NFL Playoff Schedule 2015: TV Info, Updated Picks for Conference Championships

Four teams are one win away from advancing to Super Bowl XLIX, as the NFL playoffs' conference championships will be decided this coming Sunday.

On the precipice of such franchise-altering victories, there will be two teams that fall agonizingly short of the biggest stage in North American professional sports. Three of the highest seeds are still alive, as the AFC's No. 4 Indianapolis Colts are the only wild-card participant to advance to this stage.

Both matchups should be epic. The reigning champion Seattle Seahawks kick things off against the Green Bay Packers, followed by the Colts' attempt to avenge last year's playoff loss in Foxborough versus the New England Patriots.

Quarterbacks are such a vital part of football, and this weekend's showcase will be a dandy in that regard.

Consider: Russell Wilson of Seattle was passed over multiple times by every team before being chosen in the third round of the 2012 draft. He might win his second Super Bowl in three years under center.

Detractors will still give more credit to perhaps Marshawn Lynch or the Seahawks' sensational defense, rather than honor Wilson as a top-tier player and a rare, improvisational playmaker in his own right. That will probably just push Wilson to improve even more.

At least Wilson had some redeeming, electric athleticism and arm strength to make up for the chief, universal knock on him in the predraft evaluation process, which was his height. Patriots legend Tom Brady fell to the third round—then waited another three rounds until New England rescued him from potential oblivion. Round 6, Pick 199.

The chip on Brady's shoulder is even bigger than Wilson's, and it's driven him to unfathomable heights on the gridiron as part of the NFL's perennial winning franchise. Brady is the clear seasoned vet among the conference championships' QB quartet:

Then there are the two successors.

Aaron Rodgers famously waited longer than expected in the green room on draft day, passed over in favor of Alex Smith by the hometown San Francisco 49ers. Rodgers waited for years on the bench behind Green Bay folk hero Brett Favre, only to use the chip on his shoulder to morph into arguably the best signal-caller going.

The Packers saw Rodgers hobble around on a bum calf last week at Lambeau Field and still throw for 316 yards and three touchdowns with a 125.4 passer rating in defeating the Dallas Cowboys.

Favre was known as the ultimate iron man for his consecutive starts streak; Rodgers continues to write his own, unique legacy with greatness, guts and glory as the building blocks.

And finally, the golden boy with the golden arm. Andrew Luck has exceeded any and all expectations in leading Indianapolis to three straight 11-win seasons and subsequent playoff appearances since being chosen No. 1 overall in 2012.

So far, so good, as Luck appears to be right on schedule:

The anointed, chosen one to replace Peyton Manning is in the unique position of being a top draft choice and still having plenty to prove. No matter what Luck does or says, comparisons to Manning will forever persist; expectations ever exponential.

Luck enters a showdown with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium having just defeated Manning's Denver Broncos, carrying a Colts team that would be nowhere near this deep in the playoffs without him.

Like Rodgers, Luck may well wind up better than his future Hall of Fame predecessor.

Is that too much to digest? Worry not. Just let it sink in as this article serves up the information on where to catch these games on the tube, along with updated picks and analysis on how they'll play out.

Sunday, January 18	Time (ET)	TV
Sunday, February 1	Time (ET)	TV
No. 2 Green Bay Packers vs. No. 1 Seattle Seahawks	3:05 p.m.	Fox
No. 4 Indianapolis Colts vs. No. 1 New England Patriots	6:40 p.m.	CBS
Super Bowl XLIX	6:30 p.m.	NBC

Updated Picks

No. 4 Indianapolis Colts vs. No. 1 New England Patriots

The last time Luck played on the road against the mighty Patriots, he chucked four interceptions, comprising a nice chunk of his 10 playoff picks in five such games.

If he even emulates that carelessness with the ball this time around, a similar result to last year's 43-22 rout will ensue.

Even though New England went to Indianapolis earlier this year and won 42-20, Patriots coach Bill Belichick knows better than to take the Colts opponent lightly, via The Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder:

"

I think they've improved in every area. (They've) gotten more production in their running game with the backs and (receiver Donte) Moncrief has become more a part of the passing game. They've gotten a lot of production out of the tight ends, offensive line, even though they've had a couple moving parts in there, I think they're playing well.

"

Indianapolis is a more complete team than meets the eye, as indubitably instrumental as Luck has been to the cause. Rookie wideout Donte Moncrief has emerged as a real weapon in a receiving corps that features past postseason stars in Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks, along with T.Y. Hilton.

That's a lot for New England's secondary to account for, even with the likes of All-Pro safety Devin McCourty and starting corners Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner patrolling.

Hard to ignore is the recent edge the Pats have had in this rivalry, per The Boston Globe:

What this game comes down to is the refusal of Belichick and Brady to lose at home, just two potential wins away from a fourth Super Bowl ring together. They have to know this is the most complete team New England has fielded in years and may be the best shot Brady has left to hoist the Lombardi Trophy once more.

It was the Colts' defensive backfield that impressed often in the monumental win over Denver. What Indy can't account for is the sudden surge from Danny Amendola and matchup nightmare Rob Gronkowski at tight end.

Luck alone gives Indianapolis a puncher's chance, but the Patriots will win their sixth straight postseason game against the Colts and show they're still the AFC's alpha [Go!].

Prediction: Patriots 34, Colts 23

No. 2 Green Bay Packers vs. No. 1 Seattle Seahawks

Rodgers wasn't knocked off his spot often enough in the divisional round and had the benefit of playing at home, where he's been as unstoppable as anyone in football. Traveling to Seattle is a different matter entirely.

Both teams have changed quite a bit since their initial Week 1 encounter, per the NFL on ESPN:

But it's hard to ignore the fact that the Seahawks won 36-16 and may be even better now than they were then. That isn't the case for Rodgers from a pure health standpoint.

That is why Eddie Lacy will indeed be such a critical player in this contest. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller highlighted what makes the second-year star so special:

Lacy gives Green Bay the chance to establish a physical ground game, allowing Rodgers to be effective on play-action fakes and spread the ball to Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, a key third option who wasn't a factor in the last meeting in the Emerald City.

Somewhat lost in the deserved praise Rodgers garnered for grinding through pain to beat Dallas is the fact that the Packers were gashed for multiple big plays through the air, Dez Bryant's reversed catch aside.

Green Bay's leaky run defense, ranked 24th in the league by Football Outsiders, also eventually caved to DeMarco Murray to the tune of 123 yards on 25 carries.

The dynamic rushing attack Seattle has between Lynch and Wilson, not to mention the sure tackling and speed of its defense and prohibitive home-field advantage, creates all kinds of problems for Green Bay.

If Rodgers gets into obvious passing situations—and there's a good bet he will be trailing, since the Seahawks have had a lead in every single start by Wilson—trouble will loom.

This anecdote from ESPN Stats & Info is long-sustaining proof of that:

To exacerbate matters for the visitors, the "12th Man" fans can assert their will and lift Seattle to a second straight Super Bowl bid.

The Seahawks' combination of offensive magic from the likes of Wilson and Lynch, in addition to their championship defense, makes them seemingly impossible to beat. Coach Pete Carroll and the front office have assembled an outstanding roster, and the circumstances surrounding Wilson's modest draft status are a big reason why.

Wilson will get paid the big bucks regardless of how deep Seattle goes from here. That he already has a real chance to surpass the Super Bowl win totals of Manning and Rodgers and can pull within one of Brady—perhaps doing so in head-to-head fashion—creates even more quarterback fodder looking ahead to Super Bowl XLIX's prospective participants.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Packers 20