NFL Playoff Bracket 2020: Dates, Matchups, Updated Schedule for Divisional Round

The Wild Card Weekend had pretty much everything a football fan could ask for, unless your favorite team was on the losing end of it.

Two games went into overtime, and the other two had one-score margins of victory. The sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans knocked off the New England Patriots, potentially ending one of sports' greatest dynasties. The New Orleans Saints lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the No. 6 Minnesota Vikings, continuing a string of close (and controversial) playoff losses.

The Seattle Seahawks got a boost from rookie wideout D.K. Metcalf to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, while Deshaun Watson made a play for the ages to lead the sixth-seeded Houston Texans to an upset win over the Buffalo Bills. 

That's a small sampling of what happened in the first weekend in the NFL playoffs. Now comes the second week, where four well-rested teams will try to stave off challenges from the wild-card winners. Here's a look at the matchups and how to watch them.

NFL Divisional Round Schedule

Saturday, January 11

No. 6 Minnesota Vikings at No. 1 San Francisco 49ers (4:35 p.m. ET, NBC) 

No. 6 Tennessee Titans at No. 1 Baltimore Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET, CBS) 

Sunday, January 12

No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs (3:05 p.m. ET, CBS) 

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 2 Green Bay Packers (6:40 p.m. ET, Fox)

Saturday introduces the two No. 1 seeds in the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens. Both of them will be looking to avoid major upsets against the Vikings and Titans, respectively. 

Titans running back Derrick Henry carved up the Patriots on Saturday, with 182 rushing yards and one touchdown. He's been on a tear in the latter half of the season, perhaps taking advantage of weary tacklers who would rather not try to bring down a 6'3", 247-pound running back at full steam. The Ravens have one of the league's best run defenses and are on a week of rest. If they are up to the challenge of stopping Henry, it's hard to see how the Titans can keep up with the Ravens offense, led by MVP-candidate Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens lost to the Los Angeles Chargers in last year's Wild Card Round, but Jackson, then a rookie, had not yet come close to harnessing his talents as a runner and a passer. It's hard to imagine the Titans concocting a scheme to slow him down like the Bolts did last year. If Jackson gets going early, this could turn into a rout.

The Vikings will be looking to knock off yet another 13-win team on the road when they take on the 49ers. The defense put together a fine effort, limiting Drew Brees to 208 passing yards and Alvin Kamara to 21 rushing yards. If it weren't for the running, passing, and catching ability of quarterback/all-purpose footballer Taysom Hill, the Vikings might not have needed overtime to beat the Saints.

The 49ers will hope that Jimmy Garoppolo and his squad of playmakers can have more success on Saturday. Tight end George Kittle can be counted on to give the defense fits as both a receiver and run-blocker. Emergent weapons like rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Raheem Mostert will need to step up and help out. If they can put it all together, a ferocious defense led by Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman should be able to limit the production from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and his star wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.

On Sunday, two of the league's best young quarterbacks will square off when the Texans play the Chiefs. After a dismal first half, Watson dragged the Texans to an overtime victory over the Bills, making plays with both through the air and on the ground. His intelligence and dual-threat ability shined back in October when the Texans beat the Chiefs 31-24 thanks to his three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing).

Watson's opposite is Patrick Mahomes, who has struggled with injuries this year but still managed to follow up his 2018 MVP campaign with 26 touchdowns against just five interceptions. The Chiefs reached the AFC conference championship last year, only to lose to the Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl. Considering the talent this team has on the field and in the coaching staff, a loss to the underdog Texans would be a major letdown. If Mahomes plays at his best, Watson and company will be hard-pressed to keep up. 

In the other Sunday matchup, its two veteran quarterbacks who are both looking for a second Super Bowl ring to keep an eye on. Russell Wilson has been brilliant all season long for the Seahawks, perhaps the only player who can challenge Jackson for the MVP trophy. He hasn't thrown a pick in his last four games, and will likely need to keep up the magic to keep his team in the playoffs.

The Seahawks backfield was decimated by injuries late in the season and is now relying on Marshawn Lynch a twice-retired mercenary called back for one last job, sixth-round rookie Travis Homer and Wilson himself to move the ball on the ground. Lynch and Homer combined for 19 rushing yards against the Eagles on Sunday, though the former did power his way to a touchdown. 

The Packers, meanwhile, can likely count on a balanced attack Sunday. Aaron Rodgers put together another fantastic season, throwing for 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. Running back Aaron Jones emerged as one of the league's top playmakers, rushing for 1,084 and 16 touchdowns. If Seattle can't get it done on the ground, they will need a strong defensive performance and more heroics from Wilson to pull off the upset.