This is the sole day of the NFL playoffs with three games scheduled, and each matchup carries large national intrigue.
We won’t see Jason Statham or Charlie Kelly, but Sunday brings us a loaded wild-card lineup. This is the sole day of the NFL playoffs with three games scheduled, and each matchup carries large national intrigue.
First, the Buffalo Bills visit the Jacksonville Jaguars — that’s Josh Allen versus Josh Hines-Allen, and Bills Mafia versus Du(uu)val. Next, a pair of NFC blue bloods duke it out, as the resilient San Francisco 49ers face the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. The slate concludes in Foxborough, with Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers challenging Drake Maye’s New England Patriots.
This playoff trio is spread across three different networks. Here’s what viewers need to know ahead of kickoffs.
CBS, Fox and NBC are free over the air. CBS is also available on Paramount+, and Fox is also available on Fox One.
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars
Bills (12-5): Buffalo failed to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019, but Sean McDermott’s team still shined for most of the year. The Bills finished the regular season fourth in points per game and 12th in points allowed. Behind a backfield of Allen and James Cook, the offense ranked No. 1 in ground yards and touchdowns, while it put up the second-highest yards per carry mark at 5.0. Accordingly, Buffalo led the league in time per drive.
Allen, the 2024 MVP, was once again a singular force in red zone sets. Meanwhile, the dynamic Cook paced all rushers with 1,621 yards. On defense, the Bills had their pronounced struggles against the run (30th in yards per attempt at 5.1), but they were solid against opposing passers (fifth in net yards per dropback and tied for seventh in QB knockdown rate).
Per NFL Media, Allen’s 309.8 combined passing and rushing yards per game is a record for quarterbacks with at least 10 playoff starts. However, he’s never won away from home in the postseason (0-4) — and the Bills overall are 0-8 as the road team in the playoffs since their 1992 AFC Championship Game win in Miami.
Jaguars (13-4): Coming into 2025, Jacksonville had just one campaign of 10+ wins in its last 17 seasons. Against all odds, these Jaguars won 13 games with first-year head coach Liam Coen, and without No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter for the second half (he had right knee surgery after seven games).
The teal warriors pulled top-10 marks in scoring offense (sixth) and defense (eighth). They ended on an eight-game win streak, which included an inspiring road W against the top-seeded Denver Broncos in Week 16. Hines-Allen galvanized the defense with eight sacks. Safety Antonio Johnson and linebacker Devin Lloyd each snared five interceptions.
On the other side, Trevor Lawrence found a midseason spark under center, thanks to the trade deadline acquisition of wideout Jakobi Meyers. Fellow receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was also a rolling highlight down the stretch:
Lawrence had a career-high 29 passing touchdowns and nine rushing scores in 2025 — 19 of those through the air and five of them on the ground came during the Jaguars’ final eight games. He’s 1-1 in the postseason and threw four TDs in his playoff debut three years ago.
Broadcast:“Here we go, Jim!” CBS has Jim Nantz on play-by-play and Tony Romo on color commentary. Nantz’s work has a certain golden glow, perhaps because he is the longtime voice of The Masters in golf. Romo elevates a telecast with pure enthusiasm and giddiness. Tracy Wolfson joins the duo for sideline dispatches and injury updates.
Playoff history: These teams have two prior wild-card clashes, and Jacksonville won both of them. The Jags notched their inaugural postseason win in 1996, just their second year as a franchise. Natrone Means rushed for 175 yards at blustery Rich Stadium in that 30-27 victory. In the 2017 season, the “Sacksonville” squad eked out a 10-3 win at EverBank Field. Jalen Ramsey had one of two interceptions for the formidable Jaguars defense.
Bills at Jaguars odds
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
49ers (12-5): Poor health and general misfortune could have sunk the Niners. Five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Nick Bosa tore his ACL in September. First-round rookie and fellow edge rusher Mykel Williams suffered the same fate in November. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner was ruled out for the rest of the regular season after a Week 6 ankle injury. And the Brandon Aiyuk saga left San Francisco without its No. 1 receiver, who had signed a four-year contract extension in 2024.
No matter. Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers rallied to a 12-win season, even as Brock Purdy missed eight starts due to turf toe. Christian McCaffrey led the NFL in touches, racking up more than 1,200 rushing yards and another 924 receiving yards on 102 catches. According to NFL Media, McCaffrey has a seven-game playoff TD streak. He’d be the fourth player ever to score in eight straight if he crosses the plane Sunday.
Elsewhere, Jauan Jennings hauled in nine touchdowns, while George Kittle tallied seven in 11 contests. The offense was No. 1 in third-down conversions and No. 5 in red zone efficiency. No team had fewer sacks this season, but the Niners showed an undeniable courage across 2025.
Eagles (11-6): Nick Sirianni’s Eagles looked a step slower this year. The reigning Super Bowl champs had a point differential of plus-160 in 2024; that mark slipped to plus-54 in 2025. But the title core remains intact for another run. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are in the backfield. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are out wide. Vic Fangio’s defense still breaks the pocket and tightens airspace.
The tush-pushers were first in red zone touchdown rate. Although Barkley failed to replicate last season’s success, a different goal-to-go option emerged in Dallas Goedert. The veteran tight end caught a career-high 11 TDs in 15 games. The Philly defense got Pro Bowl turns from ascendant DBs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, plus do-it-all linebacker Zack Baun and pile-pushing defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Broadcast: Fox has Kevin Burkhardt on play-by-play duty and Tom Brady for analysis. Burkhardt’s call is punchy and thrilling. Brady brings unprecedented postseason experience to the booth. Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi are the network’s two sideline reporters.
Playoff history: The Niners and Eagles have two previous postseason meetups. First, San Francisco shut out Philadelphia 14-0 in the 1996 wild-card round. Jerry Rice caught a touchdown pass from Steve Young in that game. Then, Philly prevailed 31-7 in the 2022 NFC Championship Game. Purdy suffered an elbow injury on his first series, and the Eagles defense feasted with three turnovers.
49ers at Eagles odds
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
Chargers (11-6): Jim Harbaugh is now 2-for-2 in playoff bids with the Chargers, though the head coach has to be worried about his offensive line. Los Angeles lost elite OT Rashawn Slater to a patellar tendon tear during training camp. Its other cornerstone tackle, Joe Alt, went down for the season with a Week 9 ankle injury. As a result, Herbert was perpetually pressured. He took 54 sacks this season, third-worst mark in the league.
Still, these Chargers have the voltage to threaten a Sunday night upset. Herbert put up a 111.0 passer rating when he threw to airborne receiver Quentin Johnston. L.A. was No. 3 in third-down conversions and No. 5 in third-down stops. The defense, coordinated by Jesse Minter, allowed the fifth-fewest total yards. Derwin James covered just about every blade of grass from the safety position, while breakout edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu finished with 13 sacks in 16 games.
Patriots (14-3): Look who’s back. The 21st century standard-bearers return to the bracket for the first time in four years. Since 2000, the Patriots have played the most postseason games and have the highest playoff winning percentage, according to TruMedia. But Brady is in the booth for Fox, and Bill Belichick is in Chapel Hill for whatever reason. The new duo of Maye and Mike Vrabel is set to reintroduce the franchise.
New England was a two-way force in 2025. It was second in scoring offense and fourth on defense. Maye made an MVP case in just his second pro season, as he led the league in completion percentage, passer rating and yards per pass attempt. At a TD-INT balance of 31-to-8, he quarterbacked with steadiness that belied his youth.
The defense was spearheaded by lockdown corner Christian Gonzalez — opponents completed just 53.6 percent of throws into his coverage. And whenever action bogged down, rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson was there to crack it back open:
Broadcast: It’s the usual “Sunday Night Football” setup, so Mike Tirico is the narrator and Cris Collinsworth is his partner. Tirico is one of the most versatile sports broadcasters. Collinsworth is a man of many aphorisms, from his chair-slide intro to “now here’s a guy…” exclamations. Melissa Stark rounds out coverage from the field level.
Playoff history: There have been four Bolts-Pats knockout games. In 1964, the then-San Diego Chargers beat the then-Boston Patriots in the then-AFL championship. More than 40 years later, New England won two tense games in consecutive postseasons. Vrabel was a starting linebacker for both.
The 2006 divisional duel is canonized for Marlon McCree’s fumbled interception and Nate Kaeding’s late missed kick. The 2007 AFC Championship Game saw the Patriots improve to 18-0, even as Brady threw three picks. The Pats didn’t win the Super Bowl that season, but they did the next time they faced the Chargers in the postseason. In 2018, New England cruised past L.A. off the strength of three Sony Michel scores. Two games later, Brady and company were NFL champs.
Chargers at Patriots odds
Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic_. Restrictions may apply._ The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.