The NFL playoffs are here, and it’s safe to say expectations are sky-high after an incredible month of games last year.
Between a divisional round featuring four games that all came down to the final seconds and a Super Bowl that was won by a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, it’s going to be tough for the entertainment to live up to last season’s playoffs.
Somehow, though, the NFL always finds a way. With some of the best talent in the sport playing on one of the biggest stages in sports, there will be no shortage of drama on the way to crowning a Super Bowl champion.
Like last year, it’s tough to pinpoint a clear favorite heading into the playoffs. The Eagles have looked like the NFL’s best team for much of the year, but some late-season bumps and injuries have thrown the NFC into question as the 49ers, Cowboys, and Vikings wait in the wings.
In the AFC, the Bills and Chiefs have consistently been the best in the conference all season, but the Bengals have come on strong of late and Justin Herbert could be a wild card as he makes his first playoff appearance with the Chargers.
MORE: Watch NFL playoff games live with fuboTV (free trial)
No one has the answers until the games are played, but we do have the schedule for all of the action. Here’s what you need to know with the 2023 NFL playoff schedule now set.
NFL playoff bracket 2023
AFC
1. Kansas City Chiefs (BYE)
2. Buffalo Bills vs. 7. Miami Dolphins
3. Cincinnati Bengals vs. 6. Baltimore Ravens
4. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 5. Los Angeles Chargers
NFC
1. Philadelphia Eagles (BYE)
2. San Francisco 49ers vs. 7. Seattle Seahawks
3. Minnesota Vikings vs. 6. New York Giants
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5. Dallas Cowboys
When do the NFL playoffs start in 2023?
- Start date: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023
The format is the same as it was last season. Wild-card weekend will begin on Saturday, Jan. 14 with two games, followed by a tripleheader on Sunday, Jan. 15 and one final wild-card game in ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” slot on Monday, Jan. 16.
MORE: NFL playoff bracket, explained: How byes, seeding, format will work in 2022-23
How to watch NFL playoff games on TV, live stream
- TV networks: ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox
- Live stream: ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock, FoxSports.com, fuboTV, DAZN (Canada)
The NFL playoff games will air on many of the same networks that broadcast games during the regular season. CBS, Fox and NBC will broadcast most games, while ESPN and ABC will combine to broadcast the “Monday Night Football” wild-card game for the second consecutive year. Fox holds the rights to Super Bowl 57 on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Streamers will be able to catch the games in a variety of ways. ESPN+ will carry the ESPN wild-card game, Paramount+ will have the CBS games, Peacock will live stream the NBC games, and the Fox Sports app will make Fox’s games available for everyone.
NFL playoff games can also be streamed live online with a subscription to fuboTV, which comes with a free trial.
In Canada, all NFL playoff games are available for live-streaming via DAZN with a subscription.
NFL playoff schedule 2023
Wild-card round
Saturday, Jan. 14
| Matchups | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Tickets |
| 7. Seattle Seahawks vs. 2. San Francisco 49ers | 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox | fuboTV | Buy tickets |
| 5. Los Angeles Chargers vs. 4. Jacksonville Jaguars | 8:15 p.m. ET | NBC | Peacock, fuboTV | Buy tickets |
Sunday, Jan. 15
| Matchups | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Tickets |
| 7. Miami Dolphins vs. 2. Buffalo Bills | 1 pm ET | CBS | Paramount+, fuboTV | Buy tickets |
| 6. New York Giants vs. 3. Minnesota Vikings | 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox | fuboTV | Buy tickets |
| 6. Baltimore Ravens vs. 3. Cincinnati Bengals | 8:15 p.m. ET | NBC | Peacock, fuboTV | Buy tickets |
Monday, Jan. 16
| Matchups | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Tickets |
| 5. Dallas Cowboys vs. 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 pm ET | ESPN, ABC | ESPN+, fuboTV | Buy tickets |
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 21
Sunday, Jan. 22
Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 29
Super Bowl 56
Sunday, Feb. 12
| Matchups | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Tickets |
| Super Bowl 57 | 6:30 p.m. ET | Fox | Fox Sports app, fuboTV | Buy tickets |
When is Super Bowl 57 in 2023?
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 12
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Super Bowl 57 is set for Sunday, Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. This is the first time the home of the Cardinals has hosted a Super Bowl since Super Bowl 49, when Malcolm Butler’s interception of Russell Wilson sealed a fourth championship for Tom Brady.
The Super Bowl shifted back a week on the calendar last year when the regular season expanded to 18 weeks. The game is now played on the second Sunday of February every year.
MORE: Super Bowl 57 Futures Odds: Betting favorites, sleepers to win 2022 NFL championship
Interestingly, the last two Super Bowls have been won by the host team. The Buccaneers won Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, and the Rams went on to win Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles. That streak will end this year, as the Cardinals missed the playoffs.