Miami, FL. — For the first time in 14 seasons (since 2011) and 11th time since 1970, four new teams are in the Conference Championships compared to the previous season. On Sunday, New England will travel to Denver for the AFC Championship Game (3 p.m. ET, CBS) and the Los Angeles Rams will visit Seattle in the NFC Championship Game (6:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
This postseason, there have been 15 fourth quarter lead changes, the most in any postseason in NFL history, and six games decided by four points or fewer, tied with 2021 and 2006 for the most such games in NFL postseason history.
The Conference Championship games feature the top three scoring offenses (the Los Angeles Rams, New England and Seattle) and three of the top four scoring defenses (Seattle, Denver and New England) from the regular season.
AFC Championship Game (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 2 New England Patriots (16-3) at No. 1 Denver Broncos (15-3)
Championship history: The Patriots are 11-5 (.688) in Conference Championship games, tied with the Green Bay Packers (11) for the most in NFL history. The Broncos are 8-2 (.800) in their previous 10 Conference Championship appearances, the highest winning percentage in Championship games all-time.
Postseason history: Denver is 4-1 against New England in the postseason, including home Conference Championship wins in 2013 (Denver 26, New England 16 on Jan. 19, 2014) and 2015 (Denver 20, New England 18 on Jan. 24, 2016).
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Game notes:
- The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 16-3, on Wild Card Weekend and the Houston Texans, 28-16, in the Divisional playoffs. New England has appeared in 11 Super Bowls (6-5), the most in NFL history.
- The Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills, 33-30, in overtime in the Divisional playoffs. Denver has eight Super Bowl appearances (3-5), tied for the second-most among all teams.
- This season, New England can become the fifth team since 2003 to go from “worst to first” and make the Super Bowl in the same season, joining the 2021 Bengals, 2017 Eagles, 2009 Saints and 2003 Panthers. The 2017 Jaguars and 2006 Saints also followed a last-place finish with an appearance in the Championship Game.
- New England’s Mike Vrabel is the third head coach to win 16 games, including the playoffs, in his first season with a club in NFL history, joining George Seifert (17 wins with San Francisco in 1989) and Jim Caldwell (16 with Indianapolis in 2009).
- Vrabel can become the eighth coach in NFL history and first since 2015 (Gary Kubiak with Denver) to lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance in his first season with a club.
- Denver’s Sean Payton, who led New Orleans to the Super Bowl XLIV title following the 2009 season, can become the eighth coach ever to lead multiple franchises to a Super Bowl appearance, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Bill Parcells (the New York Giants and New England), Don Shula (the Baltimore Colts and Miami) and Dick Vermeil (Philadelphia and the St. Louis Rams) as well as John Fox (Carolina and Denver), Mike Holmgren (Green Bay and Seattle), Dan Reeves (Denver and Atlanta) and Andy Reid (Philadelphia and Kansas City).
- Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who has started four career games, can become the first quarterback ever to start a Conference Championship game with fewer than five career starts. He can also become the seventh quarterback in the Super Bowl era to make his first start of the season in the playoffs and first since 2020 (Taylor Heinicke with Washington).
- Stidham, selected by New England in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, can become the fourth quarterback to start a Conference Championship or Super Bowl against the team that drafted him, joining Daryle Lamonica (Super Bowl II with the Oakland Raiders against Green Bay), Craig Morton (Super Bowl XII with Denver against Dallas) and Joe Theismann (Super Bowl XVII with Washington against Miami).
Prediction: Patriots 21 – Broncos 17
NFC Championship Game (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, FOX)
No. 5 Los Angeles Rams (14-5) at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (15-3)
Championship history: The Rams are 7-9 all-time in Conference Championship games but have won four consecutive Championship appearances since 1999. The Seahawks are 3-1 in Conference Championship appearances (3-0 in the NFC, 0-1 in the AFC).
Postseason history: The Rams are 2-0 against the Seahawks in the postseason, with both victories coming in the Wild Card round on the road (2004 and 2020).
2025 regular season: The NFC West rivals split their regular season meetings this season, with each team winning at home. The Rams earned a 21-19 win in Week 11 as their defense recorded four interceptions. In Week 16, the Seahawks recorded a 38-37 overtime victory, overcoming a 16-point fourth quarter deficit, including a game-tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter and game-winning two-point conversion in overtime.
Divisional opponents in Championship games since 2002: The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle will mark the sixth Conference Championship game between divisional opponents since 2002. In the previous five such matchups, the division-winning team won four times and each of the five winners went on to win the Super Bowl. The previous matchups: 2024 NFC Championship (Washington, 23 at Philadelphia, 55), 2021 NFC Championship (San Francisco, 17 at L.A. Rams, 20), 2013 NFC Championship (San Francisco, 17 at Seattle, 23), 2010 NFC Championship (Green Bay, 21 at Chicago, 14) and 2008 AFC Championship (Baltimore, 14 at Pittsburgh 23).
Game notes:
- The Los Angeles Rams defeated Carolina, 34-31, on Wild Card Weekend and earned a 20-17 overtime win at Chicago in the Divisional playoffs. The Rams have five Super Bowl appearances (2-3), most recently winning Super Bowl LVI following the 2021 season.
- Seattle defeated San Francisco, 41-6, in the Divisional playoffs for its first postseason win since the 2019 Wild Card round (at Philadelphia). The Seahawks have played in three Super Bowls (1-2), including consecutive appearances following the 2013 (won Super Bowl XLVIII against Denver) and 2014 season (lost Super Bowl XLIX to New England).
- The Seahawks will become the sixth team since 1970 to face multiple division opponents in the same postseason, joining the 2021 Los Angeles Rams, 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1985 New England Patriots, 1983 Seattle Seahawks and 1982 Miami Dolphins.
- The Rams can become the fifth Wild Card team since realignment in 2002 to advance to the Super Bowl, joining the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2010 Green Bay Packers, 2007 New York Giants and 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers.
- The Rams – who led the NFL in scoring offense (30.5 points per game) – and the Seahawks – who led the NFL in scoring defense (17.2 points per game allowed) – during the 2025 regular season will mark the third Championship Game since 1970 to feature the No. 1 scoring offense against No. 1 scoring defense from the regular season, joining 2014 NFC Championship Game (Green Bay vs. Seattle) and 1980 NFC Championship Game (Dallas vs. Philadelphia).
- With head coaches Mike Macdonald (age 38) and Sean McVay (turns 40 years old on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026), it will mark the second Championship game ever to feature two head coaches age 40-or-younger, joining the 2019 NFC Championship game between San Francisco and Green Bay (Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur, both age 40).
- Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who was named Super Bowl LVI Most Valuable Player while with the Rams, will become the fifth player ever to face the team he won Super Bowl MVP with in the postseason, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Richard Dent (1994 with San Francisco against Chicago) and Peyton Manning (2014 with Denver against Indianapolis) as well as Santonio Holmes (2010 with the New York Jets against Pittsburgh) and Von Miller (2024 with Buffalo against Denver).
- Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold can become the eighth quarterback ever to lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance in his first season with a team and first since Matthew Stafford in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams.
Prediction: Seahawks 22 – Rams 20
Photo/SeattleSeahawks/X