Overview
- Four divisional games are set for Jan. 17–18 with Denver and Seattle hosting as No. 1 seeds, followed by New England vs. Houston in Foxborough and the Rams at the Bears in Chicago.
- Buffalo visits Denver with Josh Allen expected to play through skin, knee and finger issues as the Broncos bring an elite pass rush, a bye-week reset and altitude at Mile High; media AI models slightly lean Denver (about 52% probability).
- Seattle’s top-ranked scoring defense hosts San Francisco for the third meeting this season with the 49ers missing George Kittle and receiver Ricky Pearsall limited in practice; predictive analyses favor Seattle by a wider margin (roughly 65%).
- New England’s Drake Maye leads the Patriots against a Houston team on a long winning streak as Texans receiver Nico Collins remains in concussion protocol, shaping game plans for a defense-first matchup.
- Chicago’s cold is a storyline for Rams–Bears at Soldier Field, where Matthew Stafford’s historical record in sub-20°F wind chills contrasts with a high-powered Los Angeles offense facing a takeaway-hunting Bears secondary.