NFL playoffs

{{Infobox sports league
| current_season = 2019-20 NFL playoffs
| last_season = 2018–19 NFL playoffs
| upcoming_season = 2020-21 NFL playoffs
| logo = NFL playoffs logo new.svg
| pixels = 200
| sport = American football
| founded = 1933
| teams = 12
| champion = [[New England Patriots]]<br />(6th title){{refn|The [[New England Patriots]] have  six Super Bowl championships.<ref name="NFL Champions"/>|group=upper-alpha}}
| most_champs = [[Green Bay Packers]]<br />(13 titles){{refn|The [[Green Bay Packers]] have nine NFL titles before the Super Bowl era, and four Super Bowl championships afterwards.<ref name="NFL Champions">{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/champions.aspx|title=History: NFL Champions|publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=January 30, 2013}}</ref>|group=upper-alpha}}
| TV = [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]<br />[[Fox NFL|Fox]]<br />[[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC]]<br />[[Monday Night Football|ESPN]]/[[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]
| website = 
}}

The '''NFL playoffs''' are a [[single-elimination tournament]] held after the [[National Football League]] (NFL)'s [[NFL regular season|regular season]] to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the [[playoffs]] based on regular-season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the case of ties. The tournament culminates in the [[Super Bowl]], the league's championship game, which matches the two conference champions.

NFL postseason history can be traced to the first [[History of the National Football League championship|NFL Championship Game]] in 1933, though in the early years, qualification for the game was based solely on regular season records. From 1933 to 1966, the NFL postseason generally only consisted of the NFL Championship Game, pitting the league's two division winners (pending any one-game playoff matches that needed to be held to break ties in the division standings). After 1967, the playoffs were expanded to allow four teams to qualify for the tournament. When the league [[AFL-NFL Merger|merged]] with the [[American Football League]] (AFL) in 1970, the playoffs were expanded to eight teams. The playoffs were expanded to ten teams in 1978 and twelve teams since 1990.

The NFL is the only one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States to use a single-elimination tournament in all rounds of its playoffs. Major League Baseball (MLB) (not including their Wild Card postseason round), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL) all use a [[Playoff format#Best-of formats|"best-of" series format]] instead.

==Current playoff system==
<div class="thumb tright">
[[File:NFL Playoffs format bracket.svg|right|upright=1.8|thumb|The NFL playoffs have a [[:en:Single-elimination tournament|single-elimination tournament]] format consisting of twelve teams, six from the [[:en:National Football Conference|NFC]] and six from the [[:en:American Football Conference|AFC]]. Seeds 1-4 for each conference are the four division winners, ordered by regular season [[:en:Winning percentage|winning percentage]]. Seeds 5-6, the [[:en:Wild card (sports)|wildcard]] teams, are the two remaining teams in each conference with the highest regular-season winning percentage. In the case of ties, the NFL has a [[:en:NFL playoffs#Breaking ties|system for resolving conflicts]].]]
</div>
<div class="thumb tright">
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 1em 1em 1em; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
!colspan="5"|Schedule for the NFL playoffs
|-
! Season
! {{#time:Y|-38 days -1 year}}–{{#time:y|-38 days +0 year}}
! {{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}–{{#time:y|-38 days +1 year}}
! {{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}–{{#time:y|-38 days +2 year}}<br>(Tentative)
! {{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}–{{#time:y|-38 days +3 year}}<br>(Tentative)
|-
! Wild Card
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}|January|2|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}|January|3|Sunday|j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}|January|2|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}|January|3|Sunday|j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}|January|2|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}|January|3|Sunday|j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}|January|2|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}|January|3|Sunday|j}}
|-
! Divisional
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}|January|9|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}|January|10|Sunday|j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}|January|9|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}|January|10|Sunday|j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}|January|9|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}|January|10|Sunday|j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}|January|9|Saturday|M j}}–{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}|January|10|Sunday|j}}
|-
! Conference
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}|January|17|Sunday|M j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}|January|17|Sunday|M j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}|January|17|Sunday|M j}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}|January|17|Sunday|M j}}
|-
! Super Bowl
| [[Super Bowl {{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}-1966}}}}|{{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}-1966}}}}]]<br/>{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +0 year}}|January|31|Sunday|M j}}
| [[Super Bowl {{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}-1966}}}}|{{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}-1966}}}}]]<br/>{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +1 year}}|January|31|Sunday|M j}}
| [[Super Bowl {{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}-1966}}}}|{{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}-1966}}}}]]<br/>{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +2 year}}|January|31|Sunday|M j}}
| [[Super Bowl {{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}-1966}}}}|{{Roman|{{#expr:{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}-1966}}}}]]<br/>{{Weekday after date|{{#time:Y|-38 days +3 year}}|January|31|Sunday|M j}}
|}
</div>

The 32-team National Football League is divided into two conferences, the [[American Football Conference|AFC]] and [[National Football Conference|NFC]], with 16 teams each. Since 2002, each conference has been further divided into four divisions of four teams each. Qualification into the playoffs works as follows:<ref name="yahoo">{{Cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=tiebreakers&prov=st&type=lgns |title=NFL Playoff Procedures and Tiebreakers |date=2006-12-31 |publisher=Yahoo! Sports |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101202334/http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=tiebreakers&prov=st&type=lgns |archive-date=2010-01-01 |dead-url=yes |access-date=2007-02-21 |df= }}</ref>

* The four division champions from each conference (the team in each division with the best overall record) are [[Single-elimination tournament#Seeding|seeded]] 1 through 4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record.
* Two [[Wild card (sports)#National Football League|wild-card]] qualifiers from each conference (the two teams with the best overall record of all remaining teams in the conference) are seeded 5 and 6.

The names of the first two playoff rounds date back to the postseason format that was first used in 1978, when the league added a second wild-card team to each conference. The first round of the playoffs is dubbed the '''wild-card round''' (or '''wild-card weekend'''). In this round, the third-seeded division winner hosts the sixth-seed wild card, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth. There are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference receive a [[bye (sports)|bye]] in the first round, which entitles these teams to automatic advancement to the second round, the '''divisional playoffs''', where they face the wild-card weekend winners. The 1 seed has [[home-field advantage]] throughout the playoffs. 

The NFL does not use a fixed bracket playoff system. In the second (divisional) round, the 1 seed will host the worst surviving seed from the first round (seed 4, 5, or 6), while the number 2 seed will host the other winning team (seed 3, 4, or 5).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/playoffrace |title=NFL Football Playoff Bracket |publisher=CBS Sportsline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523171811/http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/playoffrace |archive-date=2007-05-23 |dead-url=yes |access-date=2007-02-21 |df= }}</ref> The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective [[AFC Championship Game|AFC]] and [[NFC Championship Game|NFC]] '''Conference Championship''' games (hosted by the lower seed). The winners of those contests go on to face one another in the [[Super Bowl]].

If teams are tied (having the same regular season won-lost-tied record), the playoff seeding is determined by a set of [[:en:NFL playoffs#Breaking ties|tie-breaking rules]].<ref name="yahoo" /> 

One potential disadvantage to the system is that the two teams with the best records in a conference could play each other before the conference championship if they are in the same division. The better team would be seeded #1, while the lesser team would be seeded #5 as the top wild-card team, and as shown in the diagram, it is possible for the #1 division winner to play the top wild-card team in the divisional round. Another disadvantage is that sometimes a team's geographical location can have a greater impact than their regular-season records. For example, the {{Nfly|2010}} [[2010 Seattle Seahawks|Seattle Seahawks]] won the NFC West with a 7{{mdash}}9 record and hosted a playoff game, while the [[2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] and [[2010 New York Giants|New York Giants]] missed the playoffs that season despite going 10{{mdash}}6.

{{See also|NFL playoffs#Modification proposals}}

The [[New York Giants]] and [[New York Jets]] have shared the same home stadium since 1984 ([[Giants Stadium]] from 1984 to 2009, and [[MetLife Stadium]] since 2010). Thus, if both teams need to host playoff games on the same weekend, they are required to play on separate days, even during the Conference Championship round when both games are normally scheduled the same day. The only time such a scheduling conflict has occurred was during Wild Card weekend in 1985, when only 10 teams qualified for the postseason and there were only two wild-card games.  Instead of playing both Wild Card games on the same day, as was the case when the 10-team system was used from 1978 to 1989, the Jets hosted their game Saturday, December 28, before the Giants hosted their game on Sunday, December 29. This same scheduling conflict could occur for the [[Los Angeles Chargers]] and [[Los Angeles Rams]], who will share a new stadium beginning with the 2020 season.

==Breaking ties==
Often, teams will finish a season with identical records. It becomes necessary, therefore, to devise means to [[Tiebreaker|break these ties]], either to determine which teams will qualify for the playoffs, or to determine seeding in the playoff tournament. The rules below are applied in order until the tie is broken. If three teams are tied for one playoff spot and the third team is eliminated at any step, the tie breaker reverts to step one for the remaining two teams. If multiple playoff spots are at stake, the rules are applied in order until the first team qualifies, then the process is started again for the remaining teams.

The tie-breaking rules have changed over the years, with the most recent changes being made in 2002 to accommodate the league's realignment into eight four-team divisions; record vs. common opponents and most of the other criteria involving wins and losses were moved up higher in the tie-breaking list, while those involving compiled stats such as points for and against were moved to the bottom.<ref name=yahoo/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3222236/NFL-Tiebreaking-Procedures | title=FoxSports.com – NFL Tiebreaking Procedures | date=2006-12-09 | accessdate=2008-12-25 | deadurl=yes | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230060111/http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3222236/NFL-Tiebreaking-Procedures | archivedate=2008-12-30 | df= }}</ref>

The current tiebreakers are as follows, with coin tosses used if all of the criteria fail:<ref>[http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures NFL Tiebreaking Procedures]</ref>
{| class=wikitable
! Divisional tiebreakers
! Conference tiebreakers
|-valign="top"
| width="50%" |
# Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
# Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
# Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games (games played against the same opponents).
# Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
# Strength of victory (the combined won-lost-tied percentage of all the teams that a club has ''defeated'').
# Strength of schedule (the combined won-lost-tied percentage of all the teams that a club has ''played against'').
# Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
# Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
# Best net points in common games.
# Best net points in all games.
# Best net touchdowns in all games. 
| width="50%" |
# Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2.
# Head-to-head, if applicable.  (For ties among three or more teams, this step is only applied if there is a head-to-head sweep; i.e., if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
# Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
# Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
# Strength of victory (record of all the teams they defeated that season).
# Strength of schedule (record of all the teams they played that season).
# Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
# Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
# Best net points in conference games.
# Best net points in all games.
# Best net touchdowns in all games.
|}

==Overtime rules==
{{see also|Overtime (sports)}}

The NFL introduced overtime for any divisional tiebreak games beginning in [[1940 NFL season|1940]], and for championship games beginning in [[1946 NFL season|1946]]. The first postseason game to be played under these rules was the [[1958 NFL Championship Game]] between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants (the so-called "Greatest Game Ever Played"). Overtime under the original format was [[Sudden death (sport)|sudden death]], the first team to score would be declared the winner.

In March 2010, the NFL amended its rules for postseason overtime, with the rule being extended into the regular season in March 2012. If a team scores a touchdown, or if the defense scores a safety on its first possession, it is declared the winner. If it scores a field goal on its first possession, however, it then kicks off to the opposing team, which has an opportunity to score; if the score is tied again after that possession, true sudden death rules apply and whoever scores next will win.

Since postseason games cannot end in a tie, unlike the preseason or regular season, additional overtime periods are played as necessary until a winner is determined. Furthermore, all clock rules apply as if a game had started over. Therefore, if the first overtime period ends with the score still tied, the teams switch ends of the field prior to the second overtime. If a game was still tied with two minutes to go in the second overtime, there would be a two-minute warning (but not during the first overtime period as in the regular season). And if it were still tied at the end of the second overtime, there would be a kickoff to start a third overtime period.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/2011_Rule_Book.pdf |title=2011 Official Rules and Case Book of the National Football League}} Rule 16, Section 1, Article 4, Paragraph d</ref> Although a contest could theoretically last indefinitely, or last multiple overtime periods like several National Hockey League postseason games, no NFL playoff game has ever gone past two overtime periods. The longest NFL game played to date is 82 minutes, 40 seconds: [[Miami Dolphins]] kicker [[Garo Yepremian]] made the walk-off 37-yard field goal after 7:40 of the second overtime to defeat the [[Kansas City Chiefs]], 27–24, in the [[1971–72 NFL playoffs]] on December 25, 1971.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/12/22/longest.game.ever/index.html?sct=nfl_t13_a2 | title=Remembering the Christmas gift that was The Longest Game Ever | first=Don | last=Banks | work=SI.com | date=2011-12-22 | accessdate=2012-01-06}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Playoff games that went into at least two overtimes<ref>{{cite web | url=http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/history/pdfs/History/Overtime_Games_2011.pdf | title=NFL Record and Fact Book – Overtime Games | publisher=NFL | accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
|-
! Length of game
! data-sort-type="date" | Date
! Away team
! Score
! Home team
! Winning score
|-
| 82:40
| December 25, 1971
| '''[[Miami Dolphins]]'''
| 27–24
| [[Kansas City Chiefs]]
| [[Garo Yepremian]] 37-yard field goal
|-
| 77:54†
| December 23, 1962
| '''[[Dallas Texans (AFL)|Dallas Texans]]'''
| 20–17
| [[Houston Oilers]]
| [[Tommy Brooker]] 25-yard field goal
|-
| 77:02
| January 3, 1987
| [[New York Jets]]
| 20–23
| '''[[Cleveland Browns]]'''
| [[Mark Moseley]] 27-yard field goal
|-
| 76:42
| January 12, 2013
| '''[[Baltimore Ravens]]'''
| 38–35
| [[Denver Broncos]]
| [[Justin Tucker]] 47-yard field goal
|-
| 75:43
| December 24, 1977
| '''[[Oakland Raiders]]'''
| 37–31
| [[Baltimore Colts]]
| [[Dave Casper]] 10-yard touchdown pass from [[Ken Stabler]]
|-
| 75:10
| January 10, 2004
| '''[[Carolina Panthers]]'''
| 29–23
| [[St. Louis Rams]]
| [[Steve Smith (wide receiver, born 1979)|Steve Smith]] 69-yard touchdown pass from [[Jake Delhomme]]
|-
| class="sortbottom" style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | <small>†&nbsp;AFL game prior to the [[AFL–NFL merger]].</small>
|}

==Playoff and championship history==
{{further information|National Football League championships}}
{{for|playoff games of the American Football League prior to the AFL–NFL merger|AFL playoffs}}

The NFL's method for determining its champions has changed over the years.

===Early years===
From the league's founding in 1920 until 1932, there was no scheduled championship game. From 1920–1923, the championship was awarded to a team by a vote of team owners at the annual owners' meeting. From 1924–1932, the team having the best winning percentage was awarded the championship (the ''de facto'' standard owners had been using anyway). As each team played a different number of games, simply counting wins and losses would have been insufficient. Additionally, tie games were not counted in the standings in figuring winning percentage (under modern rules, ties count as ½ win and ½ loss). There was a head-to-head tiebreaker, which also was weighted toward the end of the season: for two teams that played each other twice, each winning once, the team winning the second game was determined to be the champion (the criteria used to decide the [[1921 NFL Championship controversy|1921]] title).<ref name=NFLhist>{{cite web | title = NFL History | publisher = NFL.com | url = http://www.nfl.com/history | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}</ref><ref name="tiesInStandings">{{cite book | title=2006 NFL Record and Fact Book | isbn=1-933405-32-5 | page=410}}</ref>

===1932 playoff game===
{{further information|1932 NFL Playoff Game}}
In [[1932 NFL season|1932]], the [[Chicago Bears]] (6–1–6) and the [[Portsmouth Spartans]] (6–1–4) were tied at the end of the season with the identical winning percentage of .857 (the [[Green Bay Packers]] (10–3–1) had more wins, but a lower winning percentage (.769) as calculated under the rules of the day, which omitted ties). An additional game was therefore needed to determine a champion. It was agreed that the game would be played in Chicago at [[Wrigley Field]], but severe winter weather and fear of a low turnout forced the game to be moved indoors to [[Chicago Stadium]]. The game was played under modified rules on a shortened 80-yard dirt field, and the Bears won with a final score of 9–0.<ref name=NFLhist/><ref name=hick32>{{cite web | last = Hickock | first = Ralph | title = The 1932 NFL Championship Game | publisher = HickokSports.com | date = 2004-11-19 | url = http://www.hickoksports.com/history/histbit1.shtml | accessdate = 2007-02-21 | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021030202355/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/histbit1.shtml | archivedate = 2002-10-30 | df =  }}</ref> As a result of the game, the Bears had the better winning percentage (.875) and won the league title. The loss gave the Spartans a final winning percentage of .750, and moved them to third place behind the Packers. While there is no consensus that this game was a real "championship" game (or even a playoff game), it generated considerable interest and led to the creation of the official [[NFL Championship Game]] in [[1933 NFL season|1933]].<ref name=hick32/>

===Before the Super Bowl===
{{further information|List of NFL champions}}
Given the interest of the impromptu "championship game", and the desire of the league to create a more equitable means of determining a champion, the league divided into two conferences beginning in [[1933 NFL season|1933]]. The winners of each conference (the first place teams in the conferences) met in the NFL Championship Game after the season. There was no tie-breaker system in place; any ties in the final standings of either conference resulted in a playoff game being played in 1941, 1943, 1947, two games in 1950, and one each in 1952, 1957, 1958, and 1965. Since the venue and date of the championship game were often not known until the last game of the season had been played, these playoff games sometimes resulted in delaying the end of the season by one week.

The playoff structure used from 1933 to 1966 was considered inequitable by some because of the number of times it failed to match the teams with the two best records in the championship game, as ''only'' the conference winners would qualify for playoff contention. Four times between 1950 and 1966 (in 1951, 1956, 1960, and 1963) the team with the second-best win-loss record did not qualify for the playoffs while the team with the best record in the other conference, but only the third-best in the league, would advance to the championship game.

For the [[1967 NFL season]], the NFL expanded to 16 teams, and split its two conferences into two divisions each, with four teams in each division. The four division champions would advance to the NFL playoffs, and to remain on schedule, a tie-breaker system was introduced. The first round of playoffs determined the conference's champion and its representative in the NFL Championship Game, played the following week. Thus, [[1967 NFL season|1967]] was the first season there was a scheduled playoff tournament to determine the teams to play for the NFL Championship.<ref name=hickhist>{{cite web | last = Hickock | first = Ralph | title = NFL Playoff and Championship History | publisher = HickokSports.com | url = http://www.hickoksports.com/history/profootchampions.shtml | accessdate = 2007-02-21 | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = https://archive.is/20130125063631/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/profootchampions.shtml | archivedate = 2013-01-25 | df =  }}</ref>

During the three years (1967–69) that this playoff structure was in effect, there was one use of the tie-breaker system. In 1967, the [[Los Angeles Rams]] and [[Baltimore Colts]] ended the season tied at 11–1–2 for the lead in the Coastal Division. The Colts came into the last game of the season undefeated, but were beaten by the Rams. Though the Colts shared the best win/loss record in the NFL that year, they failed to advance to the playoffs while three other teams with worse records won their divisions. This event figured into the decision in 1970 to include a [[wild card (sports)|wild-card]] team in the playoff tournament after the [[AFL–NFL merger]].

During the 1960s, a third-place playoff game was played in Miami, called the [[Playoff Bowl]]. It was contested in early January following the [[1960 NFL season|1960]]–[[1969 NFL season|69]] seasons. Though official playoff games at the time they were played, the NFL now officially classifies these ten games (and statistics) as exhibitions, not as playoff games.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Playoff Bowl (Bert Bell Benefit Bowl) | url = http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_Playoff_Bowl.htm | accessdate = 2007-04-18 | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070415053025/http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_Playoff_Bowl.htm | archivedate = 2007-04-15 | df =  }}</ref>

====AFL and AAFC playoffs====
{{Main|American Football League playoffs}}
Since it would eventually merge with the NFL, the history of the [[American Football League|AFL]]'s playoff system merits some explanation. For the 1960–68 seasons, the AFL used the two-divisional format identical to the NFL to determine its champion. There was no tie-breaker system in place, so ties atop the Eastern Division final standings in 1963 and Western Division in 1968 necessitated playoff games to determine each division's representative in the championship.

For the 1969 season, a first round was added whereby each division winner played the second-place team from the other division. The winners of these games met in the AFL Championship Game.<ref name=hickhist/> In the only year of this format, the AFL Champion [[Kansas City Chiefs]] were the second-place team in the Western division. The Chiefs went on to win [[Super Bowl IV]] that season, thus becoming the first non-division winner to win a [[Super Bowl]].<ref name=1969a>{{cite web | title = 1969 Standings| publisher = Pro Football Reference | url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1969.htm | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}</ref>

During its brief history, the AAFC, which would merge into the NFL for the 1950 season, used an identical playoff format to the NFL from 1946 to 1948. In 1949 (its last year), the AAFC would merge its two conferences when one of its teams folded, and use a four-team playoff system. In 1948, the aforementioned issue of playoff inequity came into play when the [[San Francisco 49ers]] would miss the playoffs with a 12–2 record; they were in the same conference as the 14–0 [[Cleveland Browns]], who would go on to win the Western Conference and then the AAFC's championship game against the 7–7 [[Buffalo Bills (AAFC)]].

===Super Bowl and merger===
The Super Bowl began as an inter-league championship game between the AFL and NFL, an idea first proposed by [[Kansas City Chiefs]] owner [[Lamar Hunt]]. This compromise was the result of pressures the upstart AFL was placing on the older NFL. The success of the rival league would eventually lead to a full merger of the two leagues.<ref name=NFLhist/>

From the 1966 season to the 1969 season (Super Bowls I–IV) the game featured the champions of the AFL and NFL. Since the 1970 season, the game has featured the champions of the [[National Football Conference]] (NFC) and the [[American Football Conference]] (AFC).

When the leagues merged in 1970, the new NFL (with 26 teams) reorganized into two conferences of three divisions each. From the 1970 season to the 1977 season, four teams from each conference (for a total of eight teams) qualified for the playoffs each year. These four teams included the three division champions, and a fourth wild-card team.<ref name="historyofWildCard">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.jsp?story_id=1940 | title=History of the Wild Card | publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] | accessdate=2007-01-13}}</ref>

Originally, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.<ref>{{cite web | title = Chasing perfection: 2005 Colts vs. '72 Dolphins | publisher = NFL.com | date = 2005-11-22 | url = http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9057708 | accessdate = 2007-02-21 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060719194834/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9057708 | archivedate = July 19, 2006 | deadurl = yes | df =  }}</ref> From 1970 to 1974, the divisional playoff round rotated which of the three division champions would have home field advantage, with the wild-card teams and the teams they would face in the divisional playoff game would never have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Starting in 1970, the divisional playoff games consisted of the AFC Central champions and the NFC West champions playing their games on the road. Then in 1971 it rotated to the AFC East champions and the NFC East champions playing their games on the road. In the 1972 divisional playoff games, the AFC West champions and the NFC Central champions were the visiting teams. And 1973 it would start all over with the AFC Central and NFC West again, and so on.

The rotation system led to several playoff inequities, such as:
* In 1971, the teams with the two best records in each conference met in the divisional round.
* In 1972, the Dolphins had to take their perfect record to [[Three Rivers Stadium]] to face the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], who went 11-3, in the AFC championship game.
* In 1973, the Cowboys finished 10-4 but hosted two 12-2 teams, the [[Los Angeles Rams]] and Minnesota.

The league did not institute a seeding system for the playoffs until 1975, where the surviving clubs with the higher seeds were made the home teams for each playoff round.<ref name=NFLhist/>  Thus, the top seeded division winner played the wild-card team, and the remaining two division winners played at the home stadium of the better seed (which meant that the lowest-seeded division winner had to open the postseason on the road). However, two teams from the same division could not meet prior to the conference championship game.<ref name=1975a>{{cite web | title = 1975 Standings | publisher = NFL.com | url = http://www.nfl.com/history/standings/1975 | accessdate = 2007-02-21}}</ref> Thus, there would be times when the pairing in the divisional playoff round would be the 1 seed vs. the 3 seed and 2 vs. 4.

===Expansion===
Following an expansion of the regular season from 14 to 16 games in {{NFL year|1978}}, the league added one more wild-card team for each conference. The two wild-card teams played the week before the division winners. The winner of this game played the top seeded division winner as was done from 1970–1977. The league continued to prohibit intra-divisional games in the divisional playoffs, but allowed such contests in the wild-card round.<ref name=1983a>{{cite web | title = 1983 Standings | publisher = NFL.com | url = http://www.nfl.com/history/standings/1983 | accessdate = 2007-02-21}}</ref>  This ten-team playoff format was used through the 1989 season.<ref name="historyofWildCard"/> Under this system, the [[Oakland Raiders]] became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl following the 1980 season.<ref name=1980a>{{cite web | title = 1980 Standings| publisher = Pro Football Reference | url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1980.htm | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}</ref>

During the strike-shortened [[1982 NFL season|1982 season]], only nine regular season games were played, and a modified playoff format was instituted. Divisional play was ignored (there were some cases where division rivals had both games wiped out by the strike, although each division ultimately sent at least one team to the playoffs), and the top eight teams from each conference (based on W-L-T record) were advanced to the playoffs. As a result, this became the first time that teams with losing records qualified for the playoffs: the 4–5 [[Cleveland Browns]] and the 4–5 [[Detroit Lions]].<ref name=1982a>{{cite web | title = 1982 Standings| publisher = Pro Football Reference  | url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1982.htm | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}</ref>

Several times between 1978–89, the two wild-card games had to be played on different days. Normally they both would be held on Sunday. In 1983 and 1988, the games were split between Saturday and Monday because Sunday was Christmas, and the NFL had avoided playing on that day at the time. In 1984, both games were played in the Pacific Time Zone, so they had to be played on Saturday and Sunday to accommodate for time differences. In 1985, both the [[New York Giants]] and [[New York Jets|Jets]] hosted wild-card games. As they have shared a home stadium since 1984, the games had to be played on different days.

For the [[1990 NFL season|1990 season]], a third wild-card team for each conference was added, expanding the playoffs to the current twelve teams. The lowest-seeded division winner was then "demoted" to the wild-card weekend. Also, the restrictions on intra-divisional games during the divisional playoffs were removed.<ref>Platania, Joe [http://www.pressboxonline.com/blog.cfm?id=3087 "1990 Rule Change Makes Ravens-Steelers Possible"] ''PressBox'' (Baltimore), January 2011</ref>

The [[2001 NFL season|2001 season]] became the first time that playoff games were played in prime time.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-06-13/sports/0106130197_1_nfl-playoff-wild-card-and-divisional-playoff-larger-potential-audiences | title=NFL playoff games going prime time | newspaper=Chicago Tribune | date=June 13, 2001 | accessdate=January 8, 2017}}</ref> Thus, the league no longer had the same restrictions like in 1984 as to when to schedule games in the Pacific Time Zone.

The 1990 format continued until the 2002 expansion and reorganization into eight divisions. In this current format, [[#Current playoff system|as explained above]], the four division winners and two wild cards are seeded 1–6, with the top two seeds receiving byes, and the highest seed in each round guaranteed to play the lowest seed. Seedings also determine the home-field advantage.<ref name="historyofWildCard"/>

==Modification proposals==
There are some limitations that exist in the current 12-team playoff system. Since being a division winner is a guaranteed playoff berth, it is possible that a team that wins a "weak" division either barely has a winning season or may even have a losing season. At the same time, since a division winner is always seeded higher than a wild card, these teams might play against wild card teams who had superior records in the regular season. Home field advantage does not guarantee success, however; during the [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|2015–16 season]], every road team won their respective playoff game, the first such occurrence in NFL history.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/wild-card-weekend-packers-seahawks-chiefs-steelers-all-road-teams-win-011016 | title=Wild Card weekend makes history as all four road teams win | publisher=Fox Sports | date=January 10, 2016 | accessdate=January 11, 2016}}</ref>

This issue has become more prevalent since the aforementioned 2002 realignment. There are three notable examples in which a division winner with a .500 or sub-.500 record ended up winning a playoff game against a team with a superior record:
* In the [[2008–09 NFL playoffs|2008–09 season]], the [[2008 San Diego Chargers|San Diego Chargers]] clinched the AFC West with only an 8–8 (.500) record, and hosted the 12–4 [[2008 Indianapolis Colts|Indianapolis Colts]] in the wild-card round, while the [[2008 New England Patriots|New England Patriots]] failed to make the playoffs at 11–5. The Chargers then went on to defeat the Colts in that playoff game.
* In the [[2010–11 NFL playoffs|2010–11 season]], the [[2010 Seattle Seahawks|2010 Seattle Seahawks]] won the NFC West with a 7–9 (.438) record, hosting and defeating the 11–5 [[2010 New Orleans Saints|New Orleans Saints]]. Failing to make the playoffs were the [[2010 New York Giants|New York Giants]] and [[2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], both with 10–6 records. The 2010 Seahawks were the first team in NFL history to win both a division championship and a playoff game with a losing regular season record. They currently have the lowest win percentage of any team to ever make the playoffs.
* In the [[2014–15 NFL playoffs|2014–15 season]], the [[2014 Carolina Panthers|Carolina Panthers]] won the NFC South with a 7–8–1 (.469) record. They hosted and defeated the 11–5 [[2014 Arizona Cardinals|Arizona Cardinals]] in the wild card round. The best team to miss the playoffs that year was the [[2014 Philadelphia Eagles|Philadelphia Eagles]], who finished 10–6. To date, the 2014 Panthers and 2010 Seahawks are the only two teams to win a division, and a playoff game, with a losing record.

As a result of this seeding issue, calls have been made to modify the playoff format even further. One proposal has been to expand the playoffs to 14 teams. Proponents of expansion note the increased revenue that could be gained from an additional two playoff games. They also note that the 12-team playoff system was implemented when the league only had 28 teams, four less than today. The opposition to such a move notes that an expansion of the playoffs would "water down" the field by giving access to lower-caliber teams. Opponents to expansion further point to the NBA playoffs and the NHL playoffs where more than half of the teams qualify for the postseason, and there is often a decreased emphasis on regular season performance as a result.<ref>{{cite web | last =Weisman | first =Larry | title = Expanding playoffs, instant replay on NFL owners' agenda | publisher = USATODAY.com | date = 2006-03-22 | url = https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-03-22-owners-meeting_x.htm | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Clayton | first = John | title = Playoff format is matter of integrity | publisher = ESPN.com | date = 2005-12-30 | url = http://proxy.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2275183 | accessdate = 2007-02-21 }}</ref>

After the [[2007–08 NFL playoffs|2007 playoffs]] saw two [[wild card (sports)|wild-card]] teams with better records ([[Jacksonville Jaguars]] and eventual [[Super Bowl XLII]] champions [[New York Giants]]) go on the road to defeat division winners ([[Pittsburgh Steelers]] and [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], respectively) during wild-card weekend, the NFL explored another proposal to change the playoffs so that the team with the better record would host the game, even if that meant a division winner went on the road. The NFL's Competition Committee withdrew the request later that offseason,<ref name="2008 proposal">{{cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80789b13 | title=Proposal to reseed playoff teams withdrawn by owners | accessdate=2011-01-03}}</ref> with [[Atlanta Falcons]] president [[Rich McKay]] mentioning that they wanted the idea to simply get a discussion going. [[New England Patriots]] owner [[Robert Kraft]] was a strong opponent of the rule change, believing that "if you win a division, it's good for your fans to know you will have a home game."<ref name="2008 proposal"/>

Just before the 2010–11 Saints-Seahawks playoff game, McKay wanted to revisit the previous proposal to reseed teams during wild-card weekend.<ref>{{cite web | title=McKay: League should revisit playoff seeding system | url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81cedd95/article/mckay-competition-committee-should-revisit-playoff-reseeding | date=2010-12-15 | accessdate=2011-01-03}}</ref> However, sportswriter [[Peter King (sportswriter)|Peter King]] wrote that he believed league owners were still hesitant on implementing any such changes at this time due to [[2011 NFL season|the then-pending 2011 work stoppage]], the proposals to extend the regular season from 16 to 18 games and how it will impact the postseason, and the simple fact that not enough teams have been seriously disadvantaged by the current format.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/12/30/week-17/index.html | title=A logical guess at wild-card slate, plus 10 things to watch for Sunday | first=Peter | last=King | work=SI.com | date=2010-12-30 | accessdate=2011-01-03}}</ref>

In October 2013, NFL commissioner [[Roger Goodell]] announced plans to revisit the idea to expand the playoffs to 14 teams, with the increased revenue gained from the two additional postseason games being used to offset plans to shorten the preseason.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9796104/expanded-playoffs-possible-2015-roger-goodell-says | title=Expanded NFL playoffs eyed for 2015 | work=ESPN | date=2013-10-09 | accessdate=2013-10-09}}</ref> The two extra Wild Card games could also be scheduled on the weekend, creating triple-headers on both Saturday and Sunday. Goodell then suggested that they might instead be played on Friday and/or Monday, which may eventually cause scheduling conflicts with games of the new [[College Football Playoff]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/20140108nfls-push-more-playoffs-could-create-football-logjam.html | title=NFL's push for more playoffs could create football logjam | first=Bob | last=Young | work=AZCentral.com | date=2014-01-09 | accessdate=2014-01-12}}</ref>

The 14-team playoff proposal remained tabled until December 2014, when no team in the NFC South could finish better than .500; Goodell stated that the league would vote on it at the March 2015 Owners' Meetings. However, by the February 2015, the ''Washington Post'' reported that support among team owners has eroded, and league leaders expressed reluctance to make a change until the end of the 2015 season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/02/18/expanded-nfl-playoffs-no-longer-seen-as-likely-for-next-season/ | title=Expanded NFL playoffs no longer seen as likely for next season | first=Mark | last=Maske | work=Washington Post | date=February 18, 2015 | accessdate=February 20, 2015}}</ref>  The proposal lost all interest; it has not since been raised.  It is likely that movement won't be made on expanding either the playoffs or the regular season until at least 2020, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Maske|first1=Mark|title=Whatever happened to the expanded NFL playoffs? They were going to happen, and then … nothing.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/06/05/whatever-happened-to-the-expanded-nfl-playoffs-they-were-going-to-happen-and-then-nothing/|website=Washington Post|accessdate=19 October 2017|date=5 June 2017}}</ref>

==NFL playoff appearances==
''Correct as of the end of the 2018 NFL season.''

<small>*Tiebreaker playoff appearances based on the team with the more recent playoff appearance.</small>

=== Appearances by active teams ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Team
!style="width:180px"|Appearances<ref>{{cite book | title=NFL Record & Fact Book 2014 | isbn=978-1618933942 | publisher=NFL | chapter=Inside the Numbers | page=315}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dallas Cowboys]]
|33
|-
|[[Green Bay Packers]]
|32
|-
|[[New York Giants]]
|32
|-
|[[Pittsburgh Steelers]]
|31
|-
|[[Minnesota Vikings]]
|30
|-
|[[Los Angeles Rams|Cleveland/St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams]]
|29
|-
|[[Indianapolis Colts|Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts]]
|26
|-
|[[Chicago Bears]]
|25{{#tag:ref|Does not include the appearance in the [[1932 NFL Playoff Game]]. The NFL officially records it as an additional regular season game<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1931-1940 | title=NFL History: 1931–1940 | work=NFL.com | accessdate=November 13, 2013 | quote= After the season finale, the league office arranged for an additional regular-season game to determine the league champion}}</ref>|group=upper-alpha|name=a}}
|-
|[[New England Patriots|Boston/New England Patriots]]
|24{{#tag:ref|Includes [[American Football League]] postseason appearances. Per the conditions of the [[AFL–NFL merger]], all history, playoffs and records of the AFL were incorporated into the NFL.|group=upper-alpha|name=d}}
|-
|[[Philadelphia Eagles]]
|22
|-
|[[San Francisco 49ers]]
|25
|-
|[[Washington Redskins]]
|24
|-
|[[Cleveland Browns]]
|24{{#tag:ref|The NFL does not officially recognize the Cleveland's Browns' playoff appearances and records from 1946 to 1949 when they were part of the [[All-America Football Conference]].|group=upper-alpha|name=b}}<ref group=upper-alpha name=c />
|-
|[[Miami Dolphins]]
|23
|-
|[[Denver Broncos]]
|22
|-
|[[Oakland Raiders|Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders]]
|22{{#tag:ref|Includes [[American Football League]] postseason appearances. Per the conditions of the [[AFL–NFL merger]], all history, playoffs and records of the AFL were incorporated into the NFL.|group=upper-alpha|name=d}}
|-
|[[Tennessee Titans|Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans]]
|22<ref group=upper-alpha name=d />
|-
|[[Kansas City Chiefs|Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs]]
|21<ref group=upper-alpha name=d />
|-
|[[Los Angeles Chargers|San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers]]
|19<ref group=upper-alpha name=d />
|-
|[[Buffalo Bills]]
|18<ref group=upper-alpha name=d />
|-
|[[Detroit Lions|Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions]]
|17<ref group=upper-alpha name=a />
|-
|[[Seattle Seahawks]]
|17
|-
|[[Cincinnati Bengals]]
|14
|-
|[[New York Jets]]
|14<ref group=upper-alpha name=d />
|-
|[[Atlanta Falcons]]
|14
|-
|[[New Orleans Saints]]
|12
|-
|[[Baltimore Ravens]]
|11{{#tag:ref|The [[Baltimore Ravens]] were originally the [[Cleveland Browns]], and [[Cleveland Browns relocation controversy|moved to Baltimore in 1996]]. Due to an agreement with the city of [[Cleveland]] that allowed the club to move, the Browns name, colors, and team history/records were left for a new Cleveland Browns team while the team, personnel, and staff of the old Browns team were allowed to move to Baltimore. As such, the Ravens are considered to have begun play in [[1996 Baltimore Ravens|1996]] while the current Cleveland Browns are considered to have joined the NFL in [[1950 NFL season|1950]], were inactive from 1996–98, and resumed play as a new team in 1999.|group=upper-alpha|name=c}}
|-
|[[Arizona Cardinals|Chicago/St.Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals]]
|10
|-
|[[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]
|10
|-
|[[Carolina Panthers]]
|8
|-
|[[Jacksonville Jaguars]]
|7
|-
|[[Houston Texans]]
|5
|}

{{reflist|group=upper-alpha}}

==See also==
* [[Active NFL playoff appearance streaks]]
* [[List of NFL playoff games]]
* [[National Football League championships]]
* [[NFL playoff results]]
* [[NFL starting quarterback playoff records]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | title=2006 NFL Record and Fact Book | publisher=Time Inc. Home Entertainment | isbn=1-933405-32-5}}
* {{cite book | title=Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League | publisher=[[Harper Collins]] | isbn=1-933405-32-5}}
* {{cite book | title=The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995 | isbn=0-89204-523-X}}

==External links==
* [http://www.superbowl.com/history Super Bowl History]
* [https://www.pro-football-reference.com Pro-Football-Reference.com] – Large online database of NFL data and statistics. Many of the game scores and records in this article can be found there.

{{NFL playoffs}}
{{NFL}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Football League Playoffs}}