NFL expands playoffs to 14 teams, giving Dallas Cowboys one extra opportunity in 2020
The NFL has officially increased the number of playoff teams from 12 to 14.
NFL owners, voting during a league meeting held remotely Tuesday, followed the recommendation of the Competition Committee, Management Council Executive Committee and Media Committee to expand the playoff format starting next season.
There will be two additional wild card teams, one from the AFC and one from the NFC.
The No. 1 seed in each conference will not only continue to enjoy home-field advantage, but they will be the only squads to have a first-round bye under the new playoff format.
The remaining division champions in each conference will be seeded 2, 3, and 4. They will host, respectively, the 7th seed, 6th seed and 5th seed.
Assuming the 2020 season starts on time, wild card weekend will fall on the second weekend of 2021, with three games Saturday, Jan. 9, and another three games Sunday, Jan. 10.
CBS will broadcast one additional wild-card game on January 10 with a kickoff at approximately 4:40 p.m. ET. The game will also be available via a livestream on CBS All Access. Additionally, as part of CBS’ coverage, a separately produced telecast of the game will air on Nickelodeon, tailored for a younger audience.
NBC, its new streaming service Peacock and Telemundo will all broadcast an additional wild-card game on January 10 with kickoff at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET.
The NFL last expanded the playoffs during the 1990 season, when the league increased the number of teams to qualify for the postseason from 10 to 12.
For all you Dallas Cowboys’ fans thinking that last season’s 8-8 squad would have been saved by this format, not so fast. Yes, the Cowboys finished only one game behind the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles at 9-7, however, the Los Angeles Rams (9-7) would have seized the No. 7 spot.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 1:38 PM.
