NFL Playoffs Bracket Explained: How It Works

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The NFL playoffs are an exciting time for football fans, but understanding the bracket can be confusing. Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works. — Papa Johns: Rahway Ave, Elizabeth, NJ

NFL Playoff Structure

The NFL playoffs consist of 14 teams: 7 from the American Football Conference (AFC) and 7 from the National Football Conference (NFC). These teams are determined by their regular-season records.

Qualifying Teams

  • Division Winners: The 4 teams that win their respective divisions (North, South, East, West) in each conference automatically qualify.
  • Wild Card Teams: The 3 teams with the best records that did not win their divisions also qualify as wild card teams.

Seeding

Teams are seeded 1 through 7 based on their regular-season record. The division winners are always the top 4 seeds.

Seeding Priority

  1. Division Winners (Seeds 1-4)
  2. Wild Card Teams (Seeds 5-7)

Playoff Bracket

The NFL playoff bracket is structured to create a single-elimination tournament leading to the Super Bowl. — Northeastern University: Application Deadlines Guide

Wild Card Round

  • The #2 seed plays the #7 seed.
  • The #3 seed plays the #6 seed.
  • The #4 seed plays the #5 seed.
  • The #1 seed gets a bye and automatically advances to the Divisional Round.

Divisional Round

  • The #1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed from the Wild Card Round.
  • The winner of the #2 vs. #7 game plays the winner of the #3 vs. #6 game or the #4 vs. #5 game (depending on which team has the lower seed).

Conference Championship

  • The two remaining teams in each conference (AFC and NFC) play against each other.
  • The winners of the AFC and NFC Championship games advance to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl

  • The winners of the AFC and NFC Championship games compete in the Super Bowl to determine the NFL champion.

Understanding the NFL playoff bracket enhances the viewing experience, making each game more meaningful. Now you can follow the journey of your favorite team with clarity! — NC Lottery: Scratch-Offs With Prizes Still Available