How Do the NFL Playoffs Work? Find Out!

One of the most thrilling periods of the sports year is during the NFL playoffs. However, how are the NFL Playoffs conducted, and how is seeding determined?

Here’s how do the NFL Playoffs Work: There are a total of 14 teams participating in the NFL Playoffs. The NFL Playoff Bracket is made up of 7 teams from the An AFC team and seven NFC teams. Each conference has four divisions, and the winner of each division automatically qualifies for the playoffs. The four teams will then be seeded 1 through 4 according to their records, with 1 seed having the best record and home field advantage. The top two seeds from each conference receive byes.

Keep reading.

How Do the NFL Playoffs Work?

With seven teams competing in each conference, here’s how the playoffs work:

The divisional round is an automatic bye for each first-round seed, and the wild card round is for the remaining six teams. In a game between the No. 2 seed and No. 7 seed, No. 6 and No. 3 are guests at No. 4 hosts No. 5.

In the event of a shock entering each corresponding round, the lowest seeds remaining would face the highest seeds remaining. Assume that the No. 6 and Games between No. 7 seeds and No. 7 seed would play the Next No. 1 seed, but if No. 6 won and When No. 7 lost, No. 6 would face No. 1 and so on and so forth.

Any two teams that advance from the divisional round would then compete for a spot in the Super Bowl against the champion of the opposing conference in the conference championship.

NFL Playoff Format and Bracket

The seeds for each team are from 1 to 10. 7 in each conference, with the division winners receiving seeds Teams receiving seeds No. 1 through No. 4, along with the three Wild Card teams 5 through No. 7. Wild Card teams are seeded similarly to division winners, with the team with the best record receiving the top seed. When there are ties for seeds, the league uses the same tiebreaking procedures for the playoffs.

The AFC and NFC each have one playoff spot in the NFL. The Super Bowl, Divisional Round, Championship Weekend, and Wild Card Weekend are the final two stages.

The No. 1 seed in the Wild Card Weekend round is 2 seed faces the The No. 7 seed takes on the No. 3 seed. 6 seed, and the The No. 4 seed will take on the No. 5 seed. The highest remaining seed takes on the lowest remaining seed in each round after that. First-round byes are granted to top seeds.

The winning teams from each conference’s Championship Weekend compete for the Lombardi Trophy in the Super Bowl.

How Many Teams Get a First-Round Bye?

A conference’s one and only NFL team is given a first-round bye. The Wild Card Weekend is off limits to the top seed in each conference, with the remaining six seeds kicking off the playoff action. The No. 1 seed for the divisional round is 1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the tournament.

As an illustration, the Tennessee Titans received the No. 1 seed. This gave the group the chance to relax during Wild Card Weekend before losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round.

When Did the NFL Expand to 14 Teams?

For the 2020 season, the NFL will use a 14-team playoff system. Previously, the league gave playoff spots to the winners of each division and two additional Wild Card teams from each conference (for a total of 12 teams).

A further Wild Card team from each conference was added by the league for the 2020 season, bringing the total number of playoff participants to 14 of the league’s 32 teams.

What Are the Overtime Rules for the NFL Playoffs?

The 2023 NFL Playoffs’ biggest shift occurs in overtime. A 15-minute overtime period is used to determine the winner of a playoff game if it is tied after four 15-minute quarters. Should the score remain tied, additional periods would start.

Prior to this, even if the opposing team never had a chance to touch the ball, the team that scored a touchdown first would automatically win. That has now changed, with the rules in 2023 allotting both teams at least one possession regardless of what happens on the first drive of overtime.

Summary: How Do the NFL Playoffs Work?

There are a total of 14 teams participating in the NFL Playoffs. The NFL Playoff Bracket is made up of 7 teams from the 7 Teams from the NFC and the AFC. Each conference consists of four divisions, with the winners of each advancing directly to the postseason. The four teams will then be seeded 1 through 4 according to their records, with 1 seed having the best record and home field advantage. Each conference’s top two seeds receive byes.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment. Thank you for reading.