What’s the NFL Playoff Picture?
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The NFL playoff picture is starting to take shape as we approach the final stretch of the regular season. Here’s a look at where things stand heading into Week 15.
How the NFL Playoffs Work
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the NFL regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league’s two conferences qualify for the playoffs. Seeded according to regular season records, the divisional and conference champions play in the NFL’s version of the Super Bowl, the game generally considered to be the biggest professional American football championship game of the year.
Current NFL Playoff Picture
As the NFL season winds down, we take a look at the current playoff picture. The AFC is led by the New England Patriots, who have clinched the top spot. The NFC is led by the New Orleans Saints, who have also clinched the top spot. The rest of the playoff spots are still up for grabs.
AFC
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of two conferences within the National Football League (NFL), the other being the National Football Conference (NFC). This conference and its counterpart are not affiliated with any other professional sports league. The AFC was created after the NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL), and its headquarters has been based in New York City since 1971.
The AFC consists of 16 teams, divided equally into four divisions: North, South, East, and West. Each divisional winner earns a playoff berth, as do the two teams with the best records in each conference who did not win their division (the “wild card” teams). In addition to these eight playoff qualifiers, four other teams are given berths in replacement of divisional winners that either have a worse record or qualified for the playoffs in a previous year (“playoff replacement teams”).
As of 2019, the defending AFC champions are the New England Patriots, while the most recent Super Bowl Champions from the AFC are the Denver Broncos, who defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
NFC
The NFC playoff picture is starting to take shape, with the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams securing divisional titles and first-round byes. The Chicago Bears have also clinched a playoff berth, but they’ll need to win out or get some help to earn a first-round bye.
Meanwhile, the race for the final two NFC playoff spots is still very much up in the air. The Dallas Cowboys currently occupy the first wild card spot, but they’re just a half-game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and a game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings. The Carolina Panthers are still alive as well, although they’ll need some help to make it back to the playoffs.
How the NFL Playoff Seeding Works
The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. From 1933 to 1966, the NFL playoffs generally included three teams, with two teams receiving a bye in the first round. In 1967, the league expanded to four teams (the “Ice Bowl” between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys was the first-ever NFL playoff game with temperatures below freezing), and then expanded again in 1978 to include eight teams. The tournament culminates with the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
NFL Playoff Bracket
The NFL Playoff Bracket is set. The top seeds in each conference have been determined and it’s now time to see who will face off in the first round of the playoffs. The AFC Championship game will be between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos, while the NFC Championship game will be between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. Who will advance to the Super Bowl? We’ll find out soon enough!
NFL Playoff Schedule
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, the league’s championship game.
