Jan 27, 2026
3 min read
It's the second biggest Sunday on the NFL calendar: conference championship weekend.
The Biggest Inconsistency in the NFC Championship 🥊
2026 AFC and NFC championship winners, losers and results
The second most important Sunday on the NFL calendar: Division Championship Weekend.
Only four teams remain on target to reach Super Bowl LX on Sunday. Early in the game, the top two seeds in the AFC clash in Denver.By New England TeamThe Patriots look for a dramatic turnaround against the top-ranked Broncos.Starting with second quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
The weather suddenly became very good, as the Pats continued their defensive struggles.
On the NFC side, two familiar foes who broke the regular season series met in Seattle, where MVP Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams headed north to face the NFL's No. 1 point defense in the Seahawks.
Defense was optional Sunday night, and in a third barn burner between these two teams, Sam Darnold and the Seahawks came out on top.
It's the pair of heavyweights with the highest stakes, and Bleacher Report NFL analysts Gary Davenport, Chris Knox, Maurice Moton and Brent Sobleski have the biggest points, winners and losers from the AFC and NFC championship games.
AFC Championship Game
1 of 4 points: (2) Patriots 10, (1) Broncos 7
Patriots Takeaway: Mike Vrabel's Patriots are one win away from one of the NFL's record-setting turnarounds.
When Mike Vrabel was named Patriots head coach, it brought a lot of excitement to a franchise that was badly needed after a 4-13 season.
Vrabel is a Pats legend and a proven winner.
But no one expected the 50-year-old to lead the Patriots to a 14-3 record and the team's 12th Super Bowl.No one.
It sure helps to have good players, and New England has a lot of them.This isn't the first time the Pats have made the Super Bowl with a young sophomore quarterback.The last time came out better.
The Pats, however, adopted the mentality of their coach: tough, tough and physical on both sides of the ball.
Vrabel will likely be named Coach of the Year at the NFL Awards.
He won a medal.
Broncos Takeaway: Denver bounces back from upset loss
The last thing Broncos fans want to hear right now is "keep your head up." Losing the AFC championship game, no matter how it happened, is heartbreaking.
But this was a game in which Denver started a quarterback who had as many NFL pass attempts this year, a time that turned into a near-apocalypse against a 14-win team in the second half.
And broncoos are at the end.
There is work to be done in the offseason.The team needs more consistency on offense, especially down the field, and the AFC West isn't getting any easier.
However, the Broncos appear to have their quarterback in Beau Nix and a fantastic young defense.
The window is open at Mile High and will stay that way for a while.
AFC Championship winners and losers
2 of 4 Winner: QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Maye didn't have a good game throwing the ball -- he completed less than half of his passes, threw for less than 100 yards and was sacked five times.But the second-year pro avoided the turnovers that plagued him in the bowl game, and his legs were the difference in the game: 10 carries, 65 yards and the Patriots' one touchdown.
Kaotaja: Broncos Run Defense
The team that stops the run in a game in which both quarterbacks combine for less than 220 yards will advance to the Super Bowl.For a second straight playoff appearance, that team wasn't the Broncos.During the regular season, Denver ranked second in the league against the run, allowing just 91.1 rushing yards per game.In the postseason, the Broncos surrendered more than 160 rushing yards for the game, including 141 in the AFC Championship game.
Winner: Patriots Front Seven
The Patriots had a stout defense in the regular season, ranking eighth in yards per play, sixth against the run and fourth in passing defense.And while Denver's defense has been disappointing in the postseason, the Pats have kept the Broncos in need of running the ball on just 22 carries for 70 yards and 3.2 yards per carry.
Talo: HC Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Jarrett Stidham's first-half fumble was the killer and led to New England's only loss.But considering the fact that he was a backup quarterback, Denver head coach Sean Payton's decision to give up an easy field goal that would have given the Broncos a 10-0 lead in the second quarter was a huge mistake — tenfold when the weather was inclement and neither team could get anything going offensively.has been enhanced.
NFC Championship Game Conclusion
3 of 4 points: (1) Seahawks 31, (5) Rams 27
Seahawks takeaway: Sam Darnold's redemption complete
Sam Darnold led the team to the Super Bowl.
It's a remarkable turnaround considering his career.
When Darnold failed in the playoffs against the Rams last year, many were ready to discount his 14-3 season with the Minnesota Vikings.The Vikings themselves drafted J.J.McCarthy loved it.
Now the 2018 third overall pick by his fifth NFL team is just one win away from a ring.
Yes, Darnold led all defensive players during the regular season.But he didn't just take the Seahawks to the Super Bowl—he took them there.
In a game where the haunted defense of Seattle was roasted by Matthew Stafford and the Rams, Dinnold Antplete him, throws 346 yards and three touchdowns without a loss.
Whatever happens in Santa Clara, Darnold has arrived.
Rams Takeaway: Los Angeles will be an interesting team to watch this season
Let’s get the $64 issue out of the way first.Stafford might call it a job, but that's unlikely.He's one game away from his second Super Bowl, he likely won't be named MVP and NFL honors, and at 37 years old, he's proven he can still play at a high level.
Either way, it will be the end of the season in Los Angeles
Stafford's 2026 cap number is a whopping $48.3 million, and while the Rams have about $45.6 million in cap space per over-the-cap, the team is also exploring extension barrels for wide receiver Puka Nacua and edge rusher Byron Young that could be more than $30 million per season.
Les Snead is widely regarded as one of the NFL's best general managers, but he faces a difficult offseason managing his players.
NFC Championship game winners and losers
4 The 4tien Juara: Wr Jaxon Simth-njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Sunday's NFC title tilt featured two NFL receivers in 2025, and they didn't disappoint.Puka Nacua and Smith-Njigba combined for 19 catches for 318 yards and two touchdowns.Those numbers are not made up.Both young receivers made highlight plays, but it's Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks who are moving forward — and nothing says "winners" more than winning.
Loser: Ram of protection
To be clear, both defensive coordinators will be burning up the tape of this game - the Rams and Seahawks combined for over 800 yards of offense and 58 points.But the Rams didn't fare much better defensively.They didn't stop the run, defend the pass or get consistent pressure on Darnold.The Rams were --- on third down.The Seahawks were 7-of-13.The ball game.
Pobjednik: RB Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
When the Seahawks lost Zach Charbonnet to a season-ending injury in the divisional game, there was reason to worry about how Walker would hold up at catch.So far, the fourth-year pro is doing well—he had a double-digit catch in the first quarter alone as the Seahawks got off to a red-hot start and finished the game with 111 yards and a touchdown.
Talo: Rams special teams
Special teams have been a disaster this year so the Rams are nothing new.You name it, it happened: blocked punts, blocked punts and fumble returns.And Xavier Smith's muffed punt wasn't the only reason they lost Sunday.But turning the ball over inside your red zone and allowing a touchdown on the next play in a close contest is not how teams go to the Super Bowl.
