The NFL playoffs are just around the corner! Only one week of the regular season separates NFL fans from the tournament for the championship in the NFL. BILD provides you with the current playoff picture, the teams and all other information about the NFL final.
The NFL playoffs have a long tradition!
In the NFL, the 14 best teams in the league compete against each other after the regular season. In a knockout system, the teams play for participation in the Super Bowl. This qualification system has existed since 1967. At that time, the NFL still consisted of 16 teams, which were divided into four divisions. Just like today, the league was split into two large conferences. The AFC and the NFC (American Football Conference and National Football Conference). And although the league is now twice as big, the basic playoff concept still exists today.
This year we can look forward to the 56th Super Bowl. Super Bowl LVI takes place on February 13th at SoFI Stadium in California. BILD shows you which teams have qualified for the playoffs this year, which teams can still dream of the playoffs and which teams have already been finally eliminated.
Here you can refresh your knowledge of the NFL rules before the start of the playoffs.
Das Playoff-Picture
For the first time in NFL history, this year is an 18th week of the regular season. The two best teams of the AFC and NFC get a free week in the playoffs as a so-called “1st seed”. They practically move into the 2nd round of the tournament without having to play for it.
14 teams make it into the NFL playoffs. In addition to the two conference winners, 12 teams play in a so-called wild card round. These 12 teams have to fight for a place in round 2. Which teams are currently on the 1st seed, which teams are playing on the wild card weekend and what the current playoff picture of the NFL looks like can be seen here:
The NFL playoff teams
Before week 18 of the regular NFL season, 11 teams are already in the playoffs. With the Green Bay Packers, a team has already won its conference. With 13 wins in the regular season, the Packers win the NFC and automatically advance to the second round of the playoffs.
A total of 12 teams compete against each other on the wildcard weekend of the NFL playoffs. In the NFC, five wild card participants have already been determined: the Los Angeles Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles. The San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints are currently fighting for the last playoff spot.
In contrast to the NFC, the race for the championship in the AFC still looks exciting. Because although the Tennessee Titans are on pole position, they could gamble away the title shortly before the finish line. If the Titans lose to the Houston Texans at the weekend, both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals could climb to the top seed of the AFC with a win of their own. All three teams have at least their playoff participation in their pockets.
But not only the fight for the 1st seed is more exciting in the AFC. Even in the race for the last wildcard places, anything is still possible before the last game day. With the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens five teams are fighting for two remaining playoff places. The Colts and Chargers are currently in the playoffs. Should these two teams actually move into the playoffs, they would be the last candidates for the 2021/22 season, along with the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots.
These teams are sure to be in the playoffs:
| Team | Record | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 13-3 | NFC |
| Los Angeles Rams | 12-4 | NFC |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 12-4 | NFC |
| Arizona Cardinals | 11-5 | NFC |
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-5 | NFC |
| Tennessee Titans | 11-5 | AFC |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 11-5 | AFC |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10-6 | AFC |
| Buffalo Bills | 10-6 | AFC |
| New England Patriots | 10-6 | AFC |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-7 | NFC |
For these teams, the dream of the Super Bowl has not yet burst:
| Team | Record | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-7 | AFC |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 9-7 | AFC |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 9-7 | AFC |
| San Francisco 49ers | 9-7 | NFC |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-7-1 | AFC |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8-8 | AFC |
| New Orleans Saints | 8-8 | NFC |
Sentence with X, that was probably nothing!
32 teams play in the NFL. 14 of them reach the playoffs, 18 go empty-handed. Here you can see the teams that can no longer make it into the playoffs and thus no longer into the Super Bowl this season:
| Team | Record | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 8-8 | AFC |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-9 | NFC |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-9 | AFC |
| Denver Broncos | 7-9 | AFC |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-9 | NFC |
| Chicago Bears | 6-10 | NFC |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-10 | NFC |
| Washington Football Team | 6-10 | NFC |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-11 | NFC |
| Houston Texans | 4-12 | AFC |
| New York Giants | 4-12 | NFC |
| New York Jets | 4-12 | AFC |
| Detroit Lions | 2-13-1 | NFC |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-14 | AFC |
The last week of the NFL regular season is coming up. And she has the talent! Great games, great pairings and lots of playoff decisions. Here’s the schedule for Week 18 in the NFL:
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