NFL Playoff picture 2021: Top bracket seeds, wild card match-ups and scenarios

On Sunday, the NFL schedule for the opening weekend of the playoffs was announced with a decidedly different look. Not only will there be 14 teams in the postseason for the first time in league history but there will also be some fresh faces and that's because the two longest playoff droughts in the NFL both came to an end this year. Washington Football Team's win on Sunday night clinched the NFC East division title as Ron Rivera's franchise booked their place in the 2020 playoff field.

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NFL playoff picture: Playoff schedule for Super Wild Card Weekend announced

This season, the NFL expanded its postseason to 14 teams, meaning only the two No. 1 seeded franchises - the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC - will get first-round byes. The other 12 teams that have qualified for the playoffs will compete in a six-game wild-card weekend that begins in five days. 

After managing to play 256 regular-season games, all the NFL has to do is play 13 more to crown a Super Bowl champion. Here's the entire schedule for the postseason: 

Wild Card weekend

Saturday, January 9

• AFC No. 7 seed Indianapolis Colts at AFC No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills, 1:05 PM ET (11:35 AM IST)
• NFC No. 6 seed Los Angeles Rams at NFC No. 3 seed Seattle Seahawks, 4:40 PM ET (Sunday, 3:10 AM IST)
• NFC No. 5 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NFC No. 4 seed Washington Football Team, 8:15 PM ET (Sunday, 6:45 AM IST)

Sunday, January 10

• AFC No. 5 seed Baltimore Ravens at AFC No. 4 seed Tennessee Titans, 1:05 PM ET (11:35 PM IST)
• NFC No. 7 seed Chicago Bears at NFC No. 2 seed New Orleans Saints, 4:40 PM ET (Monday, 3:10 AM IST)
• AFC No. 6 seed Cleveland Browns at AFC No. 3 seed Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 PM ET (Monday, 6:45 AM IST)

ALSO READ: NFL On Pace To Set Scoring Record In 2020 Season

Divisional Rounds 

Saturday, January 16

AFC Divisional Round
NFC Divisional Round

Sunday, January 17

AFC Divisional Round
NFC Divisional Round

The Packers and Chiefs will be playing their first games of the postseason in the divisional round but the schedule hasn't been released as of yet. 

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Championship Sunday

Sunday, January 24

NFC Championship, 3:05 PM ET (Monday, 1:35 AM IST)
AFC Championship, 6:40 PM ET (Monday, 5:10 AM IST)

ALSO READ: NFL Races Go Down To The Wire In AFC South And NFC East

Super Bowl LV

Sunday, February 7

AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion in Tampa, 6:30 PM ET (5:00 AM IST)

Image Credits - washingtonfootball.com