We've finally reached the point in the NFLcalendar when teams can begin clinching postseason spots. December marks the final month of regular-season games before what could be another exciting playoff run.
Things haven't been quite as expected this year. Typically, there are at least five different playoff teams year over year, meaning nearly half of the 14-team postseason field is expected to change every January.
Many of the playoff mainstays we've seen over the last five years are in trouble with a month to go until the postseason. Baltimore is on pace for its fewest wins since 2021 and in danger of missing the playoffs entirely. Kansas City's run of seven straight conference championship games may come to an end after multiple losses in close games added up in the earlier weeks of the season.
It's not just the AFC, either. Reigning NFC No. 1 seed Detroit is battling with Chicago and Green Bay for the division and entered Week 15 on the outside looking in of the wild-card positions. Reigning champion Philadelphia's likely going to take the NFC East once again but doesn't look like the dominant team we saw in the Super Bowl last February.
There are still a few weeks to decide how the divisions and wild-card positions will pan out. But what happens after that? Here's your early guide to the NFL playoff schedule, seeding and where the games will be played.
NFL playoffs schedule
Week 18 of the regular season is limited entirely to Sunday, Jan. 4. Once those 16 games are complete, the 14-team postseason field will be set and the playoffs will begin the following weekend. The postseason is five weeks with at least one game in four of those weeks.
Wild-card round
The No. 2 through No. 7 seeds will face off in six games over three days.
- Saturday, Jan. 10: Two games
- Sunday, Jan. 11: Three games
- Monday, Jan. 12: One game (ESPN and ABC)
Divisional round
- Saturday, Jan. 17: Two games
- Sunday, Jan. 18: Two games
Conference championship games
- Sunday, Jan. 25: Two games
Super Bowl 60
- Sunday, Feb. 8: NFC champion vs. AFC champion
NFL playoff format
Each conference will have seven playoff teams: four division winners (No. 1 through No. 4) and three at-large teams, called wild cards (No. 5 through No. 7). The division winners are ranked by best record to worst and will each host at least one playoff game.
The No. 1 seed in each conference has a bye during the first weekend of the playoffs.
The team seeded higher in each playoff matchup hosts that contest until the Super Bowl.
Wild card round
- No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed
- No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
- No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Divisional round
- No. 1 seed vs. lowest remaining seed
- Second-highest remaining seed vs. second-lowest remaining seed
Conference championship
- Divisional round winners face off
Super Bowl
- AFC champion vs. NFC champion
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff schedule: Dates, format, seeding, bracket