NFL Playoffs 2015: Updated Schedule and Predictions for Remainder of Postseason

The first day of the 2015 NFL playoffs saw the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens advance through the Wild Card Round after earning decisive victories over the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively.

On Sunday, the final two wild-card contests will take place, as the Indianapolis Colts meet the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions visit the Dallas Cowboys. Once these games go final, the playoff field will be reduced to just eight teams. Of course, that leaves little time for speculation.

Due to a riveting single-elimination format, the NFL postseason can come and go in the blink of an eye. That said, it's time to get our fill of debates over which team will ultimately emerge victorious in Super Bowl XLIX. To help move that process along, here's a look at predictions for the remainder of the 2015 playoffs, preceded by a look at the updated postseason schedule.

Updated Playoff Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	TV Info
Wild Card Round
Sunday, Jan. 4	1:05 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts	CBS
Sunday, Jan. 4	4:40 p.m.	Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys	Fox
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan. 10	4:35 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots	NBC
Saturday, Jan. 10	8:15 p.m.	DET/CAR at Seattle Seahawks	Fox
Sunday, Jan. 11	1:05 p.m.	DAL/CAR at Green Bay Packers	Fox
Sunday, Jan. 11	4:40 p.m.	CIN/IND at Denver Broncos	CBS
Conference Championship
Sunday, Jan. 18	3:05 p.m.	NFC Championship Game	Fox
Sunday, Jan. 18	6:40 p.m.	AFC Championship Game	CBS
Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 1	6:30 p.m.	Super Bowl XLIX	NBC

Postseason Predictions

Wild Card Round

Home	Away	Pick
Indianapolis Colts	Cincinnati Bengals	Bengals
Dallas Cowboys	Detroit Lions	Cowboys

The Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts kick off Day 2 of the playoffs, and if the Bengals are to do better than the 27-0 drubbing the Colts handed them in Week 7, they must do so without star wide receiver A.J. Green, according to NFL on ESPN:

Green's absence will certainly hurt Cincinnati. However, this is a run-first team that puts emphasis on getting rookie ball-carrier Jeremy Hill going early and often. Considering the Colts have struggled against the run during the regular season, ranking 18th in the league in that department, Hill could be poised for a field day.

That's not a good sign for Andrew Luck and Co., as they've had difficulty finding their groove down the regular season's final stretch, looking slugging on offense and turning the ball over 12 times over their last five games. The matchup here is in Cincinnati's favor.

The Dallas Cowboys enter Sunday's game with one of the league's hottest defenses in tow. Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant have formed a seemingly unstoppable trio, especially late in the season when this offense accumulated at least 38 points in each of its final four contests.

Here's a look at Romo's surge in December, via NFL on ESPN:

Murray earned the NFL's rushing honors, tallying 1,845 yards during the regular season, and he has a tough challenge ahead against a Detroit Lions defense ranked first in the league against the run, allowing an average of just 69.3 yards per game.

Still, Dallas isn't a slouch in that department, either, ranking eighth in the league. Considering the Lions haven't been able to get a ground game going at all this season, they will be stuck with a one-dimensional attack on Sunday. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has struggled with inconsistency—notably on the road against winning teams—and that will lead to a Lions postseason loss.

Divisional Round

Home	Away	Pick
New England Patriots	Baltimore Ravens	Patriots
Seattle Seahawks	Carolina Panthers	Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys	Green Bay Packers	Cowboys
Denver Broncos	Cincinnati Bengals	Broncos

Joe Flacco and the Ravens were impressive Saturday against Pittsburgh. However, they're about to face a New England Patriots team that isn't missing its best player. Tom Brady's offense has been firing on all cylinders at home this season, and the resurgent Darrelle Revis has the ability to contain Baltimore's speedy receivers. Baltimore may give New England a good run here, but it just won't be enough.

Carolina travels west to meet the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round, and we should expect to see plenty of hard-hitting defensive action unfold. The game-changer here is at the quarterback position. Russell Wilson has been efficient throughout the season, but Cam Newton continues to struggle in the passing game, routinely missing his target. That won't fly against a dangerous Seahawks defense.

Conversely, a matchup between the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers should prove to be an all-out offensive spectacle. Aaron Rodgers has been absolutely impressive at Lambeau Field this season, tossing 25 touchdown passes and zero interceptions, but Dallas is undefeated on the road. In this contest, it just makes sense to go with the hot hand, and that belongs to the Cowboys.

The final contest of the Divisional Round is a rematch of a Week 16 clash between the Bengals and Denver Broncos. In that game, Hill ran wild for Cincinnati and the Bengals defense picked off Peyton Manning four times. Still, Manning's greatest strength is his ability to adjust, and considering he has an extra week to prepare, he'll be ready for the Bengals this time around.

Conference Championships

Home	Away	Pick
Seattle Seahawks	Dallas Cowboys	Cowboys
New England Patriots	Denver Broncos	Patriots

The Seahawks are extremely impressive on the defensive side of the ball. However, the last time they faced the Cowboys, they gave up 30 points in a loss in Seattle. The result may not be any different when these teams meet in the NFC Championship Game, as Dallas is riding a huge wave of momentum. If that's the case, Seattle just doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up.

The last time Denver and New England met was in Week 9 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won that game 43-21 thanks to a huge game by Tom Brady and a fantastic all-around defensive effort. When these teams meet again, the result will be closer, but the outcome will be the same, as New England remains the more well-rounded team at this point of the year.

Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLIX features a clash between the Cowboys and Patriots, two teams that have long histories of winning the big dance. Interestingly enough, these squads match up very well, as New England is the sturdier defensive team and Dallas features the more balanced offense.

The difference-maker here will be the consistency of these teams. The Patriots have been steady on defense, limiting opponents to 17 points or fewer in each of their last four games, but they also scored 23 points or fewer in three of those contests. The Cowboys, on the other hand, gave up more points over their final four games, but many were in garbage time, well after the game was already in hand.

Considering Dallas' hotter offense and defense's ability to contain the run and keep opponents one-dimensional, the Cowboys get the upset victory here and are crowned champions of the NFL.

Prediction: Cowboys 30, Patriots 27