If the NFL regular season is a 17-week slow burn, the playoffs are the final episodes where every storyline collides at once. There are no do-overs, no series, no “best of seven.” One bad throw, one missed block, one tipped pass, and months of work disappear. Here’s how the NFL playoffs work, step by step, explained in a way that actually makes sense, and will have you sounding like a pro by kickoff. Courtesy of Programming Insider Two Conferences, Two Separate Roads The NFL