NFL Playoff Bracket 2020, Week 13: Saints No. 1 in NFC, Chiefs lurking in AFC

The NFL Playoff Bracket is shaping up but is anything but set entering Week 13.

It’s been far from a normal 2020 NFL season and the fact that the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers matchup won’t conclude Week 12 until Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. ET is just about as much evidence as you need of that. But despite the concerns heightening with COVID-19 and the tumultuous nature of this year, the NFL Playoff bracket is still taking shape.

While things may be taking form, though, the races are as tight as ever. In the AFC, the races in the East and South are extremely tight while the Wild Card seeding changes with seemingly every game. Meanwhile, every division in the NFC except for the North is within two games, thus making the Wild Card race narrow there as well.

As we come into Week 13, that means that things are going to change with every week. But as we look at what the postseason could bring as of right now, let’s take a look at the NFL Playoff bracket for each conference and break each down briefly.

NFL Playoff Bracket entering Week 13: AFC

First Round Bye: 1 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0; Play on Wed. vs. BAL)
7 Indianapolis Colts (7-4) at 2 Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)
6 Miami Dolphins (7-4) at 3 Tennessee Titans (8-3)
5 Cleveland Browns (8-3) at 4 Buffalo Bills (8-3)
In the Hunt: Baltimore Ravens (6-4; Play on Wed. vs. PIT), Las Vegas Raiders (6-5), New England Patriots (5-6)

Though they have to wait until Wednesday to play the ailing Ravens, the Steelers are still the lone unbeaten team in the NFL Playoff bracket, so they hold onto the No. 1 seed. Yet, Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Chiefs are right behind. One slip-up from Pittsburgh and Kansas City could very well end up with the one first-round bye.

It’s likely those two teams battling for that bye but the race behind them is fascinating. Tennessee’s win over the Colts in Week 12 pushes them into the AFC South lead but only by a game. Meanwhile, the Bills ard Dolphins are veering towards a Week 17 showdown for the AFC East crown.

Beyond that, the Ravens and Raiders’ recent skids have them out of the playoff mix right now. And with the way that Indianapolis, Miami and Cleveland are playing right now, it would take a drastic change in performance for the roles to change. Of course, in this season, that’s far from out of the question.

NFL Playoff Bracket entering Week 13: NFC

First Round Bye: 1 New Orleans Saints (9-2)
7 Arizona Cardinals (6-5) at 2 Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) at 3 Green Bay Packers (8-3)
5 Los Angeles Rams (7-4) at 4 New York Giants (4-7)
In the Hunt: Minnesota Vikings (5-6), Chicago Bears (5-6), San Francisco 49ers (5-6), NFC East Teams

Against all odds with Taysom Hill at quarterback, the Saints have won two games and their 9-2 clip has them as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. However, getting to play the Falcons and quarterback-less Broncos helped their plight. Depending on how long Hill must start, you have to wonder if their standing will continue to hold up.

Much more so than in the AFC, the race for the No. 1 seed here is much tighter. If the Saints lose while Aaron Rodgers and the Packers continue their success, Green Bay owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. Furthermore, the Seahawks have found a bit of life after some hiccups and they are just one game behind as well.

The NFC East remains a dumpster fire but a tight one. No team is out of the race as they all have at least three wins and the Giants lead at 4-7. The NFC West race is just as tight, though with more success. What’s clear, though, is that the positioning in this conference in the NFL Playoff bracket is going to change several more times over the final five weeks of the 2020 season.