Every thing you want to know concerning the NFL playoffs

Three … two … one … pleased 2024 NFL playoffs!

In case your New 12 months’s resolutions embrace watching extra soccer, you’re each a distinguished goal-setter and in luck. The NFL playoffs start Jan. 13, with the wild-card spherical stretching till Jan. 15. That offers you a couple of week to get acquainted and initiated into the league fandom, however fortunately it begins right here with a couple of minutes and every thing you want to know.

Warning: Elevated soccer viewership may cause extreme yelling at inanimate objects like your TV.

What number of groups make the postseason?

Fourteen of the league’s 32 groups get to take their shot on the Vince Lombardi Trophy, with seven groups — the 4 division winners and three wild-card groups — from every convention surviving Week 18.

The groups with the most effective document within the AFC and NFC every nab No. 1 seeds, and each had been secured in Week 17. The Baltimore Ravens (13-3) cruised previous the Miami Dolphins to clinch the highest spot within the AFC for the primary time since 2019 whereas the 49ers’ victory over the Washington Commanders, and the Arizona Cardinals’ upset of the Philadelphia Eagles, granted San Francisco (12-4) NFC supremacy.

As high canine, the Ravens and 49ers get a first-round bye — bypassing the wild-card spherical — and home-field benefit.

The No. 2 seeds are the division winners with the second-best information, and the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds observe because the division winners with the third- and fourth-best information.

The fifth by means of seventh seeds go to the wild-card groups, that are those who didn’t win their divisions however had the next-best information of all of the convention. They fill within the remaining seeding chronologically: The crew with the most effective document of all three wild-card groups slots in at No. 5, the second greatest at No. 6 and the third greatest at No. 7.

What are the playoff tiebreakers?

What if playoff contenders have the identical document? Who will get in?

It’s the crew that has the most effective head-to-head document. But when that can also be tied, the postseason bid goes to the crew that has the …

1. Greatest win-lost-tied proportion in convention video games.
2. Greatest win-lost-tied proportion in widespread video games, minimal of 4.
3. Higher power of victory in all video games.
4. Higher power of schedule in all video games.
5. Greatest mixed rating amongst convention groups in factors scored and factors allowed in all video games.
6. Greatest mixed rating amongst all groups in factors scored and factors allowed in all video games.
7. Greatest internet factors in convention video games.
8. Greatest internet factors in all video games.
9. Greatest internet touchdowns in all video games.

And if all these one way or the other end even, there’s the foolproof, finite tiebreaker: the coin toss.

Heads … your crew will get a playoff bid! Tails … your poor, poor TV.

What the present playoff image seems to be like

It’s crunch time within the NFC …

 

The 49ers, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams punched their tickets forward of Week 18, leaving two spots up for grabs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) seized a type of, profitable the NFC South with a 9-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The 49ers personal the NFC West and the Lions gained the NFC North. The NFC East and South are unclaimed.

The New Orleans Saints (9-8), Inexperienced Bay Packers (8-8) and Seattle Seahawks (8-8) can all nonetheless win the ultimate wild card.

How every can clinch a playoff berth:

Packers: A win

Seahawks: A win + Packers loss/tie

Saints: Seahawks loss/tie + Packers loss/tie

In the meantime within the AFC …

All seven playoff groups are set — the one factor left to determine is seeding.

The Ravens,

The Ravens, Dolphins, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Payments and Pittsburgh Steelers will signify the AFC within the playoffs.

The Texans (10-7) clinched a berth with their win over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. The Payments (10-6) and Steelers (10-7) clinched after the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) misplaced their season finale to the Tennessee Titans.

Sunday night time’s Dolphins-Payments sport will determine the AFC East, in addition to the first-round matchups.

If the Payments win, they’ll be the No. 2 seed and host the No. 7 Steelers, whereas the No. 3 Chiefs will host the No. 6 Dolphins.

If the Dolphins win, they’ll be the No. 2 seed and host the No. 7 Payments once more, whereas the No. 3 Chiefs host the No. 6 Steelers.

If the Dolphins and Payments tie, Miami would be the No. 2 seed and host the No. 7 Steelers, with the No. 3 Chiefs internet hosting the No. 6 Payments.

Playoff schedule, TV data

Wild-card spherical (all occasions Japanese)

Saturday, Jan. 13

• Sport 1: 4:30 p.m. (NBC)
• Sport 2: 8:15 p.m. (Peacock)

Sunday, Jan. 14

• Sport 3: 1 p.m. (TBD)
• Sport 4: 4:30 p.m. (TBD)
• Sport 5: 8:15 p.m. (TBD)

Monday, Jan. 15

• Sport 6: 8:15 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)

Divisional spherical

Stakes will rise with two video games apiece on Jan. 20 and 21. Occasions and networks TBD.

Convention championships

Each convention championship video games happen on Sunday, Jan. 28.

Tremendous Bowl LVIII

The Tremendous Bowl kicks off Feb. 11 and will probably be aired by CBS this yr. This yr’s sport is at Allegiant Stadium, residence of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Required studying

(Photograph: Christian Petersen / Getty Photographs)