Understanding How the NFL Playoffs Work

It’s the NFL season again; year after year, new fans have started joining watching parties and becoming drawn into football. However, these individuals still don’t fully understand how the playoffs work. 

A playoff is a series of games over a certain period. It is usually played after the regular season between the top NFL competitors to determine this season’s champion. 

For them to truly comprehend the sport, it would be best that they do their research and learn all about the NFL, especially the playoffs. Thus, we will discuss how the playoffs work to help new NFL fans won’t feel left out during this important part of every NFL season. 

How Many Teams Will Play in the Playoffs?

The NFL consists of 32 teams overall. These teams are split into two conferences with 16 teams each: The AFC or American Football Conference and the NFC or National Football Conference. Each respective conference is split into the East, North, West, and South divisions.

Each team plays 16 regular season games, playing most of their games against rivals from their division. Once the regular season is over, seven teams qualify for the playoffs in each conference: the four leaders in each division plus the three best runners-up.

The single-elimination competition that follows the regular season is known as the playoffs. The top seven teams from each conference throughout the regular season compete during this time, which features 14 teams.

The playoffs are contested in a single match in the arena of the team with the highest regular-season score, with the finals series between the top two teams in each conference capping up the postseason. The Super Bowl is the championship game where the NFL champion is determined.

The Playoff Bracket

Unlike the March Madness bracket shown above and the NBA Playoff tournament, the NFL does not operate a “true” bracket. A “true” bracket is one in which each tournament’s winner advances straight to the next round. In the second round, the NFL Playoff bracket is rearranged so that the highest seed(1) for each conference meets the bottom seed left in that conference.

You can watch each team in every division during the playoffs to see how well they perform in given circumstances. Doing so can better predict who will likely play and win the Super Bowl 2023. It will also help you find the best NFL odds to make playoffs betting easier. 

The Playoff Wildcard

Understanding the Wild Card teams in the NFL can be a little challenging, but it’s not as difficult as you might think. One club from each conference that finished last in its division could advance to the playoffs thanks to the NFL’s 1970 introduction of the Wild Card. 

Prior to introducing a third Wild Card club from each conference in 2020, the league would add a second Wild Card team.

The Wild Card places are awarded to the three teams in each conference with the greatest records outside the division winners. If two teams share a similar record and tiebreakers are required to determine the remaining one or two spots, things could get a bit messy. However, the Wild Card allows non-division champions to compete in the postseason.

The club with the best winning percentage in each conference receives a bye during the Wild Card Round of the playoffs because there are now three Wild Card winners and four division winners in each conference. 

It implies that each Wild Card team plays the division champion during the initial round of the playoffs. It gives Wild Card clubs a shot while rewarding teams that won their division by allowing them to host at least one playoff game.

The NFL Playoff Office Pool

To correctly anticipate every game, participants in Playoff Bracket pools select each round of the playoffs before they begin. The Survivor or Eliminator pool, where members must choose one winner each week, is one of the most well-liked office pools. 

The majority of them have a rule that states that once you miss a game, you are out. Contestants are also not allowed to pick a similar team twice. This pool’s primary drawback is that it frequently concludes weeks or even months before the end of the regular. Additionally, many participants lose interest since they are eliminated too early.

An NFL pool will surely challenge you and your friends weekly with the NFL football pool. It will help you make your NFL experience more exciting. Everyone participating can make a pick each week. You can also view each other’s pick after each game.

In Conclusion

Understanding each phase of the NFL is vital for fans to enjoy the sport fully. Understanding the playoffs and everything happening before and during this phase will help you admire the sport even more. And for those looking to bet on the NFL, it will also help you choose the best player that will win ahead of time.