At a Glance
- The Divisional Round kicks off Saturday with two No. 6 seeds facing No. 1 seeds
- Bills visit Broncos after last year’s 31-7 Buffalo win; 49ers face Seahawks without George Kittle
- Sam Darnold is questionable for Seattle with an oblique injury
- Why it matters: Both top seeds could be upset, reshaping the path to Super Bowl 60
Two stunning upsets could shake the NFL playoff landscape Saturday as both No. 6 seeds aim to knock off rested No. 1 seeds in the Divisional Round. The action starts in Denver, where the Buffalo Bills return to the scene of last year’s 31-7 Wild Card rout of the Broncos, and ends in Seattle, where the injury-ravaged 49ers try to solve a Seahawks defense that smothered them just three weeks ago.
Bills vs. Broncos: Allen Looks to Repeat Denver Domination
Josh Allen leads the Bills into Empower Field at Mile High for the sixth straight Divisional Round appearance. Buffalo survived a fourth-quarter slugfest with the Jaguars last week, as Allen engineered two go-ahead touchdown drives in the final frame to secure a 27-24 win.
Denver’s reward for the first-round bye is a rematch with the only team to beat them at home this season. The Broncos went 7-1 in Denver, powered by a league-best 68 sacks-11 more than any other team-and a defense that finished second in yards allowed and third in points allowed. Sean Payton’s squad has not won a playoff game since the 2015 championship season.
49ers vs. Seahawks: Kittle Gone, Darnold Questionable
The 49ers limp into Lumen Field after losing star tight end George Kittle to a torn Achilles in their 23-19 Wild Card upset of the Eagles. Brock Purdy still marched the Niners on a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, and the defense sealed the win with a final-minute stop.
San Francisco now faces a Seahawks team that humbled them 13-3 in Week 18 to clinch the NFC West and the No. 1 seed. Seattle’s top-ranked scoring defense held the 49ers to 173 total yards and a combined 2-for-11 on third and fourth downs in that game.
The biggest question mark is Sam Darnold, who is listed as questionable after an oblique injury landed him on the injury report this week. If he cannot go or is limited, Seattle’s hopes of reaching its first conference title game since 2014 could hinge on backup play.
Saturday’s Schedule and How to Watch
Game times
- Bills at Broncos: 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 p.m. PT
- 49ers at Seahawks: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT
Where to watch
- Bills-Broncos: CBS, ParamountPlus.com, Paramount+ app, NFL+ (mobile)
- 49ers-Seahawks: Fox, FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app, NFL+ (mobile)
Road to Super Bowl 60
Conference Championship Sunday is set for January 25. The Super Bowl will follow on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Key Takeaways
- Both No. 1 seeds enter with question marks: Denver’s playoff drought and Seattle’s quarterback health
- Buffalo’s high-powered offense meets Denver’s sack-happy defense in a classic strength-on-strength matchup
- San Francisco must overcome a season-ending Kittle injury and a recent blowout loss to advance
- Two road wins by No. 6 seeds would set up chaotic conference title games next Sunday
