The NFL regular season is all done and that means it's time for the playoffs and that is why there is no game on Thursday night football this week after the NFL Network had games throughout the season on 14 weeks and with the postseason matchups starting on Saturday and Sunday, fans will have four games to watch as teams like the Packers, Niners, Bengals, Colts, Chiefs and Eagles go at it for the postseason.
The final Thursday night game of the season came in Week 15 of the season and then was finished by Week 16, making the loss by the Denver Broncos at home to the San Diego Chargers the final NFL Network game of the season. The league did not extend it into the next week, as Week 16 had the final Monday night football game of the season between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers and that closed out MNF and Candlestick Park for ESPN and now the games this weekend will be on Saturday and Sunday with two on each day.
The last Thursday night game was huge for the Chargers, as they ended up making the playoffs by winning their final game of the season against the Chiefs and without getting that win against the Broncos, that may have never happened and now they have a chance to win against the Bengals. The final matchups of Week 17 all came on Sunday and the last regular season game on the schedule was the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Philadelphia Eagles and that game was for the NFC East division title and for the third straight season the Cowboys lost the game in Week 17 for a playoff spot. The team did not have Tony Romo, but they had the game at home and ended up losing by two to the Eagles, who got into the playoffs with 10 wins in the first season under Chip Kelly.
The first game of the postseason is on Saturday and has the Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Indianapolis Colts and that game will be on NBC starting up at 4:35 pm and will be at Lucas Oil Stadium and comes after the Chiefs finished in the fifth seed and second behind the Broncos in the AFC west, meaning this was the best they could be. The Colts won the South and they are the fourth seed, while on Saturday night, the sixth seed in the NFC in the New Orleans Saints will be playing against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field and that game will also be on NBC and starts up at 8:10 pm.
The Sunday games has the best matchups, as the San Diego Chargers will visits the Bengals in Cincy at Paul Brown Stadium and that is a six-three matchup as well and starts up early at 1:05 pm on CBS. The final matchup of wild card weekend will have the San Francisco 49ers playing the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of teams from last season and the game will be in Lambeau Field and it is on FOX at 4:40 pm and is expected to very cold and there is a chance that snow will be in the forecast as well.
Check here for the ESPN playoffs schedule and more on the postseason from SWR.