NFL Playoffs 2017: Wild Card Schedule and Predictions for Divisional Bracket

Give the NFL credit for its Wild Card Weekend schedule, because it certainly knows how to build to a crescendo.

The first two games on Saturday are not quite as compelling as the two on Sunday, but there is some notable drama.

The Oakland Raiders, who fell to the No. 5 seed after losing to the Denver Broncos in the season finale, go on the road to take on the Houston Texans.

Both teams have major quarterback issues, and the team that gets the most consistent play from the position is likely to survive and advance.

Derek Carr suffered a broken fibula in Week 16, and backup Matt McGloin injured his trapezius against the Broncos. Rookie Connor Cook filled in after McGloin got hurt, and it has not been determined whether Cook or McGloin will get the call on Saturday. Much will depend on how much progress McGloin makes this week.

Game	Date	Time	Prediction
Oakland at Houston	Jan. 7	4:35 p.m.	Oakland 17, Houston 12
Detroit at Seattle	Jan. 7	8:15 p.m.	Seattle 23, Detroit 17
Miami at Pittsburgh	Jan. 8	1:05 p.m.	Pittsburgh 34, Miami 20
New York Giants at Green Bay	Jan. 8	4:40 p.m.	Green Bay 27, N.Y. Giants 24

Tom Savage suffered a concussion in Houston's Week 17 game against the Tennessee Titans, and he was replaced by previous starter Brock Osweiler. That's not an ideal situation for head coach Bill O'Brien, because he had pulled Osweiler late in the season for overall ineffectiveness.

Osweiler will get the start against the Raiders, according to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today.

The Texans are the stronger and more powerful defensive team, and they rank first in yardage allowed. Inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney had a team-high 129 tackles and five sacks during the regular season, while Whitney Mercilus led the team with 7.5 sacks from his outside linebacker position.

The Raiders have struggled on defense throughout the regular season, ranking 26th in yards allowed. However, when they need a big play, they turn to hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack. After a relatively slow start, Mack had 11 sacks, five forced fumbles and three recoveries this season. 

The Raiders also have a big advantage on special teams. The Texans have had issues with their coverage teams for years, and they have lived down to their reputation again this season. The Texans ranked 32nd in overall special teams play, according to Football Outsiders, and punt and kickoff coverage were their biggest areas of weakness.

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

The Detroit Lions will try to put their season-ending three-game losing streak in the rear-view mirror when they go CenturyLink Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks.

The Lions fell to the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in the last three weeks, and while that's troubling, the big issue is the injured middle finger on quarterback Matthew Stafford's passing hand.

Stafford's numbers have suffered in recent weeks, but his deficiencies have been even more obvious through the eye test. He has missed open receivers on a consistent basis, sometimes by wide margins.

That will make it difficult for the Lions to register a road victory. 

The Seahawks are not playing their best football, either. They were beaten soundly at home in Week 16 by the Arizona Cardinals, and they closed the year with a narrow victory in Week 17 over the 2-14 San Francisco 49ers.

Quarterback Russell Wilson will try to get the Seattle offense going against the Lions, but he does not have much of a running game to lean on. Seattle ranked 25th in rushing, and that means it's nearly all on Wilson and wideouts Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse to get the job done.

Seattle's defense still provides the team's signature moments, and look for Richard Sherman to come up with a couple of key plays in the secondary to help the Seahawks survive against the Lions.

Fred Vuich/Associated Press

While the Miami Dolphins came up with a 30-15 victory at home over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, it would be a shock if they repeated that result Sunday in Pittsburgh.

In addition to playing at home, the Steelers have an explosive and versatile offense that the Dolphins are unlikely to match. The trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown are dominating, and the Dolphins don't have the same kind of firepower to compete for 60 minutes.

Matt Moore will most likely line up under center for the Dolphins since starter Ryan Tannehill has not returned to full practice yet. Moore can read the defense and handle short- and medium-range passes, but he is limited beyond that.

Jay Ajayi first came to prominence when he broke the 200-yard mark in the win over the Steelers, and keeping him in check must be one of Pittsburgh's top defensive priorities.

The Steelers are at home, they have won seven games in a row and can light up the scoreboard. They should win the game.

The game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers could turn out to be the most competitive of the weekend. The Giants registered road playoff victories at Green Bay in their Super Bowl seasons of 2007 and 2011, and a win here could get them started again.

However, it will not be easy to contain Aaron Rodgers, who finished the season with 40 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. 

New York quarterback Eli Manning has struggled in comparison, throwing 26 touchdown passes but turning the ball over more frequently with 16 interceptions.

Rodgers has been the better and more prolific quarterback throughout their careers, but Manning has two Super Bowl victories to his credit. That's one more than Rodgers.

The Packers have picked it up defensively in recent weeks, but they were awful during a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season, when they gave up an average of 38.3 points per game.

The Giants will try to take advantage of Green Bay's defensive deficiencies to pull off the road win.

New York's defense is led by strong safety Landon Collins, who has enjoyed a magnificent year with 125 tackles, four sacks and five interceptions. Collins returned one of those picks for a touchdown and was also credited with 13 passes defensed.

He will have to be at his best if the Giants are going to slow down Rodgers' connection with wideout Jordy Nelson, as Nelson has been on his game over the last few weeks.

Nelson caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he has shown a knack for making his biggest plays when Rodgers is forced to scramble out of trouble and make a last-second throw downfield.

This could be a game that comes down to the final minute, and we see the Packers coming through with another win to move onto the divisional playoffs.