who has the first round bye in nfl playoffs
NFL playoffs The names of the first two playoff rounds date back to the postseason format that was first used in 1978, when the league added a second wild-card team to each conference. The first round of the playoffs is dubbed the wild-card playoffs (or wild-card weekend). In this round, the third-seeded division winner hosts the sixth seed wild card, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth. There are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference receive a bye in the first round, which entitles these teams to automatic advancement to the second round, the divisional playoffs, where they face the wild-card weekend survivors. The 1 seed has home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket playoff system. The number 1 seed will host the worst surviving seed from the first round (seed 4, 5 or 6), while the number 2 seed will play the other team (seed 3, 4 or 5).[2] The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games (hosted by the higher seed), with the winners of those contests going on to face one another in the Super Bowl. Only twice since 1990 has neither a number one-seeded team nor a number two-seeded team hosted a conference championship game (in the 2006 AFC Championship the #3 seeded Indianapolis Colts hosted the #4 seeded New England Patriots with the Colts winning 38–34 and the 2008 NFC Championship the #4 seeded Arizona Cardinals hosting the #6 seeded Philadelphia Eagles with the Cardinals winning 32–25).
American Football Conference The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference (NFC), currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL. Both conferences were created as part of the 1970 merger with the rival American Football League (AFL), with all ten of the former AFL teams and three NFL teams forming the AFC, and the remaining thirteen NFL clubs forming the NFC. A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger, thus making the current total 16 clubs per each conference.
Philadelphia Eagles The Eagles headed into their bye week with the best record in the NFL (8–1), and with Wentz leading the NFL MVP discussion with an NFL-leading 23 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. During their bye, the Eagles signed former Giants offensive tackle Will Beatty and former Saints linebacker Dannell Ellerbe to not only add depth but also players with Super Bowl experiences. Coming off of the bye week, the Philadelphia Eagles entered a Sunday night showdown with the defending NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles came out sluggish and trailed 9–7 at the half. The team exploded in the second half though, rattling off 30 unanswered points to soundly defeat their rival by a final score of 37–9. The Eagles were rolling on a nine-game winning streak after a huge blowout win over the Chicago Bears.[28] The Eagles traveled to Seattle in Week 13 in a huge Sunday Night showdown against Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles struggled throughout the whole game, blowing many scoring opportunities and allowing Wilson to throw 3 touchdowns. The Eagles lost 24–10, ending their win streak. However, the Eagles bounced back in Week 14 win over the Los Angeles Rams in a tough 43–35 win. However, Carson Wentz left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. It was later found out that Wentz tore his ACL, ending his MVP caliber season. Backup Nick Foles would once again take over as starting quarterback. In Foles's first start against the New York Giants, he would lead them back from a 20–7 deficit and score 4 touchdowns and win the game 34–29. Foles struggled in the last two games of the season against the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys, and threw a touchdown and 2 interceptions in that span. Despite this, the Eagles finished 13–3 and secured the top seed in the NFC. The Eagles opened as the underdogs, the first time in history that a No. 1 seed has opened up the postseason as an underdog. Despite this, Foles would lead the Eagles past the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round 15–10. In the next game Foles and the Eagles annihilated the Minnesota Vikings 38–7 in the NFC Championship nicknamed the Minneapolis Massacre, mocking the Minneapolis Miracle from their previous playoff victory. Foles had his best game since week 15 and threw for 352 passing yards and 3 touchdowns including an impressive flea flicker touchdown pass. This win marked the franchise's third Super Bowl appearance and a berth in Super Bowl LII for a 2005 rematch against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football franchise based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. They are Super Bowl champions (and current defending champions), having won Super Bowl LII, their fourth NFL title, after winning in 1948, 1949, and 1960.