NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: Dates, Matchups, Bracket Scenarios and Predictions

The opening round of the 2015 NFL playoffs lived up to the lofty expectations of football fans, but the excitement continues to grow as the schedule advances to the divisional round next weekend.

With two marquee battles in both the AFC and NFC Divisional Rounds, football fans will be treated to the top players and teams in the sport going head-to-head to earn a berth in their respective conference championships.

Here is all the vital viewing information, predictions and a quick breakdown of this week’s best matchup.

Date	AFC Matchups	Time (ET)	TV	Predicted Winner
Date	NFC Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Predicted Winner
Saturday, January 10	Baltimore Ravens (6) vs. New England Patriots (1)	4:35 p.m.	NBC	Patriots
Sunday, January 11	Indianapolis Colts (4) vs. Denver Broncos (2)	4:40 p.m.	CBS	Broncos
Saturday, January 10	Carolina Panthers (4) vs. Seattle Seahawks (1)	8:15 p.m.	Fox	Seattle
Sunday, January 11	Dallas Cowboys (3) vs. Green Bay Packers (2)	1:05 p.m.	Fox	Green Bay

Matchup of the Week: Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks

There are several matchups in the divisional round that will pique the interest of football fans from across the country, but none more so than the NFC battle between the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks.

Carolina won the NFC South with a 7-8-1 record, but the team managed to beat the Arizona Cardinals in the first round and will now travel to Seattle for Saturday’s game. While the Seahawks have the clear edge, the Panthers proved in the Wild Card Round they are not to be taken lightly.

When asked about the recent dominance of the defensive unit, Carolina cornerback Josh Norman said, per The Associated Press, via FoxSports.com, “We know who we are: menacing, stifling and we are going to get after you. We know when there is blood in the water and when there is, our sharks are going to eat.”

Former NFL player Leonard Little shared his excitement for the matchup:

As well as Carolina played against Arizona, the Cardinals were riding with their third-string quarterback as the starter and had no offensive rhythm at all. The Panthers deserve credit for pulling out the win, but they face a much tougher test against Seattle.

The two teams played earlier this season, with the Seahawks pulling out a close 13-9 victory, but both teams were in much different positions. Now that Seattle is playing its best football of the year and Carolina is back to its old form, this game should be even more entertaining.

The Panthers managed to hang 27 points on the tough Arizona defense, but Seattle finished the regular season first against the pass (allowing 185.6 yards per game) and third against the run (allowing 81.5 yards per game) and will be a much stiffer challenge.

Add in the league’s top-ranked rushing attack (averaging 172.6 yards per game) led by veteran back Marshawn Lynch, and the Seahawks should be able to control the tempo of this matchup and pull off the victory.

Predicted Final Score: Seattle 27, Carolina 17

*Stats via NFL.com.