Every NFL season produces stars who dominate highlight reels and award ballots, but just as often, some of the league’s most impactful players operate in relative obscurity. Whether it’s because of their position, draft pedigree or the situation around them, these contributors consistently win their matchups and drive results without national recognition — the players we call secret superstars.

PFF grades every player on every play, and these are the top rookies from the divisional round.

Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa headline notable trade candidates entering the 2026 NFL offseason.

Thomas Valentine breaks down and ranks each remaining playoff team's offense and defense, where the Seattle Seahawks' defense takes the top spot.

In this piece, we break down rookie production across all 32 teams from the 2025 season to date, presenting every rookie who logged meaningful snaps, with tables sorted by total snaps played and contextualized using PFF grades and PFF Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

The Los Angeles Rams travel to Lumen Field to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Jan. 25, with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. EST on FOX, in a third meeting between division rivals this season — and the winner advances to Super Bowl LX.

The New England Patriots head to Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, Jan. 25, for a high-stakes AFC showdown with the Denver Broncos, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. EST on CBS.

Patriots offensive tackle Morgan Moses and Texans edge defender Will Anderson Jr. headline the PFF Team of the Week.

Each week, we will highlight an interesting grade or stat from every game in the NFL. To dig deeper into every game, including snap counts for every player, subscribe to PFF+.

Each week, we have broken down some of the highest-graded individual plays, complete with tweets to show you the action. Here are a few standout plays from the divisional round.

We break down the advanced metrics after every game of the divisional-round slate, giving an in-depth look at the numbers behind every contest.

This year, PFF NFL game recaps have been reimagined to deliver more value than ever. Each game breakdown includes advanced box-score metrics, player participation, snap counts, initial PFF grades and key statistical takeaways — all powered by Premium Stats 2.0. It’s everything you need to quickly catch up on the action and dive deeper into team and player performance.

The Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams traded punches in a back-and-forth battle at Soldier Field before the Rams prevailed 20-17 in overtime, advancing to the NFC Championship Game. After Caleb Williams tied it with a stunning fourth-down touchdown late in regulation, Chicago’s quarterback threw an interception in sudden death, setting up Harrison Mevis’ game-winning field goal for Los Angeles.

The New England Patriots advanced to their first AFC Championship Game since 2018 by forcing five turnovers in a sloppy, weather-filled 28-16 win over the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four first-half interceptions and Woody Marks lost a fumble, offsetting New England’s three turnovers and sealing the Patriots’ trip to Denver.

PFF’s media research team has been hard at work this week, preparing for kickoff by pulling data-driven insights and talking points for our broadcast partners around the league. Now, we’re sharing those same nuggets with you. So, whether you’re looking to hit on your bets or just get smarter about the game, these are the key storylines to know for every divisional round contest.

Rashid Shaheed’s opening kickoff return for a touchdown set the tone as Kenneth Walker III rushed for three scores and the Seattle Seahawks overwhelmed the San Francisco 49ers 41-6 to reach the NFC Championship Game.

Will Lutz drilled a 23-yard field goal in overtime to send the Denver Broncos to the AFC Championship with a 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills in a game defined by late drama and turnovers. After Josh Allen forced overtime with a last-minute field goal drive, his fourth turnover of the night — an overtime interception — set up Lutz’s winner and ended Buffalo’s season.

PFF’s media research team has been hard at work this week, preparing for kickoff by pulling data-driven insights and talking points for our broadcast partners around the league. Now, we’re sharing those same nuggets with you. So, whether you’re looking to hit on your bets or just get smarter about the game, these are the key storylines to know for every divisional round contest.