After a wild regular season that saw passing records fall left and right while a QB who could barely complete a pass captivated the nation, the 2012 NFL Playoffs are set to begin Saturday Jan. 7, with a Cincinnati/Houston and New Orleans/Detroit double-header. The full playoff schedule, including game times and broadcast information, can be found here.
The Green Bay Packers, the defending Super Bowl Champions coming off a 15-1 regular season, are the heavy favorites in the NFC, as any team that hopes to dethrone Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will have to travel to Lambeau Field in January.
Hutchins: Ranking All 36 Possible Super Bowl Matchups
Saturday's Games: Bengals-Texans • Lions-Saints
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The AFC is more wide-open, with the New England Patriots clinching home-field advantage with a 13-3 record despite a pass defense rated 32nd in the NFL that will be without their best pass rusher, Andre Carter, in the playoffs.
The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers clinched the other first-round byes, while the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants will host playoff games on Sunday Jan. 8.
Here is a printable playoff bracket:
For more on the matchups, visit our playoff schedule StoryStream and visit our NFL hub.