NFL Playoff Picture 2018: Updated Scenarios and Bracket Before Divisional Round

The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are both one game away from playing in the AFC Championship Game and for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

Those two teams have been the best teams in the AFC all season, and it would be a big surprise if the Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans or the Steelers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional playoffs.

It would also be a major disappointment to most football fans who would like to see Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown go to New England to take on Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola.

The Patriots and the Steelers are the two glamour teams in the AFC, and they have been on a collision course to meet in the AFC title game throughout most of the season. The Titans are a team with promise, but they have had difficulties throughout much of the season, and they were on the verge of getting knocked out of the playoff structure until they won their regular-season finale against the Jaguars.

They were also in a dangerous position against the Kansas City Chiefs, falling behind by a 21-3 margin before they rallied to pull off a 22-21 victory.

The Jaguars have one of the best defensive teams in the league, and pass-rushers Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue have combined for 26.5 sacks. They have shown they are capable of taking over any game.

However, even though the Jaguars defeated the Steelers 30-9 in a Week 5 game in Pittsburgh, it's difficult to see Blake Bortles leading Jacksonville to a road win in a playoff game over the Steelers.

Bortles struggled to complete passes in the wild-card game over the Bills, throwing for just 87 yards. The Jaguars lack the firepower on offense to threaten the home team.

The NFC appears to be far more competitive.

The top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles were the best and most consistent team in the conference for the large majority of the season, but they suffered a painful and potentially devastating blow when Carson Wentz suffered an ACL injury in the Week 14 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Nick Foles took over at quarterback after the Wentz injury, and while he looked solid in his first start against the New York Giants, he was not sharp in the final two regular-season games against the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys.

As a result, the Eagles are 2.5-point home underdogs to the sixth-seeded Atlanta Falcons in Saturday afternoon's divisional playoff game, according to OddsShark.

David Goldman/Associated Press

The Falcons are coming off a 26-13 road victory over the Rams in the wild-card game, and Atlanta is loaded with offensive skill players. Quarterback Matt Ryan, running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman and wideouts Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu are all capable of taking over a game at any point.

If Foles can't improve on his recent performances, the defending NFC champion Falcons have an excellent chance of advancing to the conference championship game once again.

The Minnesota Vikings have the top-ranked defense in the league, but that unit is sure to get a heavy-duty test from Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. 

The Saints have given their veteran quarterback quite a bit of support this year with a productive running game and a much-improved defense.

Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara have taken quite a bit of pressure off of Brees, and the Vikings are clearly going to be tested. Linebacker Eric Kendricks (113 stops) is the team's best tackler, while free safety Harrison Smith (five interceptions, 17 passes defensed) is a dynamic playmaker. Everson Griffen (13.0 sacks) is an outstanding pass-rusher who can alter an opponent's passing game.

Case Keenum has performed admirably this year after taking over for Sam Bradford in the second week of the season. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have given the Vikings a pair of dangerous downfield receivers, while tight end Kyle Rudolph is a consistent threat.

Bracket Predictions

Look for the Patriots to take charge of their divisional playoff game against the Titans by halftime and stretch out their advantage in the second half. They will advance to the AFC title game with few problems.

The Steelers should be able to overpower the Jaguars despite losing to them earlier in the season. Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions in that game, and that is unlikely to happen again. Look for Roethlisberger, Bell, Brown and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster to take over this game.

The Falcons have the experience and momentum to end Philadelphia's season since the Eagles don't have reliable quarterback play at this point.

The Saints and Vikings should play the most competitive game of the weekend. While the Saints will press hard, the Vikings will make enough plays in the fourth quarter to win the game and advance to the NFC title game.