At the risk of jinxing it, let's look ahead to the NFL Playoff schedule for 2010. Given how maddening the 2010 season has been for the Seattle Seahawks, we might as well look at the playoffs and dream of what may happen should Seattle beat the St. Louis Rams next Sunday at Qwest Field. A win there ensures the Seahawks a home playoff game and the NFC West division title.
The playoffs begin on the weekend of Jan. 8, one week after the regular season end. The television schedule will determine the dates and times of each of the four wildcard games. That schedule will be released shortly after week 16 ends.
In the AFC, one game will take place on Saturday and one on Sunday. The No. 3 seed in the AFC would host the No. 6 seed, one of the two wildcard teams. In the other match-up, the No. 4 seed would face the No. 5. As it stands now, the No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs would host the No. 6 New York Jets in one game while the No. 4 Baltimore Ravens would host the No. 5 Indianapolis Colts in the other game.
In the NFC, the scheduling is the same: One game on Saturday, one on Sunday. As it stands now, the No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles would host the No. 6 New York Giants. In the other match-up, the No. 4 St. Louis Rams would host the No. 5 New Orleans Saints. That No. 4 seed will be the winner of next week's NFC West showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams.