The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each conference (NFC and AFC) qualify for the playoffs. The four division winners and two wild card teams (the two best teams with records that did not win their divisions) play in the first round of the playoffs, also called the Wild Card round.
The divisional round follows, in which the top seed in each conference plays against the lowest-seeded team remaining, and so on. Conference finalists then compete in the Super Bowl, one of America’s biggest annual sporting events.
The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the regular season to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL). The playoffs began in 1966, when four teams qualified for the tournament. The tournament expanded to eight teams in 1978 and to ten teams in 1990.
The most recent expansion occurred in 2020, when fourteen teams qualified for the tournament.
How Do The NFL Playoffs Work?
Nfl Playoff Bracket 2021-22
The NFL playoff bracket for the 2021-22 season has been released, and it is sure to be an exciting one. The top seeds in each conference will have a bye week to start the playoffs, while the Wild Card round will feature four games. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs are the top seed, followed by the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns.
In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers are the top seed, followed by the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This year’s playoffs will feature some exciting match-ups, including a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game between the Chiefs and Bills. The Steelers and Browns will also face off in what is sure to be a physical battle.
In the NFC, all four divisional winners from last year are back in contention, so it should be a great race to see who comes out on top.
Be sure to tune into all of the action this January as we crown a new champion!
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How Do the New Nfl Playoffs Work?
The NFL playoffs have undergone a few changes this year, the most notable of which is the addition of a seventh team in each conference. This means that there will be four divisional playoff games and two wild-card games instead of the three divisional and one wild-card game format that was used in previous years. The other big change is that the top seed in each conference will now get a bye week before their first playoff game.
Here’s a quick rundown of how the NFL playoffs work:
The playoffs are single elimination, meaning if you lose you’re out. There are six rounds total in the playoffs: Wild Card, Divisional, Conference Championship, and Super Bowl.
Each conference has 16 teams divided into four divisions (East, West, North, South).
The four division winners automatically qualify for the playoffs (known as “the seeds”), as do the two best teams from each conference who didn’t win their division (these are known as “the wild cards”).
So that makes for a total of 12 teams qualifying for the playoffs from each conference.
Seeds 1 through 6 get a bye in the first round while seeds 7 through 10 play each other in what are called “wild card” games. The winners of those games advance to play seeds 1 through 6 respectively in the second round, or “divisional” playoff games.
Then it’s on to the Conference Championships where seeds 1 and 2 from each conference play each other with a trip to the Super Bowl on line.
And finally…the ultimate prize…SUPER BOWL LIII!!!
How Will the 2022 Nfl Playoffs Work?
The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each conference (NFC and AFC) qualify for the playoffs based on their regular season records. The four division winners (seeded 1-4) and two wild card teams (seeded 5-6) play in the first round, called the Wild Card Playoffs.
The top two seeds in each conference then receive a bye in the first round. In the second round, called the Divisional Playoffs, those eight teams play each other, with the four winners advancing to compete in Championship Weekend – aka Conference Championships Sunday – where one team from each conference will win and advance to Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13th, 2022!
What Teams are in the 2021 2022 Nfl Playoffs?
The 2021 NFL playoffs are set to begin on Saturday, January 9th. The top six seeds in each conference will earn a first-round bye, while the remaining four teams in each conference will compete in the Wild Card round. In the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2) have clinched the top seed and a first-round bye.
The Buffalo Bills (10-3), Kansas City Chiefs (10-3), and Miami Dolphins (9-4) have also clinched playoff spots, but their seeding has yet to be determined. The Indianapolis Colts (9-4), Cleveland Browns (9-4), Tennessee Titans (9-4), and Baltimore Ravens (8-5) are currently vying for the final two AFC playoff spots. In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers (11-2) have clinched the top seed and a first-round bye.
The New Orleans Saints (10-3), Seattle Seahawks (10-3), Los Angeles Rams (9-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5), and Arizona Cardinals (7-)6 are also playoff bound, but their seeding has yet to be determined. The Chicago Bears (7-)6 and New York Giants ()6 are currently fighting for the final NFC playoff spot.
How Many Teams Make the Nfl Playoffs 2021?
The NFL playoffs for the 2021 season will feature 14 teams. This is down from 16 teams in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The seven teams with the best record in each conference (NFC and AFC) will earn a spot in the playoffs.
The other two spots will be filled by the two remaining teams with the best record, regardless of conference affiliation. These are known as “wild card” teams.
In total, there will be six playoff games: three on Wild Card Weekend (January 8-9) and three more on Divisional Playoff Weekend (January 15-16).
The Conference Championship games will take place on January 22-23, with Super Bowl LV being played on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Conclusion
The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. The playoffs began in 1933, when the first NFL championship game was played between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.
Since then, there have been a number of different formats used to determine the playoff teams, with the most recent change coming in 2020.
That year, due to concerns about COVID-19, the league expanded the playoffs to include 14 teams instead of 12.
The 2021 NFL playoffs will feature 14 teams as well, with seven teams from each conference qualifying for the tournament. The four division winners will earn a bye week and automatically advance to the divisional round, while the remaining Wild Card teams will play in a single-elimination Wild Card round.
From there, things proceed as normal, with winners advancing through the conference semifinals and conference championships to ultimately decide who will represent each conference in Super Bowl LV. So if you’re wondering how do NFL playoffs work in 2021, that’s all you need to know!