When the final whistle blows on the Lions' Week 18 matchup ... 12 teams to 14. The NFL was able to expand from 12 to 14 by shrinking the number of first-round byes from four to two.

The NFL changed to a 14-team playoff format in 2020, altering how the bye weeks functioned. Under the old format, the top two ...

Saturday's eventful tripleheader saw one team clinch a playoff berth, another nearly do the same, and a third fumble a golden opportunity.