How Many Teams Make the NFL Playoffs?

The NFL playoff system is a set of rules that determine which teams will compete in the playoffs. The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine the NFL champion.

How the NFL Playoffs Work

The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. As of 2020, fourteen teams qualify for the playoffs each year: the seven winners of each conference’s divisional round (the top seed from each conference advances to the divisional round with a bye), and the two wild card teams from each conference.

The NFL regular season

The National Football League (NFL) regular season begins in September and ends in December. Each team plays 16 games and has one bye week. The bye week is a week off during the regular season when a team does not play.

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 (the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC)) qualify for the playoffs. The four division winners in each conference are seeded 1-4 based on their record, with the 1 seed receiving a bye in the first round of the playoffs, while the 2 seed hosts the 7 seed and the 3 seed hosts the 6 seed in the first round. The 4 seed hosts the 5 seed in what is called “the wild card round.” The winners of these two games then travel to play each of their conference’s respective division winners in what are called “the divisional playoffs.” The two survivors of these games then meet in “the conference championships,” with each conference’s championship game being played at its highest remaining seeds home stadium. Finally, “the Super Bowl” is played between these two conference champions to determine an overall NFL champion for that year.

The NFL postseason

The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league’s two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaking procedure exists if required. The tournament culminates in the Super Bowl, played between the champions of the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC).

How Many Teams Make the Playoffs?

Twelve teams make the NFL playoffs. Six teams from each conference. The four division winners and two wild card teams. The division winners are seeded 1-4 and the wild card teams are seeded 5-6. The top two seeds in each conference get a bye in the first round.

The number of teams that make the playoffs has varied over the years

The NFL playoff system is a tournament that culminates in the Super Bowl, the league’s championship game. The number of teams that make the playoffs has varied over the years, as has the format of the playoffs.

The NFL was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). In its inaugural season, there were 11 teams and no playoffs. The APFA was renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. In 1932, the NFL implemented a plan that resulted in a playoff game between the winners of its two divisional leagues, the Eastern and Western Divisions. This “playoff game” was actually a de facto championship game, as it was held after the end of the regular season. The first playoff game was held on December 18, 1932, at Wrigley Field in Chicago; it pitted the Chicago Bears (winners of the Western Division) against the Portsmouth Spartans (winners of then Eastern Division). The Bears won, 9-0.

In 1933, things changed slightly; instead of pitting divisional champions against each other, now a team had to finish in first place in its division to qualify for a playoff berth. The 1934 season saw even more change: now, not only did a team have to win its division to make postseason play, but it also had to win at least six games out of an 11-game schedule. From 1934 until 1949 inclusive, only division winners qualified for postseason play; there were no wild card teams.

In 1950, things changed again: this time around, two additional teams were added to what were now called “playoff games”, bringing the total number of teams participating in postseason play to four: two from each conference (the NFL had changed from two divisions [East and West] to four divisions [North and South in each conference] prior to 1950).

The current system whereby 12 teams make the playoffs (six from each conference) was instituted beginning with the 1970 season.

The current playoff format

Since the 2012 NFL season, the playoffs have consisted of six teams from each conference: four division winners and two wild card teams. The two wild card teams from each conference play each other in the Wild Card round. The division winners from each conference then play each other in the Divisional round. The winner of each conference’s Divisional round game then advances to that conference’s Championship game. The two Conference champions then advance to the Super Bowl, where they compete against each other to become the league champion.

Why Do Some Teams Make the Playoffs and Others Don’t?

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world.

The importance of a good regular season record

In order to make the playoffs, a team must have a good regular season record. The better the record, the more likely it is that a team will make the playoffs. There are 13 total spots available in the playoffs, and usually, around 10 of those spots are taken up by teams with good records. The other 3 spots are generally taken up by teams with decent records who were able to win their division.

The importance of a good regular season record cannot be understated. Teams with good records have a much higher chance of making the playoffs than teams with poor records. This is because the better teams are more likely to win their division, and the division winners automatically qualify for the playoffs.

So, if you want your team to have a chance at making the playoffs, make sure they have a good regular season record.

The strength of a team’s division

While a team’s win-loss record is the primary determinant of whether it makes the playoffs, strength of schedule and divisional standings are also major factors. The NFL playoff system is designed so that teams from different parts of the country can play each other in the postseason, and divisional standings are used to seed teams in the playoffs. The divisional standings are also used to determine which teams earn first-round byes and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The NFL has two types of divisions: geographic divisions and football divisions. There are four geographic divisions (North, South, East, and West) and four football divisions (AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, and AFC West). Each division has four teams. The NFL requires that all 32 teams be divided equally between the two types of divisions.

The geographic divisional alignment is as follows:
-AFC East: New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets
-AFC North: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
-AFC South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
-AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers
-NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
-NFC North: Chicago Bears , Detroit Lions , Green Bay Packers , Minnesota Vikings
-NFC South: Atlanta Falcons , Carolina Panthers , New Orleans Saints , Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-NFC West: Arizona Cardinals , Los Angeles Rams , San Francisco 49ers , Seattle Seahawks

The luck of the draw

In any given year, a handful of NFL teams have a realistic shot at winning the Super Bowl. But, as we all know, only one team can come out on top. So, what separates the men from the boys? Or, more accurately, what separates the Patriots from the Jets?

It turns out that a lot of it has to do with luck. According to Football Outsiders, the chances of making the playoffs are about 1 in 6 for the average team. But for some teams, the odds are much better. For example, this year’s Patriots are almost a sure bet to make the playoffs (about a 99 percent chance), while the Jets’ chances are less than 50-50.

There are a few factors that contribute to this luck of the draw. First, there’s strength of schedule. This year, some teams have an easier road to the playoffs than others. The Patriots have an easier schedule than most teams, while the Jets have one of the hardest schedules in the league.

Second, injuries play a big role in determining who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t. A team can be decimated by injuries and still make a run at the Super Bowl (just ask last year’s Eagles), while a team relatively free of injuries can flounder (looking at you, Colts).

Finally, there’s simple randomness. Even if two teams are equal on paper, one might get lucky and win close games while the other loses them. That’s why we play the games!