The NFL Playoffs
The National Football League (NFL) Playoff is a playoff system that determines the winner of the NFL championship. Each year, the league selects teams from the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC). These teams then compete in a series of playoff games in order to earn a spot in the championship. There are three phases in the playoffs: Divisional, Wild-card, and Tie-breaker.
Philadelphia Eagles become first team to clinch a playoff berth in 2022
The Philadelphia Eagles made history in Week 14 when they became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth. This is a major milestone, especially considering the fact that they are on the cusp of a Super Bowl win.
With the Eagles’ victory, the NFC East division title is also secured. Philadelphia is now tied for the best record in the league with Kansas City Chiefs. They have also set a franchise high for most wins in a season.
In addition, they have a favorable schedule heading into the final four weeks of the season. If they can win two games against the Bears, Saints, Cowboys, and Falcons, they will clinch the NFC East.
Wild-card round
The Wild-card round in the NFL Playoffs is a series of games that determine which wild card teams will face division winners in the next round. These games take place on Saturday and Sunday, with double-digit point spreads and mismatches. Typically, one of the two teams plays in the conference championship game.
Each conference sends four division winners to the playoffs. Those divisional champions are seeded one to four based on their record. However, in the future, the number of division winners in each conference will be reduced to six, and there will be three wild card qualifiers.
Since the inception of the playoffs in the 1970s, two wild card teams have made the cut. These teams are selected from the top-six regular season records in each conference. They are akin to the “best second place” team in each conference.
Divisional round
The Divisional Round is one of the best weekends of the NFL season. Two teams from each division get to face off in a single elimination matchup to decide the NFC or AFC champion. This will determine who plays in the Super Bowl.
In the previous four seasons, the home team in the Conference Championship game has won more than 68 percent of the games. That’s the most of any NFL team during that time period.
In addition to playing the conference championship game, the top three teams in each conference are given playoff seeded byes through the first round. These three teams are based on their regular season records.
Tie-breaker system
A tie-breaker system is used by the NFL in its playoffs. It is a multi-tiered process, so the tie-breaker for the league’s championship is different than the one for the wild card playoff.
The system begins with the team in the winning division. If a club finishes in a tie with a club from a different division, it must play that division’s team twice to determine a winner. This can be tedious. For example, if a team plays their opponent in the Coastal Division twice, the Steelers would need to play their opponent in the AFC twice, and vice versa.
As you can guess, the most important tie-breaker is the head-to-head matchup. This is because the team with the best record in its conference wins the tie-breaker.
Dallas Cowboys on brink of first NFC Championship since 1995
The Dallas Cowboys are on the brink of their first NFC Championship game since 1995. If they win Sunday, they will play the Philadelphia Eagles. But if they lose, they will face the San Francisco 49ers.
After winning eight games in the regular season, the Cowboys have lost eight postseason games. They have not won a road playoff game since 1992. So they need to beat the 49ers in order to earn the opportunity to play in the NFC Championship Game.
The Cowboys have a solid defense that ranks seventh in the league in scoring. However, they are struggling to find a true number two guy. Dak Prescott has now thrown five interceptions in the postseason.
Cincinnati Bengals back performing with the AFC’s best
The Cincinnati Bengals have performed with the AFC’s best over the past decade. Their eight-game winning streak is the longest in the league, and they are coming off a 27-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills. They also won back-to-back division titles for the first time in franchise history.
With a win over the Bills, the Bengals could secure the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs. If they win, they would go to the Super Bowl for the second straight season.
Despite losing to the Los Angeles Rams in last year’s Super Bowl, the Bengals were considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. This season, they have won two consecutive games against the Baltimore Ravens, which includes a 10-7 win on Week 11.
The Bengals are going to the AFC Championship on Sunday, and they will have a chance to make history. The team will face the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes in a matchup of quarterbacks.
