# NFL Playoff Thread 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [January 5, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372 "2026-01-05T16:53:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/501 "2026-01-26T06:52:07Z")
I’ve disliked Seattle since the mid-2000s but it is objectively funny that Sam Darnold is the first 2018 QB to make the Superbowl. Plus the Patriots weren’t bad for nearly long enough, so I’m definitely rooting hard for Seattle over New England. Bonus points for being able to root for my man Leonard Williams, who was a monster for years for both the Jets and then the Giants before being traded to Seattle. For the early game I was sure that the Patriots would steamroll the Broncos, but through the first quarter and a half I kept thinking of Pedro Pascal’s Oberyn vs the Mountain in Game of Thrones: I thought they had no chance but through the first part of the matchup, holy crap, they have a legitimate chance! But no, in the end, the Broncos got their heads squished in, largely because the weather ended competitive offensive play in that game. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/502 "2026-01-26T11:43:01Z")
Seattle is a -4.5 point favorite, according to DraftKings this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/503 "2026-01-26T19:32:31Z")
I know one guy who’s hoping they pull it off. > **[Super Bowl 60 odds, betting: 1 bettor wins $1.4 million after Sam Darnold,...](https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/betting/article/super-bowl-60-odds-betting-1-bettor-wins-14-million-after-sam-darnold-seahawks-win-nfc-championship-165906311.html)** > > A bettor in Nevada will win almost $4.5 million if Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl 60. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/504 "2026-01-26T19:33:31Z")
Because Drake Maye won’t be playing in the “Pro Bowl Games,” as he’s in the Super Bowl, his replacement as a QB on the AFC roster will be…Shedeur Sanders. Sanders had the worst completion percentage of any QB who started at least one game, the second-worst interception percentage (behind only J.J. McCarthy), and the second-worst QBR score (behind only Brady Cook). OK, then. In case anyone didn’t already realize that Pro Bowl weekend is 100% a publicity stunt, that should seal it. > **[Source: Shedeur Sanders named Pro Bowl Games replacement](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47735804/source-shedeur-sanders-named-pro-bowl-games-replacement)** > > Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is being added to the Pro Bowl Games roster, a source confirmed to ESPN. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/505 "2026-01-26T19:50:03Z")
Saw another nugget on ESPN. All eleven (11) 2025 Patriot draft picks made the team 😲 … AND … four (4) undrafted free agents. That’s 15 out of the 53 man roster are rookies. Of course, after 20 NFL games, they have a fair amount of experience but still … young. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/506 "2026-01-26T19:58:21Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > OK, then. In case anyone didn’t already realize that Pro Bowl weekend is 100% a publicity stunt, that should seal it. Making the Pro Bowl because of who your dad is, that makes the “honor” meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/507 "2026-01-26T22:51:27Z")
This is so silly but It feels like the fate of the Pro Bowl was sealed several years ago (as you pointed out 😆): > [@NFL 2022: Conference Championship Week](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-conference-championship-week/978794/120): > > So, the Pro Bowl is pretty much a joke, and the league finally did away with the game itself, though there are still going to be a bunch of competitions for the “Pro Bowl Games” this week, including a flag football game. That said, adding to the “joke” part of it is that Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, who started four late-season games while starter Lamar Jackson was injured, was named to the Pro Bowl roster today. Huntley threw all of two TDs in his limited duty (and ran for another… My first reaction to anything in the news about Shedeur or Deion is always “rage bait”. People love being angry about them and that’s a great way to drive traffic. But the Pro Bowl needs all the buzz it can get because I can’t remember the last Pro Bowl I cared enough about to even watch. The big surprise for me is the difference between the ESPN articles about Huntley and Sanders. Even without reading the byline you can tell that recent article came off the wire while the other was written in house. This SI article does a better job of explaining the situation while expressing the same level of frustrated confusion: > **[Shedeur Sanders Named to Pro Bowl as Replacement in Mind-Boggling Decision](https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/shedeur-sanders-named-to-pro-bowl-as-replacement)** > > This is pretty crazy. Back when I was a bartender, customers only asked for the Pro Bowl if there was absolutely nothing else on. Bull riding, Golf, and Tennis were more frequently requested and that was when I was bartending in Pittsburgh before they switched the format. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/508 "2026-01-27T00:41:30Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Seattle is a -4.5 point favorite This seems pretty reasonable to me, as the Seahawks clearly have a more complete team and have been playing strong football throughout the postseason. If I were a betting man, certainly I would bet on Seattle. They are good in all three phases of the game, Darnold has largely been playing well, Kenneth Walker is legit, and JSN is possibly the best receiver in all of the NFL. Meanwhile Drake Maye has apparently been feeling the pressure, playing his worst football of the season in the playoffs and has been saved by his defense and his scrambling ability. The Patriots really eked their way into the Super Bowl with excellent defense and a scrappy band of skill position players, but no superstars. (One might argue that Stefon Diggs is a superstar - he was at one time - but he’s been very quiet in the post-season). There are couple of things that give me hope as a Pats fan: - Maye is definitely capable of cool, collected, and explosive football. If he can regain his regular season form, NE has a chance. - The Patriots are the first team ever to beat 3 of the top 5 NFL defenses in one post-season run. Seahawks are apparently #6. They are scheming well enough against great defenses to win (barely, but still). - Darnold is playing well, but he doesn’t scare me like prime Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. And the Patriots are the ones who made him [see ghosts](https://share.google/PlWMgnjkdnSDLF0eF) 🙂 - Super Bowl XXXVI Go Pats! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/509 "2026-01-27T01:23:30Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > The Patriots are the first team ever to beat 3 of the top 5 NFL defenses in one post-season run. Seahawks are apparently #6. It depends on who you ask, they are #1 by some statisticians. > **[NFL Defensive Metrics: Best & Worst NFL Defenses](https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/stats-nfl/nfl-defensive-stats/amp/)** > > Find the best and worst NFL defenses with our comprehensive statistics. Analyze defensive metrics for all 32 NFL teams. Or #2 after the Texans (which seems right to me). > **[NFL Defensive Team Stats | SumerSports](https://sumersports.com/teams/defensive/)** > > Measure defensive unit performance with EPA/play, success %, pressure rates, and coverage outcomes. #6 seems like a stretch to me. Objectively, they are the best scoring defense and best third down defense. What makes them dangerous is that if the offense falters, the defense bails them out, or vice versa (as they did yesterday). ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/510 "2026-01-27T01:28:36Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It depends on who you ask, they are #1 by some statisticians. Yes, I went back to look at where I saw that stat, and they were using Yards per Game for this particular stat analysis. This from the Boston Globe: > Maye is already the first quarterback in NFL history to score victories over three top-five defenses (measured by yards per game) in one playoff run. The Seahawks rank sixth, just behind the Chargers, at 285.9 yards per game. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/511 "2026-01-27T01:40:55Z")
The problem with per game stats is it is not a level playing field If a team has an offence that runs the ball a lot and is good at keeping the ball (not just turnovers gt getting 1st downs, they will be on the field for much more of the game, the defence will conceed less yards not because the defence is good but because they have less plays to conceed yards and less drives to conceed points. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/512 "2026-01-27T03:56:39Z")
I feel like that way of thinking lies madness in that it never ends. As a quick example, the Jets have had an “elite” pass defense in recent years. In reality, the offense has been so inept that they haven’t been competitive, which leads to their opponents running instead of passing because the game is already clinched. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/513 "2026-01-27T10:03:31Z")
I haven’t looked at the stats and I might have isunderstood you but I think that makes my point that stats per play make more sense. If opponents run the ball a lot against the jets, then the jets will conceed very few pass yards per game/season because they have few pass plays but if they conceed very few yards per pass play that wpould still indicate they are a good pass defence. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/514 "2026-01-27T10:15:48Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#): > > conceed Argh… **concede** Also, when discussing the NFL, it’s **offense** and **defense** , ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/515 "2026-01-27T13:45:01Z")
Sorry for the bad spelling of concede. Concerning defence/defense, I would argue when talking about the NFL you do so in your native language which in my case is British English rather than American English, I am sorry I didn’t translate it for the American audience but I while I recognise defense as American English I tend not to think about American spelling while I write. Actually a lot of Americans seem to think when discussing the NFL it is Dfence given the number of times you see fans holding up signs of a “D” followed by a picture of a fence.😀 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/516 "2026-01-27T16:34:38Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#): > > I think that makes my point that stats per play make more sense. Agreed in general. In the context of “this is the first time x has happened,” though, we are pretty much stuck with however the official stats have been measured through the years. Defenses have traditionally (officially) been ranked by total yards allowed. I think it’s just total for the season, but per game would yield the same rankings so it could be either. > [@Jegpeg](#): > > Actually a lot of Americans seem to think when discussing the NFL it is Dfence given the number of times you see fans holding up signs of a “D” followed by a picture of a fence.😀 Ha! You’re not wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/517 "2026-01-27T16:36:26Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#): > > signs of a “D” followed by a picture of a fence Heh. This was clever the first time I saw it, decades ago. The thousands of subsequent sightings, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/518 "2026-01-27T17:12:11Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Heh. This was clever the first time I saw it, decades ago. The thousands of subsequent sightings, not so much. And always a white picket fence, too. I might award some creativity points if someone used chain link or barbed wire. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/519 "2026-01-27T18:01:13Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I might award some creativity points if someone used chain link or barbed wire. Or just make a “D” shape out of chain links to hold up, I think that would be a bit more clever than usual. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/520 "2026-01-27T18:04:35Z")
How 'bout 500 guys trying to sell stolen goods out of the trunks of their cars? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=27)