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How many 7 seeds have won NFL playoff games? History since postseason expansion

Jacob Camenker   Paste BN
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The NFL made a key change to its playoff format ahead of the 2020 NFL season. No longer would just 12 teams make the postseason; 14 teams – seven from each conference – would make it in instead.

As a result, the No. 2 seed no longer got a bye week to begin the postseason. Instead, they had to play on wild-card weekend against the newly added No. 7 seed.

The goal of this change was twofold. From an on-the-field perspective, it made landing the No. 1 seed in each conference all the more valuable, as it was the only one to provide a bye week in addition to the home-field advantage that already came with it.

And from the NFL's side, adding two more playoff games to the fold certainly didn't hurt from a revenue perspective.

The 2025 NFL playoffs represent the fifth postseason of which the No. 7 seed has been a part to date. How have the plucky underdogs fared in the wild-card matchups against the No. 2 seeds so far? Here's what to know about the brief postseason history of the No. 7 seed.

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How many No. 7 seed have won NFL playoff games?

Only one No. 7 seed has won an NFL playoff game since the league's postseason field expanded to 14 teams before the 2020 season. That was the Green Bay Packers, who earned a 48-32 win over the Dallas Cowboys during the 2024 NFL playoffs.

The Packers built a 27-0 lead on the Cowboys during their wild card weekend matchup, as Aaron Jones dominated the early stages of the game while Jordan Love performed efficiently throughout the contest. By the game's end, Jones racked up 118 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while Love threw for 272 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while posting a near-perfect 157.2 passer rating.

Meanwhile, Dak Prescott posted prolific number as part of Dallas' comeback effort, logging 403 passing yards and three touchdowns on a whopping 60 throws. However, he tossed two crucial interceptions, including a 64-yard pick-six by Darnell Savage before halftime that squandered the Cowboys' chances of getting back into what was then a 21-0 game.

Green Bay went on to face the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs that season but couldn't quite beat the NFC's No. 1 seed. The Packers lost 24-21 after the 49ers scored 10 unanswered fourth quarter points en route to an appearance in Super Bowl 58.

No. 7 seed record in NFL playoffs

Overall, No. 7 seeds in the NFL playoffs have a record of just 1-8 since being allowed into the postseason field. That includes a record of just 1-7 on wild-card weekend.

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History of No. 7 seeds in NFL playoffs

The No. 2 vs. No. 7-seed games in the NFL playoffs have often been lopsided, as just two of the eight contests have been decided by one score. In the No. 2 seed's seven victories, it has outscored its lower-ranked opponent by an average margin of 12.4 points.

Below is a look at the results in each of the No. 7 seed's nine postseason games to date entering the 2025 NFL playoffs.

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Who are the No. 7 seeds in 2025 NFL playoffs?

The Packers once again earned the No. 7 seed on the NFC side of the bracket while the Denver Broncos captured the AFC's No. 7 seed in their first postseason appearance since 2016.

Green Bay will look to continue its run as the most successful seventh seed in NFL history against another NFC East foe, the Eagles, while the Broncos will try to pull off a monumental upset over the Bills.

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