The 2019 NFL season has been, in a word, wild. The NFL Playoffs have been following form with a Wild Card Weekend that saw a dynasty up-ended and two of the four games go to overtime. This weekend, the playoffs culminate with the conference champions.
Super Bowl LIV, in Miami on Feb. 2, awaits the AFC and NFC winners.
Before the season started, a number of prognosticators were impressed with the Browns and Bears and penciled them into playoff spots. Similarly, they thought perennial playoff participants like the Steelers and Cowboys would find their way in. Though Christian McCaffrey had an MVP-caliber season, he did so for a Panthers squad that missed Cam Newton’s leadership and lost its final eight games of the season.
Not many people figured the Ravens and 49ers would be as potent as they’ve been, and the whole AFC playoff picture jumbled with the surprise start-of-season announcement making the Colts the (Andrew) Luck-less Colts.
Here’s the NFL Playoff schedule, as it’s happened and is continuing to happen.
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Wild Card Weekend (Jan. 4-5)
AFC
No. 5 Buffalo Bills at No. 4 Houston Texans
- When: 4:35pm ET, Saturday, Jan. 4
- Where: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
- Streaming: ABC, ESPN
- Betting line: The Texans were 3-point favorites
- Final score: Texans 22, Bills 19 (OT)
- Summary: Josh Allen giveth; Josh Allen taketh away. The second-year quarterback showed both his gumption and inexperience, leading the Bills to a 16-0 lead and then literally fumbling it away. Though the Bills at one point, according to ESPN, had a 96.7% chance of winning the game, Deshaun Watson brought the Texans back to force overtime, and then went full Houdini on what would be the winning drive.
No. 6 Tennessee Titans at No. 3 New England Patriots
- When: 8:15pm ET, Saturday, Jan. 4
- Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Streaming: CBS
- Betting line: The Patriots were 4.5-point favorites
- Final score: Titans 20, Patriots 13
- Summary: This was one of those games that both Patriots fans and haters expected the Patriots to win as it lurched into the fourth quarter. The Titans did well to keep a lead, but it was still within Tom Brady’s reach until he threw a pick-six from deep in Patriots territory late in the game. The key moment of the game, though, involved Titans just standing there; Titans coach Mike Vrabel exploited a loophole in the rules around punting and delay of game penalties to milk 90 seconds off the clock at a key juncture.
NFC
No. 6 Minnesota Vikings at No. 3 New Orleans Saints
- When: 1:05pm ET, Sunday, Jan. 5
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Streaming: Fox
- Betting line: The Saints were 8-point favorites
- Final score: Vikings 26, Saints 20 (OT)
- Summary: Drew Brees and the Saints offense couldn’t get it going early, which let the Vikings into the game. Dalvin Cook ran for nearly 100 yards, and Minnesota was able to mount a 13-10 halftime lead, capped by the usually-reliable Will Lutz missing on a potential game-tying field goal right before the break. Though Brees managed to get the Saints level by the end of regulation, Kirk Cousins engineered a game-winning drive in overtime, capped by a TD catch that appeared to (stop us if you’ve heard this one before) benefit from offensive pass interference. It’s another playoff heartbreak for the Saints, and the Vikings are off to Levi’s Stadium to play with house money.
No. 5 Seahawks at No. 4 Eagles
- When: 4:40pm ET, Sunday, Jan. 5
- Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Streaming: NBC
- Betting Line: The Seahawks were 1.5-point favorites
- Final score: Seahawks 17, Eagles 9
- Summary: Carson Wentz got knocked out of the game early, leaving veteran backup Josh McCown to lead the home team against a No. 5 seed better than its seeding suggests. The Seahawks were able to grind for the win in arguably the least electric of the Wild Card Weekend games. DK Metcalf was the hero with seven receptions for 160 yards and what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.
(All odds courtesy of William Hill.)
Divisional Round (Jan. 11-12)
No. 6 Minnesota Vikings at No. 1 San Francisco 49ers
- When: 4:35pm ET, Saturday, Jan. 11
- Where: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
- Streaming: NBC
- Betting line: The 49ers were 7-point favorites
- Final score: 49ers 27, Vikings 10
- Summary: Jimmy Garropolo led the 49ers to a touchdown on its opening drive, and even though the Vikings answered with a touchdown of their own, the hosts were able to pull away for a relatively easy win. The 49ers quarterback, in his first playoff start, only put up serviceable passing numbers but was efficient. One key stat in the win: The Niners bested the Vikings in first downs by a 21-7 tally.
No. 6 Tennessee Titans at No. 1 Baltimore Ravens
- When: 8:15pm ET, Saturday, Jan. 11
- Where: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland
- Streaming: CBS
- Betting line: The Ravens were 9.5-point favorites
- Final score: Titans 28, Ravens 12
- Summary: Though Lamar Jackson amassed more than 500 yards of total offense, the Titans defense kept the Ravens out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. That was key to the surprising Titans beating the favored Ravens and securing a berth in the AFC Championship game. Ryan Tannehill continued his winning ways with a pair of touchdown passes, and rushing leader Derrick Henry rolled for 195 yards. Though Henry didn’t score a TD on the ground, he did throw for a TD to add to the shock value of this game.
No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs
- When: 3:05pm ET, Sunday, Jan. 12
- Where: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
- Streaming: CBS
- Betting line: The Chiefs were 9.5-point favorites
- Final score: Chiefs 51, Texans 31
- Summary: The Texans looked strong early, capitalizing on a couple of Chiefs mistakes to jump out to a 24-0 lead. It didn’t look like Houston’s tough luck playoff history would haunt them … but then it did in a big way, with Patrick Mahomes sparking an incredible comeback with four second-quarter touchdown passes. The Chiefs would go on to score so much that the stadium ran out of celebratory touchdown fireworks, and will now host the AFC Championship Game as favorites.
No. 5 Seahawks at No. 2 Green Bay Packers
- When: 6:40pm ET, Sunday, Jan. 12
- Where: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Streaming: Fox
- Betting line: The Packers were 4-point favorites
- Final score: Packers 28, Seahawks 23
- Summary: Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams connected eight times for 160 yards and two touchdowns. That was just enough for the Packers to hold off the Seahawks at Lambeau Field. The Seahawks mounted a second-half comeback, outscoring the hosts 20-6 after intermission, but couldn’t sustain a late-game drive that might have capped off the comeback.
Championship Sunday (Jan. 19)
No. 6 Tennessee Titans at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs
- When: 3:05pm ET, Sunday, Jan. 19
- Where: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
- Streaming: CBS
- Betting line: The Chiefs are 7.5-point favorites
- Preview: The Titans making it this far is incredible, and they could go further still. After all, the Chiefs’ most recent loss came in Week 10 at Tennessee, when the Titans blocked a last-second field goal attempt to hang on for a 35-32 win in Patrick Mahomes’ return from injury. Mahomes looks even more potent now than he did as last season’s MVP, though, but remember that Lamar Jackson’s looked amazing as well, as the Titans found a way to contain him.
No. 2 Green Bay Packers at No. 1 San Francisco 49ers
- When: 6:40pm ET, Sunday, Jan. 19
- Where: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
- Streaming: Fox
- Betting line: The 49ers are 7.5-point favorites
- Preview: Though the Vikings did a bit of party crashing to get to the second round, it’s returned to the expected matchup for the NFC title game. Though the quarterback play might not be as electric as it’s been on the AFC side, the signal-callers here are steady, solid game managers, and there’s a good chance that this game comes down to a single defensive or special-teams play.
Super Bowl LIV (Feb. 2)
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion
- When: 6:30pm ET, Sunday, Feb. 2
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
- Streaming: Fox
How to Watch The NFL Playoffs: The Road to Super Bowl LIV in Miami
The Super Bowl and NFC Championship are among the playoff games on Fox, while CBS has the AFC Championship among its games, and ABC/ESPN and NBC have some of the Wild Card Weekend and Divisional Round games; these streaming services provide fans the opportunity to catch NFL action throughout the season.
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $44.99 for your first month and $54.99 per month thereafter
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, the CW (in some markets) (check local availability here)
FuboTV is a solid TV streaming service option, whether your tastes run to entertainment (AMC, Syfy, FX), news (MSNBC, CNN), or sports (NBA TV, NFL Network).
If you’re a soccer fan, it will appear tailor-made for you, with NBC and NBCSN for Premier League matches, 10 beIN SPORTS channels, FS1, FS2, UniMás, and Champions League action via TNT all on tap. If you can’t watch a match live, FuboTV offers a three-day replay for each match and 30 hours of cloud DVR. (Check out the complete FuboTV channels list.)
FuboTV also has bilingual families in mind; each subscription comes with UniMás, Galavisión, NBC Universo, beIN SPORTS, Univision, and Fox Deportes. An extra $7.99 per month will bring you Latino Plus, which includes CNN en Español and TyC Sports among its offerings.
2) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its broad spectrum of offerings, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
3) Sling TV
- Sling TV pricing: $30-$45 per month ($10 off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, Microsoft Edge, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Sling TV provides two base channel package options, each priced at $30 per month. Sling Orange includes three ESPN channels, while Sling Blue includes sports channels like NFL Network and NBCSN as well as local channels. (Sling Blue customers in select markets get NBC; see if yours has it here. Sling Blue also brings Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Headline News as part of its regular slate of channels, with Fox Business Channel available for those who get the Sling Blue News Extra add-on.
If you’re Team “Why Not Both,” Sling Orange + Blue combines the two for just $45 per month.
Other features include a Free Cloud DVR tier for all subscribers (allowing 10 hours of recording a month), the ability to record all live linear channels, and no VOD preemption on any channels. New subscribers get $10 off the first month.
If you like soccer and want to add beIN SPORTS, you’ll want to add either Sports Extra: Sling Orange ($5 per month) or Sports Extra: Sling Blue ($10 per month). (The latter also includes NFL RedZone.)
Spanish-speaking viewers have quite a few options. For bilingual families, you might consider the Español: Best of Spanish TV package for either Sling Orange or Sling Blue for 24/7 specialty channel LaLiga TV and beIN SPORTS Connect: Channels 4-9, which features matches from La Liga, Ligue 1 and Copa del Rey, among others. Both packages cost $5 per month after your free trial. Sling TV Latino is another Spanish-language package for $10 per month, including NBC Universo, History en Español, and—of import to soccer fans—four beIN SPORTS channels. (And choosing Best of Spanish + Sling Orange for $35 per month gives you access to ESPN Deportes.) For more information, check out our guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “It’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna, because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV (which have a number of local channels).
4) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for sports fans, including local channels to catch Sunday NFL games, the SEC Network, TNT for Champions League matches, NBCSN for Premier League matches, and broadcasting partnerships with three MLS teams. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
5) AT&T TV Now
- Cost: $50-$135 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
AT&T TV Now is a bonus for AT&T wireless customers, especially for those who happen to be soccer fans. It provides instant access to more than 45 channels, including local channels. That means NBC as well as NBCSN for Premier League action, Fox as well as FS1 and FS2 for MLS, Bundesliga, the U.S. men’s and women’s teams, and even Liga MX offerings, and ESPN and ESPN2 for its array of soccer and other sports programming. It even offers free HBO on PLUS and MAX channel suites. Plus, it comes with CloudDVR for up to 20 hours of TV recording per month. One account works on two devices, but you can add more devices for only $5.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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