NFL Playoffs 2017: TV Info, Bracket Predictions and Super Bowl Odds

After 17 weeks of regular-season action and two rounds of the playoffs, the NFL field is down to four teams—the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. They will all play Sunday, and by the end of the day, we'll have our matchup for Super Bowl LI.

That Super Bowl matchup is likely to be a great one. We have four of the league's best teams and potentially four of this generation's top quarterbacks remaining. No, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan isn't yet on the level of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers. But he has had an MVP-caliber season and has the opportunity to add his name to the list of Super Bowl winners.

Quarterbacks aren't the only factors remaining in the postseason, of course. There are a number of stellar wide receivers, running backs and defensive stars who will all play roles in the coming weeks.

We're here to examine the coming week's action. We'll be taking an in-depth look at the schedule, the games and the latest odds—courtesy of OddsShark. We will also make our final predictions for the games and examine some of the latest storylines heading into the championship round of the playoffs.

NFL Championship Sunday

Time (ET)	Game	National TV	Line	Prediction
3:05 p.m.	Green Bay at Atlanta	Fox	ATL -4.5	34-33 GB
6:40 p.m.	Pittsburgh at New England	CBS	NE -6	31-24 NE

Storylines to Watch

Rodgers On an All-Time Run

Quarterbacks might not be the only factor impacting next weekend's games, but the play of Rodgers of late is certainly going to be one of the top storylines to follow.

Rodgers has been incredible during Green Bay's eight-game winning streak. He has tossed 21 touchdowns and just one interception in that time. He has also made nearly impossible throws—like the one to Jared Cook that set up Green Bay's game-winning field goal on Sunday—look routine.

Rodgers has been so impressive that Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff believes those who don't play the position are unable to fully appreciate him.

"I was texting [fellow Rams QB Sean Mannion] back and forth, and I was like, 'Dude, I don't think people that don't play quarterback can really fully appreciate what Rodgers was doing last night,'" Goff told The Dan Patrick Show on Monday.

It should be no surprise that Pro Football Focus rates Rodgers as the top quarterback of the postseason so far.

Some even believe that, with the way Rodgers is playing, he might be one of the top players of all time.

"Jim Brown is the best football player of all time," Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman recently wrote. "Rodgers is starting to threaten that position. This statement will cause some of you to lose your mind. But this is the universe we're entering right now. He's been that good."

If Rodgers' stellar play continues and propels the Packers into the Super Bowl, it'll be hard to argue that this isn't one of the greatest runs we've ever seen from a player at the NFL level.

Jordy Nelson Still Hurting

One of the most impressive facets of Rodgers' performance against the Cowboys on Sunday is the fact that he got the win without star wideout Jordy Nelson. 

Nelson, who amassed 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns in the regular season, has been out since suffering broken ribs against the New York Giants on Wild Card Weekend. The Packers would obviously love to have him available to help match the Falcons' high-powered offense, but there's almost no chance he'll be close to 100 percent.

If you've never experienced broken ribs, consider yourself lucky. It's a debilitating injury that makes even the most mundane tasks—like coughing, laughing or even breathing—extremely painful.

Sucking wind and absorbing hits on the football field would be even more painful. If Nelson isn't significantly better by the weekend, it's difficult to imagine him giving it a go.

Nelson recently told NFL Network's Stacey Dales that his immediate goal is to return to breathing normally:

It doesn't feel like Nelson will be able to be a major factor in Sunday's game, but counting him completely out would be unwise. Plenty of players have gutted out serious injuries in big games like this one, and it's not as if the league doesn't allow the use of pain-countering treatments.

Either way, Nelson's health is going to be something worth watching throughout the week.

McDaniels Expected to Stay with Patriots

The Patriots offense wasn't at its sharpest Saturday against the Houston Texans, though it's difficult to fault offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. It seemed more like Brady's timing was off and the execution of the offensive line was inconsistent.

Still, some may wonder if McDaniels' recent candidacy for head coaching vacancies may have been a bit of a distraction. The former Denver Broncos head coach interviewed with multiple teams during New England's opening-round bye:

Any thought of a distracted McDaniels can now likely be put to rest, as it appears he is going to stay in New England for the immediate future. The San Francisco 49ers are the only team with a head coaching vacancy, and McDaniels has withdrawn from consideration there.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, family and a focus on the postseason are both reasons behind McDaniels' decision to withdraw:

McDaniels went just 11-17 as a head coach during his time with the Broncos before spending a year as offensive coordinator with the Rams. He then returned to New England, where he has served since the 2011-12 postseason.

It seems that McDaniels will remain with the Patriots at least through this postseason.