playoff bracket?
Here’s a look at the NFC bracket:
1. Seahawks
2. Bears
3. Eagles
4. Panthers
5. Rams
6. 49ers
7. Packers
When do the NFL playoffs start?
The NFL postseason opens with Super Wild Card Weekend from Saturday, Jan. 10, to Monday, Jan. 12. There will be two Saturday games, three Sunday games and one Monday game.
What’s the NFL playoff schedule?
Below are the matchups for Super Wild Card Weekend:
AFC
- No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 Patriots
- No. 6 Bills at No. 3 Jaguars
- No. 5 Texans at No. 4 Steelers
- Bye: Broncos
NFC
- No. 7 Packers at No. 2 Bears
- No. 6 49ers at No. 3 Eagles
- No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Panthers
- Bye: Seahawks
Super Wild Card Weekend Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 10
- No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Panthers, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX One
- No. 7 Packers at No. 2 Bears, 8 p.m. ET, Prime Video
Sunday, Jan. 11
- No. 6 Bills at No. 3 Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+
- No. 6 49ers at No. 3 Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX/Fox One
- No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 Patriots, 8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
Monday, Jan. 12
- No. 5 Texans at No. 4 Steelers, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
The Divisional Round is set for Saturday, Jan 17, to Sunday, Jan. 18, followed by the AFC and NFC Championship Games on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Does the NFL reseed in the playoffs?
Yes, the NFL reseeds in the playoffs. That means the Seahawks and the AFC’s top-seed will face the lowest-seeded teams left in their respective conferences following the opening round.
When is the Super Bowl 2026?
The AFC and NFC champions will square off in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Where is the Super Bowl 2026?
Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara, California.
What channel is the Super Bowl on?
Super Bowl LX will be broadcasted on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
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