With one round down, there are only two more to go in the NFL playoffs. The No. 1 seeds join the foray, and hopefully, fans don’t see as many blowouts in the 2022 Divisional Round NFL playoff bracket. As we inch closer to Super Bowl LVI, the field has trimmed down to eight teams.
So when does the action kick off in the Divisional Round? Here’s a look at the NFL playoff bracket matchups for the second week of the postseason. Continue reading for all the information you need to catch this weekend’s action.
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NFL Playoff Bracket
Eight teams remain after the dust settled from Super Wild Card Weekend. One lone Wild Card team remains in the playoffs after the 49ers took down the Cowboys in Dallas. Here’s the Divisional Round NFL playoff bracket with the second round of action now underway.
AFC
- (4) Cincinnati Bengals 19, (1) Tennessee Titans 16
- (2) Kansas City Chiefs 42, (3) Buffalo Bills 36 (OT)
NFC
- (6) San Francisco 49ers 13, (1) Green Bay Packers 10
- (4) Los Angeles Rams 30, (2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27
Divisional Round NFL playoff bracket matchups | AFC
Let’s look at the AFC matchups for the Divisional Round of the 2021-2022 playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals (No. 4 seed) 19, Tennessee Titans (No. 1 seed) 16
The Bengals and Titans kicked off the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs with an exciting, defensive battle. Although we had some exceptional offensive moments, including beautiful catches by both A.J. Brown and Ja’Marr Chase, this one came down to a last-second field goal.
In the end, Cincinnati traveled to Tennessee and took down the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Tennessee was driving for a game-winning field goal when QB Ryan Tannehill threw his third interception of the day. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson then made the 52-yard field goal that sent the Bengals to the AFC Conference Championship Game for the first time since 1988.
Kansas City Chiefs (No. 2 seed) 42, Buffalo Bills (No. 3 seed) 36
In what is being labeled as one of the greatest football games of all time, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills were forced to go to overtime to decide a winner. After three lead changes in the final two minutes of the game, the Chiefs won the coin toss and marched down the field for the victory. The Chiefs were the only home team to win in the Divisional Round.
Both offenses were unbelievable in this game, but a special shoutout belongs to Gabriel Davis who broke an NFL record with 4 TD catches and over 200 receiving yards. Now, the Chiefs will remain at home and host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.
Divisional Round NFL playoff bracket matchups | NFC
Here are the NFC playoff bracket matchups for the second round of the 2021-2022 NFL postseason.
San Francisco 49ers (No. 6 seed) 13, Green Bay Packers (No. 1 seed) 10
In what was the fifth-coldest NFL playoff game in Green Bay history, the San Francisco 49ers went into Lambeau and beat the top-seeded Packers. San Francisco took advantage of a blocked punt for a touchdown to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Robbie Gould then knocked in a game-winning 45-yard field goal with no time left on the clock.
Once again this season, Deebo Samuel was the real X-factor for the 49ers. He finished the game with 44 receiving yards and 39 rushing yards. The 49ers will now travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in the NFC Championship.
Los Angeles Rams (No. 4 seed) 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 2 seed) 27
During a weekend where home-field advantage seemed to not matter, the Los Angeles Rams traveled into Tampa Bay and beat the defending Super Bowl champions. The Buccaneers’ offensive line without Tristan Wirfs was a shell of itself as Tom Brady faced pressure all night by a combination of Aaron Donald and Von Miller.
Matthew Stafford was nearly perfect, throwing for over 300 yards with 2 touchdowns. Cooper Kupp continues his unbelievable season, finishing the game with 183 yards and a touchdown. The game ended up being incredibly close thanks to a late-game surge by Brady and the Bucs, but they just fell short.
Now, the Rams will get to head back to Los Angeles and face their NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers in the Conference Championship game. If they win, they could become the first NFL team to play a Conference Championship game and the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
Divisional Round TV Schedule
The NFL playoff bracket transitions from six to four games as the field continues to thin. Here are the times and TV channels for all the Divisional Round matchups.
Saturday, January 22
- Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans
- Start Time: 4:30 PM ET
- Channel: CBS, Paramount+
- San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers
- Start Time: 8:15 PM ET
- Channel: FOX
Sunday, January 23
- Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Start Time: 3 PM ET
- Channel: NBC, Peacock
- Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
- Start Time: 6:30 PM ET
- Channel: CBS, Paramount+
Should your team be knocked out of the playoffs and you want to see what options they might have in the 2022 NFL Draft, be sure to check out PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator with trades and pilot your team’s offseason journey.