The teams in position for the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC will be cheering for no games to be canceled due to COVID-19. Why? Because the NFL owners Tuesday approved a plan to add two playoff teams if regular-season games are called off.
Now, how does that impact the No. 1 seeds? If the two teams are added to the playoff structure for 2020, the top seeds in each conference would no longer get a first-round bye.
They would be forced to play the team that finds its way into the postseason as the eighth seeds.
NFL owners unanimously approved a contingency plan to expand the playoff field from 14 to 16 teams if meaningful games cannot be played due to COVID-19, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. In the event the league is forced to take such action, it will not re-seed teams, according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
This proposed scenario would only become a reality if the league cannot first complete the meaningful games rescheduled in a possible Week 18. Essentially, playoff expansion will only come about as a third option in the event the league cannot complete the 256-game season as scheduled within 17 weeks or within 18 weeks, with the 18th week added solely to complete the 256-game schedule prior to postseason play.