NFL Playoff Schedule 2016: Sunday TV Guide, Live Stream Coverage Info
The pulse-pounding drama that finished off Saturday's action in the divisional round of the 2016 NFL playoffs was the perfect capper to a long day of football.
Following New England's 27-20 win over Kansas City, Green Bay and Arizona traded blows in a brilliant back-and-forth contest—one that featured an all-time thrilling conclusion.
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied the game with a desperation Hail Mary to receiver Jeff Janis at the end of regulation—echoing his winning toss against Detroit roughly a month ago—only to see Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald put together a breathtaking 75-yard catch-and-run and then scoot into the end zone on a nifty shovel pass in overtime to win the game for the Cardinals.
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It was peak football in Arizona all right. Fans can only hope Sunday's action matches the excitement.
And it begins with the Seattle Seahawks traveling cross-country to take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, who finished the season with the league's best overall record. Closing out the divisional round is a matchup between the banged-up Pittsburgh Steelers and Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos.
Here's the schedule and viewing info for the two games.
| 1:05 p.m. | Seattle Seahawks (11-6) | Carolina Panthers (15-1) | FOX | FoxSportsGo |
| 4:40 p.m. | Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6) | Denver Broncos (12-4) | CBS | CBSSports.com |
Sunday Preview
Seattle Seahawks (11-6) vs. Carolina Panthers (15-1)
Two of the savviest, most athletic quarterbacks in the game square off in this contest between the Seahawks and Panthers.
There's Carolina's Cam Newton, who has played the best football of his career this season—accounting for 45 touchdowns as passer and runner—and set the league aflame with his exuberant playing style.
Newton faces worthy opposition in Seattle's resolute defense. The Seahawks were the stingiest team in the league this year, allowing just 17.3 points per game, and Minnesota's mediocre offense could only muster nine points against them in the Wild Card Round.
It's going to take a Herculean effort for Newton to overcome Seattle's defense. Fans should expect him to mix in designed runs with plenty of throws to tight end Greg Olsen (1,104 yards, seven touchdowns), as reliable a target as there is in the NFL.
Opposite Newton in this game is Russell Wilson, who powered his team to the postseason with a brilliant stretch of games spanning November to mid-December.
Wilson cooled off considerably playing against Minnesota in freezing temperatures last weekend—142 yards, one touchdown and one pick—but has the right stuff to bounce back and take Carolina's ultratough defense to task.
A key individual battle in this contest will be between Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin and Panthers cornerback Cortland Finnegan.
As Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer notes, Baldwin lines up in the slot on approximately 80 percent of snaps, which means he'll presumably see plenty of the veteran Finnegan. The 31-year-old said he is well-aware he has a tough task ahead of him, per Person:
"I think you just try to slow him down. In that offense he’s going to make his plays. You just try to limit his big gains,” His run after the catch is where he really thrives. He can make you miss, too. Their offense, it goes when he goes. So trying to slow him down is a good thing and a big thing for us.
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A strong game from Finnegan can gum up the works for Seattle, as cornerback Josh Norman is eminently capable of shutting things down on the outside.
If the Panthers can stymie Wilson in the passing game, the pressure could then fall on Marshawn Lynch to power the team forward. Lynch missed the last eight games due to an abdominal surgery, but head coach Pete Carroll said there's a "really good chance" he plays on Sunday, per the team's official Twitter account.
Considering all his time off and the nature of his injury, it's going to be a tall task for Lynch if he has to put the team's postseason hopes on his considerable shoulders.
Matt Calkins of the Seattle Times notes that even when he played this season, Beast Mode showed signs of slowing:
"And while he has been banged up for most of the season (back, hamstring, calf, etc.), Lynch only managed 417 yards in the seven games he played this year — gaining just 3.8 yards per carry. Is this really a guy who is going to bulldoze his way through the Panthers’ defense and open up the Seahawks’ passing game?
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Carolina shares the ground-game uncertainty, as running back Jonathan Stewart will also be returning from injury on Sunday, but it was far less significant than Lynch's, keeping him out just three games.
The Panthers edged the Seahawks 27-23 on the road in Week 6. Carolina kept rolling from there, and Wilson has since raised his game to new heights.
It should be another thrilling battle on Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6) vs. Denver Broncos (12-4)
The big storyline for this game is about who won't be taking the field at Mile High Stadium.
Talented Steelers wideout Antonio Brown is officially out for Sunday's contest. Brown suffered a concussion as a result of a dirty hit from Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict at the end of the Steelers Wild Card Round win over their AFC North foes.
Running back DeAngelo Williams is ruled out for the second straight week with a foot injury.
When Pittsburgh embarrassed Denver's almighty defense in a 34-27 Week 15 win, Williams and Brown accounted for 245 total yards of offense and three touchdowns.
Now Ben Roethlisberger must make do without those two, a task made even tougher by an injury to his throwing shoulder, one that presumably won't keep him from playing, per Will Graves of the Associated Press:
The ability of the Steelers' offensive line to keep Roethlisberger out of harm's way and open up holes in the running game means everything in this one.
Big Ben has to stay healthy for the Steelers to have a chance at winning. One simply can't float passes in Chris Harris Jr.'s or Aqib Talib's general direction without getting some zip on the ball.
Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint has been underwhelming spelling Williams, but RB Jordan Todman did manage 65 yards on 11 carries against the Bengals' stout defense. Denver has been downright miserly against the run, giving up just 3.3 yards per carry this season.
As for the Broncos, they too will be soldering ahead without a key player from their earlier meeting with the Steelers. Only for Denver, it's by choice.
Quarterback Brock Osweiler threw for 296 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against Pittsburgh in Week 15, but Denver is set to start Peyton Manning. Osweiler took over starting duties from Manning after the latter's four-interception meltdown against Kansas City in mid-November.
After spending some time on the sidelines to deal with various nagging injuries, Manning replaced a struggling Osweiler in Week 17 against San Diego, guiding his team to victory, albeit with huge help from running backs C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman.
Strange as it is to say, the Broncos are taking a gamble by starting the future Hall-of-Famer.
Manning has thrown just nine touchdowns against 17 picks this year. There's no guarantee he'll cure Denver's sagging offense and second-half scoring woes. As ESPN notes, the cold weather is an ominous sign for Manning:
Denver is clearly counting on Manning getting his mojo back after time off recuperating. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, that may not be a problem:
"Peyton Manning is healthier than he has been all year, per a source with knowledge of the situation. He’s even healthier than he was in Week One against the Ravens, because the plantar fascia tendon in his foot had been bothering him since training camp. With extensive rest and rehab after November 15 through Week 17, the foot is better than it’s been all year. And the rest of Manning’s bumps and bruises also have cleared up. If the Broncos can win this week and next, he’ll get another two weeks to prepare for what would be his fourth career Super Bowl appearance.
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If Manning can keep it together and avoid turnovers, Denver should win this game. The defense should be able to stifle Pittsburgh for the most part and perhaps get a pick or two out of an ailing Roethlisberger.
With two capable running backs to rely on and strong receivers in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, all Manning should have to do is manage the game and keep possession.
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