When did the NFL go to 7 playoff teams? Why new schedule may catch some fans off guard

The NFL playoffs are one of the more exciting times of the NFL season. It is when the contenders are separated from the pretenders, and each fixture feels like a championship game.

The NFL expanded to seven teams qualifying from each conference in 2020 after the players agreed on the CBA. The NFL owners met and approved a playoff expansion plan that came into effect in the 2020 season.

The new playoff schedule includes the following alterations:

• 14 teams, 7 per conference
• One bye per conference belongs to the first seed in each conference

The new schedule might catch some fans off guard because of the bye week in place for the first-seeded team in each conference. That might take some time, but these changes are there to stay.

Which teams are out of the 2024 NFL Playoffs?

With the 2024 wildcard round now a thing of the past, here are the teams that have been sent packing in the first round of the playoffs.

The teams on their way to Cancun are:

• Cleveland Browns
• Miami Dolphins
• Dallas Cowboys
• Los Angeles Rams
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Philadelphia Eagles

There were some surprise defeats in the 2024 wildcard round games, but none is arguably more surprising than the Green Bay Packers knocking out the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC wildcard round game.

The seventh-seeded Packers became the first-ever seventh-seed to beat a second-seed in the new playoff format. The Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in front of their fans, and they've handed "America's team" yet another early playoff exit. Jerry Jones and Co. are searching for answers, and it's not looking so good in Dallas heading into the 2024 off-season.

2024 NFL Divisional Round playoff schedule

With the wildcard round games now in the past, it's time to look forward to the divisional round matchups. Here's the schedule for the 2024 divisional round, as well as everything you need to know about the matchups:

AFC

Houston Texans (4) at Baltimore Ravens (1)

• Livestream: FuboTV and DAZN
• TV: ESPN and ABC
• Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
• When: January 20, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs (3) at Buffalo Bills (2)

• Livestream: FuboTV and DAZN
• TV: CBS
• Venue: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
• When: January 21, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. ET

NFC

Green Bay Packers (7) at San Francisco 49ers (1)

• Livestream: FuboTV and DAZN
• TV: FOX
• Venue: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
• When: Saturday, January 20, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) at Detroit Lions (3)

• Livestream: FuboTV and DAZN
• TV: NBC
• Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
• When: Sunday, January 21 at 3 p.m. ET