NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: Dates, Matchups, Updated Bracket for Divisional Round
Wild Card Weekend was pretty fun. The Dallas Cowboys rallied and pulled out a tough 24-20 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. It was the fourth and final contest of the first two days of the NFL postseason.
The Cowboys are joined by the Indianapolis Colts as Sunday's winners. Andrew Luck led his team to a decisive 26-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Dallas travels to Wisconsin during the divisional round to face the Green Bay Packers.
Indy will play the Denver Broncos.
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Saturday's winners were the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers. The Ravens won the rubber match 30-17 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cam Newton and the Panthers sent the offense-less Arizona Cardinals home with a 27-16 defeat.
The Ravens will now face the AFC's top-seeded New England Patriots. Carolina gets the NFC's top-seeded Seattle Seahawks.
Here's a look at the schedule for the divisional round. Just below the table is a closer look at the biggest factor in all four games.
| Date and Time - ET | Matchup |
| Saturday, Jan. 10 at 4:35 p.m. | Baltimore at New England |
| Sunday, Jan. 11 at 4:40 p.m. | Indianapolis at Denver |
| Date and Time - ET | Matchup |
| Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8:15 p.m. | Carolina at Seattle |
| Sunday, Jan. 11 at 1:05 p.m. | Dallas at Green Bay |
Getting to Peyton
Without question, Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning are two of the NFL's best quarterbacks. Their paths and stories will forever be linked because of the way Manning left Indy and Luck arrived.
On Sunday, winning and losing will come down to the pass protection provided for the living and active legend.
Manning was only sacked 17 times this season, but seven of those came in the Broncos' losses. Slowing down the Denver offense begins and ends with getting pressure on Manning.
If the Colts can do that, they have a chance to win. If not, this game will look a lot like the 31-24 loss Indy suffered at the hands of Denver in Week 1.
The Colts sacked Manning just once in that game.
Running the Ball at Lambeau
Aaron Rodgers has been surgical at home all season. He has a passer rating of 133.2 at Lambeau Field in 2014, and he has thrown 25 touchdown passes with no picks at home. There's no wonder the Packers were a perfect 8-0 in their friendly confines.
If the Cowboys hope to beat the Packers on the road, they must keep Rodgers and the offense off the field.
Tony Romo must protect the ball but, just as importantly, the Cowboys' run game must be dominant. DeMarco Murray led the NFL in rushing during the season, and Dallas needs for him to have a big game against Green Bay.
Per NFL Media, NFL.com's Deion Sanders doesn't like the Packers' chances of slowing down Murray.
The more effective the run game is, the more time will come off the clock and the more pressure the Packers offense will be under to score. Pressure can cause mistakes, even for a superstar like Rodgers.
The Turnover Game in New England
During the regular season, 12 of the Ravens' 20 turnovers came in losses. Obviously, the turnover ratio is a key stat in any game, but against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, it'll be everything.
After a week off to get healthy, the Pats should be operating like a finely tuned machine on offense. If Joe Flacco and Baltimore's offense give New England extra chances and great field position off turnovers, this one could get ugly.
This Ravens nucleus is great at putting things together late in the season, but the latest postseason run will be derailed if the team doesn't take care of the ball.
Cam's Help
As NFL.com's Ian Rapoport points out, Newton has long proven he's a winner in the NFL.
That said, for the Panthers to pull off an improbable win against the Seahawks on the road, Carolina's star quarterback must get some help.
That assistance has to come from the run game. If Newton and a marginal receiving corps have to tangle with the Legion of Boom without the benefit of a rushing attack to create balance, it's going to be a long day for the Panthers.
To finish the season and win the division, Carolina won its last four games. The rushing attack was huge in that stretch and on Saturday against the Cardinals.
In its last five games, Carolina is averaging 195 yards per game on the ground. It must continue success in this area to take pressure off the team's passing attack if it is to beat Seattle.
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