The 2025-2026 NFL season ended with lots of exciting matchups for week 18, and the playoffs are in full swing. Leading into this weekend’s divisional playoff games, eight teams are fighting to make it to the big game.
Heading into the playoffs, four teams from each conference made it to playoffs.
American Football Conference:
- North: Pittsburgh Steelers
- East: New England Patriots
- South: Jacksonville Jaguars
- West: Denver Broncos
National Football Conference:
- North: Chicago Bears
- East: Philadelphia Eagles
- South: Carolina Panthers
- West: Seattle Seahawks
As for the Wild Card Round, the exciting games started on Saturday, Jan. 10. Here’s a look at the final scores and who made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Saturday, Jan. 10:
NFC Wild Card: Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers- 34-31: Rams won
NFC Wild Card: Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears- 31-27: Bears won
Sunday, Jan. 11:
NFC Wild Card: San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles- 23-19: 49ers won
AFC Wild Card: Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars- 27-24: Bills won
AFC Wild Card: Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots- 16-3: Patriots won
Monday, Jan. 12:
AFC Wild Card: Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers- 30-6: Texans won
The Divisional Round of playoffs will start on Saturday, Jan. 17, with eight teams fighting to make it to the Super Bowl.
Many students at Rancho Cucamonga High School are NLF fans and there is plenty of diversity when it comes to which team they like. Senior Jolie Jensen was very excited about the playoffs since her favorite team, the Los Angeles Chargers, made it. However, the Chargers were eliminated in the first round.
“I think what makes the playoff environment more exciting is knowing that it is to make it to the big game, The Super Bowl,” Jensen said.
Jensen also had two teams that she absolutely did not want to win the Super Bowl, because they the Chargers in previous games, which were the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots.
Senior Romano Annecchini said that he is surprised the 49ers made it to the playoffs because of their injuries and how most of their starters are out. He also said that the playoffs are more exciting this season because the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t in the playoffs, so it makes it much more interesting since they have dominated the playoffs and already won the Super Bowl two times in a row.
“I think that the fact that the Chiefs are not in the playoffs as the obvious dynasty makes this year much more interesting, and there are also some unusual teams in the playoffs this year, like the Broncos and the Texans,” Annecchini said.
After the Divisional Round this weekend, the four teams that win will go on to compete in the AFC and NFC Conference Championships.
The Super Bowl is on Sunday, Feb. 8, in Santa Clara at Levi’s Stadium.
