All articles tagged with #divisional round
Fox drew about 32 million viewers for the Seahawks’ 41-6 win over the 49ers in the divisional round. The figure is strong but down roughly 4.7% from the earlier 49ers-Eagles matchup (41 million) and is similar to recent games (Bills-Jaguars 32.7 million; last year Commanders-Lions 33.6 million). Sunday’s remaining games are Texans-Patriots and Rams-Bears.
In a snowy Gillette Stadium, the Patriots earned a 28-16 win over the Texans in a defensive slugfest, leveraging opportunistic play and solid special-teams work. Drake Maye battled turnover issues but flashed some big passes, while Rhamondre Stevenson powered the ground game and DeMario Douglas, Stefon Diggs, and Kayshon Boutte provided key receiving moments. The defense—featuring Marcus Jones’ pick-six and Carlton Davis’ two INTs—harassed Stroud and limited Houston’s big plays, a combination that propelled New England toward their AFC Championship path.
The Patriots’ defense again carried the win in the Divisional Round, bottling Houston and allowing just one TD drive across two playoff victories through aggressive early-down pressure, heavy man coverage, and smart disguises. Drake Maye faced a playoff gauntlet against top defenses, showing flashes and some ball-security issues, but the unit’s consistent dominance kept New England on track to face Denver in the AFC Championship.
Divisional Round delivered a mix of coaching mastery and quarterback misfires: New England beat Houston behind a stingy defense and timely big plays, Denver rode Sean Payton’s creativity to a late win over Buffalo, and Seattle’s defense helped the Seahawks topple San Francisco to reach the NFC Championship, setting up a Rams–Seahawks title-game pairing after Los Angeles survived Chicago in OT. Losers included Caleb Williams’ late-game heroics not quite enough for the Bears, CJ Stroud’s four interceptions, and Josh Allen’s five-turnover heartbreak. The weekend underscored how edge play-calling and late-game decisions defined the results, with Patriots, Broncos, and the Seahawks–Rams survivor bracket shaping the title chase.
The Los Angeles Rams beat the Chicago Bears 20-17 in overtime to advance to the NFC Championship, aided by Harrison Mevis' game-winning 42-yard field goal after a resilient late drive and a shutdown on defense in OT; Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams threw three interceptions and squandered several red-zone chances, while Cobie Durant’s miscue nearly cost L.A. before Kam Curl sealed the win with an interception and the Rams’ defense held firm.
Divisional-round results finalize the 2026 NFL draft order: the top 28 picks are set; 29–31 will be determined by the conference championship losers and the Super Bowl participants, while the Super Bowl winner picks No. 32. Bills are currently No. 26 (No. 25 if the Bears beat the Rams), and the 49ers are No. 27 (No. 26 if the Bears win). The draft begins April 23, 2026.
New England defeated Houston 28-16 in the divisional round to advance to the AFC Championship in Denver. Drake Maye threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns but also fumbled multiple times, while the Patriots leaned on a mix of pass rush and timely play on defense. Rhamondre Stevenson led the ground game with 70 rushing yards, and Marcus Jones added a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown as Houston’s CJ Stroud threw four interceptions. The win sets up another postseason step for the Patriots as they chase a spot in the title game.
The Chicago Bears host the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Playoffs, their first playoff meeting in 40 years, with an open thread for live fan discussion and links to postgame content and related coverage.
Rams jump-start the divisional-round clash by taking a 7-0 lead on a 14-play drive finished by Kyren Williams’ goal-line TD, as a cold, snowy Soldier Field hosts the showdown. Chicago’s Caleb Williams later threw an interception on a fourth-down attempt after tweaking his throwing hand, and a Rome Odunze would-be TD catch was dropped earlier; Bears will start Joe Thuney at left tackle, while Rams inactive list includes Tutu Atwell. Puka Nacua is highlighted as a playoff weapon in this high-stakes matchup, with forecasts calling for around 19 degrees and possible snow that could factor into the game.
Snow covers Gillette Stadium as the Patriots and Texans exchange blows in a chaotic divisional-round game. New England’s defense harassed C.J. Stroud into multiple turnovers (four interceptions in the first half), while Marcus Jones’ pick-six and Drake Maye’s fumbles dominated headlines. The Patriots led 21-10 at halftime, Houston trimmed it with a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal, and Kayshon Boutte’s one-handed TD catch helped stretch the lead to 28-16 with 12:58 left in regulation as the game stayed tightly contested.
Deommodore Lenoir said the 41-6 divisional-round loss to Seattle likely would have looked different with a healthier 49ers, noting key injuries to Bosa, Warner, Williams, and Kittle; Seattle capitalized with turnovers and Kenneth Walker’s 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Brock Purdy struggled and San Francisco totaled 181 yards through three quarters.
NFL.com's Saturday Divisional Round inactive reports list several players scratched for both games: the Bills missed Terrel Bernard, Jordan Poyer, Ty Johnson, Maxwell Hairston, Tylan Grable, Phidarian Mathis and Keleki Latu; the Broncos listed emergency QB Sam Ehlinger plus Reese Taylor, Karene Reid, Que Robinson, Elijah Moore, Caleb Lohner and Sai'vion Jones as inactive. For the 49ers-Seahawks game, inactives include Isaac Guerendo, Jordan Watkins, Brandon Parker, Robert Beal Jr., Kevin Givens, Sebastian Valdez and Ji'Ayir Brown, while Seattle sat Jalen Milroe, Josh Jones, Bryce Cabeldue, Mason Richman, Rylie Mills and Jared Ivey.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is active for Saturday night’s divisional-round game against the 49ers, despite an oblique injury that has kept him from throwing since warmups. Drew Lock serves as his backup, with Jalen Milroe among the inactives, as Seattle lists several other players out.
Buffalo and Denver are tied 30-30 at the end of regulation in the NFL divisional round after a back-and-forth fourth quarter that included a late Broncos lead and a tying 50-yard field goal by Matt Prater; overtime begins with a coin toss and both teams are guaranteed a possession, with the winner advancing to the AFC Championship.
Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, giving Seattle a 7-0 lead 13 seconds into the divisional-round game; it marks his first playoff TD after regular-season return highlights, with Sam Darnold set to start for the opposing team despite an oblique injury.