And then there were four. Sure, it might not have quite topped what we saw on Wild Card Weekend — you can thank the defenses of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots for that, as they erased the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans respectively — but the Divisional Round still delivered plenty of drama, including an instant (and controversial) classic in Denver and an overtime finish in Chicago.
When the dust had settled, the conference championship games were set — and at this point, it feels like any of the remaining outcomes wouldn't come as a shock. With that being said, let's take a look at the updated bracket after Divisional weekend and predict which teams are best set up to finish the job and hoist the Lombardi.
Updated AFC playoff bracket
Championship Round
No. 2 New England Patriots at No. 1 Denver Broncos
Despite Bo Nix's heartbreaking ankle injury, I'm not writing the Broncos off just yet. This Denver defense is absolutely capable of carrying their team through one more game, especially at home at altitude, and it's worth noting that Jarrett Stidham has a little more juice than your average backup QB.
Still, I can't quite bring myself to pull the trigger. The Patriots defense is looking better and healthier than it has in a very long time, and in a matchup between Stidham and potential MVP Drake Maye, I'll take the latter every time. It won't be a walk in the park, but eventually I think Maye makes enough plays to see New England through to its first Super Bowl appearance since 2018.
Updated NFC playoff bracket
Championship Round
No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks
Anybody up for Round 3 between these two NFC West powerhouses? These were the two best teams in the NFL by DVOA this year, and they split two classics in the regular season. It's only fitting that they should meet again with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
If you asked me this just a couple of weeks or so ago, I probably would've taken the Rams. But is anyone playing better than this Seahawks team right now? The defense is swarming at all three levels, Sam Darnold seems to have avoided the worst-case scenario with his oblique and the running game is making life much easier for this offense. If Matthew Stafford catches fire, that could drag Seattle into a shootout Darnold isn't prepared to win. But I'm not betting against the Seahawks' defense; if Darnold simply takes care of the ball and Kenneth Walker churns out solid efficiency on the ground, the 12s should carry Seattle back to the Big Gamea.
Super Bowl prediction
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
Somewhere, Malcolm Butler is smiling. Drake Maye against Seattle's defense would be worth the price of admission alone, and Mike Vrabel vs. Mike Macdonald could touch off a new coaching rivalry. This would be appointment viewing.
Again, I just trust Seattle's defense more than any other individual unit still alive in these playoffs. They have impact talent all over the field, and I don't think that the Patriots offense will be able to punish them enough on the ground to force them into the base formations that Macdonald always wants to avoid. Even if Christian Gonzalez is able to shut off Jaxon Smith-Njigba's water, I think the Seahawks will have enough answers provided Darnold can just keep his head on his shoulders. It won't be full redemption for 2015, but it's something.