The NFL Playoff Bracket is the tournament format used by the National Football League (NFL) to determine the teams that will participate in the Super Bowl. It consists of 12 teams divided into two conferences (AFC and NFC) that compete in single-elimination competition over the course of several weeks. The playoff round is a highly anticipated event that captivates millions of football fans around the world.
The NFL season runs from September to December, and at the end of the regular season, the teams with the best records qualify for the playoffs. The top seven teams in each conference (AFC and NFC) qualify for the playoffs, with the top two teams receiving a first-round bye and the remaining four teams competing in the Wild Card Round.
Wild Card – The First Round
The Wild Card Round is the first round of the playoffs, where the four remaining teams from each conference play each other in two games. The winners of those games then advance to the Divisional Round, where they face the top two teams that had a bye in the first round. The winners of those games then advance to the Conference Championships, the final round of the playoffs before the Super Bowl.
The Conference Championships are the two games that determine the winners of the AFC and NFC Conferences. The winners of these games are crowned AFC and NFC champions and earn the right to play in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the biggest event in American sports, and the winner of the game is crowned the NFL champion.
The NFL Playoff Bracket is a highly competitive and intense tournament where teams must play their best to advance to the next round. The tournament format is designed to determine the best team in the NFL and crown a champion each year. The NFL Playoff Bracket is a true test of a team’s abilities, and the teams that are able to rise to the occasion and give their best have the opportunity to reach the Super Bowl and the chance to become NFL champions.
The NFL Playoff Bracket is a highly anticipated event watched by millions of fans around the world. The tournament format is designed to determine the best team in the NFL and crown a champion every year. The NFL Playoff Bracket is a true test of a team’s abilities, and the teams that are able to rise to the occasion and give their best have the opportunity to reach the Super Bowl and the chance to become NFL champions.
Conference Championship – January 29, 2023
The Conference Championships in the NFL playoff bracket refer to the final two games of the NFL playoffs, where the winners of the AFC and NFC conferences face off to determine which team will advance to the Super Bowl. These games are usually played on the first Sunday in February and are the culmination of the playoff bracket, in which the top teams from each Conference compete to determine who will represent their Conference in the Super Bowl. The winners of the Conference Championships are crowned AFC and NFC champions and earn the right to play in the Super Bowl.
The 2023 NFL Playoffs are in full swing, and the championship game, Super Bowl LVII, is just around the corner. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs have won their respective Conference Championships, so it will be a showdown between the two teams in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 12 in Arizona.
Teams that Qualify for the Playoffs in the NFL
The number of teams that qualify for the NFL playoffs will increase to seven per conference starting with the 2020 NFL season (2021 NFL playoffs). This will bring the total number of clubs participating in the playoffs to 14.
Previously, only six teams from each Conference could qualify for the playoffs, for a total of 12 teams. The current playoff structure will be changed beginning with the 2020-21 NFL season to make room for two more teams, one from each Conference, in the playoffs.
The First-Round BYE: NFL Playoff Bracket
As part of the playoff structure change implemented prior to the 2020-21 NFL season, the number of clubs receiving a first-round bye was changed. With seven teams qualifying for the postseason from each conference, the first-place team in each conference is the only team to receive a bye in the wild-card round.
Final Standings for the 2023 NFL Playoffs
AFC Playoff Picture 2022-23
- Kansas City (14-3)x
- Buffalo Bills (13-3)x
- Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)x
- Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)x
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-7)x
- Baltimore Ravens (10-7)x
- Miami Dolphins (9-8)x
NFC Playoff Picture 2022-23
- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)x
- San Francisco 49ers (13-4)x
- Minnesota Vikings (13-4)x
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)x
- Dallas Cowboys (12-5)x
- New York Giants (9-7-1)x
- Seattle Seahawks (9-8)x
NFL Playoff Bracket 2023
A look at the playoff bracket for the 2023 NFL season, with the 49ers facing the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals meeting the Chiefs in the Conference Championships. The National Football League playoff bracket features seven teams on each side of the bracket. The top-ranked club in each conference is exempt from participating in the wild-card round, in which the other six teams participate. They play one of the teams ranked 2 through 7, the team ranked 3 through 6, or the team ranked 4 and 5.
After the first round, the teams are seeded so that the team with the highest seed meets the team with the lowest seed. After that, the last two seeded teams will face each other in the divisional round. From this point on, the system works just like a traditional bracket.
Below is the latest version of the NFL playoff standings for 2023, updated after Week 18:
AFC:
- Kansas City Chiefs (BYE)
- Buffalo Bills face Miami Dolphins (7th)
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. 6th-ranked Baltimore Ravens
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 5th Los Angeles Chargers
NFC:
- 1. Philadelphia Eagles (BYE)
- 2. San Francisco 49ers vs. 7th Seattle Seahawks
- 3. Minnesota Vikings vs. 6th New York Giants
- 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5th Dallas Cowboys
A look at the playoff bracket for the 2023 NFL season, with the Conference Championships set to see the 49ers taking on the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals facing off against the Chiefs. The playoff bracket for the National Football League will include seven teams on either side of the bracket. The top-seeded club in each conference will be exempt from playing in the wild-card round, which will include the other six teams. They will play one of the teams seeded between 2 and 7, the team seeded between 3 and 6, or the team seeded between 4 and 5.
After the first round, the teams will have their seeds changed such that the team with the highest seed would face the team with the lowest seed. After that, the last two seeds compete against one another in the divisional round. From that point on, it functions just as a conventional bracket would.
The following is the most recent version of the NFL playoff bracket for 2023, which was updated after Week 18:
AFC:
- Kansas City Chiefs (BYE)
- The Buffalo Bills take on the 7. The Miami Dolphins
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. 6. Baltimore Ravens
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 5. Los Angeles Chargers
NFC:
- 1. Philadelphia Eagles (BYE)
- 2. San Francisco 49ers vs. 7. Seattle Seahawks
- 3. Minnesota Vikings vs. 6. New York Giants
- 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5. Dallas Cowboys
How Does the Playoff System Work for the NFL Playoff Bracket?
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— Wavv🏀 (@WavvM_) January 15, 2023
As mentioned earlier, seven clubs from each of the two NFL conferences (AFC and NFC) qualify for the postseason. Each club that advances to the postseason receives a seed within their respective Conference, ranging from 1-7. The two Conferences are not affiliated with each other until the Super Bowl and do not play each other.
The clubs that prevail in their respective divisions will receive the top four seeds for their respective Conference’s tournament. These four division winners are listed in order of best to worst finish according to their win-loss record. The fifth, sixth and seventh spots in each conference will be designated as “wild card spots” These will be awarded to the three teams that did not win their respective division, but still have the best record in their conference.
The wildcard round is the first round of the playoffs in the NFL. Three games will be played in each conference, as the first-place team in each conference will receive a bye in this phase of the tournament. The pairings are as follows: The 7th seed will play the 2nd seed, the 6th seed will play the 3rd seed, and the 5th seed will play the 4th seed.
The playoffs in the NFL are not structured like a typical schedule where teams advance in stages to a predetermined position. The Divisional Round is the second round of the playoffs in the National Football League (NFL). The top-ranked team in each conference, which does not have to participate in the wild-card round due to a bye, meets the team that is in last place in its division’s standings.
Should the lower seeded team, the 7th place team, win its game against the higher seeded team, the 2nd place team, it would advance to the Divisional Round. After determining best vs. worst, the two remaining teams from each conference will compete in the other division round. These teams are the second best and second worst players, respectively.
Following the Divisional Round is the Conference Championship Round, in which only the top two teams from each conference advance to compete for the title. These two teams will compete against one another in order to determine which one will go to the Super Bowl and take against the conference champion from the other side.
2023 Super Bowl Date and Time – Feb 12, 2023, Arizona
The Conference Championship round of the 2022 NFL playoffs has concluded. In the NFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7, while in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. With Chiefs head coach Andy Reid now facing the Philadelphia team he led from 1999 to 2012, the Eagles and Chiefs will meet in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LVII will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, 2023. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. locally.
