Advertisement

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.

NFL playoff picture: Current bracket, schedule, format before Week 9 games

mark giannotto, usa today

It's nearly the halfway point of the 2024 NFL season, which means the contenders and pretenders in this year's playoff race are starting to come into focus. The Kansas City Chiefs are the lone undefeated team remaining and have opened up a 1½-game lead atop the AFC, while the Detroit Lions are currently holding the No. 1 spot in the NFC. The rest of the postseason seeds are much murkier.

In the NFC, there are five teams not currently in the playoff field within one game of a playoff spot. In the AFC, the three division leaders behind the Chiefs have the same record. There's still a lot to be decided as contenders enter the second-half of their schedules.

Here's a complete breakdown of what the NFL playoff picture looks like in the NFC and AFC heading into Week 9 of the 2024 season:

The Detroit Lions currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC through Week 8 games.
The Detroit Lions currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC through Week 8 games.

NFL WEEK 9 GAME ODDS, PREDICTIONS: Expert picks for every matchup

NFL playoff picture: Bracket before Week 9

NFC

AFC

2024-25 NFL Playoffs schedule

All times Eastern

Super wild card weekend

All times Eastern

Saturday, Jan. 11

  • AFC/NFC wild card game: 1 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC wild card game: 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 12

  • AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 13

  • AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 18

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 19

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.

NFL conference championship round

Sunday, Jan. 26

  • NFC Championship Game: 3 p.m.

  • AFC Championship Game: 6:30 p.m.

Super Bowl LIX

  • Date: February 9, 2025

  • Location: Caesar's Superdome (New Orleans)

  • Time: 6:30 p.m.

  • TV: FOX

NFL Playoffs format 2025

The NFL playoffs following the 2024 regular season will once again feature 14 teams total in a single-elimination format, with seven teams qualifying for the AFC bracket and seven teams qualifying from the NFC. The four division winners from each conference are automatically in the field as the top four seeds in the bracket, based on record and tiebreakers. The three wild-card spots in each conference are given to the three best non-division winners based on winning percentage and tiebreakers.

The top seed in each conference receives a bye to the divisional round of the playoffs. The other 12 teams play wild card games during Super Wild Card Weekend, with matchups determined by seeding and the higher seed serving as host. The No. 2 seed – the division winner with the second-best record in each respective conference – hosts the No. 7 seed. The No. 3 seed hosts the No. 6, and the No. 4 seed hosts the No. 5 seed. The loser of each game is eliminated.

The NFL then re-seeds the teams that advance to the divisional round of the postseason based on their regular-season records, with the No. 1 seed hosting the lowest-remaining seed. The other two wild-card game winners play in another divisional round game, with the higher seed serving as host. The winners in the divisional round advance to their respective conference championship game.

The AFC and NFC Championship games determine the two teams that will play in Super Bowl LIX and earn the right to lift the Lombardi Trophy as NFL champion.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff picture: Bracket, schedule, format before Week 9 games