Imagn Images The New England Patriots and Houston Texans both used stifling defensive efforts to carry the day in their Wild Card Weekend playoff victories. Something has to give when the No. 2-seeded Patriots host the No. 5-seeded Texans on Sunday in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is set for 3 p.m. ET in the nationally-televised contest. 

The 2026 NFL divisional round schedule features two games on Sunday with Texans vs. Patriots (-3.5, 40.5) and Rams (-4.5, 48.5) vs. Bears. These are moderate NFL spreads and fall in between what the two games on Saturday had. Houston will look to prevail without the services of leading receiver Nico Collins (concussion), and him being ruled out moved the NFL from Patriots -3 to Patriots -3.5.

Jan 18, 2026, 10:44 AM ET Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been fined $11,593 for wearing eye black that contained the message "stop the genocide" during last week's wild-card game, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday. Al-Shaair was fined for violating NFL uniform and equipment rules by wearing eye black that contained a personal message. Source: Texans' LB Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 for a violation of the NFL uniform and equipment rules for wearing eye black that contained a personal message during last week's Wild Card game.

The NBA will play a regular-season game in London for the 10th time ever when the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies meet on Sunday. These teams played in Berlin on Thursday as Orlando won 118-111 and covered as a 5.5-point favorite. Orlando is 23-18 on the season and fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. Memphis is 17-23 and 11th in the West.

Major League Baseball's offseason continues to wind down, with just over three weeks to go until pitchers and catchers report for camp across sites in Florida and Arizona. There's still some business to be conducted during that interim period, with left-hander Framber Valdez, outfielder Cody Bellinger, and third baseman Eugenio Suárez standing out as the best remaining free agents. Below, CBS Sports has compiled all of Sunday's top murmurs and moves in one spot for your viewing convenience.

The 2026 NFL divisional round concludes on Sunday as the New England Patriots (-3.5) host the Houston Texans at 3 p.m. ET and the Chicago Bears (+4.5) host the Los Angeles Rams at 6:30 p.m. ET. Plenty of the betting action will center on the spread, money line and over/under, but bettors are also always looking to push the envelope to put together huge parlays. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain open to an Aaron Rodgers reunion in 2026, even though it's unlikely because of Mike Tomlin's resignation, sources told ESPN. The Steelers players are more than open to Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh; they want the four-time league MVP back and conveyed as much to various members of the Steelers organization during their exit meetings last week, according to sources.

The final two Conference Championship teams will be determined on Sunday, providing two elite NFL playoff matchups to use the beefed-up DraftKings promo code, which gives new users $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. The New England Patriots will host the Houston Texans at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the Chicago Bears hosting the Los Angeles Rams at 6:30 p.m.

Jan 18, 2026, 08:51 AM ET LOS ANGELES -- The NFL is marking the 60th anniversary of the Super Bowl with a hometown opening act. Green Day will kick off the big game with an opening ceremony Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the league announced Sunday. The performance will celebrate six decades of the championship's history, with the band helping usher generations of Super Bowl MVPs onto the field.

The fifth-seeded Houston Texans will look to extend their winning streak to 10 games when they battle the second-seeded New England Patriots in a 2026 NFL divisional round matchup on Sunday. Houston advanced with a 30-6 win at Pittsburgh, while New England defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the Wild Card Round. The Texans (12-5), who finished 10-2 against AFC foes this season, have outscored their opponents by 109 points.

The Denver Broncos are headed to the AFC Championship game for the first time in 10 years after beating the Bills on Saturday, but right now, they aren't exactly celebrating and that's because they don't really have a quarterback. Following Denver's 33-30 victory over the Bills on Saturday, Sean Payton announced that Bo Nix would be out for the rest of the season after fracturing a bone in his ankle. 

Rob DemovskyJan 18, 2026, 06:00 AM ET Close Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Despite ending 2025 with five straight losses, including a wild-card collapse against the rival Chicago Bears, Ed Policy opted for stability and Matt LaFleur decided he had unfinished business.

Todd ArcherJan 18, 2026, 06:00 AM ET Close Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys are entering the second phase of their defensive coordinator search, with candidates coming in for in-person interviews.

Jan 18, 2026, 07:43 AM ET DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Nacho Elvira benefitted from dramatic final-hole mishaps by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to win the Dubai Invitational by one shot on Sunday, securing his third title on the European tour. The 190th-ranked Elvira did what the two Ryder Cup stars couldn't and kept out of the trouble down No.

Kevin SeifertJan 18, 2026, 06:00 AM ET Close Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Dan Graziano Close Dan Graziano senior NFL national reporter Dan Graziano is a senior NFL national reporter for ESPN, covering the entire league and breaking news. Dan also contributes to Get Up, NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, Sunday NFL Countdown and Fantasy Football Now. He is a New Jersey native who joined ESPN in 2011, and he is also the author of two published novels.

Alaina GetzenbergJan 17, 2026, 11:45 PM ET Close Alaina Getzenberg covers the Buffalo Bills for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. DENVER -- The lectern in the bowels of Empower Field at Mile High Stadium stood empty for minutes.

Brady HendersonJan 18, 2026, 02:51 AM ET Close Brady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation and covers the Seattle Seahawks for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2017 after covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM. SEATTLE -- Sam Darnold's oblique injury became the biggest storyline heading into Seattle's divisional round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, giving the Seahawks and their fans a scare after the Pro Bowl quarterback left practice two days earlier.

Nick WagonerJan 18, 2026, 01:51 AM ET Close Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga.

The 2026 NFL playoff bracket is down to just eight teams following a fantastic first week of action. The NFL Divisional Round will feature four games, with all eight teams vying to get to Super Bowl LX. A new champion will be crowned after the San Francisco 49ers upset the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, on the road. Now, the 49ers will face a familiar foe when they travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Alaina GetzenbergJan 18, 2026, 01:17 AM ET Close Alaina Getzenberg covers the Buffalo Bills for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. DENVER -- Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott sat by his locker after Saturday night's playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, watching the same play about 20 times.

The 2026 NFL playoffs roll on with four games in the divisional round, with two on Saturday and two on Sunday. The latest divisional round NFL odds from DraftKings Sportsbook list the Broncos as 1.5-point favorites against the Bills and the Seahawks at -7 against the 49ers on Saturday. On Sunday, the Patriots are 3-point favorites against the Texans, while the Bears are 4.5-point home underdogs against the Rams.

Kevin SeifertJan 17, 2026, 09:50 PM ET Close Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

The NFL playoffs are all gas, no breaks. After a chaotic Wild Card Weekend, the divisional round has carried the baton and continued the madness as we inch closer to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California.  Right out of the gate, we were treated to an instant classic between the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills, which needed overtime to determine a winner.

Jeff Legwold Close Jeff Legwold ESPN Senior Writer Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.