For the NFL, the transition from 2017 to 2018 marked the end of the regular season and the beginning of the postseason. The NFL playoff schedule, which was set last week, continues Sunday with the wild-card round and ends Feb. 4 in Minnesota, where Super Bowl 52 will take place.
The wild-card round of the NFL playoff schedule features six teams that didn't make the postseason last year — only the Chiefs and Falcons returned as contenders. The Titans, Rams, Bills, Jaguars, Panthers and Saints were the relative newcomers hoping to advance to Round 2. Saturday's wild-card results sent Kansas City and Los Angeles home.
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The Patriots, Steelers, Eagles and Vikings clinched first-round byes for the playoffs, and each will host a game in the divisional round. If they're still around, two of those teams also will host conference championship games.
New England is the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the seventh time since 2003. And while the Patriots remain the favorites to reach and win Super Bowl 52, they're far from a lock. Since the NFL adopted the 12-team playoff format, only 28 of the 54 (51.9 percent) No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Super Bowl. In those 27 seasons, a No. 1 seed has gone on to win the Super Bowl 13 times (48.1 percent).
MORE: Wild-card playoff picks, predictions
Here is the NFL playoff schedule for 2017-18, including kickoff times and TV info.
NFL playoff schedule 2018
Saturday, Jan. 6 (Wild-card playoffs)
— Titans vs. Chiefs | Kickoff time: 4:35 p.m. ET | TV network: ESPN/ABC
(RESULT: Titans 22, Chiefs 21)
— Falcons vs. Rams | Kickoff time: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV network: NBC
(RESULT: Falcons 26, Rams 13)
Sunday, Jan. 7 (Wild-card playoffs)
— Bills vs. Jaguars | Kickoff time: 1:05 p.m. ET | TV network: CBS
— Panthers vs. Saints | Kickoff time: 4:40 p.m. ET | TV network: FOX
Saturday, Jan. 13 (Divisional playoffs)
— Falcons vs. Eagles | Kickoff time: 4:35 p.m. ET | TV network: NBC
— Titans/Bills vs. Patriots | Kickoff time: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV network: CBS
Sunday, Jan. 14 (Divisional playoffs)
— Jaguars/Titans vs. Pittsburgh | Kickoff time: 1:05 p.m. ET | TV network: CBS
— Saints/Panthers vs. Vikings | Kickoff time: 4:40 p.m. ET | TV network: FOX
Sunday, Jan. 21 (Conference championships)
— NFC championship game: Teams TBD | Kickoff time: 3:05 p.m. ET | TV network: FOX
— AFC championship game: Teams TBD | Kickoff time: 6:40 p.m. ET | TV network: CBS
Sunday, Feb. 4
— Super Bowl 52 (U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis): TBD vs. TBD | Kickoff time: 6:30 p.m. ET | TV network: NBC
Contributing: Skylar Rolstad
The NFL playoffs will officially start on Saturday with one Wild Card Game from each conference. First, the Tennessee Titans will travel to Kansas City to clash with the Chiefs in the AFC at 4:35 p.m ET on ESPN (live stream). Later at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC (live stream), the Atlanta Falcons — last year's NFC Champion — will fly to the West Coast for battle against the Los Angeles Rams.
Tennessee (9-7) and Kansas City (10-6) found success on the ground this season, with both rushing offenses finishing in the top 15. But this game will come down to which team can make more plays in the passing game. The Titans finished with the 23rd-best pass offense in the NFL, while the Chiefs' seventh-best pass offense clicked on all cylinders. Both defenses struggled with defending the pass in 2017, so the keys to winning this game are simple: throw the ball and defend the pass.
When you look over to the Rams (11-4) and Falcons (10-6) in the NFC, you will see two high-powered offenses with a bevy of weapons. The Rams, making their first playoff appearance since the 2003 season, boast the No. 1 scoring offense in the league by averaging 29.9 points per game. Atlanta, on the other hand, only scored 22.2 points per contest. Defense will be the key to victory in this game, as both teams finished in the top 15 in scoring defense.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
Titans vs. Chiefs: 4:35 p.m. on ESPN ( live stream via WatchESPN)
Falcons vs. Rams: 8:15 p.m. on NBC (live stream via NBC Sports, FuboTV )
Why Falcons fans should feel confident against the Rams
The Tennessee Titans beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first Wild Card Game of the 2018 NFL playoffs on Saturday, 22-21. The Chiefs had a huge lead in the first half but hit a wall in the fourth, with the Titans taking the lead with 6:10 to go in the game.
If the Jacksonville Jaguars win on Saturday, the Titans will go on to play the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. If the Buffalo Bills beat the Jaguars, the Titans will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the next round.
It was all Kansas City in the first half, as it marched down the field for a pair of touchdowns while the Titans had absolutely nothing to offer. Kansas City scored on back-to-back lengthy drives. The first went 81 yards in six plays and the second went 76 yards in five plays, giving the Chiefs a 14-0 lead.
The Titans didn’t answer until the final two minutes of the first half, when a third-down sack by Derrick Johnson of the Chiefs forced them to kick a field goal. The Chiefs then went 79 yards in nine plays for yet another Alex Smith-led touchdown drive, taking a halftime lead of 21-3.
But the Chiefs just couldn’t accept an easy win, and they started calling terrible plays on offense, slowly allowing the Titans to get back in the game. Marcus Mariota threw a touchdown pass to himself (really), and the Titans fought back to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter. Then the Titans took the lead, and the Chiefs were playing from behind.
The Atlanta Falcons traveled to take on the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC later in the night and came away with a 26-13 victory on the road.
On Sunday, the Bills travel to face the Jaguars at 1:05 p.m. on CBS, and the Carolina Panthers are taking on the New Orleans Saints at 4:40 p.m. on FOX.
Below is an updated schedule for the remainder of the NFL playoffs.
All times Eastern
Wild Card Round
AFC byes: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC byes: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings
Saturday, Jan. 6
GAME 1: Tennessee Titans 22, Kansas City Chiefs 21
GAME 2: Atlanta Falcons 26, Los Angeles Rams 13
Sunday, Jan. 7
GAME 3: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:05 p.m., CBS
GAME 4: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, 4:40 p.m., FOX
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan. 13
GAME 5: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:35 p.m., NBC
GAME 6: Lowest AFC seed from Wild Card Round at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Jan. 14
GAME 7: Highest AFC seed from Wild Card Round at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:05 p.m., CBS
GAME 8: Carolina Panthers/New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings, 4:40 p.m., FOX
Championship Round
Sunday, Jan. 21
AFC Championship: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 3:05 p.m., CBS
NFC Championship: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6:40 p.m., FOX
Super Bowl 52
Sunday, Feb. 4
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion, 6:30 p.m., NBC
The worst Super Bowl ever
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
The wait for the 2017 NFL playoffs is finally over as the wild-card round kicks off Saturday, featuring some of the league's most intriguing playoff contenders.
While you won't see the likes of the New England Patriots or Philadelphia Eagles competing this week, there is still plenty of action to keep an eye on, starting with the Tennessee Titans traveling to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. The Atlanta Falcons then head west to face the Los Angeles Rams.
Here's a look at this week's wild-card playoff picture followed by a complete look at the playoff picture as the weeks progress:
Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, Jan. 6
AFC: (5) Tennessee Titans (9-7) at (4) Kansas City Chiefs (10-6), 4:35 p.m. ET (ESPN, WatchESPN)
NFC: (6) Atlanta Falcons (10-6) at (3) Los Angeles Rams (11-5), 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC, NBC Sports Live)
Sunday, Jan. 7
AFC: (6) Buffalo Bills (9-7) at (3) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6), 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS, CBS Sports Network)
NFC: (5) Carolina Panthers (11-5) at (4) New Orleans Saints (11-5), 4:40 p.m. ET (Fox, Fox Sports GO)
Divisional Weekend
Saturday, Jan. 13
NFC: Falcons/Panthers/Saints at (1) Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC, NBC Sports Live)
AFC: Bills/Titans/Chiefs at (1) New England Patriots (13-3), 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS, CBS Sports Network)
Sunday, Jan. 14
AFC: Titans/Chiefs/Jaguars at (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3), 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS, CBS Sports Network)
NFC: Panthers/Saints/Rams at (2) Minnesota Vikings (13-3), 4:40 p.m. ET (Fox, Fox Sports GO)
Championship Sunday
Sunday, Jan. 21
AFC Championship Game, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS, CBS Sports Network)
NFC Championship Game, 6:40 p.m. ET (Fox, Fox Sports GO)
Super Bowl LII
Sunday, Feb. 4
AFC champion vs. NFC champion at U.S. Bank Stadium, 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC, NBC Sports Live)
Marcus Mariota, Titans travel to Kansas City
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
When talking about some of the NFL's best atmospheres for gameday, it's impossible to leave out Arrowhead, arguably the loudest stadium of them all.
The Chiefs' home is one of the most hostile places for away teams to play in, not just because of the noise level, but because of how good the Chiefs are when they play to their full potential.
Kansas City has been inconsistent throughout the season, but it still boasts one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, featuring rookie sensation Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill. It's no wonder the Chiefs (-8) are favorites in this one, according OddsShark.
While the Titans defense might be able to keep them in the game, it's going to be up to the offense to keep up the pace. Specifically, this game will fall on the shoulders of Marcus Mariota.
For all the hype Mariota received in Week 17 after he stiff-armed his way into highlight reels, he still had a bad day throwing the ball, completing just 57.1 percent of his passes for 137 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
Mariota has taken a step back this season statistically, but he has a golden opportunity to make up for a bad regular season this afternoon against the Chiefs on the road.
Rams look to solidify place as Super Bowl contenders
Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Rams are the feel-good story of the league. The franchise went from one of the most boring tams to watch last season to the highest-scoring offense in the league under second-year quarterback Jared Goff and first-year head coach Sean McVay.
But forget about regular season stats; this is playoff football. And in the Rams' way are the Atlanta Falcons, a team that narrowly lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots last year.
Atlanta (+5.5) is considered the underdogs in this road matchup, according to OddsShark. While the Falcons aren't as explosive as they were last season, they still have last season's MVP, Matt Ryan, throwing the ball, Julio Jones at wideout and Devonta Freeman in the backfield. Freeman has also been taken off the team's injury report in the past couple days.
The Rams have a trio of offensive playmakers of their own, starting with Goff, a possible MVP candidate in Todd Gurley and an explosive wideout in Robert Woods.
Both teams will need their playmakers to step up big this afternoon to stand any chance of making the divisional round, where a possible date with the Philadelphia Eagles or Minnesota Vikings awaits them.
