NFL Playoff Schedule 2018-19: Postseason Dates, Wild-Card Predictions and More

Only one division was locked up in Week 15 of the NFL regular season, which made a jumbled wild-card race only slightly less jumbled.

On Saturday afternoon, the Houston Texans outlasted the New York Jets in the Meadowlands to give head coach Bill O'Brien a 10-win regular season for the first time. Saturday night saw the Cleveland Browns effectively end any wild-card hopes the Denver Broncos may have had.

Once Sunday hit, the Texans took sole control of the No. 2 seed when the Patriots fell in Pittsburgh. The Chicago Bears took care of the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field to claim the NFC North and a playoff berth for the first time since 2010. Because of that, the Minnesota Vikings' 41-17 win over the Miami Dolphins was even more crucial to their playoff chances. 

It's time now to dissect how those results—and others from Sunday—shaped the playoff picture moving forward. With just two weeks left in the regular season, there is no room for error.

Note: the New Orleans Saints play the Carolina Panthers on Monday night, which could impact seeding in the NFC.

Postseason Dates

Wild Card: January 5-6, 2019

Divisional Round: January 12-13, 2019

Conference Championships: January 20 

Super Bowl LIII: February 3, 2019 (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, televised 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS)

AFC

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

2. Houston Texans (10-4)

3. New England Patriots (9-5)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1)

Wild-Card Race

5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-3)

6. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)

8. Tennessee Titans (8-6)

9. Miami Dolphins (7-7)

10. Cleveland Browns (6-7-1)

Rob Carr/Getty Images

You are seeing that correctly. The Browns are still in the hunt! Before we get to that, let's start with more clear-cut business. By beating the Chiefs on Thursday night—for the first time in nine matchups—the Chargers clinched their first playoff berth since 2013. On top of that, they kept an AFC West crown in play.

If the Chiefs win out, they win the AFC West, as many have expected them to all season. Both teams have at least one tough game remaining: The Chargers host the Ravens and the Chiefs go to Seattle in Week 16. If the Chiefs beat the Seahawks on Sunday night, and the Chargers fall to Baltimore on Saturday, Kansas City will clinch the division.

Regardless of who ends up winning the division, that first wild-card spot is taken. 

The Colts' 23-0 shutout of the Dallas Cowboys made things interesting, especially as the second wild-card spot is the only one in play in the AFC. By winning, the Colts kept the Texans from securing the AFC South. With the New York Giants in Week 16 and the Titans to close out the season, Indianapolis has as good a shot as any of the remaining teams in the hunt at playing January football. 

The Ravens face a tougher schedule than Indianapolis down the stretch—having to face the aforementioned Chargers before taking on a recharged Browns team.

With the Steelers beating New England in Pittsburgh, the Browns cannot win the AFC North. Cleveland needed both Pittsburgh and Baltimore—who beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers— to lose in order to have a realistic chance at the postseason, but there are still scenarios that see the Browns sneaking into the sixth seed—however slim. 

Heading into Week 16, the three-way tie between Baltimore, Indianapolis and Tennessee can come down to a Week 17 matchup between the Colts and Titans in Tennessee should the Ravens lose their game in Los Angeles. 

That said, Baltimore has proved to be a tough out since rookie Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback in Week 11. What's even more impressive than the new-look offense is the first-ranked defense that can haunt any opponent.

Perhaps the most intriguing question presented by Week 15 is whether we will see the Patriots playing on Wild-Card Weekend for the first time since 2009? 

AFC Wild-Card Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers (5), Baltimore Ravens (6)

NFC

Division Leaders

1. New Orleans Saints (11-2)

2. Los Angeles Rams (11-3)

3. Chicago Bears (10-4)

4. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

Wild-Card Race

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)

6. Minnesota Vikings (7-6-1)

7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)

8. Washington Redskins (7-7)

9. Carolina Panthers (6-7)

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The NFC was shaken up a bit more than the AFC in Week 15. Leading in that category: the Eagles upsetting the Rams in L.A. on Sunday night. The final score, 30-23, is deceiving as Philly took it to L.A. on both sides of the ball. Most notably, the offense opened up with Nick Foles under center for an injured Carson Wentz.

The victory kept the Eagles in the wild-card hunt—helped earlier in the day by the Cowboys' stinker at Indianapolis. The NFC East is still Dallas' to lose, as the Cowboys will secure the division with a win or a Washington and Philadelphia defeat in one of the two remaining weeks. 

Should the Rams win and the Bears lose in Week 16, the Rams will still get a first-round bye. But that is not the foregone conclusion it has been to this point.

Up in Seattle, the 4-10 San Francisco 49ers beat the Seahawks for the first time since 2013. Even with the loss, Seattle holds control over the first wild-card spot and No. 5 NFC seed overall. Heading into a Sunday night matchup against the Chiefs next week, Seattle can feel good about two players in particular.

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin returned to action after sitting out Week 14 and scored two touchdowns, but the real star was running back Chris Carson, who trucked for 119 yards and a touchdown he would not be denied.

The second wild-card spot currently belongs to the Vikings, but only by a half-game. Minnesota needs to beat Detroit in Week 16 and Chicago in Week 17 to guarantee a playoff berth. Any other combination could allow Philadelphia to sneak into the sixth seed. The Eagles have the Texans next week and Washington in Week 17. 

With the Bears still fighting for that first-round bye, Minnesota's season finale against them will not be a gimme. The same can be said for the Eagles facing a Texans team battling for seeding in the AFC down to the wire, and Washington still technically being as alive in the wild-card hunt as Philly. 

If the Eagles respond to Foles the way they did on Sunday night in L.A., they could be a scary dark horse down the stretch and boot the Vikings team out of the playoffs one season removed from demolishing them in the NFC Championship game. 

However, Minnesota also made an encouraging change in Week 15. After head coach Mike Zimmer fired John DeFilippo as offensive coordinator on Tuesday, Kevin Stefanski stepped in on Sunday. As a result, the Vikings' running game took off. 

Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray combined for 204 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. For context: the Vikings did not eclipse 300 yards of total offense in any of their previous five games. 

The question is: Was the Eagles' win over the Rams more about a resurgence in Philadelphia or a slump in L.A.? Not for nothing, the Vikings beat the Eagles 23-21 in Week 5. 

NFC Wild-Card Prediction: Seattle Seahawks (5), Philadelphia Eagles (6)

Where to Watch: The NFL postseason and all NFL broadcasts are available through fuboTV.