The NFL playoffs are here.
Beginning Saturday, 14 teams will face off for the honor of playing in the much-anticipated Super Bowl LV, scheduled for February 7.
With games being played during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the season has been anything but typical. Now, though, we’ve reached the postseason. Here’s what you should know going into the weekend.
The Cleveland Browns are riding high
A close 24-22 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the last game of the regular season clinched a wild-card spot for the Browns, the team’s first playoff appearance since 2002.
It’s no small feat. Cleveland’s playoff drought was the longest in the NFL. With a 11-5 record, the season marks the first time since 2007 that the team has finished with more than 10 wins. Just three years ago, in 2017, the Browns went 0-16.
The No. 6 seed in the AFC, the Browns will play the Steelers, who are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and were 12-4 in the regular season.
The Bills are trying to rewrite history
The Buffalo Bills are hoping to end a long playoff drought. Last season, the team clinched a wild-card spot, only to lose. It’s a story with which the Bills are familiar, having not won a playoff game since 1995.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws a pass against the Miami Dolphins in the first half at Bills Stadium on Sunday, January 3, in Orchard Park, New York.
This weekend, the Bills will try to overcome that history. The team won the AFC East with a 13-3 record and are the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Bills face the No. 7 seed Indianapolis Colts, who went 11-5 in the regular season and clinched a wild-card spot. Will the team at last break its playoff drought? Only time will tell.
Wild card weekend starts Saturday
Because of Covid-19, the NFL has increased the number of teams in the playoffs from the usual 12 to 14.
This weekend — January 9-10 — kicks off the playoffs with the wild card round. Three games will be played each day. Here’s the schedule with the home team listed first.
Saturday, January 9
- Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. Indianapolis Colts (11-5), 1:05 p.m. ET on CBS
- Seattle Seahawks (12-4) vs. Los Angeles Rams (10-6), 4:40 p.m. ET on Fox
- Washington Football Team (7-9) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5), 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC
Sunday, January 10
- Tennessee Titans (11-5) vs. Baltimore Ravens (11-5), 1:05 p.m. ET on ESPN
- New Orleans Saints (12-4) vs. Chicago Bears (8-8), 4:40 p.m. ET on CBS
- Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) vs. Cleveland Browns (11-5), 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC
Dates to remember
After the wild card round, the divisional round begins the following weekend on January 16.
On January 24, the conference championships will take place — determining which of the remaining teams will head to the Super Bowl LV and battle for the title and those coveted rings.
The 55th Super Bowl will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
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