NFL Playoffs 2015: Updated Schedule and Divisional Round Predictions

Only eight teams remain standing following the four wild-card contests that took place over the weekend. That number will be cut in half once the divisional round concludes.

The NFL playoffs is always one of the year's most exciting and unpredictable spectacles. That notion was already in full effect during Wild Card Weekend, as only one game finished within a one-score margin despite eight very talented teams comprising four seemingly well-matched contests.

However, the competition stiffens and the stakes are even higher in the divisional round, so don't expect that trend to continue with a trip to the conference championship games on the line. Will the wild-card teams ride their momentum to road victories, or will the well-rested bye-week squads shatter their opponents' Super Bowl aspirations?

Before predicting the answer to that question, let's first take a look at the updated playoff schedule to ensure you don't miss a moment of the impending action.

Updated Postseason Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	TV
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan. 10	4:35 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots	NBC
Saturday, Jan. 10	8:15 p.m.	Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks	Fox
Sunday, Jan. 11	1:05 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers	Fox
Sunday, Jan. 11	4:40 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts 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

Divisional-Round Predictions

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

Don Wright/Associated Press

These teams are no strangers to postseason clashes, as the Ravens traveled to Foxborough and defeated the Patriots in the 2012 AFC Championship Game en route to winning Super Bowl XLVII. Rest assured, neither team has forgotten that meeting.

Baltimore enters this year's clash after handily defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. The Ravens were extremely impressive defensively, sacking Ben Roethlisberger five times, forcing three interceptions and limiting the Steelers rushing attack to just 3.6 yards per carry. Joe Flacco was the offensive catalyst, passing for 259 yards, a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions.

SportsCenter tweeted Flacco's impressive postseason passing streak:

We've seen the Ravens get hot in the playoffs before, and they certainly have plenty of momentum heading into Gillette Stadium. However, they're about to meet a very dangerous Patriots team.

New England coach Bill Belichick is an NFL mastermind, and he's at his best when given a little extra time to prepare. The team's bye week will be a huge factor in this game, as the mad scientist will surely look for a chink in the Ravens' armor.

That weakness will be exposed by Tom Brady. For as good as Baltimore looked in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger still managed to throw for 334 yards. The Ravens secondary will be an issue against one of the league's smartest and most efficient quarterbacks behind an offensive line that doesn't give up many sacks.

Prediction: Patriots 30, Ravens 24

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Carolina's defense has been superb of late. Following a 27-16 drubbing of the Arizona Cardinals during Wild Card Weekend, the Panthers have now held opposing offenses to 17 points or fewer in their last five games and less than 300 yards of offense in their last four.

If the Panthers are to have success in Seattle, however, the offense really needs to step up in a big way. Quarterback Cam Newton displayed some accuracy issues against the Cardinals. He completed 18 of his 32 passing attempts for 198 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on the day, but many of his incompletions were errant balls that soared past wide-open receivers.

ESPN Stats & Info tweeted this very telling statistic regarding the quarterback's struggles with accuracy:

That's a cause for concern, as the Seahawks boast the league's most dangerous defense, ranking first against the pass and third against the run. This defense also ranks first in the league in points allowed and has been on a torrid pace of late, ending the season holding opponents to seven points or fewer in five of its last six games.

Offensively, the Seahawks don't have much of a passing game to speak of, but they don't need one while owning the league's best rushing offense that averages 172.6 yards per game on the ground. Expect the duo of Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson to wear down the Panthers secondary while Seattle's defense continues its impressive play.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Panthers 13

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

This could shape up to be the most exciting matchup of the divisional round, as two of the NFL's most prolific offenses will be going head to head.

Dallas overcame a stingy Detroit Lions defense on Sunday, as Tony Romo completed 19 of his 31 passing attempts for 293 yards and two touchdowns while DeMarco Murray rushed for 75 yards and a score. The Cowboys did just enough to fend off the Lions 24-20.

One slight concern for Dallas going forward should be its run defense. Detroit had one of the league's worst rushing offenses in 2014, yet it managed to average 4.1 yards per carry against a Cowboys defense that ranked eighth in the league against the run. That's not a good omen with the team's next contest against the bruising Eddie Lacy.

Interestingly enough, the Packers' last opponent was also the Lions. Green Bay rode a 100-yard performance by Lacy and a 226-yard, two-touchdown showing from an injured Aaron Rodgers to a 30-20 victory. However, defense was a concern here as well, as Detroit averaged 4.8 yards per carry and Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes.

This one could all come down to the health of Rodgers. He's been nursing a calf injury, and according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, he's been progressing slowly:

We'll see how his injury fares in the frigid weather at Lambeau Field, but even if Rodgers isn't 100 percent, he's been amazing at home this season. There's no reason to think that will change in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Prediction: Packers 34, Cowboys 30

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The last time these teams met, Peyton Manning's Broncos defeated Andrew Luck's Colts 31-24 in Denver in Week 1. Plenty has changed since then.

Indianapolis was a red-hot team throughout most of the regular season; however, they had a sluggish end to the year, suffering from many miscues and turnovers. While the team still saw several dropped passes against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, it looked far more in sync than it had been in previous games.

Luck was on point, throwing for 376 yards and a touchdown, while Daniel Herron's role increased dramatically. The running back rushed 12 times for 56 yards and one touchdown, adding 10 receptions for 85 yards. He's proving to be a very valuable weapon in the Colts offense, and perhaps even more important, he's keeping Trent Richardson off the field.

ESPN Stats & Info tweeted Luck's impressive success in the postseason:

Denver finished the regular season as one of the league's best all-around teams, ranking fourth in passing yards, 15th in rushing yards, ninth against the pass and second against the run. However, Manning's production has declined of late, as he eclipsed 300 yards just once while throwing for three touchdowns and six interceptions over the season's final four games.

The Broncos have seen some nice production from running back C.J. Anderson, but they'll need much more out of Manning in the divisional round against a Colts team that limited the very dangerous Jeremy Hill to just 3.6 yards per carry in the Wild Card Round.

Manning may be a future Hall of Famer, but he's about to be taken down by a rising star.

Prediction: Colts 30, Broncos 27