NFL team owners vote to expand playoffs by two teams

NEW YORK (AP) – NFL team owners voted Tuesday to expand the playoffs by one team in each conference for next season.

During a conference call to discuss league business after the annual meetings were canceled due to the new coronavirus pandemic, the owners also awarded one of those extra games to CBS and one to NBC. Three-fourths of the 32 owners needed to approve the change.

Only the teams with the best record in the AFC and NFC will get a bye under the new format; the top two teams skipped wild-card weekend in the past. The seventh seed will play No. 2, the sixth will visit No. 3, and the fifth will be at the fourth seed for wild-card games.