The NFL playoffs begin with Super Wild Card Weekend presented by Verizon (January 14-16), which for the second-consecutive year will conclude with a Monday night game.
The NFL Super Wild Card Weekend schedule:
| Saturday, January 14 | |||
| NFC | Seattle at San Francisco | 4:30 PM ET | FOX, FOX Deportes |
| AFC | Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville | 8:15 PM ET | NBC, Peacock, Universo |
Sunday, January 15 |
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| AFC | Miami at Buffalo | 1:00 PM ET | CBS, Paramount+ |
| NFC | New York Giants at Minnesota | 4:30 PM ET | FOX, FOX Deportes |
| AFC | Baltimore at Cincinnati | 8:15 PM ET | NBC, Peacock, Telemundo |
Monday, January 16 |
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| NFC | Dallas at Tampa Bay | 8:15 PM ET | ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-Manningcast, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
The NFL expanded the playoffs in 2020 for the first time since 1990, adding a third Wild Card team in each conference and in the process creating “Super Wild Card Weekend.” With the addition of a Monday night game last year, Super Wild Card Weekend will now have two Wild Card games on Saturday (4:30 PM and 8:15 PM ET), three on Sunday (1:00 PM, 4:30 PM, and 8:15 PM ET), and one on Monday (8:15 PM ET).
On Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks play at the San Francisco 49ers (FOX, FOX Deportes, 4:30 PM ET) and the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (NBC, Peacock, Universo, 8:15 PM ET).
Super Wild Card Weekend continues Sunday as the Miami Dolphins visit the Buffalo Bills (CBS, Paramount+, 1:00 PM ET), the Minnesota Vikings welcome the New York Giants (FOX, FOX Deportes, 4:30 PM ET) and the Baltimore Ravens travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, 8:15 PM ET).
Super Wild Card Weekend concludes with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night (ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-Manningcast, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, 8:15 PM ET).
TURNAROUND TEAMS & CONSISTENT WINNERS HIGHLIGHT PLAYOFF FIELD
There are seven new playoff teams in 2022: BALTIMORE, JACKSONVILLE, the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, MIAMI, MINNESOTA, the NEW YORK GIANTS and SEATTLE.
Since 1990 – a streak of 33 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.
The teams since 1990 to make the playoffs a season after failing to qualify:
| SEASON | PLAYOFF TEAMS NOT IN PREVIOUS SEASON’S PLAYOFFS |
| 1990 | 7 (Cincinnati, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles Raiders, Miami, New Orleans, Washington) |
| 1991 | 5 (Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, New York Jets) |
| 1992 | 6 (Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco) |
| 1993 | 5 (Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Giants) |
| 1994 | 5 (Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, New England, San Diego Chargers) |
| 1995 | 4 (Atlanta, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Philadelphia) |
| 1996 | 5 (Carolina, Denver, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New England) |
| 1997 | 5 (Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, New York Giants, Tampa Bay) |
| 1998 | 5 (Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, New York Jets) |
| 1999 | 7 (Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis Rams, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington) |
| 2000 | 6 (Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia) |
| 2001 | 6 (Chicago, Green Bay, New England, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Francisco) |
| 2002 | 5 (Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Tennessee) |
| 2003 | 8 (Baltimore, Carolina, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New England, St. Louis Rams, Seattle) |
| 2004 | 5 (Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego Chargers) |
| 2005 | 7 (Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Washington) |
| 2006 | 7 (Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Diego Chargers) |
| 2007 | 6 (Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington) |
| 2008 | 7 (Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia) |
| 2009 | 6 (Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, New England, New Orleans, New York Jets) |
| 2010 | 5 (Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Seattle) |
| 2011 | 6 (Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Houston, New York Giants, San Francisco) |
| 2012 | 4 (Indianapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, Washington) |
| 2013 | 5 (Carolina, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Diego Chargers) |
| 2014 | 5 (Arizona, Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh) |
| 2015 | 4 (Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Washington) |
| 2016 | 6 (Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders) |
| 2017 | 8 (Buffalo, Carolina, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Tennessee) |
| 2018 | 7 (Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle) |
| 2019 | 5 (Buffalo, Green Bay, Minnesota, San Francisco, Tennessee) |
| 2020 | 7 (Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington) |
| 2021 | 7 (Arizona, Cincinnati, Dallas, Las Vegas, New England, Philadelphia, San Francisco) |
| 2022 | 7 (Baltimore, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami, Minnesota, New York Giants, Seattle) |
Two teams won division titles – Jacksonville (AFC South) and Minnesota (NFC North) – after missing the playoffs last season. At least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 19 of the past 20 years.
Jacksonville completed the “worst-to-first” turnaround, winning the AFC South the season after finishing in last place. At least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 18 of the past 20 seasons.
The divisions with new champions in 2022:
| AFC SOUTH | NFC EAST | NFC NORTH | NFC WEST | |
| 2022 | Jacksonville | Philadelphia | Minnesota | San Francisco |
| 2021 | Tennessee | Dallas | Green Bay | Los Angeles Rams |
In the 21 seasons since realignment in 2002, 30 of the 32 NFL teams have won a division title at least once.
How the 2022 playoff teams have fared in the 21 seasons since realignment in 2002 (2022 division winners in bold/italics):
| TEAM | DIVISION TITLES | PLAYOFF BERTHS |
| Seattle | 9 | 15 |
| Philadelphia | 9 | 13 |
| Kansas City | 9 | 12 |
| Baltimore | 6 | 12 |
| Cincinnati | 6 | 9 |
| Dallas | 6 | 9 |
| L.A. Chargers | 5 | 8 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 8 |
| San Francisco | 5 | 7 |
| Tampa Bay | 5 | 6 |
| N.Y. Giants | 3 | 8 |
| Buffalo | 3 | 5 |
| Jacksonville | 2 | 4 |
| Miami | 1 | 3 |
Six of this season’s 14 playoff teams have won at least one Super Bowl since 2000, capturing nine of the past 21 Vince Lombardi Trophies. Those teams are the Buccaneers (XXXVII, LV), Giants (XLII, XLVI), Ravens (XXXV, XLVII), Chiefs (LIV), Eagles (LII) and Seahawks (XLVIII).
| SUPER BOWL | SEASON | WINNER |
| XXXV | 2000 | Baltimore Ravens* |
| XXXVI | 2001 | New England Patriots |
| XXXVII | 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers* |
| XXXVIII | 2003 | New England Patriots |
| XXXIX | 2004 | New England Patriots |
| XL | 2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| XLI | 2006 | Indianapolis Colts |
| XLII | 2007 | New York Giants* |
| XLIII | 2008 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| XLIV | 2009 | New Orleans Saints |
| XLV | 2010 | Green Bay Packers |
| XLVI | 2011 | New York Giants* |
| XLVII | 2012 | Baltimore Ravens* |
| XLVIII | 2013 | Seattle Seahawks* |
| XLIX | 2014 | New England Patriots |
| 50 | 2015 | Denver Broncos |
| LI | 2016 | New England Patriots |
| LII | 2017 | Philadelphia Eagles* |
| LIII | 2018 | New England Patriots |
| LIV | 2019 | Kansas City Chiefs* |
| LV | 2020 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers* |
| LVI | 2021 | Los Angeles Rams |
| *In 2022 postseason | ||
The San Francisco 49ers (.607) and Baltimore Ravens (.593) have the second- and third-highest postseason winning percentages in NFL history, while the Cowboys (35 wins) and 49ers (34) are two of the five teams with at least 30 postseason victories all-time.
The 14 playoff teams and their postseason records:
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. |
| San Francisco 49ers | 34 | 22 | .607 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 16 | 11 | .593 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 35 | 29 | .547 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 11 | 10 | .524 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 7 | 7 | .500 |
| New York Giants | 24 | 25 | .490 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 23 | 24 | .489 |
| Miami Dolphins | 20 | 21 | .488 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 17 | 18 | .486 |
| Buffalo Bills | 17 | 19 | .472 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 17 | 21 | .447 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 21 | 30 | .412 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 12 | 18 | .400 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 15 | .348 |
YOUTH & CONSISTENCY HIGHLIGHT THE PLAYOFF QUARTERBACKS
The 2022 postseason is filled with young stars on the rise and veterans at the top of their game at the quarterback position.
Ten teams can start a quarterback who is under the age of 28 – Baltimore (TYLER HUNTLEY, 24 or LAMAR JACKSON, 26), Buffalo (JOSH ALLEN, 26), Cincinnati (JOE BURROW, 26), Jacksonville (TREVOR LAWRENCE, 23), Kansas City (PATRICK MAHOMES, 27), the Los Angeles Chargers (JUSTIN HERBERT, 24), Miami (TUA TAGOVAILOA, 24 or SKYLAR THOMPSON, 25), the New York Giants (DANIEL JONES, 25), Philadelphia (JALEN HURTS, 24) and San Francisco (BROCK PURDY, 23). The most quarterbacks under the age of 28 to start at least one game in a single postseason is eight (2012 and 2020).
Two quarterbacks have won at least one Super Bowl title and have been named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player:
- Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY, who has a league-record seven Super Bowl titles (including leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl LV title in 2020), set the NFL single-season record for completions (490) in 2022 and added 4,694 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes as the Buccaneers earned consecutive NFC South division titles for the first time in franchise history. Brady is the postseason’s all-time leader in games played (47), passing yards (13,049) and touchdown passes (86) and has been named Super Bowl MVP five times, more than any player in league history.
- Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES led the NFL with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes this season to help the Chiefs earn their seventh consecutive AFC West division title and fifth since he became the starting quarterback in 2018. In 11 career postseason starts, he has 3,381 passing yards (307.4 per game) with 33 touchdowns (28 passing, five rushing) against seven interceptions for a 105.7 rating and has led the Chiefs to four consecutive AFC Championship games with two Super Bowl appearances in the past four seasons. During the 2019 season, Mahomes became the youngest quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP honors as Kansas City earned the Super Bowl LIV title.
Six quarterbacks can make at least their second career postseason appearance:
- Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN, who led Buffalo to its third-consecutive AFC East division title, recorded 4,283 passing yards with 42 touchdowns (35 passing, seven rushing) this season and became the first quarterback in NFL history with three career seasons of at least 35 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns. In his first six playoff starts, he has totalled 1,718 passing yards (286.3 per game) with 14 touchdowns against one interception for a 106.6 rating, the highest passer rating in postseason history among quarterbacks who have started at least five games. He also has 371 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown in his playoff career. Allen has 176 career combined passing and rushing touchdowns (138 passing, 38 rushing) in the regular season since entering the NFL in 2018, the most by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
- Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW recorded 4,475 passing yards with 40 touchdowns (35 passing, five rushing) and a 100.8 rating this season and led the Bengals to a second-consecutive AFC North division title. Last season, Cincinnati became the fifth team to appear in a Super Bowl after finishing in last place in its division the season prior and Burrow became the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft to start a Super Bowl within his first two seasons. In four career postseason starts, Burrow has 1,105 passing yards (276.3 per game) with five touchdown passes and a 97.3 rating.
- Minnesota quarterback KIRK COUSINS is set to appear in his fifth-career playoff game, fourth as a starting quarterback, after leading the Vikings to their first NFC North division title since 2018. In three career postseason starts, he has four touchdowns (three pass