It was supposed to be an epic clash of great offense vs. great defense, but the Seattle Seahawks turned Super Bowl XLVIII into an ’80s-style 43-8 beatdown of the Denver Broncos. Which elite team’s going down in flames will keep us warm this winter? As the playoffs begin, here’s our roundup of the best and worst from the weird NFL season that was, followed by the complete NFL playoffs 2015 TV schedule:
BOOM
Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots overcame early struggles to become the class of the AFC. The Pats’ Jonas Gray ran for 201 yards and scored the first four TDs of his career in Week 11. Aaron Rodgers helped the Packers become only the fifth team in NFL history to score 50-plus points in consecutive games. The Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger threw for an NFL-record 12 touchdowns over two games. No one expected the Cardinals to give the Seahawks a run in the NFC West. Already a stud on defense, the Texans’ J.J. Watt emerged into a short-yardage receiving threat. They still might not make the playoffs, but the Browns started 6-3 for the first time in 20 years and gave Cleveland reason to believe. The wacky Week 8 Lions-Falcons game in London ended with the Lions getting a second shot at a last-second, game-winning field goal after a delay of game penalty.
BUST
The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell’s handling of the Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice domestic violence incidents put a cloud over the season. Bad luck and big blowouts made unwatchable laughers of many NFL primetime games. The 49ers flopped hard in coach Jim Harbaugh’s final season. The NFC South “champion” Panthers had a losing record. Much was expected of the Bears, but it wasn’t dysfunction and ineptitude. Opponents plundered the Raiders at will. Dismal seasons for the Jets and Giants meant fans had little to enjoy at MetLife Stadium. With its nickname, its owner, and its quarterbacks, the Redskins looked organizationally lost. The Lions’ Stephen Tulloch and the Bears’ Lamarr Houston suffered season-ending knee injuries from sack celebrations. Dear Lord, please keep Justin Bieber away from the Steelers’ Saturday bible study. Amen.
NFL Playoffs Schedule at a Glance
Jan. 3-4
AFC and NFC Wild Card Playoffs (ESPN, NBC, CBS & FOX)
Jan. 10-11 AFC and NFC Divisional Playoffs (CBS, FOX & NBC)
Jan. 18
AFC and NFC Championship Games (CBS & FOX)
Jan. 25
Pro Bowl in Arizona (ESPN)
Feb. 1
Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona (NBC)
NFL playoffs 2015 TV schedule from the NFL:
NFL WILD CARD & DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced today the schedule of sites, dates and times for the National Football League Wild Card Playoffs on January 3-4 and Divisional Playoffs on January 10-11 (all times Eastern). Having Cincinnati play Sunday of Wild Card Weekend avoids the Bengals playing two consecutive short weeks.
NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND
Saturday, January 3
Carolina 27, Arizona 16
Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 17
Sunday, January 4
Indianapolis 26, Cincinnati 10
Dallas 24, Detroit 20
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Saturday, January 10
New England 35, Baltimore 31
Seattle 31, Carolina 17
Sunday, January 11
Green Bay 26, Dallas 21
Indianapolis 24, Denver 13
AFC & NFC Championship Games
Sunday, January 18
NFC: 3:05pm ET (FOX) Green Bay at Seattle
AFC: 6:40pm ET (CBS) Indianapolis at New England
In the Divisional Playoffs, the division champion with the best record in each conference will host the lowest seeded Wild Card survivor. Once teams are seeded for the playoffs, positions do not change:
|
American Football Conference |
National Football Conference |
|
1. New England (12-4, AFC East champion) |
1. Seattle (12-4, NFC West champion) |
|
2. Denver (12-4, AFC West champion) |
2. Green Bay (12-4, NFC North champion) |
|
3. Pittsburgh (11-5) (AFC North champion) |
3. Dallas (12-4, NFC East champion) |
|
4. Indianapolis (11-5, AFC South champion) |
4. Carolina (7-8-1, NFC South champion) |
|
5. Cincinnati (10-5-1) |
5. Arizona (11-5) |
|
6. Baltimore (10-6) |
6. Detroit (11-5) |
The NFC (FOX, 3:05 PM ET) and AFC (CBS, 6:40 PM ET) Championship Games will be played on Sunday, January 18.
The 2015 Pro Bowl (ESPN, 8:00 PM ET) will be played on Sunday, January 25 and Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1 (NBC, 6:30 PM ET), both at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
