NFL Playoff Bracket: Ravens-Steelers, Jets-Patriots Highlight Divisional Round

The 2011 NFL playoff schedule for the divisional round is set after the Green Bay Packers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-7, earlier on Sunday. With those two games complete, next week's schedule looks like this:

Saturday, Jan. 15

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) - 4:30 p.m. ET - CBS

This will be the third game between the Ravens and Steelers this season, the two splitting the season series. The Steelers won the most recent contest (Dec.5 ), 13-10.

Green Bay Packers (10-6) vs. Atlanta Falcons (13-3) - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX

Atlanta defeated the Packers on Nov. 28, 20-17, when kicker Matt Bryant nailed a 47-yard field goal with only seconds left in the game.

Sunday, Jan. 16

Seattle Seahawks (7-9) vs. Chicago Bears (11-5) - 1:00 p.m. ET - FOX

Seattle defeated the Bears, 23-20, back on Oct. 17. Can they pull off another upset and advance to the NFC championship game?

New York Jets (11-5) vs. New England Patriots (14-2) - 4:30 p.m. ET - CBS

The Jets had defeated the Patriots, 28-14, in Week 2 of the regular season, but then were humiliated by the Patriots on Monday Night Football in December, 45-3. Rex Ryan is gunning for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

NFL Playoff Scores: Packers Defeat Eagles, Seal Victory With Interception

The Green Bay Packers held off a last-minute drive by the Philadelphia Eagles to win, 21-16. With a 1st-and-10 on the Green Bay 27-yard line, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick threw a ball intended for Riley Cooper, but it ended up in the hands of the Packers' Tramon Williams. The turnover secured the Packers' victory and advancement to the next round of the playoffs.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went 18-of-27 for 180 yards three touchdowns, though Vick outdid him in yards (292) and passing (20-of-26). Packers rookie running back James Starks controlled the ground, gaining 123 yards. Rodgers spread the ball to nine different receivers, and none of the receivers had more yards than Donald Driver's 56. For the Eagles, Jason Avant (93 yards, 1 TD) and Jeremy Maclin (73 yards) led the receiving corps. DeSean Jackson had suffered a knee injury early in the game, but finished it with two receptions for 47 yards.

The Packers visit the Atlanta Falcons next Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The Falcons (13-3) are the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

NFL Playoff Scores: Packers Vs. Eagles - Philadelphia Strikes Back, But Still Losing, 21-10

The Philadelphia Eagles took advantage of a Green Bay Packers mistake early in the third quarter, but they are still losing, 21-10, at the end of three periods. The Eagles kicked off to start the second half, giving the Packers the ball. On 3rd-and-2, Aaron Rodgers was sacked and stripped of the ball by Daryl Tapp. The Eagles recovered the ball on Green Bay's 24-yard line.

After an incomplete pass to start the new drive, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick threw a 24-yard dart to receiver Jason Avant for a touchdown. After the extra point, the Packers still held the lead, 14-10.

All this happened in the first 1:55 of the quarter. However, Aaron Rodgers took care of things several minutes later when he completed an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 16-yard pass to Brandon Jackson. The Packers took a 21-10 lead. Rodgers now had three passing touchdowns today, while Michael Vick is 11-of-20 for a 157 yards and one touchdown.

NFL Playoff Scores: Packers Vs. Eagles - Green Bay Leads Philly, 14-3, On Arm Of Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers enter halftime with a 14-3 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles. This wild card weekend game has not been match-up of might offenses so far, but Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has used his arm to accomplish all of the scoring. He threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Tom Crabtree with seconds left in the first quarter and then he added a second touchdown pass with less than six minutes left in the second quarter. On that scoring drive, Rodgers and the Packers went 12 plays for 57 yards. James Jones had the nine-yard touchdown reception.

The Eagles have done little on offense, though Michael Vick did have a nice pass to Jeremy Maclin for 44 yards toward the end of the half. However, the Eagles wound up with only three points on the drive after a David Akers 29-yard field goal.

Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson left the game following a knee injury and missed an extended period of time. However, he returned around the 4:00 mark in the second quarter, ready to go.

If the Packers win, they will face the Atlanta Falcons next Saturday; an Eagles victory means they would face the Bears, and the Falcons would host the Seattle Seahawks.

NFL Playoff Scores: Packers Vs. Eagles - Aaron Rodgers Touchdown Gives Packers 7-0 Lead

The Green Bay Packers lead the Philadelphia Eagles, 7-0, at halftime in this NFC Wild Card game. Both offenses have started out slowly; however, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led a touchdown drive at the end of the first quarter when he connected with receiver Tom Crabtree for a seven-yard touchdown pass. That play capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive.

Rodgers is 6-of-9 for 52 yards and has completed a pass to five different wide receivers. Running back James Starks leads the team with 36 rushing yards.

Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson left the game after what appeared to be a knee injury. He limped off the field and went to the trainer's room to be examined. Eagles quarterback Mike Vick is 4-of-6 for 42 yards and has 11 rushing yards. LeSean McCoy leads the team with three rushes for 14 yards.

2011 NFL Playoff Picture: Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets Advance To Divisional Round

The 2011 NFL playoff picture sharpened on Saturday evening when the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets advanced to the divisional round of the postseason. The Seahawks upset the New Orleans Saints, 41-36, and the Jets won a nail-biter over the Indianapolis Colts, 17-16. However, the Jets are the only team to know their opponent at the moment.

On Sunday, Jan. 16, the Jets will face the New England Patriots for a third time this season. Though they split the season series with the Patriots, the Jets dropped their most recent contest (Dec. 6) to them on Monday Night Football, 45-3.

The Seahawks will face either Atlanta Falcons or the Chicago Bears next week, depending on the outcome of Sunday's Green Bay Packers-Philadelphia Eagles contest. In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens-Kansas City Chiefs winner will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Jan. 15.

Here is the schedule remaining for this week and for the divisional round next week:

Sunday, Jan. 9
1:00 pm ET - Baltimore at Kansas City (CBS)
4:30 pm ET - Green Bay at Philadelphia (FOX)

Divisional Playoffs

Saturday, Jan. 15
4:30 pm ET - Kansas City or Baltimore at Pittsburgh (CBS)
8:00 pm ET - Seattle or Green Bay at Atlanta (FOX)

Sunday, Jan. 16
1:00 pm ET - Philadelphia or Seattle at Chicago (FOX)
4:30 pm ET - New York Jets at New England (CBS)

NFL Playoff Scores: Jets Vs. Colts - Nick Folk Field Goal Gives New York 17-16 Victory Over Indy

The New York Jets pulled off a last-second victory over the Indianapolis Colts, 17-16, on a 32-yard Nick Folk field goal with three second left on the clock. The Colts had taken a 16-14 lead on a 50-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal less than a minute earlier, but on the ensuing kickoff the Jets' Antonio Cromartie took the ball 47 yards to his team's 46-yard line. After a booth challenge on a Braylon Edwards catch, Mark Sanchez eventually got the Jets to the Colts' to the Indy 14-yard line on an Edwards 18-yard catch. Running the clock down to three seconds and calling a timeout, the Jets set up Folk for the game-winning field goal.

The second half saw a bit more offense as we saw the Jets' LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene rush for 82 yards and 70 yards, respectively, at game's end. Tomlinson scored both on the Jet's touchdowns on the night. Sanchez finished 18-of-31.

For the Colts, Adam Vinatieri scored all nine of the team's points in the second half. Peyton Manning finished 18-of-26 for 225 yards and no touchdowns. Pierre Garcon finished with five receptions for 112 yards.

Sanchez is now 3-1 in playoff games and Manning is 9-10.

While the Colts go home, the Jets will face the New England Patriots next weekend.

NFL Playoff Scores: Jets Vs. Colts - Peyton Manning Touchdown Gives Indy 7-0 Lead Over New York

Peyton Manning's touchdown pass in the second quarter leaves the Indianapolis Colts with a 7-0 lead over the New York Jets at halftime. Manning connected with receiver Pierre Garcon on a 57-yard pass to complete a five-play, 80-yard drive.

Outside of the touchdown pass, the Colts offense has failed to gain much traction. Manning has been accurate (10-of-13) but has only 122 yards. Dominic Rhodes is the leading rusher with 19 yards on nine rushes. Garcon leads the receiving corps with 77 yards.

The Jets offense has been as bad, if not worse, than the Colts'. Quarterback Mark Sanchez is 9-of-19 for 84 yards and one interception. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson has looked good on the ground, gaining 49 yards on seven carries.

If the Jets want to have any chance of winning this game, Mark Sanchez needs to come out and perform at a high level. With the way the Jets defense is playing (147 total yards allowed), Sanchez needs to drum up some offense. Otherwise, it's going to be a similar fate as last year: failing to beat the Colts in the playoffs.

NFL Playoff Schedule: Seahawks Upset Saints In 41-36 Victory; Marshawn Lynch Has Amazing Run

The Seattle Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game with a losing record. They defeated the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, 41-36. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch had what will undoubtedly become one of the greatest playoff rushes in history when he went 67 yards for a touchdown, putting the Seahawks up, 41-30, at the time. Here is video of that run:

h/t to SB Nation

Those defenders are just bouncing off of Lynch while he plows his way toward the end zone. Had the Saints somehow made a comeback, the play would be remembered as being very good. However, since the Seahawks pulled off a huge upset, Lynch's run will enter the pantheon of moments current NFL fans will be telling their kids about years from now.

It will be hard for an play over the rest of the playoffs to top that one.

The Saints attempted a decent comeback in the fourth quarter, tallying 16 points, but Seattle's offense proved too much. Lynch had 131 rushing yards and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw four touchdown passes.

The Seahawks will play either the Bears or the Falcons next week.

2011 NFL Playoff Scores: Seahawks Lead Saints At Halftime, 24-20

The Seattle Seahawks, much laughed at for winning the NFC West with a 7-9 record, have more than held their own against the New Orleans Saints in Saturday's NFL Wildcard match-up. In fact, the Seahawks lead the Saints, 24-20, at halftime. Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck connected with former Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley for a 45-yard touchdown with under 1:30 left on the clock in the second quarter.

The Saints had jumped out to an early 10-point lead in the first quarter on a Garrett Hartley 26-yard field goal and a one-yard touchdown pass by Drew Brees. However, the Seahawks responded with a Hasselbeck touchdown pass to tight end John Carlson with less than four minutes to play in the first quarter.

Julius Jones, who had been with the Seahawks for the first couple of weeks in the season, rushed five yards to give the Saints a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter. However, the Seahawks then scored 17 unanswered points, which was capped by the 45-yard touchdown pass by Hasselbeck.

The Saints added a field goal before the end of the half, but the Seahawks appear to have momentum on their side.

2011 NFL Playoff Predictions: Saints Vs. Seahawks, Jets Vs. Colts

The 2011 NFL Playoffs kick off Saturday afternoon with a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. As we all know by now, the Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record and have home field advantage over the New Orleans Saints, who won the first wild card spot with an 11-5 record. This is why there is talk of re-seeding the teams in the playoffs.

This Saints have already defeated the Seahawks once this season, 34-19. Maybe it will be a little closer this time.

Prediction: Saints 30, Seahawks 20

Drew Brees is going to be too much for the Seahawks to stop. Yeah, it's the playoffs and teams start to play differently, but that won't help the Seahawks much,

The night game is a rematch of last season's AFC championship game between the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts won that contest, 30-17, to advance and ultimately lose in the Super Bowl to the Saints. Most ESPN prognosticators have the Colts winning this one, but the Jets want to make up for last season's loss.

Prediction: Jets 24, Colts 23

NFL Playoff Schedule: Seahawks Win NFC West With Sub-.500 Record, Face Saints On Wild Card Weekend

The Seattle Seahawks became the first team to win a division with a losing record (7-9) after defeating the St. Louis Rams, 16-6, on Sunday night. They will host the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (11-5) on Saturday, Jan. 8. Here is the complete NFL playoff schedule straight from the NFL:

Wild Card Weekend

Divisional Playoffs

Championship Weekend

NFL Playoff Picture: Brackets Set Except For NFC West Participant

The 2011 NFL Playoff Bracket is all set except for the NFC West winner. The Indianapolis Colts (10-6) defeated the Tennessee Titans on Sunday to win the AFC South, and the Green Bay Packers (10-6) won, 10-3, over the Chicago Bears. The only spot left open is for the NFC West winner, which comes down to the winner of Sunday night's Rams-Seahawks game. It's a winner-takes-all contest.

While the NFL will release the official schedule later on, here is what the games will be based on the standings:

AFC Playoff Bracket

No. 1 New England Patriots (AFC East winner) - First-round bye

No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North winner) - First-round bye

No. 6 New York Jets (WC) Vs. No. 3 Indianapolis Colts (AFC South winner)

No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (WC) Vs. No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West winner)

NFC Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Atlanta Falcons (NFC South winner) - First-round bye

No. 2 Chicago Bears (NFC North winner) - First-round bye

No. 6 Green Bay Packers (WC) Vs. No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (NFC  East winner)

No. 5 New Orleans Saints Vs. No. 4 Rams or Seahawks (NFC West winner)

NFL Playoff Picture Week 17: Steelers Clinch AFC North Title; Rams, Seahawks To Settle NFC West Sunday Night

The NFL Playoff Picture continues to sharpen on Sunday afternoon as the AFC North was decided during the early games. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns, 41-9, to improve to 12-4 on the regular season, while the Baltimore Ravens also improved to 12-4 following their 13-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. They split their season series, so the tiebreaker went to record in the division. The Steelers went 5-1, giving them the AFC North title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff bracket. The Ravens took the first wild card spot.

The New York Jets (11-5) are the second wild card team after defeating the Buffalo Bills, 38-7. The AFC South is the only division in the AFC left to be decided. If the Indianapolis Colts defeat the Tennessee Titans, they will take the title. However, should they lose and the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Houston Texans, the Jaguars will win the AFC South.

In the NFC, the South division will be settled in prime time between the Sam Bradford-led St. Louis Rams (7-8) and the Seattle Seahawks (6-9). A .500 team or a below-.500 team will host a playoff game against a team with at least 10 wins. One wild card spot is still open, which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently hold.