NFL Playoff Schedule 2018: Dates, Matchups, Updated Bracket for Divisional Round

Five of the eight remaining NFL playoff teams have never won a Super Bowl. A sixth (the New Orleans Saints) has won one, while the last two teams (the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers) have combined for over 20 percent of the Super Bowls in league history (11 of the 51 to be exact).

It will be interesting to see whether we have a new or old champion this year, but until then, here's a look at the rest of the NFL playoff schedule in addition to analysis on three players who could have big days on Saturday or Sunday.

Divisional Round

Saturday, January 13, at 4:35 p.m. ET on NBC: No. 6 Atlanta Falcons at No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles

Saturday, January 13, at 8:15 p.m. ET on CBS: No. 5 Tennessee Titans at No. 1 New England Patriots

Sunday, January 14, at 1:05 p.m. ET on CBS: No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, January 14, at 4:40 p.m. ET on Fox: No. 4 New Orleans Saints at No. 2 Minnesota Vikings

Conference Championships

Sunday, January 21, at 3 p.m. ET: AFC Championship on CBS (Lowest-seeded AFC team at highest-seeded AFC team)

Sunday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. ET: NFC Championship on Fox (Lowest-seeded NFC team at highest-seeded NFC team)

Super Bowl LII

Sunday, February 4, at 6:30 p.m. ET: AFC champion vs. NFC champion on NBC (game will be played in Minneapolis)

Three Potential Playoff Stars

Atlanta Falcons LB Deion Jones

It's ridiculous to even think about, but it's possible that Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones isn't even the best player named Jones on his team this year.

For the record, Julio Jones had a great year yet again. The former Alabama star was on the wrong side of touchdown variance (three scores), but he still caught 88 passes for 1,444 yards.

However, linebacker Deion Jones might be the best player at his position in football and easily one of the best defensive players in the game. Not only did he finish with 138 tackles on the year (tied for fourth in the NFL), but he also finished tied for first among linebackers with three interceptions.

Deion Jones was a big factor on Saturday in helping hold the Los Angeles Rams, who averaged nearly 30 points per game this year, to just 13 on the day thanks to a team-leading 10 tackles. He'll be needed again Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, whose best chance at a victory is likely via running attack with Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount.

Therefore, Deion Jones' run-stopping prowess must be on display yet again to help the Falcons advance to the NFC Championship.

New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski

Admittedly, picking New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski isn't exactly a hot take, but he could be the best offensive performer from the entire divisional round.

In the wild-card round, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans before suffering a concussion at the end of the second quarter. He presented a serious matchup problem for Tennessee, who simply could not stick with him.

Gronkowski will present similar issues, and it's not just because of his individual efforts. Kelce was able to get open in part because the Titans needed to worry about numerous weapons on the field, namely running back Kareem Hunt and wideout Tyreek Hill. Keying in on one of them meant risking another star going off.

Tennessee has the same problem with the Pats. If they choose to neutralize Gronkowski, then maybe deep threat Brandin Cooks breaks free for a long touchdown. Or perhaps Dion Lewis or James White catches a pass out of the backfield and goes the distance.

Therefore, Gronk could find himself with opportunities to get open and move the chains all game.

Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen

In the season-opening game against the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings wideout Adam Thielen caught nine passes for 157 yards. He eventually finished with 91 catches for 1,276 yards, which established himself as one of the best pass-catchers in the game.

Thielen faces the Saints again on Sunday. While it's hard seeing him duplicate that performance, the former Minnesota State star is in position for another big game.

Saints outside cornerbacks Ken Crawley and Marshon Lattimore have helped transform the pass defense into one of the best units in the league this season. However, they won't be seeing as much of Thielen, who spends some time in the slot position. The fourth-year pro can win his slot matchups and help propel the Vikings to a successful offensive day.

Also, Thielen is one of the more efficient wideouts in the game. Per Pro Football Reference, he is one of only five wideouts with a 64-percent catch rate and a yards-per-reception mark of 14 or higher. And per Football Outsiders, Thielen ranked sixth in effective yards among wideouts.

Thanks also to his excellent rapport with quarterback Case Keenum, Thielen could lead the Vikings to victory on Sunday.