NFL Playoff Bracket 2015: Viewing Info and Postseason Matchup Scenarios

Out with the old and in with the new: That's exactly what's about to happen in the NFL following the start of the new year.

After 16 games this season, only 12 teams remain heading into January. Of those, eight will clash Saturday and Sunday on Wild Card Weekend for the right to survive and advance.

Several division winners like the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers will host playoff games after missing out last year. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck is hoping to pull off more heroics to advance out of the Wild Card Game again.

Here's a look at the full viewing info and postseason scenarios for all four games.

Date	Time	Matchup	Watch	Stream
Saturday, Jan. 3	4:35 p.m. ET	Arizona at Carolina	ESPN	WatchESPN
Saturday, Jan. 3	8:15 p.m. ET	Baltimore at Pittsburgh	NBC	NBC Sports Live Extra
Sunday, Jan. 4	1:05 p.m. ET	Cincinnati at Indianapolis	CBS	CBSSports.com
Sunday, Jan. 4	4:40 p.m. ET	Detroit at Dallas	FOX	Fox Sports Go

Playoff Scenarios

Two of the easiest scenarios to set up are always with the Nos. 3 and 6 seeds. Regardless of who wins, their next opponents are guaranteed.

If Dallas or Pittsburgh comes away with a win, either No. 3 seed would be slotted against the No. 2 seed. That means a win for the Cowboys would pit them against the Green Bay Packers. A victory for the Steelers sees them take on the Denver Broncos.

Having a home game against the Baltimore Ravens sets the Steelers up nicely, as ESPN Stats & Info points out:

Ben Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to a 43-23 win over the Ravens in November, knows all about the divisions rival on the playoff stage. The franchise quarterback discussed how important the game is, via the Ravens' official account:

If either the Cowboys or Steelers fall, their opponents would immediately face the No. 1 seeds on the road. A win for the Ravens or Detroit Lions would secure a trip to take on the New England Patriots or Seattle Seahawks, respectively. That's not exactly an ideal situation for either low seed.

The Nos. 4 and 5 matchups will be playing for a chance to advance, but their opponents will hinge solely on the other matchup. Whoever the lowest seed is coming out of either game will face the No. 1 seed, leaving the second seed to host the highest remaining team from Wild Card Weekend.

In the AFC, two young quarterbacks will battle to determine their franchises' playoff fates. Luck came away with one of the most memorable comebacks in recent playoff history last year, while Andy Dalton is simply hoping to reverse the postseason curse that has haunted him over his career.

Dalton might seem like the less likely signal-caller to step up, but Luck has often had issues with turnovers in January, via ESPN Stats & Info:

However, Luck has already put together one of the best seasons for a quarterback in Colts history, breaking Peyton Manning's single-season passing yards record. Michael Irvin voiced his thoughts on the third-year quarterback, via NFL Media PR:

On the other side of the bracket, the Carolina Panthers will look to advance past the struggling Arizona Cardinals. Carolina might only have seven wins on the season but hosts a playoff game against an Arizona team starting its third-string quarterback against a surging defense.

Depending on how the other games go for the middle seeds, both will learn their destinations following those games. Just four teams will advance, making every weekend even more important than the last in January.

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