NFL Playoffs 2016: Viewing Information and Wild-Card Bracket Picks

The NFL postseason will open on Saturday, January 9, with the first matchup of Wild Card Weekend between the No. 4 Houston Texans and the No. 5 Kansas City Chiefs at 4:35 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN. 

The first round of playoff action will also feature another juicy matchup on Saturday night between the No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers and No. 5 Cincinnati Bengals ahead of Sunday's NFC clashes between the No. 3 Minnesota Vikings and No. 6 Seattle Seahawks and the No. 4 Washington Redskins and No. 5 Green Bay Packers. 

The following playoff bracket contains all the details you need to know regarding wild-card matchups and viewing information throughout the playoffs: 

Now that you know how to watch, let's break down what to watch in each of the four games during the Wild Card Round and pick a winner for each matchup. 

Wild-Card Bracket Picks

AFC: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

Viewing Information: Jan. 9, 4:35 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN)

The Houston Texans feature one of the best defensive units in the postseason, but the Kansas City Chiefs have enough strength in the two other phases of the game to advance in the Wild Card Round on Saturday.

Sure, the Chiefs may have ended the season as the NFL's 27th-ranked offense, but that doesn't paint an accurate picture of how strongly they finished out the year, winning their last 10 games not always in a blowout, but convincingly. 

Kansas City averaged 25.3 points per game throughout the regular-season campaign.

One of the Chiefs' secret weapons is their special teams unit, which John Dixon at Arrowhead Pride pointed out has been stout over the last three seasons and especially in 2015. 

And while the Chiefs might not have J.J. Watt, their defense has been nothing to sneeze at in the second half of the season. 

In fact, according to NFL on ESPN, the Chiefs and the Texans have been the two best defensive units since Week 7 of the regular season. 

With squads that evenly matched, and with the Chiefs holding more offensive firepower, this match swings decidedly in their favor. 

Pick: Kansas City 

AFC: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

Viewing Information: Jan. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that while Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is out of his cast, the team is planning to move ahead with backup AJ McCarron for Saturday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

McCarron versus veteran Ben Roethlisberger—Pittsburgh has to win this matchup, right?

Not so fast. 

Sure, the Steelers feature one of the league's top scoring offenses, but the unit looked off in the last two games of the regular season. In Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger threw no touchdowns and two interceptions, and the Steelers lost 20-17. 

Week 17 versus the Cleveland Browns featured a slightly better performance from Roethlisberger, who threw three touchdowns and two interceptions, but Pittsburgh lost running back DeAngelo Williams to a sprained ankle. 

In addition to affecting Pittsburgh's backfield, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com points out that Williams' absence would also affect Roethlisberger: The back is skilled in pass protection. 

The Steelers are losing their hot hand at the wrong time, while the Bengals will only get better with the eventual return of Dalton if they advance past this round. Cincinnati is also buoyed by the return of tight end Tyler Eifert, who had a touchdown in Week 17. 

Expect the Bengals to triumph in this AFC North clash. 

Pick: Cincinnati 

NFC: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings

Viewing Information: Jan. 10, 1:05 p.m. ET (NBC)

Looking back at the last time these two teams met, it's easy to favor Seattle heading into this NFC wild-card showdown.

The Seahawks won that Week 13 game easily, 38-7.

But the Vikings now have a healthy defense and will be coming at the Seahawks at full strength.

This game ultimately comes down to which team can pull ahead early. If the Seahawks, relying on Russell Wilson's arm and potentially Marshawn Lynch (who could be back in time for the playoffs, according to the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta), can build a lead quickly, they can take away Adrian Peterson and force the Vikings to pass the ball. 

If that becomes the reality, the Seattle defense should easily be able to shut down Teddy Bridgewater and Minnesota's passing game. 

Pick: Seattle

NFC: Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins

Viewing Information: Jan. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET (Fox)

Do the Green Bay Packers have a chance to beat Washington in the Wild Card Round? Of course they do. 

But will they? That's the bigger question. 

This Packers offense is looking lifeless. Aaron Rodgers may not have a great supporting cast, but he isn't immune from what has been troubling the Packers. Green Bay is bowing under the weight of a constantly injured (and therefore low-performing) offensive line, receivers who can't get open and a quarterback who has lost a touch of his accuracy. 

Washington, on the other hand, has gotten red-hot under the guidance of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has just gotten better and better as the season has gone on for Washington, as this ESPN Stats & Info graphic shows:

Compare that trajectory to Rodgers', who has struggled more and more since the Packers faltered after their Week 7 bye coming off a 6-0 start to the year. 

Ultimately, Washington's offense is in sync and clicking heading into the postseason. Green Bay has shown flashes of excellence, mainly contained to the fourth quarter when the game has already slipped away. 

The Packers will have to start the game stronger than they have all season to have a chance against Washington. Ultimately, it just doesn't seem like their year. 

Pick: Washington