The Super Bowl 58 matchup has been set. Here is one final look at the NFL playoff bracket as we prepare for the conclusion of the 2023 NFL season.
NFL Playoff Bracket Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII
AFC Playoff Seeds and Standings
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – Eliminated
2. Buffalo Bills (11-6) – Eliminated
3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)
4. Houston Texans (10-7) – Eliminated
5. Cleveland Browns (11-6) – Eliminated
6. Miami Dolphins (11-6) – Eliminated
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) – Eliminated
NFC Playoff Seeds and Standings
1. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
2. Dallas Cowboys (12-5) – Eliminated
3. Detroit Lions (12-5) – Eliminated
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) – Eliminated
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) – Eliminated
6. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) – Eliminated
7. Green Bay Packers (9-8) – Eliminated
Conference Round Recap
The first game of the Conference Championship was between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. In what many expected to be a high-scoring affair, the Chiefs actually got out to an early lead and allowed their defense to do the rest.
The Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes connection continued to be the difference maker, as the tight end hauled in 11 targets for over 100 yards en route to breaking Jerry Rice’s postseason reception record.
Sunday night, the NFC Championship Game did not disappoint. After going up 17 points in the first half, the Detroit Lions collapsed in the second as the San Francisco 49ers mounted one of the largest Conference Championship comebacks in history to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Brock Purdy impressed, not just with his arm, but also with his legs as he racked up more than 50 rushing yards in key moments. Now, Purdy will try to win the Super Bowl against Mahomes on Feb. 11.
Super Bowl LVIII
Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
6:30 p.m. (CBS)
How Many Teams Make the NFL Playoffs?
A total of 14 teams make the NFL playoffs. This includes seven teams from the American Football Conference (AFC) and seven from the National Football Conference (NFC).
Each of the four division champions from the two conferences automatically earns a bid, followed by three Wild Card teams from each conference.
The three Wild Card spots in each conference are earned by the top three teams by record who did not win their respective divisions. To break ties between teams with equal records that are vying for a Wild Card spot, the NFL employs a set of tiebreaking procedures.
There are separate 12-step processes for breaking ties between two teams and ties between three or more teams. Only if the first 11 steps are exhausted does the NFL resort to a coin toss to decide which team makes the playoffs. Generally, ties are broken within the first five steps.
NFL Playoff Format and Bracket
Teams are seeded Nos. 1 through 7 in each conference, with the division winners receiving seeds Nos. 1 through 4 and the three Wild Card teams receiving seeds Nos. 5 through 7.
The division winners are seeded according to record, with the best record receiving the top seed, and the same is true of Wild Card teams.
The league uses the same playoff tiebreaking procedures to break ties for seeds.
The NFL’s playoff bracket is divided between the AFC and NFC. There are four rounds: Wild Card Weekend, the Divisional Round, Conference Championship Weekend, and the Super Bowl.
During Wild Card Weekend, the No. 2 seed faces the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed faces the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed faces the No. 5 seed in each conference. In each subsequent round, the highest-remaining seed faces the lowest-remaining seed, and so on.
The No. 1 seed receives a first-round bye. In this format, the No. 7 seed, if they win on Wild Card Weekend, automatically visits the top seed on the road. The same applies if the No. 6 seed wins and the No. 7 seed is eliminated.
In the Super Bowl, the winning teams from each conference face off to battle for the Lombardi Trophy.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!