How Do the NFL Playoffs Work?

Are you anticipating the NFL playoffs already? Stocking up on nachos and guacamole and preparing your guest list for your Super Bowl party? 

That’s understandable, considering these playoffs bring together the league’s top teams. Playoff games carry huge stakes as teams battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the title of NFL champion – while we sit back and place our bets on who we think will win. 

So, how do the NFL playoffs work? Our experts will walk you through the details, breaking down the rules and structure of the NFL playoffs. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or new to the excitement of postseason American football, this guide will equip you with all the essential information to fully appreciate and enjoy the big leagues. 

What Are the NFL Playoff Dates?

Every year, football fans eagerly ask what the NFL Playoff dates are and mark them in their calendars. You can go ahead and pull the calendar out and mark these key dates for the 2024/25 NFL playoff schedule. 

Wild Card Weekend

The excitement kicks off with Wild Card Weekend from January 11 to 13, 2025. This weekend features six games, while the top two seeds in each conference get to relax with a bye. 

Divisional Round

Next up is the Divisional Round on January 18 and 19, 2025. The winners from the Wild Card games will face the top-seeded teams in this round. Four games, two in each conference – who will come out on top?

Conference Championships

Mark January 26, 2025, for the Conference Championships. The victors from the Divisional Round will battle it out in these two games, one for the AFC and one for the NFC, to determine who heads to the Super Bowl. Any predictions on who will make it?

Super Bowl LVIX

The grand finale, Super Bowl LVIX, will be held on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome New Orleans. The champions of the AFC and NFC will go head-to-head for the Trophy. Who do you think will take it all this year?

How Many Teams Make the NFL Playoffs?

We’ll witness 14 teams make it to the NFL playoffs this year – seven from the AFC (American Football Conference) and seven from the NFC (National Football Conference). 

But how exactly do the NFL playoffs work? 

The NFL playoffs format is structured so that each conference contributes four division winners and three wild-card teams to ensure a diverse and competitive postseason. 

NFL Playoff Structure and Seeding

The NFL playoffs structure is quite simple. It’s a single-elimination tournament determining who will compete on the world stage in the Super Bowl. The playoff journey begins with the Wild Card round, progresses to the Divisional round, and culminates in the Conference Championships before the Super Bowl.

Who are the division winners? The division winners are the teams that finish the regular season at the top of their respective divisions. 

The wild-card spots are then awarded to the three teams with the best records that didn’t win their divisions.

The top seed in each conference receives a bye in the first round, known as the Wild Card Weekend. 

Once the Wild Card Weekend ends, the playoffs move into the Divisional Round, the Conference Championships, and finally, the long-anticipated Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is where you’ll see the champions of the AFC and NFC face off.

NFL Playoffs Seeding in Detail

Teams are seeded based on their regular-season records. Each conference has four division winners and three wild-card teams. The division winners are seeded 1 through 4, while the wild-card teams are seeded 5 through 7. NFL playoff seeding is crucial as it influences matchups and determines which teams get a bye week and home-field advantage.

1. Division Winners: The team with the best record in each division earns a division title and a playoff spot. These teams are seeded 1 through 4 based on their overall win-loss records.
2. Wild-Card Teams: The three teams in each conference with the best records that did not win their divisions secure the wild-card spots and are seeded 5 through 7.

Wild Card Round Explained

The Wild Card round features six games across both conferences:

• The 2nd seed hosts the 7th seed.
• The 3rd seed hosts the 6th seed.
• The 4th seed hosts the 5th seed.

The 1st seed in each conference receives a bye week, automatically advancing to the Divisional round. This bye week is significant as it allows the top-seeded team extra rest and preparation time, which can be a considerable advantage.

Divisional Round Explained

In the Divisional round, the winners of the Wild Card games face the top-seeded teams:

• The lowest remaining seed plays the 1st seed.
• The other two Wild Card winners face off against each other.

Home-field advantage is given to the higher-seeded teams, meaning the 1st and 2nd seeds, if they advance, will play at their home stadiums. Home-field advantage is critical in the playoffs, as it can provide a familiar environment and supportive crowd, potentially influencing the game’s outcome.

Conference Championships Outlined

The Conference Championships are the penultimate stage of the NFL playoffs:

• The winners of the Divisional round games in each conference compete for the AFC and NFC Championship titles.

The highest remaining seed hosts the game, ensuring the team with the better regular-season record has a home-field advantage. The champions of the AFC and NFC then advance to the Super Bowl.

Significance of Bye Week and Home-Field Advantage

• Bye Week: The top-seeded team in each conference gets a bye during the Wild Card round. This extra week of rest is crucial for player recovery and strategic planning.
• Home-Field Advantage: Higher-seeded teams play at their home stadiums throughout the playoffs, provided they keep winning. This advantage can impact team performance due to familiar settings, fan support, and the absence of travel-related fatigue.

Understanding the NFL playoffs structure, including seeding, bye weeks, and home-field advantage, highlights the importance of regular-season performance and its impact on a team’s path to the Super Bowl.

The NFL Wild Card round is arguably the most exciting phase of the postseason. This round allows teams who failed to win their divisions a chance to still compete for the Super Bowl. 

In simple terms, the NFL Wild Card round includes the top teams with the best records that didn’t win their division. This would comprise three Wild Card teams per conference (AFC and NFC). These teams and the four division winners from each conference form seven teams per conference.

In the Wild Card round, the three Wild Card teams play against the lowest-seeded division winners, while the top seed in each conference gets a bye. The winners of these games move on to the Divisional Round to face the higher-seeded teams.

NFL Tie-Breakers for Playoffs

So what happens when there’s a tie? When NFL teams have identical records, the league uses a series of NFL playoff tie-breakers to determine qualification for the playoffs. These NFL tie-breaker rules are applied in the following order:

1. Head-to-Head Results: The team with the better record in games played between the tied teams is given the advantage.
2. Division Record: For teams in the same division, the team with the better win-loss record within the division is favoured.
3. Common Games: The team with the better record in games against common opponents is given precedence.
4. Conference Record: The team with the better win-loss record in conference games is prioritised.
5. Strength of Victory: This measures the combined winning percentage of the teams a team has defeated. The team with the higher strength of victory is preferred.
6. Strength of Schedule: This assesses the combined winning percentage of all the teams a team has played against during the season. The team with the higher strength of schedule is given the edge.
7. Other Criteria: If the tie remains, additional criteria such as points scored, points allowed, and even a coin toss can be used.

The NFL Divisional Round

This critical stage in the NFL playoffs is where the Wild Card round winners face off against the highest-seeded division winners from each conference. This determines which teams advance to the Conference Championships, one step away from the Super Bowl.

The NFL Divisional Round features four games, two in the AFC and two in the NFC. It’s meant to pit the top teams against those that have already proven their mettle by surviving the Wild Card round.

Here, we’ll witness the number one seed in each conference play the lowest remaining seed, while the number two seed faces the next lowest seed. 

Understanding how the NFL playoffs work highlights the significance of each round, particularly the NFL Divisional Round, where the margin for error is minimal and the rewards for success are immense. This round sets the stage for the final push towards football’s most coveted prize, making it a centrepiece of the playoff journey.

Conclusion 

Understanding how the NFL playoffs work will help you understand the predictions and odds while also ensuring you can really enjoy the games. 

Bookmark this NFL playoffs guide so you can stay up to date with schedules and the NFL playoff rules when it’s playoff season. 

The path to the Super Bowl is a fun and exciting journey, making it one of the most exhilarating events in sports. Stay tuned to and track the NFL playoff predictions and odds on betsquare.com.