What is the NFL Saturday playoff schedule? Divisional matchups, TV
Two teams sat out the opening round of the 2026 NFL playoffs last weekend: the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Those franchises earned a bye after going 14-3 in the regular season and awaited their foes for divisional weekend.
Once the dust settled on Sunday's action from wild-card weekend, they knew their opponents. And they're a pair of familiar adversaries.
Denver hosts the Buffalo Bills in a rematch of a wild-card game from last year. Playing at home, Josh Allen and company knocked out Sean Payton in his first playoff berth with the Broncos. A year later sees the venue reversed as the Bills head to Denver to try for a second consecutive road playoff win following their victory over Jacksonville.
Things are even more familiar for Seattle; they're facing the last team they played. San Francisco's win over Philadelphia earned the 49ers a trip to Seattle to play the Seahawks for the third time this season and the second time in the last three weeks. The Seahawks haven't hosted a playoff game since 2020 and hasn't won in Seattle in the postseason since 2016.
Here's a look at the NFL's Saturday playoff slate to kick off the divisional round:
NFL Saturday schedule: Divisional round playoff games todayNFL playoffs: TV channels for today's gamesWatch Saturday's NFL playoff games with a Fubo FREE trial
Odds for every NFL game todayOdds from BetMGM as of Friday evening.
- Bills (-105) at Broncos (-115)
- DEN (-1); O/U: 46
- 49ers (+260) at Seahawks (-325)
- SEA (-7); O/U: 45
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Storylines for today's NFL playoff games- Just over a calendar year ago, the Bills and Broncos squared off in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs. The then-No. 2 seeded Bills earned a convincing 31-7 win over the visiting No. 7 seed Broncos. With a year's time away, how much are the Broncos looking for revenge at home?
- Buffalo eked out a 27-24 win over the Jaguars despite their league-best rushing offense averaging just 3.03 yards per attempt. Allen made enough plays to get them past Jacksonville but this Denver defense is a tougher challenge. He'll have to rise to the occasion once again in what's a golden opportunity for him: There's no Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes awaiting him in the conference championship.
- Bo Nix turned things around midseason to overcome a sophomore slump at the start of 2025. He's looked much better since the team's bye and led the league in game-winning drives this season with seven. Nix fell flat in his playoff debut last year against the same opponent. Like it or not, the Broncos have built a reputation as a contender built on their defense, not Nix and the offense. This is a chance against a relatively average Bills defense for Nix to make a statement with his play.
- Sean Payton hasn't won a playoff game since his penultimate season in New Orleans back in 2020. No one doubts his ability as an offensive mind but some playoff success in Denver would firmly cement his status as one of the top coaches in the league.
- An injured San Francisco team will have Trent Williams back in the lineup and likely Ricky Pearsall against Seattle, unlike two weeks ago. They won't, however, have George Kittle on the field following his Achilles injury. Can Kyle Shanahan put together another upset with a potential return for star LB Fred Warner on the horizon?
- San Francisco is the biggest underdog of the weekend. The pressure is almost entirely on Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, who is making his playoff debut. He's previously given Shanahan and the 49ers' offense trouble both in Seattle and in Baltimore as the defensive coordinator. The regular season is one thing; the NFL divisional playoffs are another. A win will go a long way toward building his legacy.
- Speaking of legacy, the last time we saw Sam Darnold in the playoffs he was sacked nine times - tying a playoff record - as the Minnesota Vikings fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round last year. This 49ers defense is depleted but well-coached. This Seahawks defense is a championship-caliber unit. It's on Darnold and the offense to get past San Francisco ahead of a potential game against the very team that lit him up last year with a trip to Super Bowl 60 on the line.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Saturday playoff schedule: What divisional round games are today?