This article explores the history of wild card teams in the NFL playoffs, highlighting the number of teams that have made it to the Super Bowl and won the championship.
Six teams in this year's NFL playoff field are hoping to join an exclusive group of Super Bowl winners who were wild card s.As No. 7 seeds, the Broncos and Packers won't be able to host any playoff games. And because teams are reseeded in the NFL playoffs, the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds would need multiple upsets across the bracket for a chance at a home game.
So, just how many teams have been able to go from wild card to Super Bowl champion? Here's what to know:The wild-card format was first introduced in 1980, when one more team from each conference could qualify for the playoffs in addition to six total division champions. Two more wild-card teams were added in 1978 and then again in 1990, bringing the playoff field to 12 teams. The NFL realigned to eight four-team divisions when the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002. The playoff field remained at 12 teams, though, with a total of four wild cards.In 2020, the NFL added a third wild-card spot to each conference, awarding a first-round bye to only the No. 1 seeds.There have been 11 wild-card teams to play in the Super Bowl, and more than half were crowned champions. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings closed out the 2024 NFL regular season on Sunday Night Football to lock in the playoff standings.The 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand as the most recent wild-card team to both make and win the Super Bowl.Tampa Bay defeated No. 4 Washington, No. 2 New Orleans and No. 1 Green Bay en route to Super Bowl 55, where the Bucs crushed the NFL-best31-9 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Bucs were the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl at their home stadium.Tampa Bay became the seventh wild-card team to win the Super Bowl. The first team to achieve the feat was the 1980 Oakland Raiders, who took down the2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 5 seed:Dallas Cowboys were the first wild-card team to reach the Super Bowl. As a No. 4 seed, Dallas won two playoff games before losing 21-17 to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 1
NFL Playoffs Super Bowl Wild Card History
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