NFL Playoff Schedule 2016: Postseason Standings, Bracket Guide and Predictions

After another entertaining weekend of NFL postseason football, conference championship weekend will bring us Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning 17.

The New England Patriots held off a late surge from the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday to win 27-20, but their destination for the AFC Championship was unknown until Sunday night. They found out on Sunday night they'd be hitting the road for a rematch with Manning and the Denver Broncos on Jan. 24 after they dispatched the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-16 in divisional-round play.

Over in the NFC, the quarterback matchup is not as historic, but Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers will likely be named MVP, while the Arizona Cardinals' Carson Palmer threw 35 touchdowns in 2015 just one season after tearing his ACL.

Let's take a look at the playoff picture and schedule for the conference championships, postseason standings and some predictions on which teams will be playing for a Super Bowl championship on Feb. 7.

Team	Record
Arizona Cardinals	1-0
Carolina Panthers	1-0
Denver Broncos	1-0
New England Patriots	1-0
Green Bay Packers	1-1
Kansas City Chiefs	1-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	1-1
Seattle Seahawks	1-1
Cincinnati Bengals	0-1
Houston Texans	0-1
Minnesota Vikings	0-1
Washington	0-1

AFC Championship: New England at Denver

There is much more in this game than Brady vs. Manning, but it's what everyone will be talking about leading up to the contest.

Bleacher Report shared a graphic of how the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks have fared against each other in the past:

This won't be like the matchups of old as Manning clearly isn't the same player he used to be. As expected, he downplayed the event, per ESPN.

"It'll be the Broncos vs. the Patriots," Manning said of the AFC's top two seeds, both 13-4. "We'll enjoy this one tonight. I think you knew that answer was coming. To kind of quote Bill Belichick, we'll be on to New England. But I'll be talking about them on Wednesday."

Brady didn't have to answer questions about it after his game because the matchup had not been set. However, he praised Manning prior to a loss against his team in November, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.

“There’s nobody that has more respect for Peyton than me, outside of probably his parents and his brothers,” Brady said. “If anybody can appreciate what he’s accomplished it’s me, so he’s just been remarkable in every part of his career. He’s been a tremendous player.”

Denver is at home, but that might be the only advantage it has. A C.J. Anderson touchdown Sunday was all the offense could muster outside of five field goals against the Steelers. Brady sliced and diced a Chiefs defense for 302 yards through the air and the most points it had allowed since Oct. 4.

He and the Patriots are firing on all cylinders, and they also have a head coach in Bill Belichick who knows a thing or two about winning.

Expect New England to go into Denver and control the pace in what should be an easy win. 

Prediction: New England wins, 30-19.

NFC Championship

The NFC Championship Game is a little harder to predict. It pits two teams against each other that were eerily similar during the regular season.

Team	W-L	Points	Points Allowed	Yards	Yards Allowed
Carolina	15-1	31.3	19.3	366.9	322.9
Arizona	13-3	30.6	19.6	408.3	321.7

While this might not be Brady vs. Manning, it's a quarterback matchup that provides plenty of gaudy stats. Newton and Palmer combined for 81 total touchdowns, and by playing each other, they will make history, per Bleacher Report:

Both quarterbacks certainly have the capability of putting up points, but the defenses on the field may have something to say about that. Carolina's defense was solid at home and allowed just 8.7 points per game in the final three home contests of the season.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, scored just six points in a Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and needed overtime to put up 26 points at home against Green Bay. If the offense is struggling at home, that's not a good sign as the team departs for Charlotte, North Carolina to take on the top team in the NFC.

Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, David Johnson and co. have had a great season, but Newton will do just enough to help out his defense and send the Panthers back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2004.

Prediction: Carolina wins, 28-24.