NFL playoff guide: How to watch, betting favorites and some of the top storylines

This year's NFL playoffs could represent a shift to a new generation of winning players — particularly at quarterback.

The top two seeds in both the AFC and NFC are led by a quartet of young or unheralded quarterbacks, including Bo Nix (Broncos), Drake Maye (Patriots), Sam Darnold (Seahawks) and Caleb Williams (Bears).

All while perennial MVP candidates like Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson are sitting at home.

That doesn't mean there won't be some familiar postseason faces taking snaps in the coming weeks. Veterans like Buffalo's Josh Allen, Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers, Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts and the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford are back in the postseason, vying for a spot in Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8.

The postseason begins Saturday with the opening of wild-card weekend. Here's a look at the upcoming schedule, how to watch and a few of the biggest storylines.

Wild-card weekend (all times EST)

NFC

— No. 7 Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) at No. 2 Chicago Bears (11-6), Saturday, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)

— No. 6 San Francisco 49ers (12-5) at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6), Sunday, 4:30 p.m. (Fox)

— No. 5 Los Angeles Rams (12-5) at No. 4 Carolina Panthers (8-9), Saturday, 4:30 p.m. (Fox)

AFC

— No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 2 New England Patriots (14-3), Sunday, 8 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

— No. 6 Buffalo Bills (12-5) at No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4), Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)

— No. 5 Houston Texans (12-5) at No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), Monday, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

The No. 1 seeds are the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC and Denver Broncos in the AFC. They both have a bye week before playing in the divisional round.

Divisional round: Jan. 17-18

AFC and NFC championships: Jan. 25

Super Bowl 60: Feb. 8

Winning on the road is hard but Vegas is bullish on three of the six road teams this weekend.

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Rams are favored by a whopping 10 points over the Panthers, who won the NFC South despite an 8-9 record that's the worst among the 14 playoff teams.

The Bills are also 1.5-point favorites over the home Jaguars while the Texans are favored by 3.5 points at the Steelers, who snuck into the playoffs on Monday with a 26-24 win in Week 18 when Baltimore's Tyler Loop missed a game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired.

One bit of added intrigue to the postseason is that five of the 14 teams have never won a Super Bowl, including the Bills, Panthers, Jaguars, Texans and Chargers. The Texans and Jaguars have never even played in a Super Bowl.

The Bills have a particularly tough postseason history, losing four Super Bowls in a row from 1991 to 1994.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) signals at the line of scrimmage during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts to the crowd after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates after a touchdown scored by running back TreVeyon Henderson during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A judge disqualified a federal prosecutor from overseeing investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling Thursday that he had been serving in his post unlawfully when he requested subpoenas.

U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield blocked subpoenas requested by John Sarcone, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.

“The subpoenas are unenforceable due to a threshold defect: Mr. Sarcone was not lawfully serving as Acting U.S. Attorney when the subpoenas were issued,” the judge wrote.

James, a Democrat, had challenged Sarcone’s authority after he issued subpoenas seeking information about lawsuits she filed against President Donald Trump, claiming he had committed fraud in his business dealings, and separately against the National Rifle Association and some of its former leaders.

Justice Department lawyers say Sarcone was appointed properly and that the subpoenas were valid. James claims the inquiry into her lawsuits is part of a campaign of baseless investigations and prosecutions of Trump’s perceived enemies.

The ruling is the latest to address the legality of unusual maneuvers the Trump administration has performed to try and keep its favored candidates for U.S. attorney in those jobs indefinitely, without going through the usual process of getting them confirmed in the U.S. Senate.

New York Attorney General Letitia James arrives at City Hall for the public inauguration swearing-in ceremony of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)