Despite playing without a bubble during the fall and winter of an unprecedented pandemic, the NFL has somehow made it to the playoffs. COVID-19 outbreaks on multiple teams caused postponements and shuffled schedules earlier in the season, but the league muddled through. Last week’s opening round of this year’s NFL Playoffs saw the Bills hold off the Colts, the Rams’ stout defense upset the Seahawks and the Bucs outlast Washington to kick off Saturday’s edition of Super Wild Card Weekend. Sunday’s fun saw the Ravens take down the Titans, the Saints beat the Bears and the Browns upset the Steelers.
Saturday will once again begin a new round of the playoffs, the Divisional Round. Opening the action will see the Los Angeles Rams heading to Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodgers and the NFC-best Packers in Lambeau Field. Kickoff is set for 4:35 p.m. ET (1:35 p.m. PT) on Fox.
Here’s how you can watch all the action live without cable.
The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers host the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in the first game of the NFL’s Divisional round.
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
What is the NFL schedule for this weekend?
There are four games this weekend, two on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Saturday, Jan. 16:
- Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers, 4:35 p.m. ET (1:35 p.m. PT) on Fox
- Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) on NBC
Sunday, Jan. 17:
- Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 3:05 p.m. ET (12:05 p.m. PT) on CBS
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT) on Fox
How can I watch the NFL without cable?
You can stream the NFL regular season, no cable required, on any live-TV streaming service that carries channels with live games. Numerous such services offer broadcast networks like CBS, NBC and Fox as well as ESPN and the NFL Network. Exact channels may also vary based on where you live, but the best services for NFL fans are YouTube TV and FuboTV.
Read more: NFL streaming: Best ways to watch the 2020 football season live without cable
YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes all the channels NFL fans need: CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
FuboTV costs $65 a month for its Family plan and includes CBS, Fox and NBC plus ESPN and the NFL Network. Click here to see which local channels you get.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $65 a month and includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. The NFL Network is not available from this service.
AT&T TV’s basic, $70-a-month Entertainment package includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.
Sling TV splits its live NFL options across its $30-a-month Blue plan and $30-a-month Orange plan, which forces NFL fans into a tricky choice or encourages them to spring for both at $45 a month. Sling Blue includes the NFL Network, NBC and Fox while Sling Orange includes ESPN.
Sling TV doesn’t offer CBS, but its packages are discounted by $10 for the first month. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live.
CBS All Access costs $6 per month and will let you watch the games being broadcast on your local CBS station on Sundays if you live in one of these 206 markets where the service offers live TV. It makes for a good add-on for Sling TV subscribers, who don’t get CBS.
All of the services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our massive streaming services guide.
Finally, cord-cutters can receive free local CBS, Fox and NBC broadcasts using an over-the-air antenna.
When did the NFL season start?
The NFL regular season began on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the Houston Texans visiting the Kansas City Chiefs.
Where are games being played?
Teams play their games as scheduled in their respective home stadiums.
Are fans allowed in?
Some teams allow fans and some do not.
The Chiefs, for example, hosted their home opener on Sept. 10 with 15,895 fans in attendance, 21% of Arrowhead’s capacity.
Other teams, including the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, hosted their respective home openers without fans in the stands in Week 2. This so far has been a team-by-team, city-by-city situation subject to change throughout the season.
What happened to the preseason?
The NFL canceled the entire 2020 preseason in July, with teams focusing on doing their own training camps to prepare for the upcoming season.
Which players are sitting out?
Like in other sports, a fair number of NFL players opted out of the 2020 season. Here are a few of the notable players not participating this year, with a larger list available at ESPN:
- Patrick Chung, S, New England Patriots
- Dont’a Hightower, LB, New England Patriots
- Marqise Lee, WR, New England Patriots
- Marquise Goodwin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
- Devin Funchess, WR, Green Bay Packers
- Geronimo Allison, WR, Detroit Lions
- C.J. Mosley, LB, New York Jets
- Nate Solder, OT, New York Giants
- Damien Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs