NFL Playoff Schedule 2014-15: Postseason Dates, Wild-Card Predictions and More
Following Sunday's action in the penultimate week of the 2014 NFL regular season, nine of the 12 playoff spots have been officially filled.
On the AFC side, the New England Patriots have already clinched the AFC East and a first-round bye. The Denver Broncos have secured the AFC West and can earn a first-round bye with a Monday Night Football victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Indianapolis Colts have earned the AFC South crown, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have clinched a playoff spot.
In the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys are the only division winner, taking the NFC East following a Week 16 victory over the Colts. However, the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals have all clinched playoff berths, leaving a battle between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers to decide the winner of the NFC South and the NFC's final participant.
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The postseason narrative will be running rampant throughout the Internet leading up to a pivotal Week 17, so we may as well get things started early by looking at the updated playoff picture, forthcoming postseason dates and predicting which 12 teams will be alive and kicking come January.
Updated Playoff Picture
Postseason Dates
| Sat., Jan. 3 | AFC Wild Card Game 1 |
| Sat., Jan. 3 | NFC Wild Card Game 1 |
| Sun., Jan. 4 | AFC Wild Card Game 2 |
| Sun., Jan. 4 | NFC Wild Card Game 2 |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | AFC Divisional Game 1 |
| Sat., Jan. 10 | NFC Divisional Game 1 |
| Sun., Jan. 11 | AFC Divisional Game 2 |
| Sun., Jan. 11 | NFC Divisional Game 2 |
| Sun., Jan. 18 | AFC Championship Game |
| Sun., Jan. 18 | NFC Championship Game |
| Sun., Feb. 1 | Super Bowl XLIX |
All dates courtesy of ESPN.com.
Final Playoff Predictions
There's one contest remaining in Week 16, and while most of the postseason's participants have come to fruition, there's still room for plenty of movement up and down the ranks. For example, the Packers are the current No. 5 seed in the NFC, but they have a legitimate chance to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. You get the drift.
Taking each contender's recent on-field performance into consideration, here's a look at how the playoff picture is likely to unfold once the regular season comes to a close.
| 1 | New England Patriots (13-3) | 1 | Seattle Seahawks (12-4) |
| 2 | Denver Broncos (13-3) | 2 | Green Bay Packers (12-4) |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts (11-5) | 3 | Dallas Cowboys (12-4) |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) | 4 | Atlanta Falcons (7-9) |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) | 5 | Arizona Cardinals (11-5) |
| 6 | San Diego Chargers (10-6) | 6 | Detroit Lions (11-5) |
So, here's the explanation.
Based on a terrible showing by the Buffalo Bills in Week 16, it's safe to assume the Patriots will win in Week 17 and clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If that's the case, the Broncos will be relegated to the No. 2 seed, even after winning out—the Bengals are terrible in prime time, and the Oakland Raiders shouldn't be much of a challenge in Week 17.
Though the Colts looked awful on Sunday, even their reserves are capable of beating the lowly Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis will finish the season off with a win and remain in the No. 3 seed.
After losing to the Broncos, Cincinnati will turn it around and defeat the Steelers in what is basically the AFC North championship game. The Bengals have a very stingy secondary, and Pittsburgh will have a tough time shredding them for 25 fourth-quarter points for a second time.
That leaves the Steelers with the No. 5 seed, and with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, the San Diego Chargers hang on to the No. 6 seed.
With all that in mind, here's how the first round of the playoffs would look for the AFC:
| Game 1 | No. 3 Indianapolis Colts vs. No. 6 San Diego Chargers |
| Game 2 | No. 4 Cincinnati Bengals vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Bye Weeks | No. 1 New England Patriots, No. 2 Denver Broncos |
The Seahawks only need a win to clinch home-field advantage, and that shouldn't be a problem in Week 17 based on a poor showing by the St. Louis Rams defense against the New York Giants on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers has been marvelous at Lambeau Field this year, and he'll continue that trend, defeating the Lions and earning the NFC North title along with a first-round bye.
Dallas simply looks too strong to lose to the Washington Redskins, so a victory in Week 17 will ensure the Cowboys remain in the No. 3 spot due to Green Bay owning a conference-record tiebreaker. The Atlanta Falcons are on a roll, and defeating the Carolina Panthers in Week 17 will give them the NFC South and a playoff berth as the No. 4 seed.
Even though the struggling Arizona Cardinals are likely to lose to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17, they'll still move up into the No. 5 seed due to Detroit's loss to Green Bay. The Cardinals own a head-to-head tiebreaker, defeating the Lions in Week 11. That leaves Detroit as the No. 6 seed.
With that settled, here's how that first round of the playoffs would look for the NFC:
| Game 1 | No. 3 Dallas Cowboys vs. No. 6 Detroit Lions |
| Game 2 | No. 4 Atlanta Falcons vs. No. 5 Arizona Cardinals |
| Bye Weeks | No. 1 Seattle Seahawks, No. 2 Green Bay Packers |
All tiebreaker scenarios courtesy of CBSSports.com.
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