There were some shocking finishes in the Wild Card Round, and there is still one more game to go, as the Houston Texans are in Pittsburgh to face the Steelers in the final game of the first round here in 2025. The winner of that game will head to New England to face the Patriots in the Divisional Round.
The other AFC Divisional matchup might honestly be the future Super Bowl representative, as the Denver Broncos host the Buffalo Bills. With the Patriots, Texans, and Steelers likely being 'less' of a Super Bowl contender than Denver and Buffalo, the winner of that game could go on to advance to Super Bowl LX.
The NFC sees the LA Rams traveling to visit the Chicago Bears, and the San Francisco 49ers in Seattle to face the Seahawks. Those games could end up going as we think they will, with the Rams and Seahawks meeting in the NFC Championship Game. Let's predict the three most likely Super Bowl matchups ahead of the Divisional Round.
3 most likely Super Bowl matchups ahead of the NFL Divisional Round
Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
Right now, it would not be a shock to see the two no. 1 seeds advancing to the Super Bowl, as both Seattle and Denver not only have top-3 defense, but they also sport the two best home-field advantages in the entire NFL. Both teams are also coming off a ton of rest and simply have to take care of business at home.
This would be a rematch of Super Bowl 48, where the Legion of Boom Seahawks blew out the best scoring offense in NFL history in the 2013 Denver Broncos, led by then-MVP Peyton Manning. This could be the most competitive matchup of the remaining possibilities. Denver and Seattle are in a position to make the Super Bowl more than the remaining teams.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills
Two teams that have become regulars in the NFL playoffs are the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills. The Rams won it all back in the 2021 NFL Season thanks to a superteam-type of roster and some elite QB play from Matthew Stafford. The 2021 season was the first year after the Rams and Detroit Lions swapped QBs.
In the years since, the Rams have rebuild their roster and have one of the best in the NFL, but the team's defense has not played all that well recently, as the secondary is definitely in need of another starter or two. Heck, that is kind of the case for the Buffalo Bills, but along the defensive line.
Buffalo can't stop the run well and don't create a ton of pressure on the QB, but both teams are led by their excellent quarterbacks. Josh Allen has taken over playoff games at times and is capable of doing damage with his arm and his legs.
Buffalo and LA would likely both have to go on the road with their final two games before the Super Bowl, so isn't not a slam-dunk guarantee that this matchup comes true, but there are easy arguments for each team to advance, as we just noted.
The Rams are in Chicago to face the Bears, who seem to have a thing for major fourth quarter comebacks, and the Bills are in Denver to face the Broncos, another team that has a thing for fourth quarter comebacks. Oddly enough, both Chicago and Denver are led by their second-year passers, but the Broncos feel like the more formidable team.
At the end of the day, though, no one would be surprised if the Rams and the Bills each won in the Divisional Round, as there is an element of 'been there, done that' that could give each team an advantage.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Denver Broncos
The Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos is the other possible matchup here - both teams could easily make the Super Bowl but could also easily lose before that. Where LA struggles is in the secondary, as we saw Bryce Young, of all people, play quite well in the Rams' Wild Card win. The backend of the defense has needed help for a large chunk of the season, and it's to the point that the Rams are likely going to make a significant addition on the backend in the offseason.
Denver's weak point right now is the run game - this part of the offense has struggled since JK Dobbins went down in Week 10, but with the possibility that Dobbins could return for the AFC Championship Game, all the Broncos may have to do here is get by the Buffalo Bills.
The Broncos offensive consistency during the game is also another point of emphasis, as they have struggled to get going in the first half only to turn it on in the second half. This has actually led to many people calling the Broncos frauds, but this team went 14-3 in the regular season and are far from frauds.
Honorable Mention: Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills
Another logical matchup that gets our Honorable Mention tag is the Seahawks facing the Bills. Seattle might have the most complete roster in the NFL and do have a Coach of the Year candidate in Mike Macdonald. What we'll hear in the coming weeks with the Seahawks is really a lot of discussion centered around if Sam Darnold will be able to 'show up' in these big games, as that seems to be the one thing that could derail an otherwise great season.
What do you think the most likely Super Bowl LX matchup is as the NFL Divisional Round quickly approaches?