The NFL playoff bracket is set and the new format could lead to chaos
- The NFL playoff bracket is now set.
- The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers are the top seeds.
- The 2-seeds don't get a first-round bye this year and it could lead to chaos.
Week 17 is in the books, and the playoff bracket is set.
In the "Sunday Night Football" contest, the Washington Somethings beat the Philadelphia Eagles and clinched the NFC East, the final playoff spot, and a home playoff game with a yawn-inducing 7-9 record.
Here is the playoff bracket for the NFL with the lowest-remaining seeds facing the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers in the second round.
The big change this year is the addition of a seventh playoff team in each conference. With that move, only the top seeds get a first-round bye, increasing the likelihood of chaos in the playoffs. If either the Buffalo Bills or the New Orleans Saints were to lose in the first round, it would open the door for a lesser team to host a second-round game and make it more likely for a lower seed to reach a conference championship game.
We also know the television schedule for the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Saturday
- 1:05 ET on CBS: (7) Indianapolis Colts at (2) Buffalo Bills
- 4:40 ET on Fox: (6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Seattle Seahawks
- 8:15 ET on NBC: (5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at (4)
Sunday
- 1:05 ET on ESPN: (5) Baltimore Ravens at (4) Tennessee Titans
- 4:40 ET on Nick/Prime Video: (7) Chicago Bears at (2) New Orleans Saints
- 8:15 ET on NBC: (6) Cleveland Browns at (3) Pittsburgh Steelers