I love the NFL playoffs. Obviously it's terrible that the Kansas City Chiefs aren't involved but to know that I have my next two weekends planned out on both Saturday and Sunday is, as Andy Reid might say, "a beautiful thing".
There will be two games this Saturday and two more games on Sunday for Wild Card weekend. Everyone will get a shot at televising these games with ESPN, NBC, CBS and FOX. There will be a night game on Saturday and then the usual early and late game times on Sunday.
You can expect to hear plenty of complaining about NFL playoff seeding in the very first game as the 11-win Arizona Cardinals will go on the road to visit the 7-win Carolina Panthers. Carolina is a four-point favorite in that game. The Dallas Cowboys are a touchdown favorite over the visiting Detroit Lions in Sunday's NFC game. Dallas has the best offensive line in the game while the Lions have nice players on the defensive line so that should be a good matchup. Assuming Ndamukong Suh plays after his intentional / unintentional stomp on Aaron Rodgers.
Meanwhile, the AFC games include three AFC North teams. On Saturday the Baltimore Ravens will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won late last night to clinch a home playoff game. The Indianapolis Colts, who Chiefs fans don't want to talk about in the same breath as the playoffs, will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Find more odds on the games here.
The first and second seeds in each conference have a bye on Wild Card weekend. The lowest seeded winners from Wild Card weekend will play the No. 1 seed while the No. 2 seed will play whoever else is left. Both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have home games in the Divisional round.
Via NFL.com, here is the 2015 NFL playoff schedule. All times are Arrowhead Time (Central, for the rest of you).
Wild Card weekend
Saturday, January 3
NFC: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (ESPN, 3:35 p.m.)
AFC: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (NBC, 7:15 p.m.)
Sunday, January 4
AFC: Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts (CBS, 12:05 p.m.)
NFC: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (FOX, 3:40 p.m.)
NFL Divisional round
Saturday, January 10
AFC: Baltimore/Cincinnati/Pittsburgh/Indianapolis at New England Patriots (NBC, 3:35 p.m.)
NFC: Detroit/Arizona/Carolina at Seattle Seahawks (FOX, 7:15 p.m.)
Sunday, January 11
NFC: Dallas/Carolina/Arizona at Green Bay Packers (FOX, 12:05 p.m.)
AFC: Cincinnati/Pittsburgh/Indianapolis at Denver Broncos (CBS, 3:40 p.m.)
Championship round
Sunday, January 18
NFC: FOX, 2:05 p.m.
AFC: CBS, 5:40 p.m.
Here's a graphic that includes the seeds for ease of sharing.
AFC playoff schedule pic.twitter.com/fDaevqfmHd
— Dan Hellie (@DanHellie) December 29, 2014
NFC playoff schedule pic.twitter.com/8ITD329mue
— Dan Hellie (@DanHellie) December 29, 2014