NFL Playoff Schedule 2016: Dates, Matchups, Updated Bracket for Divisional Round

Tom Brady is a quarterback in arguably the least intriguing of the four signal-caller showdowns in the divisional round of the 2016 NFL playoffs. That should say something about the quality of football that awaits fans in the second round of the postseason.

Brady and the New England Patriots will face Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs, but the other three games feature clashes between Aaron Rodgers and Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger (if healthy) and Peyton Manning. Clear your schedule because the weekend will be devoted to pigskin.

With that in mind, here is a look at the slate and an updated bracket for the divisional round, as well as predicted winners for each game.

Prediction: New England Patriots over Kansas City Chiefs

If football fans weren’t paying attention to the Kansas City Chiefs before their 30-0 victory over the Houston Texans, they certainly are now as they head to the divisional round against the New England Patriots.

Counting that postseason win over the Texans, the Chiefs have won 11 consecutive games after they started 1-5.

New England coach Bill Belichick, who watched his team lose 41-14 to Kansas City last year, took notice of his upcoming opponent, per the Associated Press, via the Guardian: “That was a pretty dominant performance by Kansas City. We’re certainly going to have to prepare and coach the team a lot better than we did that night. So that’s what we’ll try to do.”

The Chiefs defense has been nearly unstoppable and forced five turnovers against the Texans alone. The Chiefs also sacked Brian Hoyer three times, which was no surprise considering they were fourth in the league in total sacks this season. Justin Houston and that pass rush will pose a problem for any opponent, but this prediction is more a testament to trust in the New England Patriots than anything else.

The defending Super Bowl champions have advanced to at least the conference championship game in each of the last four years and took home the Lombardi Trophy with postseason victories over the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks last season.

New England has dealt with various injuries throughout the year, but Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are healthy. As long as that combination is terrorizing defenses across the middle, the Patriots are Super Bowl threats. 

New England finished 7-1 at home during the season, and Brady will not let his team’s dream of defending its title die after one postseason contest, even if the Chiefs are riding an 11-game winning streak.

Prediction: Arizona Cardinals over Green Bay Packers 

During their 35-18 victory over Washington Sunday, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers looked like the team that started 6-0 this season rather than the one that lost six of the last 10 contests heading into the playoffs.

Many overestimated the demise of a team with the great Rodgers under center, and he responded with 210 yards and two touchdown passes against Washington and an 18-7 second-half run. 

Still, it is impossible to ignore the regular-season matchup between these two teams when projecting a winner. The Arizona Cardinals pasted the Packers, 38-8, in Week 16 and sacked Rodgers eight times on the way to victory. Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette wondered how the Packers would overcome such a quick rematch:

Green Bay’s offensive line, which Football Outsiders ranked as the 23rd-best unit in pass protection during the regular season, was exposed in the loss to Arizona. That will be a problem again, as will a middling Packers defense that ranked 15th in the league in total yards allowed per game against a terrifying Arizona offense. 

The combination of Palmer and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd will be too much for the Packers defense to stop, and Arizona’s defense will once again live in the backfield against Rodgers.

Prediction: Seattle Seahawks over Carolina Panthers

Arizona will beat the Packers once again, but one rematch that will have a different outcome is the one between the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers. 

Newton and company won, 27-23, in Seattle in Week 6 with two touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter, but this is a different Seahawks team. Newton threw for 162 yards in the fourth quarter alone that game and hit Greg Olsen for the winning score with less than a minute remaining, but Seattle has allowed 13 or fewer points in five of its last six games.

What’s more, the defense finished second in total yards allowed, first in scoring defense, second in passing yards allowed and first in rushing yards allowed this season. The Legion of Boom and company held the Vikings to a measly nine points during Sunday’s postseason game and will pose a significant problem for Newton and the rest of the Carolina offense. 

That’s not even mentioning the Seahawks offense, which Wilson put on his back down the stretch with 24 touchdown passes and one interception in the final seven regular-season games. With Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett running routes on the outside, Wilson finding them and the Seahawks defense playing at a dominant level, Seattle could be on its way to a third straight Super Bowl appearance.

Denver Broncos over Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have arguably more talent than any team in the league, but they are dealing with a handful of injuries heading into the clash with the Denver Broncos.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noted there was “optimism that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can play through what the team initially believed was a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder.”

What’s more, wide receiver Antonio Brown suffered a concussion on the Steelers’ final drive against the Cincinnati Bengals when he was hit in the head by Vontaze Burfict, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said “there’s a chance he plays” when discussing running back DeAngelo Williams’ foot injury.

Pittsburgh won an emotionally and physically draining game against their division rivals in the Wild Card Round, while the Broncos stayed at home and watched. Plus, Manning should be as fresh as he’s been all season after missing most of the second half with injury and then resting during a bye week following a Week 17 victory.

These two teams met in Week 15, and Pittsburgh won a 34-27 shootout. However, Manning did not play in that contest, and the Steelers were much healthier. Brown tallied 189 receiving yards and two touchdowns in that game and torched the overmatched Denver secondary that is typically one of the league’s best.

Even if those three playmakers are all on the field for the divisional round, they will be limited. Denver’s defense, which finished atop the league in yards allowed per game and fourth in points allowed per game, will lock down the Steelers offense this time around.

That will leave NFL fans with another Manning and Brady showdown in the AFC Championship Game with the Super Bowl hanging in the balance.