NFL Divisional Round Playoff Schedule: When and Where to Watch January 17 and 18 Games

The first weekend of the playoffs didn’t create a lot of excitement at the end of games. First halves were closer, but that usually meant the game staying close because of low scoring. The only game decided by single digits was he Washington/Tampa Bay Sunday night game, the fifth of six games.

The likelihood of blowouts goes down with each round because we are getting to just the best of the best. Looking at the schedule coming up this weekend, we could be in line for a few really fun games.

Let’s look at the matchups in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, when they are taking place, and where you can watch them. I’ll take a short look at each game, but this isn’t an analysis of who is going to win. This is simply a preview of the coming weekend and what to expect from the schedule.

Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

Time/Network: Saturday, January 18 at 4:30 p.m. EST on ESPN

The Chiefs won 15 of their first 16 games before sitting everyone in a meaningless Week 18. I saw multiple forms of the same joke, where it’s quoted as something like: “Kansas City is the worst 8-1 team ever…the worst 9-1 team ever…the worst 10-1 team ever…the worst 11-1 team ever….”

The point is clear: no matter how much we wanted to bury them and say they weren’t as good as previous seasons, the Chiefs just kept winning. They didn’t dominate all 15 games that they won, but they finished with the best record in the league. They rank eighth by DVOA; the Chiefs were fifth last year and fourth the season before, so they are in a similar position, if half a step behind.

While their two biggest rivals battle it out in Buffalo (more on that in a minute), the Chiefs get the easier game on paper against the AFC South champion Texans. Houston was seen as one of the weakest teams to make the AFC playoff field, maybe even a team who should have be an underdog at home in the first round.

Houston paid no mind to the talk, though, and dominated the Chargers in the second half to secure an easy victory by the end. After showing it in the playoffs, we have to take the Texans seriously; and that still means they are 7.5-point underdogs against the Chiefs.

Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions

Time/Network: Saturday, January 18 at 8 p.m. EST on FOX

Washington won on a field goal that bounced in off the post as time expired; it’s about as close as you can cut it. That might be fine against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it’s not going to get the job done against the most complete team in football.

Detroit is a machine; they averaged the second-most yards per pass attempt and seventh-most yards per rush attempt. They didn’t accidentally go 15-2. The Lions earned every bit of the top seed in the NFC.

And yet, the Commanders seem to have the newest version of Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen under center. Jayden Daniels will win Offensive Rookie of the Year and receive MVP down-ballot votes. Washington has a punchers chance in the Divisional Round, even if a victory is unlikely (Detroit is favored by 8.5 points).

Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

Time/Network: Sunday, January 19 at 3 p.m. EST on NBC/Peacock

By the time of Monday night’s game, we knew that the winner of the Vikings/Rams would travel to play in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles took care of business against the Packers in the first round. They are as well positioned as anyone to make a run to the Super Bowl given both their offensive and defensive prowess.

LA beat the Vikings for the second time this season; the only teams to beat Minnesota were Detroit and the Rams, twice apiece. That must say something about Los Angeles and gives them intrigue heading into Sunday. Not only did they beat the Vikings, but the Rams dominated in the Wild Card Round, winning 27-9 and holding a double-digit lead most of the game.

This could be a fun game if LA’s offense keeps going against a bull of a defense. It also has the chance to sway heavily in Philadelphia’s favor, the reason the Eagles are favored by six points to open the week.

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

Time/Network: Sunday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. EST on CBS/Paramount+

This is the game of the week. Seemingly the top two contenders for MVP, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen will have an even more important battle for the right to go to the AFC Championship Game. No matter who gets the individual trophy, this might speak much louder about which quarterback has the advantage, especially if that player can then go beat Mahomes in Kansas City.

When these teams played way back in Week 4 in Baltimore, the Ravens walked to a 35-10 victory, taking the lead within the first five minutes of the game, never trailing, and holding a double-digit lead for nearly 45 of the 60 minutes. So, why might this game be different?

First off, this game is in Buffalo. It matters to be playing at home, something the Vegas lines take into account. Speaking of the line, the Ravens are one-point favorites; that means Baltimore is seen as the somewhat significantly better team.

Other than playing at home, that first game took place about three-and-a-half months ago, and the Bills showed that they were one of the best teams in the league all season. Baltimore’s win over Buffalo matters, but the Bills then went on to beat both the Chiefs and Lions, the two No. 1 seeds. That Week 4 tilt doesn’t matter to the outcome of this game.

Expect fireworks. Hopefully, we get a game that goes down to the last second, maybe even overtime. We are getting down to some of the best possible matchups now.