NFL Playoffs 2020: AFC, NFC Schedule, Bracket Predictions for Divisional Round

And then there were eight.

With an appropriately named Wild Card Weekend completed—delivering, among other things, an early exit for both Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints and Tom Brady's New England Patriots—the NFL's upcoming divisional round will further whittle down the field of Super Bowl LIV dreamers.

The four victors from the previous round will head out to face the four fortunate enough to secure a first-round bye. The eight-team field has a little of everything, including juggernauts like the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers and the still-alive sixth seeds set to face them in the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.

Will chalk rule the weekend, or might we be looking at another batch of shocking upsets? We'll break down all of that below, after laying out the upcoming AFC and NFC schedules.

Divisional Round Schedule

Saturday, Jan. 11

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

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

Sunday, Jan. 12

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

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 2 Green Bay Packers, 6:40 p.m. ET on FOX

Bracket Predictions for Divisional Round

Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers

With an overtime touchdown toss to tight end Kyle Rudolph, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins debunked the narrative that he underwhelms in big games and delivered his team their first playoff road win in 15 years.

"It's fun to be able to win, and to feel like you're moving forward," Cousins told reporters. "But my journey has always been one of—like the book 'The Dreamgiver,' when you climb the mountain, you sit there at the top and you look around, you realize you only have more mountains to climb."

The next mountain is Minnesota's steepest yet: a trip to San Francisco to battle the top-seeded Niners, who compiled a conference-best plus-169 scoring differential en route to their 13-3 finish.

Both teams boast ferocious defenses and electric ground games, which could have this contest hinging on quarterback play. And despite Cousins' first career postseason win, it's hard to go against San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo, who had more passing yards, more passing touchdowns and a higher QBR, especially with the Niners getting reinforcements on the defensive side.

Prediction: 49ers 23, Vikings 16

Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens

Titans running back Derrick Henry has gone video-game mode over the past two months. Over his last seven games, this season's rushing champ has turned 173 carries into 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns.

To put those numbers into context, only 12 players tallied more rushing yards all season. Even wilder, Henry's touchdown tally bested the total output of nine different teams this year.

And yet, if you want to talk video-game numbers, that discussion starts and stops with Ravens quarterback—and MVP favorite—Lamar Jackson. The dual-threat standout amassed 3,127 passing yards and another 1,206 yards on the ground. All told, he supplied this offense with 43 scores, all while throwing a minuscule six interceptions.

Tennessee, which has reeled off six wins in its last eight contests, will again go with a Henry-focused attack that not only emphasizes the team's greatest strength but also keeps Jackson and Co. on the sideline. But when the Ravens have the ball, they'll pile up numbers that Ryan Tannehill—who had just eight completions for 72 yards Saturday—can't match.

Prediction: Ravens 28, Titans 17

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

The Texans wiggled out of a 16-point, second-half hole on Saturday to rally just in time to secure a 22-19 overtime win over the feisty Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Deshaun Watson did everything he could to will his team to victory, completing 20 of his 25 passes for 247 yards and a score, while also rushing for 55 yards and the team's other touchdown.

"He's got a huge heart," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's been winning his whole life, and he knows how to win."

In college, Watson stared down the game's biggest beast in Alabama and delivered the school its first loss in a national title game. The 35-31 victory in the 2017 championship was fittingly decided by a Watson touchdown pass with one second remaining.

Like O'Brien said, the guy is a winner. But dealing with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium is a different kind of monster. Kansas City caught fire down the stretch and hasn't lost a game since mid-November, closing the campaign on a six-game winning streak. Look for that momentum, coupled with some of Mahomes magic, to be the difference in this nail-biter.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Texans 28

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers

As daunting as Lambeau Field can be this time of year, we have a sneaky suspicion the Seahawks aren't the least bit bothered by the challenge ahead. After all, Seattle reached this round by recording its NFL-best eighth road victory, a 17-9 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.

"We've been road warriors all year," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "Our guys have handled it well. Why? I know why we've done well on the road. Why we didn't win more at home, we'll talk about that in the offseason. But we're not worried about going on the road, that's for sure."

The lack of worry makes sense for a few reasons, not the least of which is the track record. But there's also the fact the Seahawks have bigger worries ahead: like how a banged-up offensive line handles a fiery Packers pass rush, whether an injury-riddled running back group can keep this offense from being one-dimensional and whether Aaron Rodgers does...well, Aaron Rodgers things.

The Packers have the pieces to make a Super Bowl run. Rodgers is a wizard with the football; he threw four interceptions all season. Davante Adams is an electric receiver. Aaron Jones forced his way into the group of elite running backs with a slew of career highs, including 1,558 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns. The defense allowed the ninth-fewest points per game and got 25.5 sacks out of Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith.

But Wilson finds a way to shine when the lights are brightest. His ability to extend plays negates the impact of opposing pass-rushers, and it allows playmaking pass-catchers like Tyler Lockett and rookie DK Metcalf to break free. This could be a quarterback duel for the ages, but our crystal ball sees Wilson making one more play than his counterpart.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Packers 21