Photo credit: Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
There’s a new playoff format in the NFL this season, but one constant remains the division winner with the worst record playing the Wild Card team with the best record. Saturday and Sunday will feature a pair of intriguing match-ups of No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.
The first match-up of those seeds takes place in the NFC on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. ET. This game will feature the fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the surprising Washington Football Team.
There has been only three NFL playoff games featuring a team with a losing record; the other two teams were the 2010 Seattle Seahawks and 2014 Carolina Panthers. In those cases, both won their first playoff game.
Will the 7-9 Washington Football team keep the trend going? They’re currently 8-point underdogs to the Buccaneers, who finished 11-5 this season.
The second match-up this weekend is on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET. This game will feature 11-5 teams as the fifth-seeded Baltimore Ravens visit the No. 4 seed, Tennessee Titans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For the first time since 2007, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made the playoffs. That ended the second-longest drought in the NFL and the longest in the NFC.
Buccaneers’ record versus current playoff teams (All-Time)
Chicago Bears, 20-40
Green Bay Packers, 22-33
New Orleans Saints, 21-37
Washington Football Team, 11-12
Seattle Seahawks, 5-9
Indianapolis Colts, 6-8
Los Angeles Rams, 9-17
Kansas City Chiefs, 7-6
Pittsburgh Steelers, 2-9
Buffalo Bills, 7-4
Baltimore Ravens, 2-4
Tennessee Titans, 2-10
Cleveland Browns, 4-6
Washington Football Team
For the first time since 2015, the Washington Football Team will make the playoffs. The last playoff win for Washington? In 2005 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Football Team’s record versus current playoff teams (All-Time)
Chicago Bears, 26-24-1
Green Bay Packers, 16-23-1
New Orleans Saints, 17-10
Cleveland Browns, 12-34-1
Seattle Seahawks, 12-9
Indianapolis Colts, 12-21
Los Angeles Rams, 26-14-1
Kansas City Chiefs, 1-9
Pittsburgh Steelers, 44-33-3
Buffalo Bills, 6-9
Baltimore Ravens, 3-4
Tennessee Titans, 6-7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 12-11
Baltimore Ravens
For the third straight year, the Baltimore Ravens have made the playoffs. Last year, the Raven claimed the top seed in the AFC, but were upset by the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional round.
Ravens’ record versus current playoff teams (All-Time)
Chicago Bears, 2-4
New Orleans Saints, 5-2
Seattle Seahawks, 3-2
Washington Football Team, 4-3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-2
Green Bay Packers, 2-4
Los Angeles Rams, 5-2
Kansas City Chiefs, 4-7
Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-30
Tennessee Titans, 12-13
Buffalo Bills, 6-3
Cleveland Browns, 33-11
Indianapolis Colts, 6-10
Tennessee Titans
For the second straight year, the Tennessee Titans have made the playoffs. Last season, Tennessee pulled off a pair of road upsets over the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship, 35-24.
Titans’ record versus current playoff teams (All-Time)
Chicago Bears, 7-6
New Orleans Saints, 8-6
Seattle Seahawks, 7-10
Washington Football Team, 7-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 10-2
Green Bay Packers, 7-6
Los Angeles Rams, 5-8
Kansas City Chiefs, 26-22-1
Pittsburgh Steelers, 32-47
Buffalo Bills, 29-19
Baltimore Ravens, 13-12
Cleveland Browns, 32-36
Indianapolis Colts, 37-32-1