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How does the NFL playoff format work? Dynamic postseason bracket explained
Things can change very quickly in the NFL. That's especially true in the playoffs, where the dynamic format of the postseason bracket can create a variety of different matchups for each team after the wild-card round completes.
Unlike in other sports, the matchups in the divisional (second) round games in the NFL playoffs are entirely contingent on the remaining seeds to come out of the wild-card (first) round. The winners of some of the earlier games on wild card weekend – or the No. 1 seeds that earned a bye past the first round – may not know their future opponents until the end of the action on Monday night.
Since the format of the NFL's postseason is so unique, USA TODAY Sports is here to break down how it all works, including a specific explanation for why the divisional round matchups this year ended up the way they did.
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NFL playoff format: How dynamic postseason bracket works
The NFL's playoff bracket is dynamic. Instead of a static bracket, which is standard in most other sports' postseasons, pro football doesn't have a tournament with predetermined sets of matchups.
For example, in MLB's 12-team playoffs, the No. 6 seed – the worst of three wild-card teams – plays the No. 3 seed, with the winner of the three-game series guaranteed to play the No. 1 seed in the next round. Similarly, the NCAA men's and women's basketball brackets have a strict format that has the No. 1 seeds (assuming they beat the No. 16 seed) playing the winners of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed games, and so on.
In the NFL's playoff format, the No. 1 seed in each conference is guaranteed a bye through the wild-card round, but their divisional round matchup is not a guaranteed meeting with the winner of a specific first-round game. Instead, the top seeds in each both face whichever seed is the lowest remaining after wild-card weekend.
So, if the No. 7 seed upsets the No. 2 seed in the wild-card round, they'd travel to face the No. 1 seed on the road. But if the No. 2 seed wins, they'd play the second-lowest seed remaining instead.
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How this year's wild-card results affected dynamic bracket
This year's playoffs has provided good examples of possible outcomes between the two conferences.
In the AFC, the higher seeds – the three divisional winners playing in the wild-card round (the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans) – each won their respective matchups. That means the No. 4-seeded Texans will face the No. 1-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round, while the two remaining teams will clash in the other divisional round game.
In the NFC, the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders pulled off an upset of the No. 3 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers' loss to the No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles made Washington the lowest seed remaining, so the Commanders will travel to Detroit to face the Lions. Had the Buccaneers won, the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams would have been the NFC's lowest seed remaining, and they'd be headed to Detroit instead while Tampa Bay played the Eagles in Philadelphia.
With just eight teams left – four in each conference – in the divisional round, there's no additional room for the bracket's dynamic nature. The four teams that win this weekend will face off in their respective conference championship games to determine who will travel to New Orleans for Super Bowl 59.
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NFL playoff bracket
AFC
Divisional round
Conference championship
Divisional round winners, higher seed hosts
NFC
No. 1 seed Detroit Lions vs. No. 6 seed Washington Commanders
No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams
Conference championship
Divisional round winners face off and the higher seed hosts
Super Bowl 59
Conference championship winners play at a neutral site
This year's Super Bowl will be played at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does NFL playoff format work? Dynamic postseason bracket explained
