2022 NFL Playoff Bracket: A Unique Postseason

The 2022 NFL postseason marked a significant departure from previous years, with several unprecedented events taking place during the tournament. For the first time in history, the Wild Card playoffs spanned three days, setting a new precedent for the league.

One of the key changes to this year's playoff format was the designated home team rotation by conference. Although the Super Bowl is played at a neutral site, the higher-seeded team from each conference hosts the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championships. This allowed for an exciting matchup between the two surviving teams from each divisional round.

The Divisional playoffs saw the number one seed hosting the worst surviving seed (seed 4, 5, 6, or 7), while the other surviving teams played each other, with the higher-seeded team hosting. The NFL's decision not to use a fixed bracket playoff system meant that there were no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round.

The four division winners were seeded based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams were seeded 5-7. Within each conference, the top three non-division winners with the best overall regular season records qualified for the playoffs.

What made this postseason particularly memorable was the number of close games. Five of the six divisional round games were decided by game-winning field goals, while nine out of the 13 total playoff games were decided by seven or fewer points. This level of competitiveness led to some thrilling matchups and a truly unpredictable tournament.

For the first time in history, both teams competing in Super Bowl LVI finished below the second seed. Additionally, this was the first postseason since 2012-13 not to feature Brady, Peyton Manning, or Patrick Mahomes, and the first since 2009-10 where neither Aaron Rodgers nor Tom Brady reached a conference championship game.

The Los Angeles Rams ultimately emerged victorious in Super Bowl LVI, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This marked a significant milestone in NFL history, with the league featuring its first-ever 17-game regular season schedule and subsequent postseason pushback to January 15, 2022.

Overall, the 2022 NFL playoff bracket presented fans with an exciting and unpredictable tournament, filled with memorable moments and thrilling matchups.

2022 nfl playoff bracket