NFL playoff schedule and bracket 2016: Wild Card round begins on Saturday

The road to Super Bowl 50 begins on Jan. 9 with the Wild Card round.

The 2016 NFL Playoffs are just around the corner, with the official schedule being released on Sunday night. The Wild Card round starts on Jan. 7 as 12 teams fight to earn their spot in the historic Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7.

Sunday's games saw a Wild Card spot slip away from the New York Jets and into the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the top seeds in either conference finally getting locked down and two division champions crowned. The NFC North was decided on Sunday Night Football with the Minnesota Vikings claiming the title over the Green Bay Packers.

The complete picture is set in the AFC, where the Denver Broncos clinched the top seed after a close win over the San Diego Chargers. The New England Patriots couldn't get it done against the Miami Dolphins, but still have a first-round bye with the second seed.

That leaves the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans as division winners, playing host to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, respectively.

In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers finished with an NFL-best 15-1 record, locking up the top seed ahead of the 13-3 Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings sealed the No. 3 seed and will host the Seattle Seahawks. Washington, the fourth seed, will host the Green Bay Packers, who dropped to No. 5 after losing to Minnesota.

NFL playoff bracket

Schedule (all times Eastern)

Saturday, Jan. 9

AFC Wild Card Game 1: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans, 4:35 p.m., ESPN
AFC Wild Card Game 2: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., CBS

Sunday, Jan. 10

NFC Wild Card Game 1: Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1:05 p.m., NBC
NFC Wild Card Game 2: Green Bay Packers vs. Washington, 4:40 p.m., FOX

Saturday, Jan. 16

AFC Divisional Round Game 1: New England Patriots vs. highest seed, 4:35 p.m., CBS
NFC Divisional Round Game 1: Arizona Cardinals vs. highest seed, 8:15 p.m., NBC

Sunday, Jan. 17

NFC Divisional Round Game 2: Carolina Panthers vs. lowest seed, 1:05 p.m., FOX
AFC Divisional Round Game 2: Denver Broncos vs. lowest seed, 4:40 p.m., CBS

Sunday, Jan.24

AFC Championship: AFC Divisional Round winners, 3 p.m., CBS
NFC Championship: NFC Divisional Round winners, 6:40 p.m., FOX

Sunday, Feb. 7

Super Bowl 50: AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 6:30 p.m., CBS