NFL Playoff Picture 2014-15: Bracket Projections, Scenarios for Wild-Card Games

With the ringing in of a new year comes the NFL playoffs, as we enter 2015 with the postseason set to be one of the best in recent memory.

The defending Super Bowl champions are back and as dangerous as ever, which has been a rarity over the last decade. Some of the game's living legends lead heavyweights that have the chance to rewrite legacies once and for all, while other success-starved franchises will look to spoil the party.

Before all of that takes place, though, eight teams will be tested over Wild Card Weekend to see who is worthy of taking on one of the NFL's best from the regular season.

Let's take a look at the entire outlook for the playoffs, along with predictions for how Wild Card Weekend will shake out.

AFC Wild Card

Date/Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Prediction
Sat., Jan. 3, 8:15 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers	NBC	Steelers Win
Sun., Jan. 4, 1:05 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts	CBS	Colts Win

The AFC North is invading Wild Card Weekend.

Three of the four teams from the division made the playoffs, and although the Pittsburgh Steelers toppled Cincinnati in Week 17 to win the division, they'll have to turn around and face another rival in Baltimore at home to open the playoffs.

While Pittsburgh had its playoff hopes secured before then, the Ravens had to fight, needing a comeback win over Cleveland along with a Chargers loss to Kansas City. They got both and now can make it one step further by topping a Steelers team they beat once in the regular season.

Although, history isn't on their side, as ESPN Stats and Information uncovered:

Along with the two teams' playoff histories together boding well for a Steelers win, Pittsburgh has also looked the part of a more dangerous team. Ben Roethlisberger leads a passing attack that ranks second in the league, which should torch a 24th-ranked Baltimore pass defense.

Although star running back Le'Veon Bell is "questionable at best," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Scott Brown after his Week 17 knee injury, the Steelers will air it out to get past Baltimore.

The Bengals make it three AFC North teams in the hunt, but they have a tough Wild Card Weekend draw in traveling to face the Indianapolis Colts.

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Colts are far from a complete team, but you can lean on one player as much as they have when that player is quarterback Andrew Luck. His team has thrown for a league-best 305 yards per game, and the Colts should test a Bengals secondary that came off a resounding game against Denver in Week 16 only to get torched by Pittsburgh the next weekend.

Along with early playoff flameouts ever since Andy Dalton has been at the helm, the Bengals also have to deal with this, as NFL.com's Gil Brandt noted:

Indianapolis' defense will be a big X-factor, as it struggled throughout 2014 but manhandled Cincinnati in Week 7—a 27-0 Colts victory. Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard have reached another level since then, but Dalton will lean on A.J. Green enough to force some bad throws and allow for Luck to get out to an early lead.

Luck has had some inconsistencies himself in the playoffs, but they usually come in the divisional round. On Sunday, he'll have no such trouble against the Bengals.

NFC Wild Card

Date/Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Prediction
Sat., Jan. 3, 4:20 p.m.	Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers	ESPN	Cardinals Win
Sun., Jan. 4, 4:40 p.m.	Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys	Fox	Cowboys Win

The Detroit Lions facing the Dallas Cowboys is a matchup worthy of the divisional round, but we're being graced with its presence as early as Sunday afternoon.

Although the Lions finished the season with a sour defeat at Green Bay to concede the division, they left no doubt as to their status of being a formidable group throughout 2014. The defense only allowed more than 24 points two times all season, which ended up being losses to the Packers and the Patriots.

However, don't be surprised if the Lions have their hands full Sunday. NFL on ESPN noted the record-breakers among the Dallas offensive stars:

No team has done better against the run than Detroit (69.3 yards against per game), but DeMarco Murray figures to be a handful, as usual. The Lions secondary has struggled when the defensive line doesn't get its normal push, and Tony Romo should have another big day as a result.

As for the other NFC playoff matchup, well, what it lacks in flair it should make up for in big-boy football.

The 7-8-1 Panthers are one of the most interesting stories in the NFL this season, rallying to win the hapless NFC South. They welcome in an Arizona Cardinals team that finished 11-5 but is reeling after losing four of six to close out 2014.

But while the Cardinals have had their playoff spot secured for quite some time, Carolina has been in this mode for months, as head coach Ron Rivera told the Panthers' Twitter:

Arizona has been trounced by injuries, and Carolina is peaking at the right time. But so much of the Panthers' success hinges upon controlling the run game up front, which will be easier said than done on Saturday.

The Cardinals rank 13th in the league against the run, but they pose a bigger threat than that up front with Calais Campbell and Dan Williams. They have the meat in the trenches to stifle Jonathan Stewart and make life difficult for Cam Newton.

Ryan Lindley had his struggles in Week 17 against San Francisco, but he showed his playmaking ability with more than 300 yards passing. He'll do so again in Carolina to get his team to the next stage.