NFL Playoff Bracket 2019: Wild-Card Picture and Divisional Round Scenarios

Finally, the NFL playoff picture is set. 

After the Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans—a Titans team without starting quarterback Marcus Mariota—33-17 on Sunday Night Football, we now know exactly who is in and who is playing who come wild-card weekend. 

The Colts secured the final wild-card spot, sliding into the No. 6 seed, while earlier in the evening the Baltimore Ravens squeaked by the Cleveland Browns to clinch the AFC North and the No. 4 seed.

With the Kansas City Chiefs taking care of the Oakland Raiders 35-3 to win their third AFC West title in a row, the AFC playoffs will now go through Arrowhead Stadium. 

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings couldn't beat the Chicago Bears. With the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Washington Redskins, the defending Super Bowl champions claimed the final wild-card spot and No. 6 seed while Minnesota is left out in the cold. 

Wild-Card Picture

AFC

Saturday, January 5: No. 3 Houston Texans (11-5) vs. No. 6 Indianapolis Colts (10-6) at 4:35 p.m. ET 

Sunday, January 6: No. 4 Baltimore Ravens (10-6) vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) at 1:05 p.m. ET

NFC

Saturday, January 5: No. 4 Dallas Cowboys (10-6) vs. No. 5 Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at 8:15 p.m. ET 

Sunday, January 6: No. 3 Chicago Bears (12-4) vs. No. 6 Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) at 4:40 p.m. ET

Wild Card Weekend is certain to be a doozy, starting off with AFC South rivals. Both games the Colts and Texans played in the regular season were close, with Houston winning first in Week 4, 37-34, in overtime and Indianapolis evening the series in Week 14 with a 24-21 win.

Indy will have to travel to Houston, which is where the Colts won in Week 14. In that game, the Colts somehow managed to hold Texans No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to four catches for 36 yards, even though he did score one touchdown.

On the other side, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton connected for 199 yards. 

Luck was sacked only twice, while the Colts defense got to Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson five times. 

Both teams are hitting their strides and come into this game as strong as they've been all season. 

The same can be said about the Chargers and Ravens, who will meet on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. The Ravens just beat the Chargers in L.A. in Week 16 by a suffocating score of 22-10.

They aren't the No. 1 defense in the league for no reason, as Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers went for 181 yards, no touchdowns and two picks while also getting sacked four times.

Rookie Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has turned the offense into a dynamic rushing juggernaut, ranking second in the league. On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have the fourth-best rushing defense, while the Chargers have the ninth.

In Week 16, the Ravens rushed for 159 yards, while the Chargers—with running back Melvin Gordon playing—only had 51 yards on the ground.

Perhaps the second time around, L.A.'s usually potent offense will have cracked some kind of code. But if L.A. couldn't handle the Baltimore defense at home, it's hard to feel confident about them heading into Baltimore.

In the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys will first host the Seattle Seahawks. On paper, the home team gets some sort of advantage, but the Seahawks feel like the better team heading into this matchup. 

The Cowboys and Seahawks eked out ugly victories in Week 17. If there has been a criticism of both teams this season, it's that they play down—or up—to their competition, especially the Seahawks. 

This is yet another matchup we have already seen play out in the regular season. The Seahawks beat the Cowboys, 24-13, back in Week 3 at Seattle. That was before the Cowboys found their footing and ripped off a midseason five-game winning streak.

In that Week 3 game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked five times. But the statistic most relevant to Wild Card Weekend is Seahawks running back Chris Carson rushing for 102 yards and Cowboys back Ezekiel Elliott rushing for 127 yards. 

Finishing up the weekend will be the defending champions Eagles visiting the Chicago Bears. If there is a game on the slate that feels like a sure bet, it's the one in favor of the Bears.

While Eagles quarterback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles has rejuvenated the Eagles since stepping in for Carson Wentz in Week 15, the Bears defense is just too good.

Foles has had to leave the last two games. In Week 16, he briefly left an eventual win against the Texans after a big hit by Jadeveon Clowney. In Week 17, Foles exited the season finale early and said after the game that he is experiencing "rib soreness." 

While ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Foles has bruised ribs but is expected to be OK for the playoffs, it doesn't bode well that he has had to leave games after suffering big hits as he heads into a matchup against a defense featuring Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks.

The only game Chicago has dropped at home this season came against the New England Patriots in Week 7. 

Potential Divisional-Round Scenarios

AFC

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Chiefs and Patriots are enjoying first-round byes and will wait to see whom their opponents will be.

Kansas City will host the lowest remaining seed. Should Indianapolis upset Houston in the Wild Card Round, the Colts will visit Arrowhead.

The last time the Colts and Chiefs met in the playoffs Indy pulled off the second-largest comeback in playoff history at the time in 2014. If the Texans defeat Indianapolis, the Chiefs will play the winner of Baltimore-L.A.

Kansas City has played both teams this season: beating Baltimore in overtime at home in Week 14, beating the Chargers in Week 1 at L.A. and losing heartbreakingly to the Chargers at home in Week 15. 

The Patriots will play the second-lowest seed remaining, which means they will face Houston if the Texans were to defeat Indianapolis or the winner of Baltimore-L.A. should Indianapolis upset Houston.

The Patriots opened the regular season by beating Houston 27-20 at home. 

NFC

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The New Orleans Saints hold the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the NFC, while the Los Angeles Rams are firm at No. 2. New Orleans will host the lowest remaining seed. Should the Eagles upset the Bears, Philadelphia will travel to the dome in New Orleans. 

The last time the Eagles visited the Saints in Week 11, they were demolished to the tune of 48-7. That, of course, was before Foles stepped into the fold. Regardless, the Saints are a different and much scarier team at home. Should the Bears beat the Eagles, New Orleans will host either Dallas or Seattle. 

New Orleans has not faced Seattle this season but lost in Week 13 at Dallas. 

The Rams will under no circumstance play Philadelphia in the divisional round. Should the Bears win, we'll get a rematch of Week 14 when Chicago beat the Rams in Chicago, 15-6. If Philly wins, L.A. will host either Dallas or Seattle. 

L.A. has not played the Cowboys this season but faced Seattle twice, beating them both times—though both contests were one-score games.