# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/41 "2026-01-09T16:36:32Z")
Yeah, I personally like the matchup. My best friend is an Eagles fan, so I’ve watched them plenty this season. They’ve won ugly and as much on luck as the Niners. Our texts are currently a lighthearted argument over whether my defense is worse than his offense. However, since I know first-hand what a Fangio defense can look like when they can get pressure with just four, I think it will come down to whether Shanahan is willing to script fast-developing pass plays. ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/42 "2026-01-09T22:10:55Z")
Just IMO, but NFL playoff games being carried solely on streaming services\* is an affront to their fans. It’s example #273 of the league grabbing for every dollar it possibly can, and f\*\*\* the everyday fan. \*- The Packers/Bears game is only being carried on Peacock and NFL+, though it’s being simulcast on local TV stations in the teams’ local markets (Green Bay, Milwaukee and Chicago). ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/43 "2026-01-09T22:16:02Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Just IMO, but NFL playoff games being carried solely on streaming services\* is an affront to their fans. I **hate** watching games on streaming services more than anyone. Is it really that much more profitable for the NFL? The BIG10 is doing it too now, and MLB from time to time. I skip those games. (and I have all the streaming services) ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/44 "2026-01-09T22:20:33Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Just IMO, but NFL playoff games being carried solely on streaming services\* is an affront to their fans. It’s example #273 of the league grabbing for every dollar it possibly can, and f\*\*\* the everyday fan. It doesn’t negatively impact me, because I’ve had access to every streaming service that the NFL and MLB have put games on, but I absolutely hate the idea. Live sports and live news broadcasts are the only form of media that I believe should never be done via streaming. (Not unless it’s an exclusive “Pay-Per-View” sort of event like a boxing match.) ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/45 "2026-01-09T22:21:49Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Is it really that much more profitable for the NFL? According to this, two years agor, Peacock paid the NFL $110 million for the rights to carry a _single_ NFL playoff game in January of 2024. I’m sure that they are paying even more now. > **[Peacock's $110 Million NFL Playoff Gamble Pays Off, Tripled Subscriber Growth...](https://www.nexttv.com/news/peacocks-dollar110-million-nfl-playoff-gamble-pays-off-tripled-subscriber-growth-in-q1-while-still-cutting-losses)** > > Peacock's exclusive presentation of the Chiefs-vs.-Dolphins Wild Card game back on Jan. 13 resulted in one of subscription streaming's biggest signup events ever ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/46 "2026-01-09T22:22:11Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It doesn’t negatively impact me, because I’ve had access to every streaming service that the NFL and MLB have put games on, but I absolutely hate the idea. It does though. Have you ever tried to skip commercials with the remotes you have to use with streaming services? It’s 100x harder than using my direcTV remote. Which has fast forward buttons. ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/47 "2026-01-09T22:23:32Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > It’s 100x harder than using my direcTV remote. The cable remote sucks a lot more than the remote I use with my Xbox. I watch streaming services through that device. Sometimes the quality of a streaming service dips, but then again, so do live broadcasts. The last Seahawks game I watched on ABC kept having the sound cut out (and my wife and I joke about all the profanity they must be censoring). ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/48 "2026-01-09T22:39:47Z")
What’s the Charger’s record playing in outdoor stadiums in the cold? Foxborough is going to be around freezing and not pleasant. Also I remember there was a slight bias against West Coast teams traveling east coast. ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/49 "2026-01-09T22:44:44Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > What’s the Charger’s record playing in outdoor stadiums in the cold? I’m not sure how many such games they’ve played, but they famously lost the “[Freezer Bowl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freezer_Bowl),” the 1981 AFC Championship Game at Cincinnati, where the air temperature was -9F, and the wind chill was -51F (using the current scale for wind chill calculation). ---
**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 9, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/50 "2026-01-09T22:50:14Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > What’s the Charger’s record playing in outdoor stadiums in the cold? If you mean this season, they’ve only played one game in weather under 40 degrees F. That was the game against the Chiefs in KC, where the temperature was under 20 degrees. They won 16-13. > **[Patriots first-rounder from Louisiana wants it to be colder for game against...](https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2026/01/patriots-first-rounder-from-louisiana-wants-it-to-be-colder-for-game-against-warm-weather-chargers.html)** > > The Chargers have only played on game in temperatures below 40 degrees this season. ---
**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 9, 2026, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/51 "2026-01-09T23:29:45Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Foxborough is going to be around freezing and not pleasant. Current forecast does look uncomfortable, but more due to rain than bitter cold (though the combo of rain and cold temperatures is undeniably unenjoyable). At 8pm ET tomorrow night in Foxborough: - Temperature 40F - Wind Chill 34F - Precipitation Potential 98% Looks like light to steady rain throughout the evening, but probably not a downpour. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/52 "2026-01-09T23:34:00Z")
Wait, I’m seeing 33 degrees (feels like 25) at game time and 2% chance of precipitation. [Foxborough, MA Hourly Weather Forecast | Weather Underground](https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/us/ma/foxborough/date/2026-1-11) ETA: wait, it’s not tomorrow night, it’s Sunday night. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/53 "2026-01-09T23:52:31Z")
It looks to be windy in Philly on Sunday. Oh, and 49ers starting cornerback Renardo Green is now Questionable after injuring his ankle in practice. ---
**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 10, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/54 "2026-01-10T00:26:28Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > ETA: wait, it’s not tomorrow night, it’s Sunday night. Ahh, yes, that’s my mistake, I looked at Saturday. The NWS forecast is similar to what you see on Accuweather; at 8pm local time on _Sunday_: - Temperature 33F - Wind Chill 24F - Winds out of the west at 11mph, gusting to 22mph - Partly cloudy skies, slight chance of snow (chance of snow increasing a little bit as the game progresses) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/55 "2026-01-10T01:36:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The Packers/Bears game is only being carried on Peacock and NFL+, though it’s being simulcast on local TV stations in the teams’ local markets (Green Bay, Milwaukee and Chicago). It’s on Prime (Amazon), not Peacock. ---
**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 10, 2026, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/56 "2026-01-10T01:37:49Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It’s on Prime (Amazon), not Peacock Well, crap. Still, my screed holds. NFL playoff games shouldn’t be exclusively available on paid streaming services. Now, get off my lawn, Goodell, you moneygrubber. _shakes cane_ ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/57 "2026-01-10T01:38:49Z")
Indeed your point still stands. I knew that because it’s been a big banner on the Amazon webpage for a week. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/58 "2026-01-10T04:51:37Z")
unless it’s “if we pay, he plays” ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/59 "2026-01-10T04:58:05Z")
only if he had a WR who can separate, which we don’t have on the field ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/60 "2026-01-10T04:58:50Z")
Slight bonus - the game will also be streamed free on Twitch (owned by Amazon). I don’t know how that works out or makes sense, but that’s what I’ve been told. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=4)