Nfl Playoff Bracket 2020-21

• Nfl Playoff Bracket 2020-21 Cbs
• Nfl Playoff Brackets 2020-21 Season
• Nfl Playoff Bracket 2020-21

The NFL playoff bracket for 2021 has taken its final shape. The NFL East champion Washington Football Team have confirmed their spot as the NFC's No. 4 seed and host the Buccaneers in the wild. Printable NFL playoff schedule 2020-21. And those critical regular season games will impact team records and standings when it comes to the seeding of the teams that ultimately make the 2020-21 NFL Playoffs. The NFL playoff picture is becoming clearer, but not yet clear enough to seed those NFL playoff-bound teams into the schedule.

The Cardinals' victory via Hail Mary on Sunday didn't just thrill NFL viewers. It also helped shake up the NFC playoff race for the 2020 season. When the dust settled, the Cardinals were atop the NFC West and the Packers were holding the top spot in the conference.

We continue to base our weekly playoff picture analysis on a 14-team field. NFL owners did approve a contingency plan for a 16-team field last week, should the regular season be cut short by COVID-19. But that plan is subject to approval by the NFL Players Association, and the terms of its trigger -- how many games would need to be canceled for it to be implemented -- have not been publicized. We'll use ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) to help project the coming weeks, with our usual disclaimer: There is a long way to go. Let's jump in, starting with the lone undefeated team in the NFL.

Jump to: AFC NFC

AFC

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 99.9%
FPI chances to win division: 87.8%

The Steelers were the first NFL team to nine victories and now own a full game lead on the Chiefs for the top spot in the conference. You know you're humming along when your starting quarterback can miss the week of practice, as Ben Roethlisberger did because of COVID-19 protocols, and still put up 333 passing yards and four touchdown passes.

The Steelers will finish their season with a quite lopsided schedule, with very winnable games against the Jaguars and Bengals and then four against strong postseason contenders (Ravens, Bills, Colts and Browns).

Up next: at Jaguars

2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-1)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 99.9%
FPI chances to win division: 94.2%

The Chiefs better hit the ground running after their bye. Their next five games include four road matchups against the playoff-contending Raiders, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Saints. It's the 11th-most difficult remaining schedule in the league. There is every reason to believe the Chiefs are the class of the AFC West, but they'll need to show it over the next month.

Up next: at Raiders

3. Buffalo Bills (7-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 87.3%
FPI chances to win division: 74.8%

Were it not for one of the most perfectly executed Hail Marys in memory, the Bills would have been 8-2 and in command of the AFC East. Nothing we saw Sunday should dissuade us from considering the Bills one of the best teams in football. But now they have less room to maneuver in both the division and the conference. The Dolphins, for one, could match their record in Week 11 while the Bills are on their bye.

Up next: vs. Chargers (Week 12)

4. Indianapolis Colts (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 67.1%
FPI chances to win division: 54.8%

The Colts pulled even with the Titans after trouncing them last Thursday, by far their most impressive game of the season. Four of their six victories have come against teams with losing records, and as it turns out, they had the second-easiest schedule through Week 10 in the NFL.

So did they turn a corner in Tennessee? Or will they settle back toward a .500 mark during a second half that includes games against the Packers, Titans (again), Raiders and Steelers? They're ahead of the Titans on this list because they hold a (possibly) temporary head-to-head tiebreaker.

Up next: vs. Packers

5. Las Vegas Raiders (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 73.2%
FPI chances to win division: 5.8%

The Raiders have won three of their past four games after a 2-2 start, including wins over the Chiefs and Browns, and they'll have a chance in Week 11 to eat further into the Chiefs' lead in the AFC West. Sweeping the season series would put the Raiders one game out of the division lead. After that, they would have only two games remaining against teams who currently have winning records.

Up next: vs. Chiefs

6. Miami Dolphins (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 49.8%
FPI chances to win division: 20.8%

Just as we all suspected: The Dolphins are 3-0 since inserting rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into the starting lineup. The truth is that the entire team has surged over that time; all three games have featured at least one big defensive or special-teams play. As coach Brian Flores puts himself into the Coach of the Year discussion, the Dolphins are squarely in the wild-card mix and closer in the AFC East than anyone would have anticipated.

Up next: at Broncos

7. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 93.6%
FPI chances to win division: 11.5%

Week 10 made clear that it's going to be tough for the Ravens to repeat as AFC North champions. Their unexpected loss to the Patriots dropped them three games behind the Steelers and, for the moment, left them barely clinging to a wild-card spot. And they've got a tough stretch coming with the Titans and Steelers on the schedule. Given the strength of the AFC, the Ravens are suddenly in playoff survival mode.

Up next: vs. Titans

Also in the AFC mix

Cleveland Browns (6-3): There will come a time when we'll collectively accept the Browns as genuine playoff contenders. Sunday's 10-7 victory over the 2-7 Texans wasn't too inspiring, but in an expanded field, they might need only three more victories to pull off a berth.

Tennessee Titans (6-3): The Titans have cooled off considerably in the past month, losing three of their past four games. That, combined with a reverse 3-1 surge from the Colts, has cost the Titans control of the AFC South. FPI is still giving them a 66.3% chance to make the playoffs, but the Colts are now a slight favorite to win the division. That is in part because the Titans will play five of their final seven games on the road. Playing at home hasn't been an advantage for teams this season, but that doesn't eliminate the potential for increasing their late-season grind.

New England Patriots (4-5): A significant gap remains, but it's worth noting that the Patriots would hold head-to-head tiebreakers over the Raiders and Ravens if it comes to that.

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers (7-2)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 97.7%
FPI chances to win division: 91.5%

A home victory over the Jaguars, combined with the Seahawks' loss to the Rams, boosted the Packers to the top spot in the conference. The Packers ascended based on the head-to-head tiebreaker, via their Week 3 win in New Orleans. Now, the question is whether the Packers can stay there. They will continue to hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Saints, but they did lose to the Buccaneers -- an outcome that will matter here only if the Saints falter in the NFC South.

Up next: at Colts

2. New Orleans Saints (7-2)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 98.8%
FPI chances to win division: 72.4%

Despite Sunday's win over the 49ers, the Saints dropped out of the top spot because the Seahawks' loss eliminated a three-way tie with the Packers. Of more pressing concern, however, is which quarterback they'll head down the stretch with. Starter Drew Brees' immediate status is in doubt because of a rib injury. He would be replaced by the combination of Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill.

The Saints won all five starts Brees missed because of a thumb injury in 2019, but would you feel as comfortable with Winston and Hill as you did with 2019 backup Teddy Bridgewater? Fortunately, the Saints don't play a team that currently has a winning record until they host the Chiefs in Week 15.

Up next: vs. Falcons

3. Arizona Cardinals (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 69.8%
FPI chances to win division: 28.1%

In a matter of minutes Sunday, the Cardinals cemented their ascendance into a legitimate contender for the highly competitive NFC West title. DeAndre Hopkins' Hail Mary touchdown flipped their game against the Bills from a loss to a win at about the same time the Seahawks were wrapping up a defeat to the Rams.

There's obviously a long way to go, but if you're wondering why the Cardinals would currently win out in a three-way division tiebreaker: They have a better division record than the Rams, and they defeated the Seahawks in Week 7 for a head-to-head advantage. But two games against the Rams, and one Thursday night in Seattle, remain on their schedule.

Up next: at Seahawks

4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 63.6%
FPI chances to win division: 63.5%

They're going to blow this, aren't they? Despite a sub-.500 record, the Eagles had a chance Sunday to add some distance between them and the only team that appears capable of competing with them for the NFC title. And naturally, the Eagles lost by two scores to the Giants and could fall behind them in the division standings as early as Week 11 with another loss and a Giants victory.

Up next: at Browns

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 95.1%
FPI chances to win division: 27.6%

If you wanted to argue that the Buccaneers are one of the NFL's top teams, except when they play the Saints, Sunday brought you some more evidence. Once their offense got rolling against the Panthers, it was a sight to behold. After spotting the Panthers a 14-7 deficit, they outscored them 39-9 the rest of the way, in the process rolling up 30 first downs and 544 total yards. Drew Brees' injury for the Saints might open a lane for the Buccaneers to win the NFC South. But if not, they'd still likely be one of the scariest wild-card teams in some time.

Up next: vs. Rams

6. Los Angeles Rams (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 79.8%
FPI chances to win division: 32.6%

Some wondered if the Rams had reached the midseason playoff picture largely because they've played (and defeated) the entire NFC East. But they provided some decent evidence to the contrary Sunday by dismantling the Seahawks. It was their second victory over a team with a winning record this season. If this holds up, the Rams will make the NFC West a three-team race.

Nfl Playoff Bracket 2020-21 Cbs

Up next: at Buccaneers

7. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)

FPI chances to make playoffs: 87.0%
FPI chances to win division: 37.7%

Could the Seahawks collapse after putting too much on the shoulders of quarterback Russell Wilson? They have now lost three of their past four games, with Wilson committing 10 turnovers in the three defeats. They'll need to regroup in a hurry; the Cardinals will come to Seattle in four days. To this point, the primary damage of this slump is losing control of the NFC West. There is plenty of time to jump back ahead.

Up next: vs. Cardinals

Also in the NFC mix

Nfl Playoff Brackets 2020-21 Season

Chicago Bears (5-5): With Monday night's injury to quarterback Nick Foles, and the team's continued offensive struggles, it's hard to see the Bears as a true contender.

Minnesota Vikings (4-5): Like the Lions, the Vikings are near .500 with plenty of time to make a move.

Nfl Playoff Bracket 2020-21

Detroit Lions (4-5): Nothing about Sunday made anyone think the Lions are ready to surge. They needed a 59-yard field goal to beat Washington after losing a 24-3 lead, but any team near .500 at this point in a seven-team bracket is mathematically in the mix.

San Francisco 49ers (4-6): It appears that the 49ers' injuries and COVID-19 absences are going to fell the defending conference champions, especially in a division as competitive as the NFC West.

New York Giants (3-7): When a team opens its season with seven losses in its first eight games, as the Giants did, you can usually assume it won't be part of the mid-November playoff picture. But it took them only two consecutive victories to climb back into the NFC East race, and look out: They might be the best team in the division.