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About the Author: Matt Matera
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The NFL will be expanding its playoff format starting in this 2020 season after NFL owners voted on the topic, per Ian Rapoport. The possibility for the owners to vote for an extended postseason was part of the newly passed collective bargaining agreement.
The NFL owners have confirmed, via a vote on today’s teleconference, that there will be expanded playoffs after the 2020 season, source said. Expected and now official. One more team per conference.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2020
For the new format, each conference will have seven teams make the playoffs for a total of 14 teams. The difference here from years past is the addition of one extra wild card spot in each conference, and only the number one seeds will receive first-round byes.
The two-seeds will play the seven, the three-seeds will play the sixth and the four will play against the five during the wild card weekend with those games starting on January 9th and 10th of 2021.
The Bucs finished 7-9 last season and would not have qualified for the postseason with the new rule, but they would have made the playoffs in 2016 with that same 7-9 record.
If the newly proposed playoff system were in place the last 10 years we would have added:
• five 10-win teams
• nine 9-win teams
• six 8-win teamsThe team helped the most (by far) would have been the Steelers who would have made 4 more playoff trips & 10/10 the last 10 yrs. pic.twitter.com/VYWn7xBpID
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) February 20, 2020
Bucs Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 186: Bucs 2020 Draft Preview
Ledyard's NFL Draft Scouting Report: WR Justin Jefferson
