NFL Playoffs 2023

The NFL season is only about half a dozen months long, including the preseason, and the NFL playoffs are just around a month long. That means for approximately half of the year, there is no NFL action. Yet when the NFL playoffs begin, it is the most electrifying atmosphere anyone could ask for. The NFL playoffs not only bring out a different emotion amongst fans, but they also ensure that the teams bring their A-game every week. The ultimate glory is the road to the Lombardi trophy, and players and coaches are aware that every game going forward is an elimination. That being said, let us get into the details of the NFL Playoffs.

What is the NFL Playoffs?

The NFL Playoffs generally run for one month, and they start in mid-January and end in mid-February. The NFL playoffs consist of three rounds before the Super Bowl. The first round of the playoffs is called the Wild Card round, followed by the Divisional round and then the Conference round. The Wild Card round is also commonly referred to as the Wild Card weekend.

At the start of the first round of playoffs, there are a total of 14 teams in the playoffs, with seven teams from both conferences. As each conference is further subdivided into four divisions, all four division winners from both conferences automatically make the playoffs. The remaining three spots are the Wild Card spots, and they go to the teams with the next best records in the respective conferences. In case multiple teams have similar win-loss records, then there are tie-breakers, such as head-to-head records, which decide the outcome of which teams will progress.

What is the NFL playoff format?

The NFL playoff format is pretty easy to understand once you know how the teams are seeded in both conferences. The format has undergone minor changes over the years. Therefore for the sake of this article, we will consider the a scenario.

Taking the example of the AFC, there are four divisions in the conference which are the AFC East, AFC West, AFC North, and AFC South. Out of these four divisions, every division winner makes the playoffs. Furthermore, the team with the best record out of these four teams is the conference winner and gets the number 1 seed. The remaining three teams will get the number 2,3, and 4 seeds based on their records. The Wild Card seeds of numbers 5,6, and 7 are then decided by the remaining teams with the next best records in the conference.

Now that we have established how teams are seeded, the next step is understanding which 2 teams will face off against each other in the playoff rounds. First and foremost, the number 1 seed gets two distinct advantages as that team gets home-field advantage meaning they get to play all their games leading up to the Super Bowl at home. In addition to this, the first seed also gets a bye week, which means the team can rest during Wild Card weekend while the others have to play that week.

With the first seed not playing the Wild Card round, the remaining six teams are paired against one another in such a way that the number 2 seed plays the number 7 seed, the number 3 seed takes on the number 6 seed, and the number 4 seed goes up against number 5.

Once the Wild Card round is over and the winning teams are finalized, we head over to the Divisional round. Here, the first seed, which had a bye in the previous round, faces off against the lowest remaining seed in the first game, while the next two seeds take the field in the second matchup.

Upon the conclusion of the Divisional round, the remaining two teams head to the Conference round to fight for the right to play in the Super Bowl. The winning team not only gets to feature in the biggest game the sport has to offer, but they are also crowned as the Conference Champions. The same process takes place for the NFC as well, thus culminating in the grand Super Bowl event featuring both Conference Champions in a winner takes all game.

Historical NFL Playoff moments

Throughout the history of the NFL, there have been some superb playoff performances by teams and individuals alike. The NFL playoffs always bring out high intensity, and players are extra motivated to give it their best as the championship glory is within their grasp. Let’s take a look at a few of the historical NFL playoff moments over the past years.

1. Marcus Allen in Super Bowl XVIII

Marcus Allen was the running back for the then-Los Angeles Raiders during Super Bowl XVIII. They were playing against the then Washington Redskins when Allen ran for a whopping 191 yards. What’s more is that late in the third quarter, he took the ball, headed left as per the play design but, due to a mistake, turned back to the middle and dodged his way to a then Super Bowl rushing record 74-yard touchdown. This run from Marcus Allen is considered to be one of the greatest moments not only in a Super Bowl but also in the playoffs.

1. Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIII

In Super Bowl XXIII, the most remembered moment comes from the winning touchdown catch by John Taylor, with just over 30 seconds to go in the game. However, this game was headlined by Jerry Rice’s exceptional performance, as he caught 11 receptions for 215 yards. Setting Super Bowl records, he helped the 49ers win the game, and in doing so, he won the Super Bowl MVP for himself.

2. Kurt Warner in the 1999 Divisional game

This was the very first playoff start for Kurt Warner, and he completely dismantled the Minnesota Vikings’ defense. In the game, Warner had 391 passing yards and 5 touchdowns, not to mention that 10 different receivers caught his ball that day. Finishing the game with a passer rating of 142.99, this was one of the most memorable NFL playoff moments ever.

3. Tom Brady in the 2011 Divisional game

Given the fact that Tom Brady has won seven Super Bowls and has been in 10 appearances altogether, it is safe to say that he has been part of numerous great NFL playoff moments. Nevertheless, this 2011 divisional game performance ranks right at the top as he and the Patriots humiliated the Denver Broncos with a 45-10 scoreline. Brady in particular, had 363 passing yards and tied the postseason record with 6 touchdown passes.

4. Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII

In Super Bowl XXXII, the Denver Broncos came up against the dominant Green Bay Packers of the 90s. The Packers were already the defending champions and favorites going into the game, but Terrell Davis had other plans. Despite not feeling well and sitting out the second quarter, he finished with 157 rushing yards on his way to the game MVP. He also became the only player to have the most rushing touchdowns in a single Super Bowl, with 3 to his name.

5. Desmond Howard in Super Bowl XXXI

This one is truly magnificent, given the fact that the Super Bowl MVP in this game came from a punt return / kick return specialist in Desmond Howard. This is one of the most unlikely positions on the football field from where a person would expect an MVP performance. Even so, Howard had 6 punt returns for 90 yards and 4 kickoff returns for 154 yards which also includes the spectacular 99-yard return for a touchdown just after the Patriots had scored. His first punt return of 32 yards helped the Packers score a touchdown on their opening drive, while another 34-yard return was good to set them up for a field goal.

The above list is just a glimpse into the most memorable NFL playoff moments, as there are many more such events. Looking forward to the upcoming seasons. There is no doubt that we will get to see many more in the future as well.