NFL Playoff Format: How Do the 2023 NFL Playoffs Work? Schedule, Seeding, and More Explained

The 2023 NFL playoffs are upon us. After a grueling 17-game schedule, the final 14 teams are ready to duke it out to see who emerges as Super Bowl champs.

Week 18 provided plenty of drama when it came to determining the final spot of the playoffs in both conferences. Both the AFC and NFC had three teams vying for the 7th seed.

In the NFC, the Seahawks, Lions, and Packers all had a chance of making the playoffs. The Packers winning would have eliminated the Lions and Seahawks while a Seahawks win and a Lions win would have the Seahawks in, which is exactly what happened.

In the AFC, the Patriots’ loss to the Bills opened the door for the Dolphins and Steelers, and with Miami winning, they find themselves in the playoffs as the final AFC Wild Card.

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NFL Playoff Format: 2023 NFL Playoffs Explained

So, now that the playoff teams are set, it’s worth diving into how the playoffs actually work. Starting in 2020, the NFL changed up the playoff format to incorporate more teams and a different format.

The NFL shifted from 6 teams a conference to 7. To accommodate the odd number of teams, the NFL reduced the number of teams with a bye week.

Instead of two teams having a bye, only the first seed gets a bye. So, in the AFC, the Chiefs earned a bye while in the NFC, the Eagles secured the top spot and a bye.

The remaining six teams battle each other in the wild-card round. The 2nd seed plays the 7th seed, the 3rd seed plays the 6th seed, and the 4th seed plays the 5th seed.

After each round, the teams are reseeded as well. That means the 1st seed will play the lowest seed that advances from the wild card round. The next highest seed will play the next lowest seed that advances.

After that, the remaining two teams will face off in the AFC and NFC championship games respectively. Here’s a look at how the bracket is shaped out for the 2023 NFL playoffs.

NFL Playoff Schedule

Saturday, January 14th

1. #2 San Francisco 49ers vs. #7 Seattle Seahawks: 4:30 p.m. ET
2. #4 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. #5 Los Angeles Chargers: 8:15 p.m. ET

Sunday, January 15th

1. #2 Buffalo Bills vs. #7 Miami Dolphins: 1 p.m. ET
2. #3 Minnesota Vikings vs. #6 New York Giants: 4:30 p.m. ET
3. #3 Cincinnati Bengals vs. #6 Baltimore Ravens: 8:15 p.m. ET

Monday, January 16th

1. #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. #5 Dallas Cowboys: 8:15 p.m. ET

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