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Patriots Divisional Round Schedule: Who and When They Play
Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) smiles after a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots took care of business in the Wild Card round of the playoffs in stylish fashion on January 11, beating the 16-3 in a low-scoring but end-to-end affair.

Chargers quarterback, Justin Herbert was sacked six times and managed just 159 yards through the air as the Patriots' smart defensive scheme openly exposed what has long been known to be one of the most suspect offensive lines not just in the playoffs, but in the entire league.

Now the team earns the right to move on in the playoffs, and they will face the winner of the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, who fight it out tomorrow evening in the final game of the Wild Card.

Who and When Will The Patriots Play Next?

And it has also been revealed that the Patriots will play their Divisional Round game on January 18th, either at 3pm or 6.30pm.

"Just in: Here's the NFL Divisional Round schedule:" Avi Meirov of The 33rd Team posted on X.

For January 17, the two games that will be played are -
"Bills @ Broncos
49ers @ Seahawks"

For January 18, the games will go forth as such:
"Rams @ Bears
Steelers/Texans @ Patriots

Times to be announced."

The two games being played on the second day of the playoffs will be the LA Rams vs Chicago Bears and the Patriots against the winner of the Texans/Steelers. Regardless of the winner, the bout will be held at Foxborough.

The full schedule, including timings for all the games, will be announced after the game on January 12, where Houston remain around -150 favorites at Pittsburgh.

What Does The Patriots' Playoff Path Look Like Beyond The Divisional Round?

A divisional round win will have them face off between the winner of the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos - which itself is a rematch of the very one-sided affair a year ago, which the Bills won 31-7 to proceed out of the Wild Card round.

Either team will pose a serious test for New England in what would be the AFC Championship game, and the winner of that game would go on to face one of the LA Rams, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

There is much to go between now and then. And even head coach, Mike Vrabel, had some critiques of both the team and quarterback, Drake Maye's play. But for now, the team and fans should enjoy their first playoff victory in over half a decade.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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