NFL Playoffs schedule 2016 Conference Championship teams, game time

A tie game at the end of regulation forced Arizona to go to overtime against the Green Bay Packers, an opponent that it had dominated by 30 points just three weeks earlier. But let’s look at his body of work since then – I’ll give you time to be wholly unimpressed enough to believe that a senior citizen is a better option at quarterback.

The first NFC divisional match will be a showdown of heavyweights: The 15-1 Carolina Panthers and the 2015 Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks face off. Although superstar signal callers Russell Wilson and Cam Newton are sure to provide entertainment, the key matchup will be between Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman.

It was in last year’s conference final that controversy erupted over the Patriots using under-inflated footballs, one that led the NFL to issue Brady a four-game suspension only to have the superstar quarterback take the issue to federal court. Arizona moves on to the NFC Championship with a 26-20 win. Peyton Manning attempting to ride off into the sunset, meanwhile Brady is striving for his seventh Super-Bowl appearance. After taking a 31-0 lead at the half, the Panthers surrendered 24 points to Seattle, bringing the game down to the final minutes. The Panthers and Cardinals will follow at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Yes, as some have pointed out since I first Tweeted the updated stat last night, the Patriots do seem to get a lot of these divisional/AFC title game schedule nods. The Panthers have a turnover differential of 20 on the season.

The defending Super Bowl champions now await the outcome of the Sunday game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos. For that reason, the AFC championship will take place in Denver, as opposed to New England.

The Patriots’ only AFC Championship Game loss in such a Saturday/Sunday scenario came after the 2013 season when they lost to Denver in the AFC title game. While the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 23-16, it was not an overly impressive win.

Peyton Manning is back in time for the playoffs for what should be his final chance to get another championship to add to his already stellar career. They did lose Antonio Brown, DeAngelo Williams, and Ben Roethlisberger to injuries, though Ben is the only one likely to play is Ben.

With Edelman back for the Patriots and Rob Gronkowski looking dominate again, the Patriots are going to win this game.

The first day of the divisional round of the 2016 National Football League playoffs is a wrap.