NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: Postseason Standings, Bracket Guide and Predictions

Four NFL teams need just two more wins to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

While a coveted Super Bowl victory is almost within reach, these squads must first go through each other in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Winning at this juncture is no easy feat, as every competitor has already established a great deal of momentum from at least one previous postseason victory.

Needless to say, we're in for some engaging playoff action in the conference championships. Waiting for these impending contests to commence will surely seem like an eternity, so let's kill some time by speculating on—and debating over—their eventual outcomes.

Here's a look at the complete viewing information for each conference championship game and the predicted participants in Super Bowl XLIX.

NFC Championship Game

Who: Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

When: Sunday, January 18

Where: CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Channel: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Prediction

It's only fitting that the NFC's final game of the season is a rematch of its first contest. The Seahawks kicked off 2014 with a decisive 36-16 victory over the Packers due to an all-around team effort highlighted by 207 rushing yards and holding the dangerous Aaron Rodgers to just 189 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception.

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What's changed since then? Well, plenty has happened in the meantime, but not a whole lot is different for either team at this point in the year.

The Seahawks are still winning games by playing efficiently on the offensive side of the ball and remaining stout on defense. This was last displayed in the divisional round against the Carolina Panthers in an impressive 31-17 victory.

Russell Wilson was as effective as ever, completing 15 of his 22 passing attempts for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, the team's defense allowed 362 total yards, but it also forced three turnovers and scored a touchdown. The biggest concern for this team will be allowing an average of 5.4 yards per carry to Jonathan Stewart just before Eddie Lacy comes to town.

SportsNation tweeted Green Bay's game plan from Sunday that should resurface against Seattle:

The Packers have been playing extremely well at home this season, and following their divisional-round win over the Dallas Cowboys, Rodgers increased his touchdown-to-interception ratio to 28-0 at Lambeau Field this season. Lacy played well out of the backfield, eclipsing 100 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry. However, there's still the matter of the Green Bay defense.

Dallas was very efficient on the offensive side of the ball against the Packers, as Tony Romo completed 15 of his 19 passing attempts for 191 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, while DeMarco Murray rushed for 123 yards and a score, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. It will be a long day for the Packers if they allow the same kind of leeway to Wilson and Co.

Perhaps the biggest advantage Seattle has in this contest is Rodgers' performances on the road. He's thrown all five of his interceptions away from Lambeau this season, and his average yards per pass attempt dip from 9.73 at home to 7.31 on the road. This plays right into the strength of Seattle's top-ranked, ball-hawking defense, and it will be the reason the Seahawks advance to the Super Bowl.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Packers 24

AFC Championship Game

Who: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

When: Sunday, January 18

Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Channel: CBS

Live Stream: CBSSports.com

Prediction

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The AFC Championship Game also features a rematch from earlier in the season, as the Patriots took down the Colts 42-20 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11. However, the most memorable performance from that contest was the 201-yard, four-touchdown showing by New England's Jonas Gray, a running back who has rarely been seen since.

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In fact, the Patriots haven't had any kind of running game to speak of recently. In its divisional-round clash against the Baltimore Ravens, the team carried 13 times for a total of just 14 yards. Interestingly enough, no running back received more than three carries in that game. Tom Brady led the team with six.

That could be a cause for concern for New England heading into a clash against a Colts secondary that has been playing very well of late. In the Wild Card Round, Indianapolis held Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals to 155 passing yards. Even more impressive was the team's performance against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round, holding Peyton Manning to 211 yards and a score.

NFL Network's Dan Hellie tweeted this impressive statistic from Sunday:

New England defeated Indianapolis last time due to a well-balanced offense, and the Patriots may need to get the ground game established once again to take down the Colts once again.

Still, this doesn't give Indianapolis the upper hand. After all, the Colts don't have much better of a running game, as lead back Daniel Herron averaged just 2.7 yards per carry against the Broncos and averaged only 4.0 yards per reception on underneath passes. This leaves the Indianapolis offense just as one-dimensional as New England's.

While the Colts defense has been impressive, containing the diverse schemes of the Patriots is a tall order since it's always difficult to predict New England's offensive game plan on any given week. Combined with the Patriots' ability to contain long passes—they allowed just two plays of at least 20 yards (both to Torrey Smith) against the Ravens—it won't be Indianapolis' time to head to the big dance just yet.

Prediction: Patriots 27, Colts 23