Plus, the Texans kept it tight at Arrowhead in Week 16, falling 27-19 even as they were limping to the finish line. Quarterback C.J. Stroud finished 23-of-39 passing for 244 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in that game.

The NFL playoff bracket is down to eight teams entering divisional round. Who could play in AFC championship game? Who could play in NFC title game?

NFL season started, there were 32 teams fighting to get to Super Bowl LIX, but now, there are only eight teams left. The Los Angeles Rams became the final team to advance to the divisional round and they did that on Monday night with a dominating 27-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the top seed in the AFC playoffs as they seek an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.

When Patrick Mahomes shook hands with C.J. Stroud at midfield at the conclusion of their Dec. 21 game, cameras caught Mahomes telling Stroud that they'd see them in the playoffs. Those words have become customary for players and coaches acknowledging respect for one another.

For the second time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, a conference welcomes back the same four teams from to the divisional round of the playoffs as the year before. The matchups are different than a year ago.