NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: Dates, Matchups, Bracket and More for Postseason

And then there were four.

The NFL playoffs are down to the conference championship clashes, and you would be hard-pressed to script a better foursome. The defending champions and their lockdown defense will be tested by arguably the top quarterback in the game in the NFC, while the mighty New England Patriots will host the underdog Indianapolis Colts in the AFC.

Here is a look at the schedule and updated bracket for the upcoming championship clashes. 

Matchups	Date	Time	TV	Predicted Winner
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks	Sunday, Jan. 18	3 p.m. ET	Fox	Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots	Sunday, Jan. 18	6:30 p.m. ET	CBS	Patriots

Matchup to Watch: Seattle Seahawks Defense vs. Green Bay Packers Offense

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This is the way the playoffs are supposed to work out.

The Seattle Seahawks were the best defensive team in the NFL this season and finished No. 1 in the league in scoring defense and total defense. Naturally, they will play the Green Bay Packers and the NFL’s top scoring offense in the NFC Championship Game.

Something will have to give with superstars like Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb on one side and Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas on the other. Of course, something did give for the Packers in the season opener when they went into Seattle and got their doors blown off to the tune of 36-16.

Green Bay’s mighty offense managed to rack up 255 total yards in that one in front of a raucous crowd, and Rodgers only threw for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Lacy added a measly 34 yards on the ground. Seattle physically wore out the Packers, and the deafening crowd noise didn’t help Green Bay’s cause either.

The Packers were most effective this season moving the ball through the air behind Rodgers’ 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns. Nelson and Cobb are as good of a one-two receiving punch as you can find in the league, and they finished with a combined 2,806 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches.

However, Seattle was No. 1 in the league against the pass and features the Legion of Boom. 

Former NFL player and current ESPN commentator Brian Dawkins came away impressed with Seattle’s secondary during its victory over the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round:

For as strong as that defense is, it will have to deal with another pass-catching threat for the Packers who emerged in Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. Davante Adams tallied 117 receiving yards and a touchdown catch and took advantage of single coverage when the secondary paid too close attention to Nelson. 

ESPN Stats & Info described Adams’ big day:

Even though Green Bay is best moving the ball through the air, it will have to run the ball to win in Seattle.

The Packers finished No. 11 in the league in rushing yards per game, but Lacy picked up steam as the season progressed. He ran for at least 97 yards in each of the last six regular-season games except for one, and he is fresh off a 101-yard performance against Dallas.

Now he gets to face the league’s No. 3 run defense that shut him down once already this year. It is even more important than normal for Lacy to turn in a solid game because Rodgers is dealing with a strained left calf that visibly impacted his mobility in Sunday’s win.

He had trouble moving around in the pocket, so a solid performance by Lacy would force the Seattle defensive linemen to hesitate for a second before attacking Rodgers in case it was a running play. That may not seem like a drastic difference, but every second counts when you are facing the Seahawks.

Rodgers discussed how the calf held up during Sunday’s game, via ESPN.com: "A little bit worse, yeah. Hard to say, see how it feels in the morning."

While the Packers are loaded with talent on the offensive side, it is difficult to imagine them putting up enough points to win against a Seattle defense that already shut them down once when Rodgers was actually healthy.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

The Seahawks are playing at an elite level right now and have the confidence that comes with being the defending Super Bowl champs. Rodgers is far from 100 percent, and the Seattle defense and crowd will once again feast on the Packers.

Look for a return trip to the Super Bowl for Sherman and company.

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