A Sunday with two Super Bowl tickets on the line
The NFL postseason reaches its penultimate stage on Sunday, January 25, 2026, with the AFC and NFC championship games determining who will play in Super Bowl LX. In the early game, the New England Patriots travel to Denver to face the Broncos, and later the Los Angeles Rams go on the road to take on the Seattle Seahawks.
Conference championship weekend is often defined by small margins: a single turnover, a red-zone stop, or a late-game conversion can swing an entire season. With the stakes at their highest, teams usually lean into their most reliable identities—whether that’s controlling the line of scrimmage, playing field-position football, or trusting a quarterback to win critical third downs. Coaches also tend to shrink game plans, emphasizing plays that can be executed cleanly under pressure.
AFC: New England at Denver
In the AFC Championship, Denver hosts New England with a Super Bowl berth at stake. Home-field advantage can matter significantly at this stage of the year, especially when crowd noise affects communication and when winter conditions can shape play-calling. The Patriots and Broncos enter the matchup with the knowledge that every possession will be scrutinized—and that special teams and situational football often decide January games as much as highlight plays.
NFC: Rams at Seahawks
The NFC title game sends the Rams to Seattle, where the Seahawks will try to capitalize on home energy and familiarity with their environment. These matchups tend to turn into endurance tests—defensive coordinators hunt for tendencies, offensive lines battle fatigue, and quarterbacks must stay patient when big plays are scarce. The Rams’ road challenge is clear: limit mistakes early and keep the game within reach into the final quarter.
What comes next: Super Bowl LX
The winners will advance to Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. For the teams still alive, Sunday is about earning the right to extend the season one more week—and doing it in the most unforgiving environment the sport offers.