The NFL playoff field expanded to 14 teams this year, but will a bigger bracket mean better competition? The opening weekend matchups certainly look good on paper.
Football fans will be able to watch three wild-card games each on Saturday and Sunday as the 2021 postseason kicks off. Only the Chiefs and Packers earned first-round byes, so the other 12 squads must fight to avoid an early exit.
Here's everything you need to know about the NFL wild-card games, including a full schedule with TV channels and start times.
MORE: Watch today's NFL games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
NFL playoff schedule: What games are on today?
Saturday, Jan. 9
(All times Eastern)
| Game | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Colts at Bills | 1:05 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Rams at Seahawks | 4:40 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Buccaneers at Washington Football Team | 8:15 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV |
Sunday, Jan. 10
(All times Eastern)
| Game | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Ravens vs. Titans | 1:05 p.m. | ABC/ESPN, fuboTV |
| Bears vs. Saints | 4:40 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Browns vs. Steelers | 8:15 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV |
NFL PLAYOFF PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread
NFL playoff game TV channels, live stream
Colts vs. Bills
- Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
- TV channel: CBS
- Live stream: CBS All Access | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
Key storyline: Philip Rivers limiting turnovers
If the Colts want to pull off the upset, Rivers must take care of the ball. He has three fumbles and 10 interceptions in 11 career playoff games. Indianapolis simply can't afford to give Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense extra opportunities.
Rams vs. Seahawks
- Time: 4:40 p.m. ET
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: Fox Sports Go | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
Key storyline: Jared Goff's status
Goff missed the Rams' regular season finale with a thumb injury, but it's unclear whether he will be available against the Seahawks. John Wolford, who threw for 231 yards in a Week 17 win, says he will be ready to go if Goff isn't cleared to play.
Buccaneers vs. Washington Football Team
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: Peacock | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
Key storyline: Tom Brady vs. Chase Young
Washington's star rookie wants to take down the GOAT. As he ran off the field Sunday, Young could be heard saying, "I want Tom." Bucs head coach Bruce Arians responded by warning Young, "You better watch what you wish for." This should be fun.
Ravens vs. Titans
- Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ABC/ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+ | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
Key storyline: Ravens seeking revenge
Last year's top-seeded Ravens were surprisingly dominated by the Titans in the divisional round. They fell behind early and never landed a significant counter punch. Baltimore is the lower seed this time around, but you can bet the sting of that loss is still fresh for Lamar Jackson and Co.
Bears vs. Saints
- Time: 4:40 p.m. ET
- TV channel: CBS
- Live stream: CBS All Access | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
Key storyline: Bears out to prove strong finish wasn't a fluke
Chicago won three of its last four games to close out the 2020 campaign, but those three victories came against Houston, Minnesota and Jacksonville — not exactly the league's elite. But the Bears don't care how they got here. They are only focused on how to take down the Saints.
"We know everybody is overlooking us," Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said. "They have the back half of the season. I think we have been just playing with that edge, that chip on our shoulder. ... We've got to be locked into the small details of our game plan and our job descriptions and just play hard and play with a lot of passion and will.
"And if we do that, I think we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”
Browns vs. Steelers
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: Peacock | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
Key storyline: Cleveland's COVID-19 outbreak
The Browns will be without head coach Kevin Stefanski and multiple starters for their first playoff game since 2002 due to COVID-19 issues. It would have been hard enough to beat the Steelers at full strength considering Cleveland has lost 17 straight games at Heinz Field. How will the backups respond under postseason pressure?
NFL scores for wild-card games
You can keep up with live scores and stats with SN's live scoreboard.
Saturday, Jan. 9
| Game |
|---|
| Bills 27, Colts 24 |
| Rams 30, Seahawks 20 |
| Buccaneers 31, Washington 23 |
Sunday, Jan. 10
| Game |
|---|
| Ravens 20, Titans 13 |
| Saints 21, Bears 9 |
| Browns 48, Steelers 37 |
