With the NFL regular season done and dusted, the holy grail of the Super Bowl is beginning to loom large on the horizon. Those sides still in the hunt for glory must first successfully maneuver their way through the perilous playoff path that lies before them over the coming month before they reach the promised land that is New Orleans, where Super Bowl LIX is being held. For the first time in over a decade, every playoff side won 10 or more games during the regular season, so plenty of teams will fancy their chances of going the distance.
Unsurprisingly, the Kansas City Chiefs, who reigned supreme at the previous two Super Bowls, are well-supported in lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy again this season. Andy Reid's champs will make NFL history if they go all the way, as no team has ever three-peated. Worryingly for Kansas City’s rivals, the Chiefs are having one of their best seasons ever, losing just twice during the regular season en route to grabbing the No.1 slot in the AFC.
The No.1 seeds in the NFC, the Detroit Lions, have been purring themselves all season long and finished the regular season with an identically impressive 15-2 record. While the Chiefs strolled into the postseason, the Lions demolished the highly-regarded Vikings to finish top of the NFC and are now vying for Super Bowl favoritism with Kansas City. While the Chiefs and Lions received a bye to the Divisional Round of the playoffs as a result of them topping their respective conferences, the other sides still dreaming of Super Bowl stardom had to take part in the 6-game Super Wild card weekend, with the six losing teams having to sign off and ship out.
Let GOAL show you all the vital NFL postseason information you require, including the upcoming playoff schedule and how you can watch every single game live.
2024/25 NFL playoff schedule
Following the 2024 NFL regular season, the NFL playoff seeding was as follows:
AFC
- No. 1 seed: Kansas City Chiefs (15-2, AFC West winners)
- No. 2 seed: Buffalo Bills (13-4, AFC East winners)
- No. 3 seed: Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners)
- No. 4 seed: Houston Texans (10-7, AFC South winners)
- No. 5 seed: Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, wild card No. 1)
- No. 6 seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, wild card No. 2)
- No. 7 seed: Denver Broncos (10-7, wild card No. 3)
NFC
- No. 1 seed: Detroit Lions (15-2, NFC North winners)
- No. 2 seed: Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, NFC East winners)
- No. 3 seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winners)
- No. 4 seed: Los Angeles Rams (10-7, NFC West winners)
- No. 5 seed: Minnesota Vikings (14-3, wild card No. 1)
- No. 6 seed: Washington Commanders (12-5, wild card No. 2)
- No. 7 seed: Green Bay Packers (11-6, wild card No. 3)
The NFL playoffs have four rounds: wild card, divisional, conference championship, and Super Bowl. The first three rounds happen in consecutive weeks before a two-week break before the Super Bowl. The AFC & NFC regular season winners (Chiefs & Lions), who sat out the Wild Card Round, play at home for as long as they remain in the playoffs. The pair host the lowest remaining seeds from their respective conferences in the Divisional Round, with the next highest seed hosting the fourth and final team in the other game. That is repeated in the following round, with the highest remaining seed playing at home in the Conference Championships. The No. 1 seeds can only play teams seeded Nos. 4-7 in the Divisional Round, while the remaining seeds can play anyone bar the No. 7 seed, automatically drawing the No. 1 seed with a victory.
2024/25 NFL playoffs Wild card round
Getty ImagesThe opening round of the NFL playoffs is known as Wild Card Weekend (or Super Wild Card Weekend these days). Six games are played during this phase (three games from each conference), featuring the teams seeded from 2 through to 7. So all teams bar the No. 1 seeded sides.
NFL Wild Card Round format
- No. 1 seeds have a bye
- No. 2 seeds host No. 7 seeds
- No. 3 seeds host No. 6 seeds
- No. 4 seeds host No. 5 seeds
Wild Card Weekend Recap
Getty ImagesSaturday, 11 January
AFC - Los Angeles Chargers (5) 12-32 Houston Texans (4)
AFC - Pittsburgh Steelers (6) 14-28 Baltimore Ravens (3)
Sunday, 12 January
AFC - Denver Broncos (7) 7-31 Buffalo Bills (2)
NFC - Green Bay Packers (7) 10-22 Philadelphia Eagles (2)
NFC - Washington Commanders (6) 23-20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3)
Monday, 13 January
NFC - Los Angeles Rams (4) 27-10 Minnesota Vikings (5)
Five of the six home sides (higher-seeded outfits) were victorious and moved on to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Washington Commanders upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however Washington did have a better regular season record than the Bucs. Due to the recent Los Angeles wildfires, the LA Rams had to host their match against the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium in Arizona instead of their usual SoFi Stadium home. The Rams side still ran out comfortable winners.
2024/25 NFL Divisional playoffs round
Getty imagesFollowing the Wild card cull, eight sides remain and take part in the Divisional Round. The No.1 seeds in the AFC and NFC host the lowest remaining seeds from their respective conferences, and the second-highest remaining seeds host the second-lowest remaining seeds.
2024/25 NFL Championship round
The Divisional Round winners in the AFC and NFC face off with the higher-seeded side hosting each game - those who reign victorious head to the Super Bowl as conference champions.
Sunday, January 26
- NFC Championship game (15:00 ET on Fox)
- AFC Championship game (18:30 ET on CBS)
Super Bowl LIX
Getty ImagesThe Conference Championship winners face off at a neutral venue. This year’s Super Bowl (59 or LIX) is being held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, home of the Saints, on Sunday, February 9, and will kick off at 18:30 ET (on Fox). The stadium holds the record for hosting the Super Bowl seven times, and this will be the eighth.
2024/25 NFL Divisional playoffs schedule
| Date | Game | Kick Off (ET) | Watch (Stream) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Jan 18 | Texans at Chiefs | 4:30 PM | ESPN/ABC (FuboTV) |
| Sat Jan 18 | Commanders at Lions | 8:15 PM | FOX (FuboTV) |
| Sun Jan 19 | Rams at Eagles | 3 PM | NBC (FuboTV) |
| Sun Jan 19 | Ravens at Bills | 6:30 PM | CBS (FuboTV) |
How to watch and live stream the NFL playoffs
Getty ImagesThe NFL playoffs are being shown by a number of different broadcasters, including FOX, CBS, ESPN, ABC, and NBC, with many having rights to particular games. To watch all the pulsating playoff encounters, a subscription with the likes of FuboTV is the best option, giving you access to all the channels where the games are being shown.
You can stream both ESPN and ABC on FuboTV. Fubo packages start from $79.99 a month and offer all-inclusive free 7-day trials before you pay. Fubo’s massive streaming plans carry up to 200+ channels, and you can get even more depending on your location. For avid sports fans, Fubo is the ultimate choice as it also provides access to many popular sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL & MLS. International soccer fans can also enjoy some of the world’s best leagues, such as the Premier League and La Liga. Most Fubo plans allow you to stream on up to 10 devices simultaneously.