NFL Playoffs: How to Watch the Divisional Round with DISH
The 2025 NFL Playoffs continue with four Divisional Round games on January 17-18. Here's a preview of all the matchups and how to watch all of the action with DISH. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best offer and subscribe to DISH today!
Saturday, January 17
Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 4:30pm ET on CBS
Although the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills faced each other in last year’s AFC Wild Card round, this year’s rematch figures to be quite different from the 31-7 beatdown Buffalo handed out last season. Roster changes notwithstanding, top-seeded Denver is a much more seasoned, dangerous opponent than last year, particularly on defense. The fact that the game will be played in Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High also provides a significant boost for the Broncos. And unlike last year’s team that struggled to put opponents away, the Broncos are one of the best 4th quarter teams in the NFL.
As for the Bills, it really all comes down to one player: 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen. In Buffalo’s Wild Card win over Jacksonville, Allen was nothing short of sensational – despite getting banged around by the Jaguars defense, he rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third, while completing 28-of-35 passes for 273 yards. It was Buffalo’s first road playoff win in more than 30 years and left no doubt that Allen is one of the best players in the game. Denver’s defense poses a significant challenge, but if Allen can hit a few big plays early to take the crowd out of it, Denver may not be in position to complete one of their patented comebacks.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8:00pm ET on FOX
Three of the four NFC West teams made the playoffs, and following the Wild Card round, all three are still alive. The division-winning Seahawks advanced by virtue of their bye as the conference’s top seed, and they’ll face the San Francisco 49ers in their playoff opener. The two rivals split their divisional games in Week 1 and Week 18, with the latter game securing the top seed for Seattle when they defeated the 49ers 13-3 on the road. Despite that loss, San Francisco pulled off one of the bigger upsets of Wild Card Weekend when they beat the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road. Despite adding tight end George Kittle to their litany of injured players, the Niners were able to pull off a 4th quarter comeback thanks to two Christian McCaffrey scores, one on a trick play and the other on a go-ahead four-yard pass from QB Brock Purdy.
But with their depleted roster, the 49ers face a steep challenge in the divisional round as they attempt to pull off their second win in Seattle this season. The Seahawks are one of the most balanced teams in the NFL, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba leading the NFL with 1,793 yards and a defense that limited QBs to a league-best 6 yards per attempt. The biggest question for Seattle is QB Sam Darnold, who is prone to both big plays and crushing mistakes. Despite passing for more than 4,000 yards in the regular season, he led all QBs in turnovers, with 14 picks and 6 fumbles lost. If San Francisco can get to Darnold and force him into some mistakes, they have a good shot at completing one of the most unlikely runs to a conference championship in recent memory.
Sunday, January 18
Houston Texans at New England Patriots
Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3:00pm ET on ESPN/ABC
The final game of Wild Card weekend featured a dominant performance from what many consider the NFL’s best defense. The Texans’ D scored twice in the fourth quarter – including a pick-six on what may end up being the final pass of Aaron Rodgers’ career – as Houston overcame a sloppy offensive performance to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday Night. The victory was the 10th in a row for the red-hot Texans, as well as the team’s first-ever road playoff win.
They’ll try to get their second when they take on the Patriots, the most successful playoff team of the 21st century. Despite their storied history, this year’s Pats team is an all-new model. Second-year QB Drake Maye is one of the front-runners for MVP, but it was the Patriots’ defense that led the team to their 16-3 win over the LA Chargers in the Wild Card game. The Patriots will need to be a lot more efficient on offense to get past the Texans defense, but Houston’s D also hasn’t faced an offense like New England’s, which finished second in points in the regular season. This should be a fascinating matchup to open the second day of the Divisional Round.
Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears
Sunday, Jan. 18 at 6:30pm ET on NBC
After decades of misery in the Windy City, the Chicago Bears are one of the better stories in the NFL this season. Under first year head coach Ben Johnson, Da Bears have completely turned it around, culminating in a thrilling come-from-behind Wild Card win over their hated rival in Green Bay. Trailing 21-6 after three quarters, the Bears scored 25 points in the final frame for their seventh fourth-quarter comeback win of the season. Best of all, former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is blossoming into one of the most electrifying QBs in the NFL; his fourth down pass to Rome Odunze was one of the most impressive throws of the entire season, if not longer.
As a reward for their astonishing Wild Card win, the Bears will host one of the most poised and experienced teams left in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Rams. Led by MVP favorite Matthew Stafford, the Rams escaped with a closer-than-expected win against the Carolina Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs. Despite not playing their best game, the Rams were able to pull off the victory on the strength of yet another monster game from WR Puka Nacua, who had 10 catches for 111 yards and two total touchdowns. To advance to the NFC Championship, the Rams will likely need another big performance from both Nacua and Stafford, as their defense has looked extremely average in recent weeks.
