The Daily Star Ireland
March Madness may still be weeks away, but the NFL is getting its own taste of playoff drama with wild-card weekend in full throttle. Twelve teams will duke it out for a chance to move on to the divisional round, while six others will see their Super Bowl dreams dashed and head into the offseason. The remaining teams will join top seeds Kansas City and Detroit in the divisional round next weekend in the quest for the championship.
Last year’s opening playoff round didn’t bring major upsets, but the always-unpredictable nature of the postseason means anything can happen this year. Favorites have dominated the 2024 season, but now that the playoffs are here, surprises are always a possibility. Here is the latest on the 2025 NFL playoff bracket and results from wild-card weekend.
NFL Playoff Scores and Results
Saturday, Jan. 11:
- Texans 32, Chargers 12
- Ravens 28, Steelers 14
Sunday, Jan. 12:
- Bills 31, Broncos 7
- Eagles 22, Packers 10
- Commanders 23, Buccaneers 20
Monday, Jan. 13:
- Rams vs. Vikings (result pending)
Remaining 2024-25 NFL Playoff Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 11:
- Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m., CBS
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 8 p.m., Prime Video
Sunday, Jan. 12:
- Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS
- Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m., Fox
- Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8 p.m., NBC
Monday, Jan. 13:
- Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams, 8 p.m., ESPN/ABC
Divisional Round
AFC:
- Saturday, Jan. 18, 4:30 p.m.: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs vs. No. 4 Houston Texans
- Sunday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m.: No. 2 Buffalo Bills vs. No. 3 Baltimore Ravens
NFC
- Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.: No. 1 Detroit Lions vs. No. 7 Washington Commanders
- Sunday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m.: No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams or No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
Conference Championships:
Super Bowl 59
- Date: Feb. 9, 2025
- Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- TV: FOX
How the NFL Playoff Bracket Works
The NFL playoff bracket is unique among the other sports leagues for its constantly shifting format. Seeding becomes a critical component in determining match-ups during each round; for instance, the top-seeded Chiefs and Lions in their respective conferences will host the worst seed still alive in the divisional round.
This fluid system guarantees that regular-season performance has a huge impact on the postseason path, making every game count. Kansas City and Detroit will hold onto home-field advantage for as long as they are in the playoffs. The highest-seeded team still in contention will earn home-field advantage if either is eliminated.
