The 2026 NFL postseason has delivered surprises and season-defining moments as the league now turns its attention to the Super Bowl. After three intense rounds of playoff football, two teams remain standing: the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
Here is what has happened so far:
The Wild Card Round set the tone for an unforgettable playoff run, with many football fanatics preaching that this year’s playoffs have been one of the best of all time. The Rams narrowly escaped against the Panthers in a 34-31 shootout, while the Bears fought through a crazy comeback down 21-3 to ultimately stun the Packers, winning the game 31-27. Buffalo advanced with a close 27–24 win over Jacksonville, and San Francisco eliminated the defending champion Eagles in a major early-round upset. New England controlled its matchup with the Chargers, winning 16–3 behind another strong defensive showing. And the Texans rounded out the round with a 23–17 Monday night victory over the Steelers.
The Divisional Round was equally as competitive. In one of the most thrilling games of the season, the Denver Broncos edged the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime. Despite the win, Denver suffered a major blow as their starting quarterback, Bo Nix, broke his ankle, ending his season and forcing the Broncos to move forward without their starter. “That game was insane, but losing Bo Nix kind of took the excitement away,” said Jun Nakai, a big Broncos fan. “It feels like the Broncos’ whole Super Bowl path changed in one play.”
The Seahawks, meanwhile, made a loud statement by demolishing division rival San Francisco 41-6, one of the most dominant performances of the playoffs, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with. “Seattle didn’t just win, they embarrassed them,” said junior Joncarlo Arozamena. “That made me actually believe they could go all the way.”
New England continued to rely on elite defense, holding the Houston Texans to just 16 points in a 28-16 victory to advance. “The Patriots’ defense is just different,” said another junior Jack Diamond. “They’re not blowing teams out like crazy, but they don’t need to.” In the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams survived a tight battle against the Chicago Bears, winning 20-17 in overtime to punch their ticket to the conference championship.
The Conference Championships were just as razor-thin, ultimately ending with the Patriots winning in a low-scoring 10-7 game over the Broncos. The Broncos started off the game spectacularly, with their backup quarterback Jarett Stidham looking like he was going to prove everyone wrong. However, the weather conditions got considerably worse in the second half, with neither team being able to score due to the heavy snow and wind. With the playing field leveled, miraculously, by an immense stroke of luck, the Patriots came out on top. Finally, the Seahawks pulled out with the win over the Rams 31-27. With how the game started, it did not seem like it was going to be a high scoring game, with both defenses giving the other team work. Instead, both teams came out the second half, scoring 4 consecutive touchdowns and turning the game into a shootout, with the Seahawks emerging on top.
Now the Super Bowl is set, with the Patriots and the Seahawks with one game left for all the glory. Tune in on February 8th to find out who will take it all!
