2019-20 NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Weekend TV and Announcer Schedule

The National Football League announced its postseason television schedule on Sunday, December 29.

Wild Card weekend marks the kickoff to the NFL postseason on Jan. 4-5.

ESPN and ABC will simulcast the first game of these playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4:35 p.m. ET: AFC South division winner Houston Texans make their sixth playoff appearance in franchise history, all within an 9-season span. They’ll encounter the Buffalo Bills who earned their best regular-season record (10-6) since 1999. This is only the Bills’ second playoff appearance within the past 20 years, with a Jan. 2018 wild card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars being their most recent.

In prime time on CBS for Jan. 4, the New England Patriots, with its 17th AFC East division title in the Tom Brady era, will appear in its first Wild Card Weekend in ten years as they battle the Tennessee Titans. The Titans’ head coach is Mike Vrabel, a former linebacker with the Patriots from 2001-08 and member of three of their Super Bowl championship seasons. The Titans reach just their second postseason in 11 seasons, thanks to the installation of former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Titans won seven of the last ten games that Tannehill had started.

It will be yet another playoff clash between NFC rivals, the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. The two most notable being the Saints’ NFC championship game win following the 2009 season and the Saints’ gut-wrenching loss in a divisional game following the 2017 season. This year’s playoff game will air on Fox at 1 p.m. ET.

Then, at 4:40 p.m. ET on NBC, NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles and the Seahawks met in Week 12 of this season at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field with Seattle coming out with a 17-9 victory. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was 33-of-45 for 256 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for a 75.8 passer rating against Seattle. He also lost two fumbles. The Eagles had five total turnovers. The Seahawks’ key to their 17-9 win was running back Rashaad Penny who had gained 129 yards and a touchdown. But Penny had since gotten a season-ending knee injury. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has never lost to the Eagles in four previous matchups but none have come in the postseason.

All start times in the following TV schedule are Eastern:

Saturday, January 4, 2020

4:35 p.m.
AFC Wild Card Game (ABC/ESPN)
(#5) Buffalo Bills at (#4) Houston Texans
Announcers: Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Booger McFarland (analyst), Lisa Salters (reporter)

8:15 p.m.
AFC Wild Card Game (CBS)
(#6) Tennessee Titans at (#4) New England Patriots
Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (reporter)

Sunday, January 5, 2020

1:05 p.m.
NFC Wild Card Game (Fox)
(#6) Minnesota Vikings at (#3) New Orleans Saints
Announcers: Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Erin Andrews (reporter), Chris Myers (reporter)

4:40 p.m.
NFC Wild Card Game (NBC)
(#5) Seattle Seahawks at (#3) Philadelphia Eagles
Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (reporter), Heather Cox (reporter)