If you apply the new format to the fields since the start of the 2002 season, which would cover 36 additional playoff teams, you find that nine 8-8 teams -- and none with losing records -- would have been No. The NFL has made the first change to its playoff format since 2002 when they shuffled things around slightly due to expansion. So does this new format turn up the heat on Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and Jets coach Adam Gase, who both enter 2020 on the hot seat? Once again, it was the Steelers who just missed out on the AFC side with a record of 9-6-1. 49ers, 2. Yup, and a pretty bad deal for the No. In theory, that means that all four teams from a single division could reach the postseason under the new format. The No. Once again, the home-field advantage is determined by seed. What we learned from the Titans' outbreak, NFL trade deadline tracker: Latest deals, rumors and everything we're hearing, Inside stories of Aaron Rodgers' weirdness, told by his backups. No timeouts. The Chiefs would go on to defeat the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. The top team in the conference takes down the first seed and receives a bye. The 12-team field was set so that the top two seeds in each conference received a bye into the Divisional Round. The CBA includes language for salary-cap calculation of revenue from extra playoff games and paved the way for owners to make Tuesday's decision. Steelers, NFC Seeds: 1. If the seven-team playoff format existed last season, the 8-8 Steelers would’ve landed the AFC’s extra wild-card spot, and the 9-7 Rams would’ve gotten it in the NFC. Vikings, AFC Seeds: 1. The top seed faces the lowest remaining seed. The winners of the six Wild Card games advance to the NFL Divisional Round, which some observers view as the best overall weekend of football of the season. Winners advance to play another day, while the losers face an offseason of coming to terms with what went wrong. Bengals, 4. 2 seeds in that round, meaning that only the No. Second, two more rosters of players will receive playoff shares. The Patriots came out on top of the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. In year’s past, it was six teams from both the AFC and NFC that made the NFL Playoffs for a total of 12 squads, but times are changing. When the teams are from the same division, the same 12 steps can be followed in order. (1:06), How will expanded NFL playoffs work? In recent years, one has been booked for the mid-afternoon window, while the other is scheduled to kickoff closer to primetime. The culmination of a grueling regular season is a tournament featuring the best teams in the league with the winner being crowned Super Bowl champion. Eight wins, though, is a possible threshold. NFL analyst Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. 7 seeds. Titans, 6. For three straight weekends, the top squads for the season at hand go toe-to-toe on the gridiron with even more at stake than normal. Lions, AFC Seeds: 1. (1:06). Packers, 5. The Eagles took down the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. https://www.newsweek.com/nfl-playoffs-new-format-explainer-teams-1495454 It comes down to one word. The winners of the Divisional Round move one step closer to the Big Game. Bottom line: It’s still going to be tough to get that extra wild-card spot with a 7-9 record. How did the gameplay out? But at the moment, that shift seems highly unlikely. This squad had a potent offense, led by Hall of Famer Dan Fouts, and the home-field advantage for the AFC title tilt. Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling problem. They’re also seeded in order by the record. Objectively, though, the No. The higher seeds, or all of the division winners, get home-field advantage for the games. The Chiefs and Titans faced off in the AFC title game, while it was 49ers vs. Packers in the NFC. There is annual debate about the value of a bye, but the truth is, every Super Bowl participant for the past seven seasons has received one. Falcons, AFC Seeds: 1. Seahawks, 6. Every game matters in the NFL Regular Season from a betting perspective and the same holds in the standings. We’ll cover the tie-breaking procedures in a bit. But for now, coaches should view this expansion as a positive development. Each team will play 16 games over this span while having one week off. The chances of an "accidental champion" would increase, Paine found, if the NFL ever expanded to a 16-team field. No. On the AFC side, the Steelers were the bubble team with a mark of 8-8, while the Rams were on the outside looking in at the NFC with a record of 9-7. Chiefs, 3. It looks like the NFL will have a new playoff format in 2020. It starts with an "m" and ends in a "y.". Here’s how the matchups shake out on both sides. There are some preseason games to whet the appetite, but that just makes the anticipation grow even stronger. Chiefs, 2. Beginning in 2020, the field will be expanded from 12 to 14 teams. It's complicated, JuJu Smith-Schuster relishes role as Steelers' No. From early September to late December or early January, there are 17 weeks of NFL regular-season action. The remainder of the postseason remains the same: four games for the Divisional Round, and two for the Conference Championships with the winners advancing to the Super Bowl. Raiders, 6. AFC Seeds: 1. Patriots, 3. Falcons, 3. NFL playoff games are contested on the home field of the higher-seeded team from the Wild Card round through the Conference Championship games. Texans, 5. 2 seed has probably been devalued to a greater degree than the value of the No. 2 seed. Simply put, NFL coaches are less likely to be fired when they make the playoffs. To break ties for Wild Card purposes, there are two choices. Patriots, 2. Naturally, that’ll have a bearing on how the postseason field is decided. The Vikings came up just short in the NFC at 8-7-1. Matthew Stafford's magic leads Detroit to an improbable win, Joe Burrow continues to show he's right guy for Bengals in loss to Browns, Texans should enter sell-now mode after 1-6 start, Friday The 13th cleats, a John Cena homage and more: The best of NFL Week 7 arrivals, 'They don't have a chance': Why Derrick Henry's stiff-arm is so effective for Titans, Jets' GM bolsters future with draft picks, but shouldn't get pass for '20, What did Patriots get from Jimmy Garoppolo trade?