The New England Patriots are back in the AFC national championship for the very first time because 2019, still alive for an opportunity to win their seventh Super Bowl since 2001.
This time, it's Drake Maye at quarterback and Mike Vrabel training on the sidelines rather of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick combination that controlled the NFL throughout their 6 title runs.
All that's standing between the Patriots and a trip to Super Bowl 60 are the Denver Broncos and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who will be pushed into action after starter Bo Nix broke his ankle.
It's an all-NFC West affair for the other conference champion when the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams. The division rivals split their two conferences during the regular season, with each winning tight contests in the house.
Here's a few more things to know now that the NFL's postseason is down to four groups:
Championship Game (all times EST)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, top, signals at the line of skirmish throughout the very first half of an NFL divisional playoff football video game versus the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. (Fox)
No. 2 New England Patriots at No. 1 Denver Broncos, Sunday, 3 p.m. (CBS/Paramount+)
Super Bowl 60
AFC winner vs. NFC winner, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., Santa Clara, California. (NBC)
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Past results
Divisional round
- No. 5 Los Angeles Rams 20, No. 2 Chicago Bears 17 (OT)
- No. 1 Seattle Seahawks 41, No. 6 San Francisco 49ers 6
- No. 1 Denver Broncos 33, No. 6 Buffalo Bills 30 (OT)
- No. 2 New England Patriots 28, No. 5 Houston Texans 16
Wild-card weekend
NFC
- No. 2 Chicago Bears 31, No. 7 Green Bay Packers 27
- No. 6 San Francisco 49ers 23, No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles 19
- No. 5 Los Angeles Rams 34, No. 4 Carolina Panthers 31
AFC
- No. 2 New England Patriots 16, No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers 3
- No. 6 Buffalo Bills 27, No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars 24
- No. 5 Houston Texans 30, No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers 6
Not remarkably, Nix's ankle injury has actually had a big impact on how the sportsbooks see the Patriots-Broncos match.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Patriots are favored by five points to win the AFC champion and the over-under is presently at 41.5 points, suggesting a low-scoring protective face-off in Denver.
In the NFC, the home Seahawks are 2.5-point favorites over the Rams while the over-under is at 47.5 points. The Seahawks haven't lost a game in more than 2 months, though that loss was a 21-19 problem on Nov. 16 versus the Rams.
When it comes to the Super Bowl winner, the Seahawks have a small edge at +150, followed by the Rams (+220 ), Patriots (+250) and longshot Broncos (+1300 ).
One little intrigue going into the postseason was that 5 of the 14 groups had actually never ever won a Super Bowl, including the Bills, Panthers, Jaguars, Texans and Chargers. The Texans and Jaguars have actually never ever even played in a Super Bowl.
After two weeks of postseason games, all 5 of those groups were gotten rid of. As a result, Bills coach Sean McDermott was among 10 NFL coaches who lost their task this offseason.
The last time the 4 teams remaining won the Super Bowl was relatively recent. The Rams won following the 2021 season while the Patriots (2018 ), Broncos (2015) and Seahawks (2013) have likewise won over the past lots years.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham heats up before an NFL divisional round playoff football game versus the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws a pass versus the Chicago Bears during the very first half of an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with running back Kenneth Walker III after a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football divisional championship game versus the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)