It took until the final seconds of the 256th and final NFL game of the season, but the first weekend of the NFL playoffs is finally set. Here are the games, times, television networks and opening point spreads for the four wild-card games on the weekend of Jan. 9-10. Buckle up: After four months, it’s time for the postseason.
Wild Card games, Saturday, January 9, 2016
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) at Houston Texans (9-7), 4:35 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN, (Texans +4)
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (12-4), 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS, (Pick’em)
(AP)
Wild Card games, Sunday, January 10, 2016
NFC: Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at Minnesota Vikings (11-5), 1:05 p.m. ET, NBC, (Vikings +7)
NFC: Green Bay Packers (10-6) at Washington Redskins (9-7), 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox, (Redskins -2)
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(Cary Edmondson / USA TODAY Sports)
Some interesting things about the four games? 1) The Redskins are the only home team to open as favorites. 2) The Packers and Redskins will face off in the playoffs for the first time since 1972. 3) This will be the first outdoor playoff game in Minnesota since the year of the bicentennial — 1976. 4) The Cardinals can’t play the Seahawks in the divisional playoffs, but the Panthers can. 5) The Patriots can’t play the Steelers in the divisional playoffs, but the Broncos can. 6) Evidently the NFL no longer considers the Saturday night game the showcase wild-card game, as Steelers at Bengals is the third best game, tops. 7) Some of those spreads have already changed — the Redskins/Packers was quickly bet to a pick’em while the Steelers quickly became favorites and the Seahawks’ touchdown spreads was brought down to 5.5. (All info via @RJinVegas.)
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NFC seeds
1. Carolina Panthers (15-1)
2. Arizona Cardinals (13-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
4. Washington Redskins (9-7)
5. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
6. Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
(AP)
AFC seeds
1. Denver Broncos (12-4)
2. New England Patriots (12-4)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)
4. Houston Texans (9-7)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
(USA TODAY Sports Images)
Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 16, 2016
AFC: Highest seed at New England, 4:35 p.m. ET, CBS
NFC: Highest seed at Arizona, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC
Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 17, 2016
NFC: Lowest seed at Carolina, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
AFC: Lowest seed at Denver, 4:40 p.m ET. CBS
(Getty Images)
Championship games, Sunday, January 24, 2016
AFC championship, 3:05 p.m. ET, CBS
NFC championship, 6:40 p.m. ET, Fox
Super Bowl 50, Sunday, February 7, 2016
AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS
(AP)
