NFL Playoffs 2014-15: Schedule for Games with Biggest Bracket Impact

The NFL playoffs have been practically in full swing for weeks as many teams have fought for their postseason lives, but the real deal begins with Wild Card Weekend.

The Seahawks, Packers, Patriots and Broncos have all ridden spectacular regular seasons en route to first-round byes, but the other eight Super Bowl hopefuls are in action this weekend. Some have much more serious cases for making it to Glendale, Arizona, than others, but everyone will have their chances to prove their worth.

Simply getting to this point is a feat in itself in today's age of parity, but what separates successful franchises from great ones is what takes place over January. 

The anticipation is at its peak, so let's go ahead and look at how you can catch every game.

Conf.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Odds
	Saturday, Jan. 3
NFC	Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers	4:20 p.m.	ESPN	CAR -5.5
AFC	Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers	8:15 p.m.	NBC	PIT -3
	Sunday, Jan. 4
AFC	Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts	1:05 p.m.	CBS	IND -3.5
NFC	Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys	4:40 p.m.	Fox	DAL -8

Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated December 30

Games With Biggest Impact

NFC: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys bucked their agonizing 8-8 trend in a big way, going 12-4 and running away with the NFC East. The Detroit Lions avoided another late-season collapse, getting into the postseason on stout defense.

Now, one team will have to go through the other to live to fight another weekend.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

While both the Cowboys and Lions have been among the most dangerous of opponents all season long, Sunday will test both in a unique way. Detroit heads onto the road, where it is 4-4, while the Cowboys will play at their home, AT&T Stadium—where all four of their season losses have come.

Despite the home struggles, Dallas has looked the part of a big-time Super Bowl contender with a high-powered offense clicking better than ever. With Tony Romo finally (somewhat) healthy and DeMarco Murray hardly missing a beat through injury, the Cowboys have scored 38 points or more in each of the last four games.

Along with a head-turning defense, the Cowboys have caught the Lions' attention, per Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill:

While the Cowboys are undoubtedly a complete team, it's hard to say Detroit isn't as well. Matthew Stafford leads a potent Lions offense, and the defense has been even better in allowing more than 24 points just twice all season.

With a Lions defense that almost always keeps the opponent under wraps and a Cowboys offense that is never kept under wraps, one of the two trends will have to be broken Sunday afternoon.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

After going through a gauntlet of two divisional games in their last three regular-season weekends, the Ravens and Steelers both turn around to make it three-of-four in Wild Card Weekend.

It's also the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Ravens convincingly taking the first meeting 26-6. But that was way back in Week 2.

Instead, the Week 9 affair between these two teams might better paint the picture of how this one could shake out—in part because it was in Pittsburgh, and also because it's much closer in time. The Steelers won that game 43-23, as Ben Roethlisberger set a NFL record for most touchdown passes in a two-game stretch.

The dominance of Le'Veon Bell throughout the season helped Roethlisberger to get more favorable outside matchups, but that might not be the case this weekend after Bell injured his knee in Week 17. Even if he can't go, though, Pittsburgh has a backup plan, per Steelers.com's Bob Labriola:

Without Bell in the fold, it's easy to see the Steelers struggling on the ground. The Ravens boast a fourth-ranked run defense, and stalwart defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is set to return after a four-game suspension.

If Baltimore can keep the Steelers running game under wraps, though, how will its secondary fare against Roethlisberger? He and Antonio Brown have been insanely productive this season, connecting 129 times—18 more receptions than the league's second-place finisher.

Joe Flacco and the Ravens' deep passing game have been on point throughout stretches of 2014. Torrey Smith and Steve Smith could help to stretch the field and generate some big plays against a 27th-ranked Steelers passing defense.

They'll likely need a lot of those plays to hang around with Roethlisberger and Co.