NFL Wild Card and Divisional Playoff schedule announced: Teams, dates, times, locations

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has announced the schedule of sites, dates and times for the National Football League Wild Card Playoffs on January 5-6 and the Divisional Playoffs on January 12-13.

Seven of the 12 playoff teams are new to the postseason in 2018: Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle.

 Since 1990 – a streak of 29 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.

NFL Wild Card Playoffs

Saturday, January 5

AFC:       4:35 PM (ET)      Indianapolis at Houston (ESPN, with simulcast on ABC)

NFC:      8:15 PM (ET)      Seattle at Dallas (FOX)

Sunday, January 6

AFC:       1:05 PM (ET)      Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore (CBS)

NFC:      4:40 PM (ET)      Philadelphia at Chicago (NBC)

NFL Divisional Playoffs

Saturday, January 12

AFC:       4:35 PM (ET)      Baltimore/Los Angeles Chargers/Indianapolis at Kansas City (NBC)

NFC:      8:15 PM (ET)      Chicago/Dallas/Seattle at Los Angeles Rams (FOX)

Sunday, January 13

AFC:       1:05 PM (ET)      Houston/Baltimore/Los Angeles Chargers at New England (CBS)

NFC:      4:40 PM (ET)      Dallas/Seattle/Philadelphia at New Orleans (FOX)

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

1.            Kansas City (12-4), AFC West champion

2.            New England (11-5), AFC East champion

3.            Houston (11-5), AFC South champion

4.            Baltimore (10-6), AFC North champion

5.            Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) 

6.            Indianapolis (10-6)

National Football Conference

1.            New Orleans (13-3), NFC South champion

2.            Los Angeles Rams (13-3), NFC West champion

3.            Chicago (12-4), NFC North champion

4.            Dallas (10-6), NFC East champion

5.            Seattle (10-6)

6.            Philadelphia (9-7)

The NFC (FOX, 3:05 PM ET) and AFC (CBS, 6:40 PM ET) Championship Games will be played on Sunday, January 20.

The 2019 Pro Bowl (ESPN, with simulcast on ABC, 3:00 PM ET) will be played on Sunday, January 27 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida and Super Bowl LIII will take place on Sunday, February 3 (CBS, 6:30 PM ET), at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

(Source: NFL)

~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter