Six wild-card teams entered and one is still standing.
The No. 6 Washington Commanders are the lone wild-card team remaining in the NFL playoffs heading into the conference championships this weekend. The NFC's No. 5 Minnesota Vikings and No. 7 Green Bay Packers, along with the AFC's No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers, No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers and No. 7 Denver Broncos, all suffered season-ending road losses on Wild Card Weekend.
But the Commanders advanced past the opening round with a 23-20 victory over the No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jayden Daniels and Co. then stunned the top-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31 in the Divisional Round to reach the franchise's first NFC Championship Game since its 1991 Super Bowl season.
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Washington will now visit the NFC East rival No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles on Championship Sunday, with a trip to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans on the line. Washington and Philadelphia split their two regular-season meetings, each winning at home.
With the Commanders sitting two wins away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, just how many teams have been able to go from wild card to Super Bowl champion? Here's what to know:
When were wild cards added to the NFL playoffs?
The wild-card format was first introduced in 1980, when one more team from each conference could qualify for the playoffs in addition to six total division champions. Two more wild-card teams were added in 1978 and then again in 1990, bringing the playoff field to 12 teams.
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The NFL realigned to eight four-team divisions when the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002. The playoff field remained at 12 teams, though, with a total of four wild cards.
In 2020, the NFL added a third wild-card spot to each conference, awarding a first-round bye to only the No. 1 seeds.
Has a wild-card team ever made, won the Super Bowl?
There have been 11 wild-card teams to play in the Super Bowl, and more than half were crowned champions.
Who's the last NFL wild-card team to make, win the Super Bowl?
The 2020 Buccaneers stand as the most recent wild-card team to both make and win the Super Bowl. Tom Brady and Co. entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed following an 11-5 regular season.
Tampa Bay defeated No. 4 Washington, No. 2 New Orleans and No. 1 Green Bay en route to Super Bowl 55, where the Bucs crushed the NFL-best Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Bucs were the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl at their home stadium.
How many NFL wild-card teams have won the Super Bowl?
Tampa Bay became the seventh wild-card team to win the Super Bowl. The first team to achieve the feat was the 1980 Oakland Raiders, who took down the Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl 15 as a No. 4 seed.
Here’s a full look at the seven wild-card teams to win it all:
1980 Oakland Raiders, No. 4 seed: 27-10 over Eagles in Super Bowl 15
1997 Denver Broncos, No. 4 seed: 31-24 over Packers in Super Bowl 32
2000 Baltimore Ravens, No. 4 seed: 34-7 over Giants in Super Bowl 35
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, No. 6 seed: 21-10 over Seahawks in Super Bowl 40
2007 New York Giants, No. 5 seed: 17-14 over Patriots in Super Bowl 43
2010 Green Bay Packers, No. 6 seed: 31-25 over Steelers in Super Bowl 45
2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 5 seed: 31-9 over Chiefs in Super Bowl 55
How many NFL wild-card teams have made the Super Bowl?
In addition to the seven winners, four other wild-card teams have reached the Super Bowl and lost.
The 1975 Dallas Cowboys were the first wild-card team to reach the Super Bowl. As a No. 4 seed, Dallas won two playoff games before losing 21-17 to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 10.
Here are the four wild-card teams that fell short in the Big Game:
1975 Dallas Cowboys, No. 4 seed: 21-17 to Steelers in Super Bowl 10
1985 New England Patriots, No. 5 seed: 46-10 to Bears in Super Bowl 20
1992 Buffalo Bills, No. 4 seed: 52-17 to Cowboys in Super Bowl 27
1999 Tennessee Titans, No. 4 seed: 23-16 to Rams in Super Bowl 34