NFL Playoff Schedule 2016: TV Coverage, Live Stream Guide and Final Picks

Two teams have punched their tickets to conference championship weekend after Saturday's divisional-round games. Two more are ready to join them on Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers host the Seattle Seahawks. 

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers	1:05 p.m.	Fox	Fox Sports Go
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos	4:40 p.m.	CBS	CBSSports.com

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

We have a rematch from last year's divisional round.

The 15-1 Panthers are back from their bye week to try to avenge last year's playoff loss against a Seahawks team that lucked out in Minnesota during the Wild Card Round thanks to a famous missed field goal. But in the playoffs, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Luckily for the Seahawks, even though they're on the road at Bank of America Stadium, the weather will be near the 40s instead of freezing temperatures that were entrenched in the negatives in Minnesota. That in itself should be a boost for Seattle. 

It also doesn't hurt that they are finding ways to win as one of the hottest remaining teams in the league. The Seahawks have won seven of their last eight games dating back to Week 11 of the regular season, outscoring their opponents 234-107 in that span. 

However, the Seahawks are playing the team with the best record in the NFL; the same team that beat Seattle 27-23 in Week 6—albeit, it was a very different Seahawks team at the time. 

This is by far the best team the Panthers have faced since playing the 6-1 Packers in November, a game they wound up winning. Carolina ended its season playing eight games against teams with losing records. That's hardly the kind of precursor a playoff team would want before its divisional-round matchup. 

Unlike their last eight opponents, the Seahawks are competent on both sides of the ball and have big-game experience. They have the capability of punching the Panthers in the mouth early and staying on them for a full 60 minutes. 

They're also getting back the services of running back Marshawn Lynch, who texted ESPN's Kenny Mayne that "I'm Ready," via Sheil Kapadia. 

Getting Lynch back in the playoffs is a nice addition to the offense to say the least, as NFL on ESPN shows:

MVP hopeful and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will need to have both aspects of his game working. His arm needs to be lethal, his legs explosive if the Panthers want any chance of winning this game. 

The Seahawks defense has been hot, allowing 300 total yards just once in their past six games. In Week 17 they held one of the league's best offenses, the Arizona Cardinals, to just 232 total yards. While it's known for their secondary dubbed the "Legion of Boom," Seattle has quite the weapon on the defensive line:

Carolina's offense leads the league in scoring and is finally getting back Jonathan Stewart after missing the past three games with a foot injury. It's hardly the introduction he would like to come back to and I don't anticipate him having a big game.

Actually, I don't anticipate the Panthers having a big game, as ESPN's Ed Werder shows just how this kind of matchup has worked out lately:

The Seahawks have enough solid defensive personnel to cover Carolina's weapons, though. Newton is heavily reliant on tight end Greg Olsen, the team's leading receiver, as the wide receiving corps has been muted due to the absence of Kelvin Benjamin all season. 

If he had been present all season and fed off of his solid rookie season, not only could the Panthers have been a better team, they would have a better shot to win this game. 

Prediction: Seahawks defeat Panthers 31-23

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

When they were 8-5 and their playoff hopes hung by a thread, the Steelers had to host a Peyton Manning-less Broncos team in Week 15 that was coming off of a loss to the Oakland Raiders. They beat them 34-27, a vital win that helped them clinch a playoff spot after some major Week 17 drama. 

NFL fans are treated to another matchup between these two teams on Sunday. The last time they met in the playoffs, the roles were reversed. The Broncos were 8-8 while the Steelers were the 12-4 favorites in the Wild Card Round: 

This time it's the Broncos that are 12-4 and the AFC's No. 1 seed. It's odd, though, for a football fan to look at a team led by Peyton Manning and know that he is not the most valuable aspect of the team.

That honor belongs to the defense, which has been immovable this season.

Category	Yards/Points Per Game	NFL Rank
Total Defense (Yards)	283.1	1
Passing Defense (Yards)	199.6	1
Rushing Defense (Yards)	83.6	3
Points Allowed	18.5	4

Which is why the Steelers are in deep, deep trouble after finding out the state of some of their offensive stars on Friday. As first reported by Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo, Antonio Brown will not be playing on Sunday as he is still dealing with a concussion sustained against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round. 

Brown led the NFL with 136 receptions to go with a career-high 1,834 yards this season.

It doesn't get better for Pittsburgh, either, as leading rusher DeAngelo Williams will also be sidelined due to a foot injury, per SportsCenter.

It doesn't happen often that a team's leading receiver and rusher are out in a postseason game, according to NFL Network's Rich Eisen:

The Oilers, who were without running back Earl Campbell and wide receiver Ken Burrough, along with quarterback Dan Pastorini, defeated the 12-4 San Diego Chargers, whose defense was ranked second in the league. So it isn't an insurmountable task for the Steelers to find a way to beat the Broncos, but it is close. 

A banged-up Ben Roethlisberger is the Steelers' best chance at winning. He is listed as questionable due to a shoulder injury, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, but is expected to play "barring a setback." 

I just think the Broncos defense is far too strong and will be too much to handle for a hobbled offense. 

Prediction: Broncos defeat Steelers 24-17

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com