Le Journal

It all comes down to this. Championship Sunday in the NFL is approaching, with the matchup for Super Bowl LX to be decided. On the AFC side, the No. 1 Denver Broncos — without injured quarterback Bo Nix — will face off against Drake Maye and the No. 2 New England Patriots. The Broncos defeated the Bills, 33-30, in an overtime thriller before their quarterback was injured late. On Sunday, the Patriots picked off C.J. Stroud four times and Maye threw three touchdowns in a 28-16 victory. Then, in the NFC, it’ll be the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks hosting the No. 5 Los Angeles Rams. LA ended the divisional round with a late thriller at the snowy home of the No. 2 Chicago Bears, but flipped the script with a miracle of its own to win 20-17 in overtime. Here’s everything to know about the championship round: NFL Jan 17 Broncos advance to AFC title game, beating Bills 33-30 San Francisco 49ers Jan 18 Seahawks advance past 49ers to NFC title game with 41-6 win When are AFC and NFC Championship Games of the NFL playoffs? The conference title games for the NFL playoffs are set for Sunday, Jan. 25. Does the NFL reseed in the playoffs? Yes, the NFL reseeds in the playoffs. That, of course, won’t matter any more for the championship games with the two remaining teams in each conference battling it out. Which teams advanced to the AFC and NFC Championship Game? The following teams have secured their spot in the championship games of the NFL playoffs. AFC No. 1 Denver Broncos – defeated No. 6 Buffalo Bills 33-30 (OT) No. 2 New England Patriots — defeated No. 5 Houston Texans 28-16 NFC No. 1 Seattle Seahawks – defeated No. 6 San Francisco 49ers 41-6 No. 5 Los Angeles Rams — defeated the No. 2 Chicago Bears 20-17 (OT) What are the AFC and NFC Championship Game matchups? Here are the matchups for Championship Sunday, with the games hosted by Denver and Seattle: AFC No. 2 Patriots at No. 1 Broncos NFC No. 5 Rams at No. 1 Seahawks What is the Championship Sunday schedule? Here is the schedule for the AFC and NFC Championship Games. The matchups will air on CBS and FOX, with streaming on Paramount+, FOX One and NFL+. Sunday, January 25 No. 2 Patriots at No. 1 Broncos: 3 p.m. ET on CBS/Paramount+/NFL+ No. 5 Rams at No. 1 Seahawks: 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX/FOX One/NFL+ When is the Super Bowl 2026? The AFC and NFC champions will square off in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8. Where is the Super Bowl 2026? Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara, California. What channel is the Super Bowl on? Super Bowl LX will be broadcasted on NBC and streamed on Peacock.

Mike Vrabel returned to New England on a mission to have the franchise playing again in meaningful games in January — as he did so often as a player. In his first year as the head coach, he wanted to do it by building a culture of players that wanted to perform for each another. Their most complete team effort of the season has the Patriots one win from a trip to the Super Bowl. Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, Marcus Jones returned one of C.J. Stroud’s four interceptions for a score and the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 on Sunday to advance to the AFC championship game for the first time in seven years. The Patriots (16-3) will take on the Broncos (15-3) in Denver next Sunday, with the winner advancing to the NFL’s title game in three weeks. “Everybody’s stepping up. We’re using everybody. Everybody’s making plays. Everybody’s helping us win,” said Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots. “I’m excited for these guys, but also, they’re not satisfied, and I can tell that.” The Patriots — winners of 15 of their last 16 games — will make their 16th conference championship game appearance and first since their run to their sixth Super Bowl title under Bill Belichick in the 2018 season. New England has won its last nine divisional round games. Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards, but had an interception and fumbled four times, losing two in cold conditions in which snow and rain fell throughout. One of Maye’s fumbles set up Houston’s first touchdown. “Just proud of the guys,” Maye said. “Battled the elements. This is New England. This is what we’re trying to embrace and we want to embrace all season long. Props to our defense, played a hell of a game. We’ve got to protect the football better, but we made enough plays to win it.” Carlton Davis III had two interceptions for New England. Craig Woodson added an interception and fumble recovery. “They bring it every week,” Maye said of his defense. “It’s fun to watch. And we could help them out some more, but just proud of the guys. Enjoy this one, and we’re back on the road.” The eight combined turnovers — Woody Marks also lost a fumble for Houston — were the most in a playoff game since 2015 when the Cardinals and Panthers combined for eight in the NFC championship game. The Texans (13-6) have lost in the divisional round in three straight seasons under coach DeMeco Ryans. The franchise fell to 0-7 in this round. “It’s tough to win a game when you turn the ball over five times,” Ryans said. Stroud finished 20 of 47 with a TD pass. All of his interceptions came in the first half as he became the first player with five or more INTs and five or more fumbles in a single postseason. Will Anderson forced two fumbles for the Texans. “I feel like I let people down,” Stroud said. “I’m not happy with that. It hurts. I’m not used to it.” Leading 21-16 in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stretched their lead to 27-16 when Kayshon Boutte got behind Derek Stingley Jr. and pulled in a diving, one-hand catch in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The Texans had the ball with 5:48 to play, but punted on fourth-and-18 at their own 21 with 4:18 remaining. New England’s next drive took the clock under two minutes. But the Texans turned it over on downs when Stroud’s fourth-down pass to Xavier Hutchinson was batted down by Robert Spillane. The Patriots now go back on the road, where they are 8-0 this season. “We feel like we deserve to be here,” Maye said. “I like our chances with those guys in the locker room.” Early Action With the Patriots leading 7-3 early, a series of miscues produced the next two scores. Maye was strip-sacked by Danielle Hunter deep in Patriots territory, but left tackle Will Campbell fell on the ball and the Patriots punted. The Texans gave it right back when Stroud’s deep pass along the sideline was intercepted by Davis III. Maye fumbled again when he…

The New England Patriots are one win away from playing for the Lombardi Trophy, but to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LX in February, they’ll need to do something the franchise has never accomplished: beat the Broncos in Denver during the playoffs. The Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game by defeating the Houston Texans 28-16 at Gillette Stadium in Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round game, while the Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime of their AFC Divisional Round matchup Saturday. The Broncos, as the No. 1 seed, will host the Patriots in the AFC title game. It’s the Patriots’ first conference championship game appearance since 2018 and their 14th trip in the 21st century. More Patriots coverage New England Patriots 23 hours ago Patriots-Texans recap: Pats ride dominant defense to AFC title game berth Patriots Postgame Live 16 hours ago Perry: Pats' win over Texans a huge ‘program victory' for Vrabel The major storyline entering this game is the season-ending injury to Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix, who fractured his ankle late in Denver’s victory over the Bills. Jarrett Stidham, whom the Patriots drafted in 2019, is expected to start at quarterback for the Broncos. Will the Patriots reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2018 campaign? Check out our Patriots-Broncos preview below. Recent head to head The Patriots and Broncos have squared off only twice since 2017, with the latest matchup coming on Christmas Eve in 2023. The Pats won that game 26-23 in Denver on a 56-yard field goal by Chad Ryland in the final seconds. Bailey Zappe was the starting quarterback for the Patriots. The Patriots have played the Broncos in the playoffs five times, and the only time New England emerged victorious was in the 2011 postseason at home. The other four games were all in Denver, including a pair of AFC title game defeats to Peyton Manning in the 2013 and 2015 playoffs. 1986 AFC Divisional Round: 22-17 Broncos 2005 AFC Divisional Round: 27-13 Broncos 2011 AFC Divisional Round: 45-10 Patriots 2013 AFC Championship Game: 26-16 Broncos 2015 AFC Championship Game: 20-18 Broncos Key stats to know Playing on the road in a playoff game is typically a tough spot for a young quarterback, and Drake Maye has yet to play a road postseason game. But there are reasons for New England fans to be optimistic about Maye’s chances of delivering a great performance in Denver. Maye has actually played better on the road than at home this season. He completed 72.1 percent of his passes for 2,186 yards with 17 touchdowns, three interceptions and a fantastic 120.2 passer rating in eight road games during the regular season. A look at total offense stats for the Patriots and Broncos during the regular season. The Broncos gave up 30 points to Josh Allen and the Bills in the Divisional Round, but their defense ranks among the league’s best units. That group finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in yards allowed per game, No. 1 in yards allowed per play, No. 2 in touchdowns allowed, No. 5 in EPA per play allowed and No. 3 in points allowed per game. Patrick Surtain II is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and considered the league’s top cornerback. Maye will have to be aware of where Surtain is on the field at all times. A look at total defense stats for the Patriots and Broncos during the regular season. Patriots’ keys to victory Red zone defense The Patriots ranked 23rd in red zone defense, as measured by opponent scoring percentage (TD only), during the regular season. They’ve been almost lights out in the playoffs, though, allowing only one touchdown in six opponent trips inside the 20-yard line. They held the Texans to only one touchdown in four red zone trips in the Divisional Round. Establish the run game, and get Drake Maye on the move The Bills had great success on the ground versus the Broncos in the Divisional Round, racking up 183 yards (5.1…

The New England Patriots were expected to take a step forward in their first season with Mike Vrabel as head coach, but what they’ve accomplished this season has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Vrabel’s group is AFC Championship-bound after beating the Houston Texans 28-16 in Sunday’s Divisional Round matchup. It’s the Patriots’ first trip to the conference title game since the 2018 season, and it’ll be Vrabel’s second appearance as an NFL head coach (2019 with Titans). Sunday’s win marks the latest chapter in a storybook season for New England. After back-to-back 4-13 finishes, Vrabel revitalized the franchise with a 14-3 record and an opportunity to win a seventh Super Bowl title. On Patriots Postgame Live, NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry labeled the team’s Divisional Round triumph a “definitive Mike Vrabel program victory.” “What a program victory for Mike Vrabel in his first year to be able to go to the AFC Championship Game,” Perry said. “It is just absolutely mind-blowing that any of us are watching this situation play out the way it’s playing out right now, and to watch this game play out the way it did today. “You saw a ton of mistakes, but you saw a team that was able to overcome those mistakes, that was able to force the mistakes on the other side for the Houston Texans. Drake Maye with some really hellish turnovers, but also some great plays down the field, touchdown passes to some of his best receivers. So, I look at this as a definitive Mike Vrabel program victory.” MORE PATRIOTS New England Patriots 23 hours ago Patriots-Texans recap: Pats ride dominant defense to AFC title game berth New England Patriots 16 hours ago Patriots-Broncos Tale of the Tape: Keys to victory, prediction and more Patriots Pregame Live 20 hours ago How close was Nick Caley to becoming Pats OC? Breer shares intel The Patriots’ turnaround under Vrabel has been remarkable, but the job isn’t finished. That’s the mentality in New England’s locker room as the team prepares for its trip to Denver. “I’m excited for these guys, but they’re also — they’re not satisfied, and I can tell that,” Vrabel said after Sunday’s win. “It wasn’t pretty, the defense kept us in there and when we needed it, the offense was able to come through late in the game there.” It was a sloppy day in Foxboro with the Patriots and Texans combining for eight turnovers. New England’s defense tallied five takeaways, including four interceptions against Houston QB C.J. Stroud. Maye fumbled four times and lost two of them. While it was far from an MVP-like performance, Maye made up for his turnovers with three touchdown passes. One was a perfect throw to Kayshon Boutte, who made an incredible one-handed grab to make it a two-score game in the fourth quarter. Vrabel & Co. will shift their focus to the No. 1 seed Broncos, who defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. Denver won’t be at full strength in next week’s showdown, however, after losing QB Bo Nix to a season-ending ankle injury on the second-to-last play of Saturday’s game. Instead, ex-Pats backup QB Jarrett Stidham will look to ruin his former team’s Super Bowl hopes. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The village of Swanton has joined a growing chorus of citizens and public officials who are trying to stop FirstEnergy Corp. from getting Ohio’s electrical reliability standards weakened so that the utility can have more time responding to power outages.