Inside The Star
Can you believe we are hours away from the final four being set? Following Saturday’s divisional round matchups, half of the NFL’s Conference Championship round is set, and the other half will join Seattle and Denver later today.
Yesterday, we watched an electrifying game between the Broncos and the Bills; it is hard to believe now that Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, failed to show up when it mattered, and Bo Nix did; yet, neither will play next round.
Broncos QB Bo Nix suffered a season-ending broken bone in his ankle during today’s overtime, victory over Buffalo.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2026
The post-game announcement of his broken ankle flipped a celebration and next-week narrative on its head, similar to what happened on the NFC side.
Any talk of the Seahawks being a weak one-seed was put to bed with thunder. They completely dominated the San Francisco 49ers in a 41-6 blowout victory; they look like a team that can win the Super Bowl.
Today, we will first get the elite defense of the Houston Texans against the red-hot New England Patriots, and the cardiac Chicago Bears hosting, what will be, a very cold Los Angeles Rams squad.
Here, I’ll go over both games so you are fully prepared as the Conference Championship round takes shape.
In the Wild Card round, these two teams gave up a combined nine total points. Today, their over/under is easily the lowest of the weekend, currently sitting at 40.5 points.
Defensively, it makes sense, with Houston barnstorming the league with their vicious unit led by Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, and New England ranking in the top ten in every defensive category.
Offensively, it’s a tale of two very different teams.
C.J. Stroud and the Texans have struggled to find their old identity on offense; the running game is one of the worst in the league, and Stroud’s passing attack isn’t what it used to be.
The Patriots, on the other hand, have the third most offensive yards in the league, the potential MVP in Drake Maye, and a versatile running attack to pair with their young quarterback.
#Patriots QB Drake Maye is now currently the NFL MVP favorite over Matthew Stafford on multiple sportsbooks as this Rams–Falcons game unfolds. pic.twitter.com/vYAP5lwhb0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 30, 2025
Now, what may offset all of this offensive talk is the weather. It will be snowing, and it will be freezing cold in Foxborough throughout the game.
This game will come down to which offense can push the ball in the end zone more, or perhaps, which defense can score themselves. Either way, whichever team wins this will be a strong favorite against backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in Denver next week.
Los Angeles Rams...
