NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: TV Coverage and Predictions for Wild Card Sunday

The 2015 NFL playoffs began with a pair of games that were highly competitive—right up until halftime.

Saturday began with an error-filled contest between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals. After a couple of bad Panthers turnovers, the Cardinals entered the half up 14-13. However, it was all Cam Newton and Co. from there, as Carolina eventually won the game 27-16. A stagnant Arizona offense set a new record in the process, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The evening's game pitted two AFC North rivals against each other, as the Pittsburgh Steelers played host to the Baltimore Ravens. We witnessed a back-and-forth first half that resulted in a Ravens 10-9 lead. However, Baltimore poured it on from there, winning by a score of 30-17.

Sunday's action will determine which two teams will be joining the Panthers and the Ravens in the Divisional Round. Before things get underway, here's one last look at the viewing information and a final prediction for each contest.

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

When: Sunday, January 4

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

Time: 1:05 p.m. ET

Channel: CBS

Live Stream: CBSSports.com

Preview and Prediction

The Bengals enter this game looking to put some points on the board during this trip to Indianapolis. These teams previously met in Week 7, and due to a catastrophic meltdown by Cincinnati's offense, the Colts emerged victorious 27-0.

While Cincinnati hasn't been one of the league's better passing teams this year, wide receiver A.J. Green has been stellar when healthy. Unfortunately, he isn't healthy enough to take the field on Sunday, according to NFL on ESPN:

That won't make life easy for Andy Dalton and Cincinnati's aerial attack. However, the wide receiver's absence isn't a death sentence for the Bengals. After all, they were a run-first team down the final stretch of the regular season.

Rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been phenomenal this season. He's averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has accumulated 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns despite seeing limited usage early in the season. Over the last three weeks of the regular season, Hill received at least 22 carries in each game, eclipsing the 100-yard mark every time.

Here's a great look at how productive Hill has been of late, via ESPN's John Buccigross:

Expect the Bengals to rely on Hill and second-year ball-carrier Giovani Bernard in an effort to move the chains against a Colts defense that ranks 18th in the league against the run.

Indianapolis will need a solid game from quarterback Andrew Luck, who began the season on fire but really tapered off late in the year. Luck's season stats are impressive—he's completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 4,761 yards, 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions—however, the turnovers are a concern considering the Bengals own a ball-hawking secondary that recently picked off Peyton Manning four times.

Colts miscues have been abundant of late, as the team hasn't been in sync, and that's resulted in 12 giveaways over the team's final five regular-season contests. In fact, the issue became so bad, Reggie Wayne and the team's other veterans called a players-only meeting to sort it out.

The key to this contest for the Colts will be Luck's ability to keep the ball out of the hands of Cincinnati defenders. For Cincinnati, the key is to establish the run early and often, keeping Hill going strong throughout a full 60 minutes. Expect a close game here, but the more likely scenario is the latter.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Colts 24

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

When: Sunday, January 4

Where: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

Time: 4:40 p.m. ET

Channel: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Preview and Prediction

Let's kick this off with a very interesting statistic about the 2014 Cowboys. While they did win the NFC East and earned a very strong 12-4 record, all four of their losses came in their home stadium.

In an effort to get over the .500 hump in Arlington, the Cowboys are going to need a big game from running back DeMarco Murray. During the regular season, Murray rushed 392 times for 1,845 yards, an average of 4.7 yards per carry, and 13 touchdowns, becoming the NFL's rushing leader in the process.

Murray's remarkable season saw him take the league's rushing honors by almost 500 yards, according to NFL on ESPN:

Things have gone very well for Dallas when Murray is productive. However, it's been quite the opposite when the running back doesn't have much room to maneuver. Murray has rushed for fewer than 100 yards in only four games this season, and the Cowboys lost two of those contests.

When Murray has a difficult time getting going, quarterback Tony Romo's efficiency drops significantly due to the lack of wide-open passing lanes. The Philadelphia Eagles put this game plan into effect in Week 13, limiting Murray to 3.7 yards per carry while Romo threw zero touchdown passes and two interceptions.

If the Lions contain Dallas' running game, they will find it easier to apply more pressure to Romo and take away the dangerous Dez Bryant on the outside. Not many teams have been able to accomplish that feat during the regular season, but Detroit does own the top-ranked rushing defense and No. 3 scoring defense.

While the Lions are certainly impressive on the defensive side of the ball, there are concerns on offense. Detroit features plenty of talent in quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. However, this group has been rather inconsistent.

Stafford did throw for 4,257 yards during the regular season, but he found the end zone just 22 times and tossed 12 picks. Johnson missed three games in 2014, and while he accumulated 1,077 yards and eight touchdowns, his production was all over the place, eclipsing 100 yards five times but failing to record at least 60 yards in six games.

A consistent passing game is necessary heading into a contest against a team that ranks 26th against the pass. However, it's difficult to trust the Lions to take advantage of Dallas' big weakness. It also doesn't help that Detroit doesn't run a balanced offensive attack, as lead running back Joique Bell didn't reach the 100-yard mark in any game in 2014.

While Detroit's defense is certainly one to be reckoned with, its going up against a Dallas offense that has scored at least 38 points in each of its last four games. The Cowboys should be expected to generate some points on the scoreboard, and it's tough to see the Lions finding the offensive rhythm to march down the field enough times to match them.

Prediction: Cowboys 24, Lions 17