If you want to talk about chaos, you have to talk about the 2022 nfl playoff bracket. Honestly, the 2021-2022 postseason was just different. We saw legends like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers get bounced before the title games even started. It was the first time in over a decade that neither of the number one seeds—the Titans and the Packers—made it to their respective conference championships.
Basically, the scriptwriters went rogue that year.
You had the Los Angeles Rams, led by a newly acquired Matthew Stafford, basically betting the entire house on a "win now" strategy. Then there were the Cincinnati Bengals. Nobody, and I mean nobody, expected Joe Burrow to drag a team that won four games the year prior all the way to the Super Bowl. But he did. He took nine sacks against the Titans and still won. That’s just tough.
The drama didn't just happen at the end. It started from the jump in the Wild Card round and never really let up until the final whistle at SoFi Stadium.
Breaking Down the 2022 nfl playoff bracket Structure
The bracket followed the expanded 14-team format that we’ve grown used to now. Seven teams from the AFC, seven from the NFC. Only the top seed in each conference got that coveted first-round bye.
The AFC Side
Tennessee grabbed the #1 seed, which felt a bit weird at the time because they didn't have Derrick Henry for a huge chunk of the season.
- Tennessee Titans (Bye)
- Kansas City Chiefs (Vs. Steelers)
- Buffalo Bills (Vs. Patriots)
- Cincinnati Bengals (Vs. Raiders)
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New England Patriots
- Pittsburgh Steelers
The Bills absolutely dismantled the Patriots in the Wild Card round. It was 47-17. Josh Allen played a "perfect" game—no punts, no turnovers, just touchdowns on every single meaningful possession. It was surgical. Meanwhile, the Bengals broke a 31-year playoff drought by beating the Raiders 26-19. You could practically feel the relief in Cincinnati through the TV screen.
The NFC Side
The Packers held the top spot, and with Aaron Rodgers coming off an MVP-caliber run, everyone assumed the road to the Super Bowl went through a frozen Lambeau Field.
- Green Bay Packers (Bye)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Vs. Eagles)
- Dallas Cowboys (Vs. 49ers)
- Los Angeles Rams (Vs. Cardinals)
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Philadelphia Eagles
The 49ers upset the Cowboys in a game that ended in the weirdest way possible—Dak Prescott running up the middle with no timeouts and the clock expiring before they could spike it. Pure heartbreak for Dallas. The Rams, on the other hand, just bullied the Cardinals 34-11 in the first-ever Monday night playoff game.
The Greatest Weekend in Football History?
Ask any die-hard fan about the Divisional Round of the 2022 nfl playoff bracket, and they’ll probably get a little misty-eyed. Every single game was decided on the final play. Every. Single. One.
First, the Bengals shocked the world. They traveled to Nashville and intercepted Ryan Tannehill three times. Evan McPherson, a rookie kicker with ice in his veins, drilled a 52-yarder as time expired to win it 19-16. Then, the 49ers went into a snowy Green Bay. They didn't score a single offensive touchdown. Not one. But they blocked a punt for a score and Robbie Gould kicked a walk-off field goal to stun the Packers 13-10.
Sunday was even crazier.
The Rams were up 27-3 on Tom Brady and the Bucs. Then, the "Brady Effect" happened. The Rams fumbled four times. Four! The Bucs tied it up with 42 seconds left. But Matthew Stafford found Cooper Kupp for two massive gains, setting up Matt Gay for a 30-yard game-winner.
And then... 13 seconds.
The Chiefs and Bills played a game that defied logic. They combined for 25 points in the final two minutes of regulation. Gabriel Davis caught four touchdowns, an NFL playoff record. But Patrick Mahomes somehow got the Chiefs into field goal range with only 13 seconds on the clock. Kansas City won 42-36 in overtime. It was the game that literally forced the NFL to change its overtime rules for the postseason.
The Road to Super Bowl LVI
By the time we got to the Conference Championships, the 2022 nfl playoff bracket was down to the final four. The Bengals had to go to Arrowhead, a place where Mahomes usually reigns supreme. They fell behind 21-3. It looked over.
But Lou Anarumo, the Bengals' defensive coordinator, started dropping eight men into coverage and completely flustered Mahomes in the second half. Cincinnati fought back to win 27-24 in overtime. It was their first Super Bowl trip since 1988.
In the NFC, the Rams faced their demons: the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan had beaten Sean McVay six straight times heading into that game. The 49ers led in the fourth quarter, but a dropped interception by Jaquiski Tartt gave the Rams new life. Stafford led a comeback, Cooper Kupp did Cooper Kupp things, and Aaron Donald finally got the pressure he needed to force a game-sealing pick.
The stage was set: Rams vs. Bengals.
Super Bowl LVI Results
It wasn't the highest-scoring game, but it was tense. Odell Beckham Jr. was torching the Bengals early before he went down with a non-contact knee injury. Without him, the Rams' offense stalled. Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins took a 20-13 lead.
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But great players make great plays when it matters. On the final drive, Stafford targeted Kupp repeatedly. A 1-yard touchdown pass with 1:25 left put the Rams up 23-20. Then, on 4th and 1, Aaron Donald got to Burrow, swinging him around as he threw an incomplete pass. Game over. Rams win.
Why We Still Talk About This Bracket
The 2022 nfl playoff bracket proved that "going all-in" can actually work. The Rams traded away years of first-round picks for Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, and Von Miller. They were the "F*** them picks" team. It was a risky strategy that paid off with a ring.
It also cemented Joe Burrow as a superstar. He wasn't just a flash in the pan; he was a guy who could win despite a subpar offensive line.
If you're looking to apply lessons from this era to your own football knowledge or even sports betting, keep these things in mind:
- Health over Seeding: The Titans were the #1 seed but weren't the best team. The Rams were the #4 seed but had the most talent on the field.
- The Kicker Matters: Evan McPherson and Robbie Gould literally decided the bracket. Don't overlook special teams.
- Pressure Wins Championships: Aaron Donald proved that a dominant interior pass rush is the ultimate equalizer against a great QB.
Check out the full game logs on Pro-Football-Reference if you want to see the play-by-play of that wild Divisional round. It's worth the rabbit hole.
For your next steps, you can dive into the current season's defensive rankings to see which teams are built like those 2021-2022 Rams, or look at upcoming free-agent quarterbacks who might be looking for their own "Stafford-style" trade to a contender.