There is not an NFL Monday Night Football game tonight, January 4th, or for the remainder of the season with the playoffs set to begin. All of the NFL Week 17 games took place on Sunday, January 3 to solidify the playoff bracket.
Football fans will have to wait until the playoffs start on Saturday, January 9 for the next NFL game. The good news is fans get two additional games on Wild Card Weekend as a result of the playoff expansion. It will be two straight days of triple-header action on January 9-10.
Both the Chiefs and Packers will have the week off thanks to securing the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. The two-seeded Bills and Saints will play on Wild Card Weekend instead of having a first-round bye as a result of the two additional teams in the postseason.
The AFC kicks off the playoff action on Saturday with the No. 2 Bills hosting the No. 7 Colts in the opening postseason matchup. Josh Allen is out to prove Buffalo is a Super Bowl contender, while Philip Rivers makes his Colts postseason debut. Allen likes his team’s chances of making some noise in the playoffs this time around.
“We’re playing good. Guys are getting open, catching the ball, doing their job,” Allen said, per ESPN. “Guys up front are blocking and [offensive coordinator Brian] Daboll is calling excellent games and we’re going out and executing. Find better ways to get the ball out and keeping the ball out of harm’s way. Trying to limit the turnovers is something we’re gonna need to do in the playoffs.”
Here is a look at the 2021 NFL playoff schedule.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Schedule
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sat., Jan. 9, 2021 | 7 Colts vs. 2 Bills | 1:05 p.m. CBS |
| Sat., Jan. 9, 2021 | 6 Rams vs. 3 Seahawks | 4:40 p.m. Fox |
| Sat., Jan. 9, 2021 | 5 Bucs vs. 4 Washington | 8:15 p.m. NBC |
| Sun., Jan. 10, 2021 | 5 Ravens vs. 4 Titans | 1:05 p.m. ABC |
| Sun., Jan. 10, 2021 | 7 Bears vs. 2 Saints | 4:40 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., Jan. 10, 2021 | 6 Browns vs. 3 Steelers | 8:15 p.m. NBC |
NFL Playoff Divisional Round: AFC-NFC Matchups
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sat., Jan. 16, 2021 | AFC-NFC TBD | TBD |
| Sat., Jan. 16, 2021 | AFC-NFC TBD | TBD |
| Sun., Jan. 17, 2021 | AFC-NFC TBD | TBD |
| Sun., Jan. 17, 2021 | AFC-NFC TBD | TBD |
NFC-AFC Championship Games
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sun., Jan. 24, 2021 | NFC Championship Game | 3:05 p.m. FOX |
| Sun., Jan. 24, 2021 | AFC Championship Game | 6:40 p.m. CBS |
Super Bowl 2021: Date, Time & TV Channel
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sun., Feb. 7, 2021 | TBD | 6:30 p.m. CBS |
NFL Playoff Bracket 2021: AFC & NFC
The NFL playoff matchups are reseeded after each round so the top seeds face the lowest remaining seeds. Only the No. 1 seed in each conference will earn a first-round bye.
| NFC | AFC | |||
| 7 Bears | 7 Colts | |||
| 2 Saints | 2 Bills | |||
| 5 Buccaneers | 5 Ravens | |||
| 1 Packers | 1 Chiefs | |||
| 4 Washington | 4 Titans | |||
| 6 Rams | 6 Browns | |||
| 3 Seahawks | 3 Steelers |
NFL Playoff Teams 2021
| TEAMS |
| Kansas City Chiefs |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Buffalo Bills |
| Tennessee Titans |
| Baltimore Ravens |
| Cleveland Browns |
| Indianapolis Colts |
| Green Bay Packers |
| New Orleans Saints |
| Seattle Seahawks |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Los Angeles Rams |
| Chicago Bears |
| Washington Football Team |
NFC Playoff Matchups
No. 7 Chicago Bears vs. No. 2 New Orleans Saints
No. 6 L.A. Rams vs. No. 3 Seattle Seahawks
No. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. No. 4 Washington Football Team
Bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers
AFC Playoff Matchups
No. 7 Indianapolis Colts vs. No. 2 Buffalo Bills
No. 6 Cleveland Browns vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Baltimore Ravens vs. No. 4 Tennessee Titans
Bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (Clinched)
READ NEXT: NFL Playoff Picture 2021: AFC & NFC Standings for Week 17
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Monday Night Football: No NFL Games on TV Today, January 4