NFL playoff format: How many teams make it, how many rounds are there and more
Safid DeenThe NFL debuted a new playoff format in 2020, expanding to 14 teams – seven from the AFC and seven from the NFC – battling for Super Bowl supremacy.
The new format includes a third wild-card team from each conference to go with the four division winners (North, South, East and West). Teams will compete in the wild-card round, the divisional round and the conference championship game before advancing to the Super Bowl during the NFL playoffs.
Here’s what you need to know about the NFL’s playoff format:
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NFL wild card round
No. 1 seeds get first-round bye: The NFL teams with the best record in the AFC and NFC will earn a bye in the first-round of the playoffs. The week off serves as a reward to the best team in each conference, contrary to previous seasons where the teams with the top two seeds were awarded byes.
No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed: The AFC or NFC team with the second-best record among division winners will host a game against the team with the third-best record among wild-card teams.
No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed: The AFC or NFC team with the third-best record among division winners will host a game against the team with the second-best record among wild-card teams.
No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed: The AFC or NFC team with the worst record among division winners will host a game against the team with the best record among wild-card teams.
NFL divisional round
The divisional round will feature two games for each conference, pairing the No. 1 seed against the lowest-remaining seed.
The other game features the second-highest seed against the second-lowest.
The higher seed in each matchup will host the games.
AFC championship game, NFC championship game
The winners in the divisional rounds will meet in the AFC and NFC championship games for a chance to reach the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl
Winners of the AFC and NFC championship games will meet in the Super Bowl to decide the NFL championship.
NFL playoff bracket 2023
Super Bowl
AFC championship game
NFC championship game
AFC divisional round
- No. 1 Baltimore Ravens 34, No. 4 Houston Texans 10
- No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs 27, No. 2 Buffalo Bills 24
NFC divisional round
No. 1 San Francisco 49ers 24, Green Bay Packers 21
No. 3 Detroit Lions 31, No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23
AFC wild card round
- No. 2 Buffalo Bills 31, No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers 17
- No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs 26, No. 6 Miami Dolphins 7
- No. 4 Houston Texans 45, No. 5 Cleveland Browns 14
- No. 1 Baltimore Ravens have bye
NFC wild card round
- No. 7 Green Bay Packers 48, No. 2 Dallas Cowboys 32
- No. 3. Detroit Lions 24, No. 6 Los Angeles Rams 23
- No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32, No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles 9
- No. 1 San Francisco 49ers have bye
How does overtime work in the playoffs?
While NFL games during the regular season can end in ties after overtime, playoff games must be decided. The NFL playoff overtime rules are as followed:
- 15-minute periods, as many needed to decide the game.
- Both teams will get possession offensively – even if a touchdown is scored by a team on their first possession.
- If the team with first possession fails to score a touchdown, the next score ends the game.
- If the game is tied after both teams have their first possession, the next score ends the game.
