Expanded NFL Playoffs Kick Off Saturday With Wild-Card Games

January 7, 2021 Ryan Berenz Sports Comments Off

The NFL hopes more is merrier as the playoffs expand from 12 to 14 teams beginning this postseason.

An additional wild-card team in both the AFC and the NFC means a total of six games will be played in the wild-card round for the first time in NFL history.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, the Indianapolis Colts are at the Buffalo Bills, the Los Angeles Rams visit the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the road to face the Washington Football Team. Sunday’s action has the Baltimore Ravens at the Tennessee Titans, the Chicago Bears at the New Orleans Saints and the Cleveland Browns at the Pittsburgh Steelers. See the full playoff seeds and schedule below.

The AFC’s No. 1 seeded Kansas City Chiefs and the NFC’s No. 1 seeded Green Bay Packers both have byes in the wild-card round. Their opponents in the divisional round will be determined once the wild-card games are completed.

Also new this season, additional TV and streaming networks will simulcast the wild-card games. Freeform airs a female-targeted broadcast of the Tennessee-Baltimore game on Sunday afternoon, and Nickelodeon has kid-friendly coverage of the Chicago-New Orleans game.

2021 NFL Playoffs Seeds

AFC
1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-2), AFC West champion
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3), AFC East champion
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4), AFC North champion
4. Tennessee Titans (11-5), AFC South champion
5. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
6. Cleveland Browns (11-5)
7. Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

NFC
1. Green Bay Packers (13-3), NFC North champion
2. New Orleans Saints (12-4) NFC South champion
3. Seattle Seahawks (12-4), NFC West champion
4. Washington Football Team (7-9), NFC East champion
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
6. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
7. Chicago Bears (8-8)

NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS 2021 TV SCHEDULE

All times Eastern.

Saturday, January 9
AFC Wild Card: Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills, 1:05pm, CBS & CBS All Access
NFC Wild Card: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, 4:40pm, Fox
NFC Wild Card: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Football Team, 8:15pm, NBC

Sunday, January 10
AFC Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans, 1:05pm, ESPN/ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+ & Freeform
NFC Wild Card: Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints, 4:40pm, CBS, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime & CBS All Access
AFC Wild Card: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15pm, NBC & Peacock

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Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.