NFL playoffs schedule, Super Bowl basics and everything you need to know about when and where can you watch on Sky Sports | NFL News

The NFL playoffs get underway from Saturday, January 14 with Super Wild Card Weekend

The NFL playoff picture is now confirmed as we continue on the road to the Super Bowl.

On the final weekend of the 2022 NFL regular season, the Miami Dolphins (AFC) and Seattle Seahawks (NFC) pinched the final two wild card spots to confirm their progress through to the playoffs, while the Jacksonville Jaguars too clinched the AFC South division title and the Kansas City Chiefs (AFC) and Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) wrapped up the respective No 1 seeds for each conference.

But what does this all mean? Here is all you need to know about the NFL playoffs, as well as the key dates and timings – with every game shown live on Sky Sports NFL – in the run-up to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, February 12.

How do the playoffs work?

The NFL is made up of 32 competing teams which are separated into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

The AFC and NFC are then further divided by region to comprise four divisions with four teams each: AFC East, North, South and West and NFC East, North, South and West.

At the end of the regular season, a total of 14 teams advance to the playoffs, including the teams with the best record in each of the respective four divisions per conference, plus a further three ‘wild card’ teams determined by which teams own the next-best records in each conference.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Jason Myers’ field goal doinked off the post to see the Seattle Seahawks miss the chance to beat the LA Rams in regulation, but he made up for it in overtime!

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Jason Sanders kicked a 50-yard field goal to win the game against the New York Jets and claim the final AFC playoff spot for the Miami Dolphins

The 2022 season is only the third time that 14 teams qualify for the playoffs, after the format was changed from 12 teams in 2020.

The No 1 seeds in each conference (the two teams with the best win-loss records in the AFC and NFC) receive a first-round bye, while the No 2 seeds host the No 7 seeds, the No 3 seeds hots the No 6 seeds and the No 4 seeds host the No 5 seeds on Super Wild Card Weekend to open the postseason.

The No 1 seeds enter the fold during the subsequent Divisional Round when they will host the lowest remaining seed from their respective conferences, while the second-lowest remaining seed visits the second-highest remaining seed from the winners of the wild card round.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders that ensured they clinched the No 1 seed in the AFC

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL, with the Eagles emerging victorious to wrap up the No 1 seed in the NFC

The respective winners of those two matchups then meet in the Conference Championship games, in what effectively amounts to the semi-finals for the Super Bowl as we find out who advances from each conference to play in the big game which, this year, will be held in Arizona on Sunday, February 12.

Who will meet in the playoffs?

*All games to be shown live on Sky Sports NFL (timings listed in UK time)

Super Wild Card Weekend

Saturday, January 14

NFC: Seattle Seahawks (No 7 seed) @ San Francisco 49ers (No 2) – Kick-off, 9.30pm

AFC: Los Angeles Chargers (No 5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (No 4) – KO, 1.15am

Sunday, January 15

AFC: Miami Dolphins (No 7) @ Buffalo Bills (No 2) – KO, 6pm

NFC: New York Giants (No 6) @ Minnesota Vikings (No 3) – KO, 9.30pm

AFC: Baltimore Ravens (No 6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (No 3) – KO, 1.15am

Monday, January 16

NFC: Dallas Cowboys (No 5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No 4) – KO, 1.15am

First-round byes

AFC
Kansas City Chiefs (No 1)

NFC
Philadelphia Eagles (No 1)

Divisional Round

Saturday, January 21 – Kick-offs at 9.30pm and 1.15am

Sunday, January 22 – Kick-offs at 8pm and 11.30pm

Conference Championships

Sunday, January 29 – Kick-offs at 8.05pm and 11.30pm

Super Bowl LVII

Sunday, February 12 – Kick-off 11.30pm – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Why might the AFC Championship be held at a neutral venue?

The Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals game that was halted in Week 17 when Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin experienced a cardiac arrest on the field will not be resumed or replayed, the NFL announced.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

The Buffalo Bills family showed their support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots to close out the 2022 regular season

This means any potential AFC title game between the Bills and No 1 seeded Kansas City Chiefs will now be played at a neutral site, due to Buffalo missing out on the chance to have matched the Chiefs’ win-loss record and, therefore, claim top spot in the conference due to holding the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams.

NFL owners approved a resolution to potentially adjust the AFC playoffs in the case of there being a matchup between teams whose records were affected by the cancellation, hence why a Chiefs-Bills championship game would not be held in Kansas City – though there is yet to be confirmation about the neutral venue which would host that matchup in the event it was to take place.

What do we know about Super Bowl LVII?

State Farm Stadium in Arizona will play host to this year’s Super Bowl on Sunday, February 12

This year’s Super Bowl will be the 57th in the history of the NFL. It is to be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, February 12 – live on Sky Sports NFL.

The stadium, home to the Arizona Cardinals, has a capacity of approximately 73,000 and has played host to two Super Bowls previously – both epic encounters.

David Tyree’s famous helmet catch that helped the New York Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII came at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona

The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14 in the first of those, to cap the 2007, as David Tyree’s famous ‘helmet catch’ helped deny Tom Brady and the Patriots a perfect, undefeated season. Then, seven years later, New England were back again and this time ran out 28-24 winners over the Seattle Seahawks after Malcolm Butler’s incredible interception on the goal line in the final throes of the game.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in last year’s title game, while the Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers share the record for the most Super Bowl wins, with six.

Tom Brady has won a record seven Super Bowls, six coming with the New England Patriots and his seventh two years ago with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brady, however, tops the lot. He has more Super Bowl victories than any one team, with seven to his name – and the 45-year-old superstar quarterback has a chance to add further still to that haul, with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers reaching the playoffs as the NFC South winners (No 4 seed) despite returning a losing 8-9 record.

Rihanna will perform the half-time show at this year’s Super Bowl

Rihanna will perform at this year’s Super Bowl half-time show, having previously declined the invitation in 2019 in a show of solidarity with former player Colin Kaepernick, who left the league two years earlier after he began to take a knee during the pre-game national anthem in protest at racial injustice in the US.

Last year’s half-time show was headlined by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, along with a surprise guest appearance by 50 Cent. Notable performers in the past include The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Beyonce and Katy Perry.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!