Hey everyone, Summer here.

And welcome to the first weekend of 2026—which just happens to be one ofthe biggest football weekends of the entire year.

Sunday NFL Games (January 4th)

Sunday is loaded with 1 PM games where playoff implications areeverywhere:

Colts vs. Texans (1:00 PM ET) - AFC South implications. Houstonmight be playing for seeding. Indianapolis might be playing for a playoff spot.Either way, this matters.

Saints vs. Falcons (1:00 PM ET) - NFC South battle. Atlanta could befighting for playoff positioning. New Orleans is likely playing spoiler, tryingto ruin their division rival's season one last time.

Titans vs. Jaguars (1:00 PM ET) - Another AFC South matchup. Probablywon't decide the division, but pride is on the line and nobody wants to finishthe season with a loss.

Cardinals vs. Rams (4:25 PM ET) - Late afternoon NFC West game. TheRams could be playing for playoff seeding. The Cardinals are probably out of itbut would love nothing more than to knock the Rams down.

Why Week 18 Is Different

Here's what makes NFL Week 18 special: some teams are resting startersbecause they've already clinched everything. Other teams are playing theirstarters 60 minutes because their season depends on it. You get wildly uneveneffort levels, which creates chaos and upsets.

And the best part? You don't know who needs what until all the othergames play out. A team might start the day needing a win and three otherresults to go their way. Scoreboards matter. Out-of-town scores matter. It'sbeautiful chaos.

Sunday Game Plan:

Sunday is classic NFL RedZone territory if you have it—7 hours ofcommercial-free football bouncing between games as scoring plays happen.

If you don't have RedZone, pick the game that matters most to your teamor the game with the biggest playoff implications and stick with that. Fliparound during commercials to catch scores from other games.

The key is snacks. Seriously. Wings, pizza, chips and dip, whatever keepsyou fueled for 12+ hours of football across two days. Hydrate. Pace yourself.This is a marathon, not a sprint.

The Social Element:

Football is better with people. Host something. Go to a friend's place.Hit a sports bar. Join a group text where everyone's watching and commenting inreal-time.

Or if you prefer solo football watching—that's totally valid too. There'ssomething peaceful about just you, the games, and nobody talking through theimportant plays.

CONCLUSION

So there you have it—your guide to one of the best football weekends ofthe year.

Saturday: Three College Football Playoff quarterfinals and two big NFLgames.

Sunday: NFL Week 18 chaos with playoff spots on the line.