NFL Playoff Bracket 2016: AFC, NFC Divisional Picture, Schedule and Scenarios
The pretenders have been sent home for the winter, and the final eight NFL teams are left to battle for a right to reach and win Super Bowl 50 on February 7. Here's a look at the matchups for Divisional Round Weekend as well as each scenario for the conference championships.
Home Team (Seed) | Conference | Away Team (Seed) | Time (ET) and Date | Conference Championship Opponent (If Victorious) |
| Carolina (No. 1) | NFC | Seattle (No. 6) | Sunday, January 17, at 1:05 p.m. | Arizona or Green Bay |
| Arizona (No. 2) | NFC | Green Bay (No. 5) | Saturday, January 16, at 8:05 p.m. | Carolina or Seattle |
| Denver (No. 1) | AFC | Pittsburgh (No. 6) | Sunday, January 17, at 4:40 p.m. | New England or Kansas City |
| New England (No. 2) | AFC | Kansas City (No. 5) | Saturday, January 16, at 4:45 p.m. | Denver or Pittsburgh |
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Saturday's Games
Revived Packers
Just when it looked as if the Green Bay Packers were reeling and primed for an early exit in the NFL playoffs, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Co. produced their best performance in weeks in the Wild Card Game against Washington on Sunday.
The task will get a lot tougher on Saturday when the Pack head southwest to take on the No. 2 seed Arizona Cardinals. According to Odds Shark, the Packers are the largest underdogs (minus-seven) of Divisional Round Weekend.
Can Rodgers inspire his team to pull off the upset? If so, he and his teammates will have to get it done against a rested and motivated Cardinals team that has to like its chances of reaching the Super Bowl. Out of all the teams still alive in the postseason, Arizona looks to be the healthiest.
Winning it all could come down to simply which team maintains the highest percentage of its first-string players as active participants.
Wounded Patriots
The injuries the New England Patriots have had to endure to get to this point are amazing. According to ESPN.com, wide receiver Julian Edelman, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and defensive end Chandler Jones are all listed as questionable. None of those casualties says anything for the patchwork offensive line the Patriots have had to thrust in front of quarterback Tom Brady as protection.
Even with that dynamic, the Pats are still listed by Odds Shark as minus-five favorites to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at home. The Chiefs clearly have something to prove. Including their 30-0 drubbing of the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Game on Saturday, the Chiefs have the longest current winning streak in the NFL at 11 in a row.
K.C. can quiet the rumbles about a weak regular-season schedule with a win.
Sunday's Games
Seattle Still Has Work to Do
After the Seattle Seahawks escaped with a win in the Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the team has to know it'll need to play better offensively if it hopes to beat the top-seeded Carolina Panthers.
Back on October 18, quarterback Cam Newton rallied the Panthers to a 27-23 win over the Seahawks. The Panthers outscored the Seahawks 13-3 in the fourth quarter for the victory. Blowing fourth-quarter leads has become an issue with Seattle, and last Sunday's game against the Vikings was almost the latest example.
Were it not for Blair Walsh's egregious miss of a 27-yard field goal, the Vikings would have been the team to advance. Seattle has to clean up its execution and play for a full 60 minutes.
Steelers' Injury Woes
With QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Antonio Brown both listed as questionable, per ESPN.com, there's a chance the Pittsburgh Steelers could be without their two best players on Sunday when the team travels to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos.
Pittsburgh just beat the Broncos 34-27 in Week 15 to help propel itself into the postseason. However, that win came with Big Ben and Brown in the lineup and clicking.
Roethlisberger threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns in that game. Brown caught 16 of those passes for 189 yards and two of the touchdowns. If either only one or neither of Pittsburgh's stars can play, it's hard to see a way for the Steelers to advance.
Landry Jones has proved to be a decent backup for Roethlisberger, and Martavis Bryant has flashed some elite receiver skills. However, the two wouldn't have the same chemistry Roethlisberger and Brown have, and that's part of what makes them such a great tandem.
Stay tuned as more information on every player's availability is confirmed.
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