NFL Playoff Schedule 2020: AFC, NFC Bracket Details and Latest Picks

Kristopher KnoxDec 31, 2020

The 2020 NFL playoff field isn't quite set just yet. With one week to go, 18 teams remain alive in the playoff race, and only one top seed has been determined. The wild-card chase remains heated, especially in the AFC, and two divisions are still up for grabs.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the only team locked into a playoff seed entering Week 17. They have secured the AFC's No. 1 seed.

While we don't know what the matchups on Wild Card Weekend will be—aside from the Chiefs versus a week of rest—we do know when it will be played.

Here, you'll find an early look at the full playoff schedule, the current standings, the latest playoff buzz and predictions for the final postseason field.

Week 17 Playoff Picture

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Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs 14-1 (Y, Z)

2. Buffalo Bills 12-3 (Z)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 12-3 (Z)

4. Tennessee Titans 10-5

5. Miami Dolphins 10-5

6. Baltimore Ravens 10-5

7. Cleveland Browns 10-5

8. Indianapolis Colts 10-5

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers 12-3 (Z)

2. New Orleans Saints 11-4 (Z)

3. Seattle Seahawks 11-4 (Z)

4. Washington Football Team 6-9

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-5 (X)

6. Los Angeles Rams 9-6

7. Chicago Bears 8-7

8. Arizona Cardinals 8-7

9. Dallas Cowboys 6-9

10. New York Giants 5-10

X = clinched playoff spot, Y = clinched playoff bye, Z = clinched division

2020-21 NFL Playoff Schedule

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AJ Mast/Associated Press

Wild Card Weekend

January 9-10

Game Times TBD

Divisional Round

January 16-17

Game Times TBD

Championship Weekend

Sunday, January 24

NFC vs. NFC: 3:05 p.m.

AFC vs. AFC: 6:40 p.m.

Super Bowl LV

Sunday, February 7

AFC vs. NFC: 6:30 p.m.

Week 17 Playoff Primer

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Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Chiefs have earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Chiefs have announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes will not play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Chad Henne will start in his place. That's not surprising, as everything has been locked up for Kansas City already.

Things are a little less clear at the top of the NFC playoff race. The Green Bay Packers only need a win over the Chicago Bears to secure the No. 1 seed, but both the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints are alive in that race.

The Saints would secure the No. 1 seed with a Packers loss, a win and a Seattle win. Seattle can get it with a win, a Green Bay loss and a New Orleans loss or tie.

The Buffalo Bills only need to win in Week 17 to lock up the No. 2 seed in the AFC. If the Bills happen to lose, though, the Pittsburgh Steelers could take the second seed with a win over the Cleveland Browns. However, the Steelers have announced that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and other starters will rest in the finale.

Unfortunately for the Browns, Cleveland isn't going to be at full strength. The Browns, who were forced to play without their top four receivers and two starting linebackers in Week 15, have reported positive COVID-19 cases for the second straight day.

A Browns loss will open the door for the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC. A win puts Cleveland in the postseason for the first time since 2002.

The winner of the AFC South will be the AFC's fourth seed, but that race isn't settled yet. The Tennessee Titans will clinch the division with a win over the Houston Texans, a loss by the Colts or ties by both Tennessee and Indy. The Colts can win the division with a win and a Titans loss. If the Titans don't win the division, they'll still get into the postseason with losses by the Miami Dolphins or Baltimore Ravens.

If the Colts don't win the AFC South, they'll need a win and losses by the Ravens, Dolphins or Browns to get in. A tie and a loss by any of those three teams would also get Indianapolis in.

The Ravens can earn a berth with a win, a Cleveland Browns loss, a Colts loss or a tie and ties by Cleveland or Indy. They can also get in with a tie and losses by the Miami Dolphins or the Titans. The Dolphins can get in with a win or a Ravens, Browns or Colts loss.

In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals are playoff-bound with a win or a tie and a Bears loss. Chicago can get a berth by beating the Packers or with a Cardinals loss. Ties by both the Bears and the Cardinals would also put Chicago into the postseason.

The Los Angeles Rams are in the playoffs with a win over Arizona, a tie, or a loss or tie by Chicago. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are already locked into a wild-card spot, though they're eager to make sure it's the top one.

"We're gonna play everybody," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "We wanna be 11-5, and we want that five seed."

The NFC East can be claimed by the Washington Football Team with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. If the Eagles win that game, however, the winner of the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants matchup will claim the division.

There's a chance that a 6-10 Giants team will win the NFC East and host the 11-5 Buccaneers next weekend.