| Conference Playoff Standings |
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W |
L |
T |
Div. |
AFC |
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|
W |
L |
T |
Div. |
NFC |
| AFC East |
New England |
14 |
2 |
0 |
5-1 |
11-1 |
|
NFC West |
Philadelphia |
12 |
4 |
0 |
5-1 |
9-3 |
| AFC West |
Kansas City |
13 |
3 |
0 |
5-1 |
10-2 |
|
NFC East |
St. Louis |
12 |
4 |
0 |
4-2 |
8-4 |
| AFC South |
Indianapolis |
12 |
4 |
0 |
4-1 |
9-3 |
|
NFC South |
Carolina |
10 |
5 |
0 |
5-1 |
8-3 |
| AFC North |
Baltimore |
9 |
6 |
0 |
3-2 |
6-5 |
|
NFC North |
Green Bay |
10 |
6 |
0 |
4-2 |
7-5 |
| Wild Card |
Tennessee |
12 |
4 |
0 |
4-2 |
8-4 |
|
Wild Card |
Seattle |
10 |
6 |
0 |
5-1 |
8-4 |
| Wild Card |
Denver |
10 |
6 |
0 |
5-1 |
9-3 |
|
Wild Card |
Dallas |
10 |
6 |
0 |
5-1 |
8-4 |
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PLAYOFF AND TIEBREAKER INFORMATION
Selection of Clubs
1. Four Division Champions from each Conference.
2. Two Wild Card teams (division non-champions with best two records) from each Conference. Both Wild Card teams may come from the same Division. Teams eliminated in Divisional Championship tiebreakers are eligible to be Wild Cards, if their records qualify them.
Pairings and Home Club Priorities
1. First Round (Wild Card Playoffs) -- Two Wild Card teams (division non-champions with best two records) from each conference and the division champions with the third-best and fourth-best records in each conference will enter the first round of the playoffs. The division champion with the third-best record will play host to the Wild Card team with the second-best record. The Wild Card team with the best record will play at the division champion with the fourth-best record. There are no restrictions on intra-division games.
2. Second Round (Divisional Playoffs) -- In each conference, the two division champions with the highest won-lost-tied percentage during the regular season will play host to the first-round winners. The division champion with the best record in each conference is assured of playing the lowest-seeded Wild Card survivor. There are no restrictions on intra-division games.
3. Third Round (Conference Championships) -- The home teams will be the surviving playoff winners with the best won-lost-tied percentage during the regular season. A Wild Card team cannot play host unless two Wild Card teams are in the game, in which case the Wild Card team that was seeded highest in the first round of the playoffs will be the home team.
4. Super Bowl -- Champions of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) play to determine the National Football League champion. The home team alternates between the conference champions. The NFC champion will be the home team for Super Bowl XXXVII.
Pairings and Priority
The four division champions and two Wild Card clubs (the two clubs with the best records other than the division champions) from each conference will participate in the postseason. Tie games are calculated as one-half game won and one-half game lost. Both Wild Cards may come from the same division. Clubs eliminated in Divisional Championship tiebreakers are eligible to be Wild Cards if their records qualify them.
The six postseason participants from each conference will be seeded as follows:
1. The division champion with the best record.
2. The division champion with the second-best record.
3. The division champion with the third-best record.
4. The division champion with the fourth-best record.
5. The Wild Card club with the best record.
6. The Wild Card club with the second-best record.
In the first round, the division champion with the third-best record (the No. 3 seed) will play the Wild Card club with the third second-best record (the No. 6 seed), and the division champion with the fourth-best record (the No. 4 seed) will play the Wild Card team with the best record (No. 5 seed). The division champions will host the games.
In the second round, the division champion with the best record (the No. 1 seed) will play the winner of the game between the division champion with the fourth-best record and the Wild Card with the best record, unless the Wild Card club with the second-best record wins its first round game, in which case the division champion with the best record will play the Wild Card club with the second-best record. In either case, the division champion with the second-best record will play the winner of the other first round game. The two division champions with the best won-lost-tied percentage in the regular season will host games.
None of the above will be affected by the fact that a Wild Card club and division champion is from the same division.
Schedule and Site
Each season the pairings and sites of the Conference Championship Games will be determined as follows: winners of the Divisional Playoff Games (second round) under the formula provided for in Section 20.2 will be the four participants; home teams will be those with the highest won-lost percentage during the regular season, provided, however, that a Wild Card club may in no case be the home team, unless two Wild Card clubs are in a Conference Championship Game, in which case the Wild Card club that was seeded highest in the First Round of the playoffs will be the home team in the Conference Championship Game.
Wild Card Ties
If necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild Card teams from each Conference, the following steps will be taken:
If necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken:
(A) If all the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tiebreaker.
(B) If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps:
TWO CLUBS
1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in the games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.
THREE OR MORE CLUBS
1. Apply division tiebreaker to eliminate all but highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step two. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tiebreaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the three Wild Card participants.
2. Head-to-Head Sweep (apply only if one has defeated each of the others or one club has lost to each of the others).
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in conference games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss.
(C) When the first Wild Card Team has been identified, the procedure is repeated to name the second Wild Card (i.e., eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step two. In situations where three teams from the same division are involved in the procedure, the original seeding of the teams remains the same for subsequent applications of the tiebreaker if the top-ranked team in that division qualifies for a Wild Card berth.
Division Ties
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with the best won-lost-tied percentage, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined:
TWO CLUBS
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss.
THREE OR MORE CLUBS *
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss.
* -- If two clubs remain tied after a third club is eliminated during any step, tiebreaker reverts to Step One of two-club format.
Conference Ties
To determine home site priority for postseason games when non-division teams are tied in won-lost records, the Wild Card tiebreakers are used.
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