Seven of the 14 spots available in the NFL playoffs for the 2020 campaign have fallen to the final Sunday of the regular season, including the final of the 256 games, but the expanded post-season roster is set and starts on Saturday.
The 14 teams in the playoffs have 51 players from Alabama high schools and colleges on their active rosters. The NFL postseason added a wildcard team at each conference, turning the opening weekend’s double headers into triple headers.
The schedule for the NFL playoffs Super Wild-Card Weekend (with all CST schedules):
Saturday, January 9
· AFC: No. 6 Indianapolis Colts (11-5) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (13-3), 12:05 (CBS)
· NFC: No. 6 Los Angeles Rams (10-6) at No. 3 Seattle Seahawks (12-4), 15:40 (FOX)
· NFC: No. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) at No. 4 Washington Football Team (7-9), 7:15 pm (NBC)
Sunday, January 10
· AFC: No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at No. 4 Tennessee Titans (11-5), 12:05 pm (ESPN, ABC)
· NFC: No. 7 Chicago Bears (8-8) at No. 2 New Orleans Saints (12-4), 15:40 (CBS, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime)
· AFC: No. 6 Cleveland Browns (11-5) at No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4), 19:15 (NBC, Telemundo, Peacock)
Earning byes in the first round as number 1 at each conference were the Green Bay Packers (13-3) on the NFC and the Kansas City Chiefs (14-2) on the AFC.
The top two finishers in each conference start playing in the postseason in the Division Playoffs on January 16 and 17. The schedule for this round will be determined after the Super Wild-Card Weekend.
Conference championship games will be played on 24 January.
The Super Bowl LV will be played on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. CBS will broadcast the game on television.
Players with roots in Alabama in the active and practical lineups (as well as reserve / COVID-19 designations) of the playoff teams include:
Baltimore Ravens
Anthony Averett, cornerback, Alabama
· Bradley Bozeman, guard, Handley, Alabama
DJ Fluker, guard, Foley, Alabama
· Marlon Humphrey, cornerback, Hoover, Alabama
· Mark Ingram, running back, Alabama
Buffalo Bills
· Mario Addison, defensive edge, Tarrant, Troy
· Siran Neal, security, Eufaula, Jacksonville State
· Levi Wallace, cornerback, Alabama
· Training selection: JJ Nelson, wide receiver, Midfield, UAB
· Training selection: Josh Thomas, security, Montgomery Academy
· Training selection: Duke Williams, wide receiver, Auburn
· Book / COVID-19: TJ Yeldon, running back, Daphne, Alabama
Chicago Bears
· Eddie Jackson, security, Alabama
· Darnell Mooney, wide receiver, Gadsden City
· Lachavious Simmons, guard, Selma
Cleveland Browns
· Tae Davis, linebacker, Oxford
· Ronnie Harrison, security, Alabama
· Cody Parkey, kicker, Auburn
· Jedrick Wills, offensive tackle, Alabama
· Mack Wilson, linebacker, Carver-Montgomery, Alabama
Green Bay Packers
· JK Scott, gambler, Alabama
Za’Darius Smith, external linebacker, Greenville
· Training selection: Seth Roberts, wide receiver, West Alabama
· Training selection: Anthony Rush, defensive tackle, UAB
Indianapolis Colts
· Ryan Kelly, downtown, Alabama
Philip Rivers, quarterback, Athens
· Braden Smith, offensive tackle, Auburn
· Tremon Smith, cornerback, Saks
Taylor Stallworth, defensive tackle, Murphy
Kansas City Chiefs
· Gehrig Dieter, wide receiver, Alabama
Tyreek Hill, wide receiver, West Alabama
· Training selection: Darryl Williams, center, Bessemer
Los Angeles Rams
Gerald Everett, tight end, UAB / South Alabama
· Terrell Lewis, external linebacker, Alabama
· A’Shawn Robinson, defensive tackle, Alabama
· Darious Williams, defensive defense, UAB
· Training selection: Austin MacGinnis, kicker, Prattville
New Orleans Saints
· Janoris Jenkins, cornerback, North Alabama
· Jameis Winston, quarterback, Hueytown
Pittsburgh Steelers
· Isaiah Buggs, defensive edge, Alabama
· Minkah Fitzpatrick, security, Alabama
· JC Hassenauer, downtown, Alabama
· Training selection: Devlin Hodges, defender, Mortimer Jordan, Samford
· Training selection: Corliss Waitman, bookmaker, South Alabama
Seattle Seahawks
· Jarran Reed, defensive tackle, Alabama
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carlton Davis, cornerback, Auburn
· Jamel Dean, cornerback, Auburn
· Rakeem Nunez-Roches, defensive striker, Central-Phenix City
· Training selection: Josh Pearson, wide receiver, Austin, Jacksonville State
· Book / COVID-19: Steve McLendon, defensive tackle, Carroll-Ozark, Troy
Tennessee Titans
· Daren Bates, linebacker, Auburn
· Khari Blasingame, defender, Buckhorn
· Malcolm Butler, cornerback, West Alabama
· Rashaan Evans, linebacker, Auburn High, Alabama
· Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama
· Ben Jones, downtown, Bibb County
· Training selection: Chester Rogers, wide receiver, Lee-Huntsville
Washington Football Team
· Jonathan Allen, defensive striker, Alabama
· Peyton Barber, running back, Auburn
Robert Foster, wide receiver, Alabama
· JD McKissic, running back, Central-Phenix City
· Daron Payne, defensive tackle, Shades Valley, Alabama
· Jeremy Reaves, defensive defender, South Alabama
· Cam Sims, wide receiver, Alabama
· Training selection: Devaroe Lawrence, defensive tackle, Auburn
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @ AMarkG1.