Bye or no bye, that is the question.
There are 14 teams that qualify for the NFL playoffs every year, with the bracket expanding for the 2020 season. In other words, making the playoffs is no longer a huge accomplishment when almost half the league is involved. However, there is one desirable location at each conference that remains special.
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A total of two teams, one from the AFC and one from the NFC, received a bye in the first round by finishing with the best overall record in the conference.
It was a significant change by expanding the bracket, eliminating the bye in each conference and forcing the No. 2 seed to play on wild card weekend. While that week off is generally considered good, it is not the case in the playoffs.
Based on early returns, it could be a major risk to high interest’s chances of winning the Super Bowl – the old debate of rest versus rust.
As the top-seeded Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks return to action in the divisional round this week, let’s take a look at how the teams ahead of them have fared since the playoffs.
NFL playoffs No. 1 seed week history bye
There have been 10 teams that will receive a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs since the field expanded in 2020. Only five of them have advanced to the Super Bowl.
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The 2022 season was the only time both of these top seeds reached the big game, with the Kansas City Chiefs becoming the only No. 1 seed to lift the Lombardi Trophy since playoff expansion, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57.
Since then, three of the top ten teams have failed to win a game in the play-offs.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of the No. 1 seeds. 1 how it fared in the NFL playoffs:
2020
-
Kansas City Chiefs (advance to Super Bowl)
2021
-
Green Bay Packers (lost in divisional round)
2022
-
Kansas City Chiefs (won the Super Bowl)
-
Philadelphia Eagles (lost in Super Bowl)
2023
2024
-
Kansas City Chiefs (lost in Super Bowl)
How many bye teams in the NFL playoffs?
Two teams, one from each conference, received a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs.
Those teams have home-field advantage en route to the Super Bowl and will host the remaining lower seeds in the divisional round.
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This article first appeared in USA TODAY: NFL playoffs No. 1 seed week history bye
