NFL Championship Weekend: Who Reaches the Super Bowl?

There’s no margin left. No safety net. No tomorrow.

After months and months of some serious grind, injuries, upsets, and statement wins, only four teams remain in the race for the Lombardi Trophy. 

Ladies and gentlemen… The Broncos. The Patriots. The Seahawks. The Rams. Everyone else is watching from home.

With the defending Super Bowl champions eliminated on Wild Card Weekend, the 2025–26 season guarantees a new champion. The road now leads to Santa Clara, California, but first,  we are in for the ultimate pressure test: NFL Championship Weekend.

Every snap matters. Every mistake gets magnified. This is where legacies are defined.

The Final Four at a Glance

• AFC: Broncos (No. 1) vs Patriots (No. 2)
• NFC: Seahawks (No. 1) vs Rams (No. 5)

Two games. Two tickets to the Super Bowl. No room for error.

AFC Championship: Patriots vs. Broncos

Denver earned the No. 1 seed the hard way, but they had to pay a steep price to the piper. In their overtime win over Buffalo, rookie QB Bo Nix went down late with a serious ankle injury. An injury expected to cost him the rest of the playoffs. The Broncos did advance, but the victory came with a brutal cost.

This unfortunate situation puts Jarrett Stidham under center in the biggest start of his career. We’ll see what he can do.

Denver’s Path to Victory

Without Nix, the Broncos must win with identity football:

• Control the clock
• Protect the football
• Let the defense dictate everything

Denver’s defense ranks top 5 across nearly every major metric, thriving on pressure and turnovers. If they can keep the game ugly and limit explosive plays, they can survive without elite quarterback play.

New England’s Championship Formula

The New England Patriots arrive with momentum and confidence. Their 28–16 win over Houston featured four interceptions, including a momentum-swinging pick-six by Marcus Jones.

At the center of it all is Drake Maye.

Drake Maye: The X-Factor

Pressure doesn’t faze Drake Maye, oh no. It fuels him. In just his second season, the MVP frontrunner has turned chaos into control, extending plays, attacking defenses on the move, and reshaping New England’s offense in the biggest moments. 

When the pocket collapses and the game tightens, Maye looks calm, calculated, and in complete command.

If Maye avoids turnovers and handles Denver’s pass rush, the Patriots are just one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 2019. Long time no see.

NFC Championship: Rams vs. Seahawks

Division rivals meet for the 3rd time, with the regular-season series split 1–1. This is the much-anticipated tiebreaker, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Seattle earned the No. 1 seed and entered hot after a 41–6 demolition of San Francisco.

Seattle’s Strength and Concern

The Seahawks are built on:

• A punishing defense
• A physical run game
• Home-field dominance

But there’s a major wrinkle to address. Running back Zach Charbonnet is expected to miss the game because of a knee injury, putting the workload on Kenneth Walker.

Walker responded last week with his best game of the season, but now faces a Rams defense designed to force one-dimensional football.

Rams Chasing Legacy

Los Angeles arrives battle-tested after a 20–17 overtime win over Chicago.

For Matthew Stafford, this game is all about legacy. A second Super Bowl appearance would place him among the elite quarterbacks of his era.

With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams stretching defenses, the Rams have no shortage of firepower. The key strategy will lie in slowing Seattle’s run game and winning early downs.

Championship Weekend Comes Down to This

• Can Denver’s defense carry a backup quarterback?
• Can Drake Maye stay composed in the league’s toughest environment?
• Can Seattle run the ball without Charbonnet?
• Can the Rams win on the road against a No. 1 seed?

Final Whistle: Where Pressure Creates Legends

Championship Weekend strips football down to its core. Preparation meets execution. Talent meets nerves.

Two teams will advance. Two seasons will end in heartbreak.

And if you want to experience moments like these beyond just watching, BullRush Sports puts you in control. Build your own NFL playoff competitions, create custom rules and formats, track live leaderboards, and battle friends or your community with real-time scoring and advanced stats.

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FAQs: NFL Championship Weekend

Q: Why does Championship Weekend hit differently?
Because one mistake ends a season. Every snap decides who plays for a ring.

Q: What’s the biggest AFC storyline?
Can Denver’s defense carry a backup QB or does Drake Maye take over the conference?

Q: Who has the most pressure on them?
Matthew Stafford. A win cements legacy. A loss sends him home.

Q: What’s the swing factor in Rams vs Seahawks?
Seattle’s run game without Charbonnet. If it stalls, the Rams smell blood.

Q: Who controls their own destiny the most?
New England. If Maye protects the ball, the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl.