The road to Super Bowl LX is down to four. Championship Sunday delivers two heavyweight rematches, two No. 1 seeds defending home turf, and four quarterbacks arriving at this stage in wildly different ways. The Patriots and Broncos open the afternoon in Denver before the Rams and Seahawks renew their NFC West rivalry under the lights in Seattle. Here’s everything you need to know heading into the 2026 Conference Championships.
AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots (16-3, No. 2) at Denver Broncos (15-3, No. 1)
Sunday, January 25, 2026 — 3:00 PM ET
Empower Field at Mile High
Referee: Alex Kemp
The AFC title game returns to Denver for the first time since the Broncos’ 2015 championship run, and once again the Patriots are the visitors. Denver holds a 4–1 postseason edge in the series, winning all five playoff meetings at home, while New England arrives seeking its first Super Bowl appearance since 2018.
The Patriots earned their spot with a 28–16 win over Houston, powered by another efficient outing from Drake Maye. The second-year quarterback posted his 14th game this season with a passer rating over 100, continuing a breakout campaign that included an NFL-best 113.5 rating and 31 touchdown passes.
New England’s offense has leaned on a balanced attack, with rookie TreVeyon Henderson emerging as a big-play threat and Rhamondre Stevenson providing steady production on the ground.
Defensively, the Patriots enter with momentum after a disruptive performance in the Divisional Round. Marcus Jones delivered a pick-six, Carlton Davis posted four pass breakups and two interceptions, and rookie safety Craig Woodson added an interception and fumble recovery. New England’s pass rush has also surged, with Milton Williams recording multiple sacks in two of his last three playoff games.
Denver survived a 33–30 overtime thriller against Buffalo to advance, but the Broncos will turn to Jarrett Stidham for his first career postseason start.
Sean Payton’s team has leaned on a deep skill group all season, highlighted by Courtland Sutton’s third 1,000-yard campaign and rookie RJ Harvey’s 12 total touchdowns. Marvin Mims added a breakout performance last week with 93 yards and a score.
The Broncos’ defense remains the backbone of their No. 1 seed run. Nik Bonitto posted 14 sacks during the regular season and forced two fumbles against Buffalo, while Zach Allen and Pat Surtain II continue to anchor a unit that allowed just 18.3 points per game. Denver’s secondary features multiple ballhawks, including Ja’Quan McMillian and Riley Moss, who tied for the league lead with 19 pass breakups.
Denver has reached the Super Bowl in six of its last eight seasons as a No. 1 seed. New England, meanwhile, returns to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since its run of eight straight appearances from 2011–18. One team will punch its ticket back to the sport’s biggest stage.
NFC Championship Game
Los Angeles Rams (14-5, No. 5) at Seattle Seahawks (15-3, No. 1)
Sunday, January 25, 2026 — 6:30 PM ET
Lumen Field
Referee: Clay Martin
The NFC Championship features a familiar matchup between division rivals who played a 38–37 overtime classic just a month ago. Seattle holds the regular-season edge historically, but the Rams have won both postseason meetings, including a Wild Card victory in 2021.
Los Angeles advanced with a 20–17 overtime win in Chicago, leaning on the league’s most explosive passing attack. Matthew Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 yards and a career-high 46 touchdown passes this season, and he enters with three straight multi-touchdown games against Seattle. Puka Nacua continues to rewrite early-career record books, following a 1,715-yard season with 489 postseason yards in just five playoff games. Kyren Williams added 117 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns last week, extending a postseason streak of consistent production.
The Rams’ defense has been opportunistic throughout the playoffs. Cobie Durant has interceptions in back-to-back postseason games, Emmanuel Forbes finished the year with 18 pass breakups, and Byron Young delivered a 12-sack Pro Bowl season. Safety Kam Curl remains the unit’s tackling anchor after a 13-tackle performance in the Divisional Round.
Seattle arrives fresh off a dominant 41–6 win over San Francisco, showcasing the balance that earned the Seahawks the NFC’s top seed. Sam Darnold has delivered one of the most efficient seasons of his career, surpassing 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns while guiding Seattle to consecutive 13-win seasons with two different franchises. Kenneth Walker erupted for 145 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns last week and has topped 100 yards in three straight meetings with the Rams.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba headlines Seattle’s receiving corps after a 1,793-yard season, becoming just the third player under 24 to surpass 1,700 yards. Rashid Shaheed added a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown in the Divisional Round, one of the rarest plays in playoff history.
Defensively, the Seahawks are loaded with playmakers. Ernest Jones recorded five interceptions this season and added another last week, while Demarcus Lawrence delivered one of the most dominant playoff defensive performances in two decades with a sack, two forced fumbles, two tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. Devon Witherspoon and Leonard Williams round out a unit that allowed just 17.2 points per game.
Seattle seeks its first Super Bowl appearance since the 2013–14 seasons. The Rams aim for their third since 2018. With two elite offenses and two opportunistic defenses, the NFC title game promises another dramatic chapter in this rivalry.