# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/141 "2026-01-11T22:40:41Z")
Which game will be the first to be decided by more that one score? ---
**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 11, 2026, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/142 "2026-01-11T23:18:22Z")
George Kittle has suffered an Achilles injury and is out for the rest of the game. Tough, tough break for the 49ers. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/143 "2026-01-12T00:04:15Z")
Great trick play call at just the right time. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/144 "2026-01-12T00:17:59Z")
BS flag for roughing. Hurts slides late into a defender and the defender gets the flag for contact initiated by Hurts. If that’s how the NFL wants to handle QB runs, every play should involve the QB keeping the ball and running at defenders like a kamikaze. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/145 "2026-01-12T00:45:57Z")
Niners fans, @garygnu comes to mind, happy for you guys. See you in Seattle. What guts. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/146 "2026-01-12T00:46:23Z")
Unbelievable! It felt like the Niners were getting outplayed the whole game, I don’t know how they won that. I also think the Eagles showed poor sportsmanship to call their last 2 timeouts when it wouldn’t be enough to get the ball back. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/147 "2026-01-12T00:48:00Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > Which game will be the first to be decided by more that one score Well, not the one that just finished in Philadelphia! What an effort by the 49ers defense. Now 3 teams from the NFC West are in the final four. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/148 "2026-01-12T00:51:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Here is another, better link (I think) to the play that saved the Bears last night. No question - that was a remarkable pass. ---
**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 12, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/149 "2026-01-12T00:54:57Z")
That was a stressful, pacing in front of the TV game. Looking forward to the season rubber match. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/150 "2026-01-12T00:58:54Z")
Niners face the Bears first, right? ---
**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 12, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/151 "2026-01-12T01:02:21Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Niners face the Bears first, right No. Niners go to Seattle, Rams go to Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/152 "2026-01-12T01:06:45Z")
🤦‍♂️ I knew how the seeding worked but managed to convince myself the Niners were the 5th seed. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/153 "2026-01-12T01:08:15Z")
Serious question: what would you have them do? 1st and goal at the 1 with 1:05 left. I’ve always wondered how to handle it. Is it worth a drop in the conversion rate to take a yard loss to run the clock by taking a knee? Do you do it once, and then try? Or run the clock down for 2 plays and then try, furthering to lower your coversion rate? I think, given the 50% or so success rate of 2 point conversions, you take a knee once then take the 2 (maybe 3) chances to score, but I can completely understand the desire to score and let your defense try to win the game for you with a stop. Tough call. ---
**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 12, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/154 "2026-01-12T01:09:34Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > I also think the Eagles showed poor sportsmanship to call their last 2 timeouts when it wouldn’t be enough to get the ball back. I didn’t mind it. I get what you’re saying and you’re right, but weirder things have happened. A snap can be botched even on a kneeling play, and the Eagles could recover and score and win. It’s probably as likely as recovering an onside kick while blindfolded, but not impossible. It’s literally the most crucial game of the year for Philly so they have to try, even when futile. ---
**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 12, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/155 "2026-01-12T01:14:50Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > I also think the Eagles showed poor sportsmanship to call their last 2 timeouts when it wouldn’t be enough to get the ball back. We Chiefs fans remember back to the Super Bowl in 2020, when KC led the Niners by 11 points with 57 seconds left, and the Chiefs had a first and ten. Rather than allowing KC to kneel twice and run out the clock, San Francisco called two timeouts which made no difference in the final score and merely prolonged the end of the game. So the Eagles doing the same thing to the Niners today was just a bit of karma. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/156 "2026-01-12T01:19:14Z")
It’s a tough call for sure. I think you just kneel, or do some kind of QB dive forward. Then let the clock run down to 25 seconds and take time out. Then you just go for it with your three remaining downs. I think running off the 40 seconds is worth having only three chances from the one instead of four. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/157 "2026-01-12T01:19:25Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > So the Eagles doing the same thing to the Niners today was just a bit of karma. Yeah, it was shitty then and is shitty now. Actually, I wouldn’t complain as much about it in the SB, since it’s the last game and an injury isn’t as important. But here, an injury to a Niner on a meaningless play could affect the next week. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/158 "2026-01-12T01:20:49Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > I think running off the 40 seconds is worth having only three chances from the one instead of four. Realistically, you only have 2 chances. If your second attempt fails, you have no timeouts to stop the clock. ETA: unless it’s a pass to the end zone, which limits the playbook and drops the success rate. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/159 "2026-01-12T01:25:03Z")
Didn’t the Bills have all three timeouts? Maybe I’m misremembering. If they only had 2, then they don’t need to take one after first down - just run the dive or kneel, and then run second down with then play clock low. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/160 "2026-01-12T01:27:43Z")
True, I was responding to you saying they dive forward and call timeout. If there was enough time on the clock, they can have the real play ready to go and save the timeout. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=9)