NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: Date, Conference Matchups and Bracket Picks

The first two rounds of the 2015 NFL playoffs lived up to the lofty expectations of football fans, but the focus has shifted to the AFC and NFC Conference Championships and the marquee matchups.

With the Green Bay Packers on the road against the Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts traveling to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots, the conference championships have the potential to be the most exciting games of the postseason.

Here is the full schedule for the AFC and NFC Conference Championships along with predicted winners, a full bracket and a breakdown of the defender who will have the biggest impact Sunday.

NFC Championship	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Predicted Winner
AFC Championship	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Predicted Winner
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks	Jan. 18	3:05 p.m.	Fox	Seattle
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots	Jan. 18	6:40 p.m.	CBS	New England

Biggest Defensive Difference-Maker: Vince Wilfork, DT, New England

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

There are potential difference-makers on each defensive unit in the conference championships, but the player who will help his team the most Sunday will be New England Patriots veteran defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

At 33 years old, Wilfork is still one of the most dominant run-stopping nose tackles in the NFL, and he can also rush the passer using his elite strength and deceptive quickness. Despite coming off a torn Achilles leading into the season, Wilfork has remained an elite player at his position.

While the New England secondary must step up more than it did against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round, Wilfork and the run defense were the most serious issues exposed last weekend, allowing 136 rushing yards on 28 carries.

To Wilfork's credit, the defensive line stiffened when it had to, and the Patriots were able to pull out the victory. New England played well enough to beat Baltimore, but every defender will have to be better against Indianapolis.

When asked about adapting to the Ravens' game plan and making the proper adjustments in the second half in order to secure the win, Wilfork told the Dale & Holley show, via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com:

"

It was up and down…They came out with a script and they executed their script to a T. We had to make some adjustments and basically had to settle everyone else back down. Once we did that we were good to go. I told our guys the main thing for us right now is to win. I don’t care about any stats, regular season stats, whatever it may be — it’s a new season now. Every team you face from here on out is a good football team. We knew the Ravens were going to come in there and play a certain style offense, certain style in general. We knew we had to just be patient, start making plays and taking it one play at a time. Once we started doing that we started playing the way we know we can play.

"

Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com pointed out Wilfork’s struggles against Baltimore:

"

Vince Wilfork has looked old on this drive.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) January 11, 2015"

While there is no doubt Wilfork looked tired at points in the game, he is one of the most active nose tackles in the NFL and gives his all on every play. When a team like Baltimore keeps drives alive, it can wear down even the toughest defenders.

The task doesn’t get any easier this week, though, as New England squares off against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Indianapolis is one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league and is coming off a monumental win against the Denver Broncos.

Despite the momentum the Colts carry into the conference championship, Wilfork must focus his attention on stopping the run first. Indianapolis has leaned on running back Daniel Herron heavily this postseason, and Wilfork must make it his personal mission to stuff every Colts back at or behind the line of scrimmage.

If Wilfork can disrupt the Colts' game plan by forcing the team to limit the number of run plays it calls, the Colts would become one-dimensional and New England could focus the majority of its defensive assets to stopping the pass.

With Wilfork at the center of the defense on the field and in the locker room, the Patriots' success Sunday will be heavily dependent on the defensive tackle’s performance.

Predicted Final Score: New England 33, Indianapolis 30

Stats via NFL.com.