Updated NFL Playoff bracket after Saturday games
By Josh Hill
The first two Wild Card games of the weekend are in the books, and the playoff picture for next weekend is starting to take shape.
Two teams are into the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs and two teams have already been sent home, with a pair of losers set to join them within the next 24 hours.
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The Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers both advanced this weekend to the Divisional Playoffs, and kept hope for a Steve Smith Super Bowl alive. That’s still a long shot at happening, but the Panthers and Ravens are the first two teams out of Wild Card weekend to join the four teams in the NFL’s Elite Eight.
Arizona and Pittsburgh — who played against each other in Super Bowl XLIII — were bounced from the postseason on Saturday and saw their seasons end. That’s a fate that the Cowboys, Lions, Colts and Bengals are hoping to avoid this weekend as the Wild Card round wraps up on Sunday.
Here’s a look at the updated NFL Playoff bracket now that two teams have advanced to the Divisional round of the postseason.
Baltimore is the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs, which means by default they’re going to play the New England Patriots next Saturday. It’s a dangerous matchup for the Patriots and one that the Ravens are hungry to get after their upset win over the Steelers this weekend.
Over in the NFC, things are a little less clear, as the Carolina Panthers could either go to Seattle or Green Bay based on who wins between the Cowboys and Lions. A Dallas win means that the Panthers would head to Seattle and the Cowboys would head to Green Bay. Detroit winning sends Carolina to the frozen tundra to play the Packers while the Lions would get the task of playing the Seahawks.
Regardless of their outcome on Sunday, the Colts or the Bengals will be heading to Denver next Sunday. Indianapolis lost in Denver at the beginning of the season whereas the Bengals just recently beat the Broncos in Week 16 — albeit in Cincinnati.
TheNFL playoff picture is starting to take shape and it’s looking like next weekend will have a logjam of amazing games every football fan will be glued to.
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