The 2023-2024 season of the National Football League nears its end as we continue the NFL Playoffs. And we now have the two teams that will compete in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 — the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers! Ready to learn more? We've got your whole NFL Playoff Picture right here with team overviews, standings and the NFL playoff schedule. Plus, learn how you can score great savings by purchasing NFL playoff tickets through Undercover Tourist!
The NFL Playoff Picture
The 2023 NFL regular season began with 32 teams playing 272 games across 18 weeks. After another thrilling season, only 14 teams can make it to the playoffs — seven teams from the American Football Conference and seven teams from the National Football Conference. For the 2023-24 season, eight of the 14 teams returned to the playoffs from last year, including the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL playoffs consist of several weeks of a single-elimination tournament leading to the AFC and NFC championships. Those two championship winners will head to Super Bowl LVIII, held on Feb. 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. Exciting news — we now have our Super Bowl teams! The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will play in Super Bowl 2024.
Here's a look at the NFL playoff standings and the NFL playoff picture journey:
NFL Playoff Standings — AFC
1. Baltimore Ravens (Eliminated)
"NFL 2019 playoffs Ravens Vs Titans" by Maryland GovPics is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The Baltimore Ravens clinched their playoff spot by winning the AFC North, finishing the regular season 13-4. As the No. 1 seed, the Ravens got a bye during Wild Card weekend and had home-field advantage for the AFC divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. They beat the Houston Texans 34-10 in the Divisional Round. While they had home advantage for the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs, they would ultimately lose to the Chiefs 17-10.
2. Buffalo Bills (Eliminated)
The Buffalo Bills solidified the number two spot after beating the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. They finished first in the AFC East with a record of 11-6. They went on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 and had home-field advantage at Highmark Stadium against the Chiefs. They would narrowly lose to Kansas City 27-24.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs secured their playoff spot by winning the AFC West. The defending Super Bowl champions finished the regular season 11-6. In the playoffs, they beat the Miami Dolphins 26-7 and held off the Buffalo Bills 27-24. In the AFC Championship, they had a decisive 17-10 win against the Ravens to lead them to Super Bowl LVIII.
4. Houston Texans (Eliminated)
Coming in as the fourth seed, the Houston Texans finished first in the AFC South with a record of 10-7. The Texans easily beat the Cleveland Browns 45-14, but lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-10.
5. Cleveland Browns (Eliminated)
"Joe Flacco vs Jets, 2023" by Cards84664 is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
In an exciting turnaround season for Browns fans, the Cleveland Browns clinched the fifth spot with a record of 11-6. Finishing second in the AFC North, they handily lost to the Texans 45-14 in Wild Card Weekend.
6. Miami Dolphins (Eliminated)
The Miami Dolphins held on to their playoff spot, finishing second in the AFC East with a record of 11-6. In one of the coldest games in NFL history, the Dolphins lost to the Chiefs 26-7.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Eliminated)
The last AFC spot goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers who managed to narrowly clinch a playoff spot in Week 18. Finishing third in the AFC North with a record of 10-7, they went on to lose to the Bills 31-17.
NFL Playoff Standings — NFC
1. San Francisco 49ers
"Broncos vs 49ers preseason game at Levi's Stadium" by Jim Bahn is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
In the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers won the NFC West with a record of 12-5. As the No. 1 seed, they received a bye for Wild Card Weekend and had home-field advantage against Green Bay for the Divisional Playoffs at Levi's Stadium. After holding off the Packers, the 49ers hosted the NFC Championship against the Detroit Lions. In a turnaround second half, the 49ers would come back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Lions 34-31, clinching their Super Bowl spot.
2. Dallas Cowboys (Eliminated)
The Dallas Cowboys secured the No. 2 seed by winning the NFC East and finishing 12-5. Even with home-field advantage, the Cowboys would lose to the Packers 48-32.
3. Detroit Lions (Eliminated)
The third NFC seed goes to the Detroit Lions. As winners of the NFC North, they finished the regular season 12-5. In the Wild Card Round, they would beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-23, getting their first playoff win in over 30 years. In the Divisional Round, they beat the Buccaneers 31-23. Though they dominated the first half of the NFC Championship, the 49ers would come back to beat them 34-31, ending their historic playoff run.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Eliminated)
"Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers, 14 November 2010 - IMG 1645 (5208960864)" by Sebastian Brinkenfeldt from Stockholm, Sweden is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
After a win in Week 18, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to clinch their playoff spot. They finished first in the NFC South with a record of 9-8. They beat the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 but would lose to the Lions 31-23.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (Eliminated)
Coming in as the fifth seed is the Philadelphia Eagles, who finished 11-6 and second in the NFC East They lost to the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.
6. Los Angeles Rams (Eliminated)
After a narrow win in Week 18, the Los Angeles Rams secured the sixth playoff spot. They finished second in the NFC West with a record of 10-7. They narrowly lost to the Rams 24-23 to end their tournament run.
7. Green Bay Packers (Eliminated)
The Green Bay Packers claim the final NFC playoff spot. They finished second in the NFC North with a record of 9-8. In a large upset, they beat out the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in the Wild Card round, but would then narrowly lose to the 49ers 24-21 in the Divisional round.
NFL Playoff Schedule
The playoff schedule NFL kicked off Jan. 13, 2024, with the Wild Card round. With the completion of the AFC and NFC championship games, the winners have two weeks to prepare for Super Bowl LVIII.
All of the games are broadcast on live TV and/or streaming services. Want to catch an NFL playoff game in person? Undercover Tourist now offers great deals on sports tickets, including the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. A trusted ticket provider for over 20 years, our tickets come with a 100% buyer guarantee so you can play it safe with your purchase.
Well, there's our 2023 NFL Playoff Picture. Did your team make it to the playoffs this year? What matchup are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
