How do you get a first round playoff bye in the NFL?

Answer 1

The wildcards are the two teams from each conference (4 teams across the NFL) that didnt finish first in their divsion, but still get to go to the playoffs. Usually, but not always, they are the 5th and 6th best teams of the conference (though even if one of the teams is 4th best in the conference, they are still given the #5 seed). These teams are given huge disadvantages by having to play in extra rounds and given no home playoff games (unless the two wildcards face each other in the round that decides who gets to go to the superbowl, something that has still yet to happen.) The wildcards are given the 5 and 6 seeds, even if the 4 seed, which is always a team which won their division, had a worse record. No 5 seed has ever won a superbowl, and only 1 team has ever been to the Superbowl (1985 New England Patriots). Until the 2006 playoffs, for the 2005 season, no 6 seed had ever beaten a 1 seed. Also no 6 seed has ever been to a superbowl though this may change in 4 days, as in that amount of time, a 6 seed will play a game for the right to go to the superbowl; the same team that is the first 6 seed to beat a 1 seed (2005 Pittsburgh Steelers). Before the 2002 realigment, there were fewer divsions, only 3 in each conference (for a total of 6 across the NFL) (instead of the 4 now, for a total of 8 across the NFL). At that time the 4 seed WAS a wildcard. Wildcard teams have won the superbowl, but all of them were 4 seeds, when that seeding was still a wildcard, which is no longer the case.

Answer 2

In the NFL, each of the two conferences send two wild-card teams along with four division champions to its postseason. The first round of the playoffs is called the "Wild Card Round". In this round, each conference's two best (by regular-season record) division champions are exempted from play and granted automatic berths in the "Divisional Round". The four division champions are seeded from #1 through #4, while the two wild card teams are seeded #5 and #6; within these separations, seeding is by regular-season record. In the "Wild Card Round", the #6 team (a wild card team) plays against the #3 team (a division champion) and the #5 team (a wild card team) plays against the #4 team (a division champion). The division champions have automatic home-field advantage in these games. In the "Divisional Round", the worst seeded remaining team plays the #1 seeded team, while the best seeded remaining team that played in the wildcard round play the #2 seed. Both the #1 seed and #2 seed have home-field advantage in the divisional round. See NFL playoffs. The NFL was the first league to ever use the wild-card format. When the league realigned into two conferences of three divisions each in 1970, it wanted an even four-team playoff field in each conference. This was established by having the three division champions in each conference joined by the best second-place finisher in the conference. At first, this team was referred as the "Best Second-Place Team" (or sometimes simply as the "Fourth Qualifier"). The media, however, began referring to the qualifying teams as "wild cards." Eventually, the NFL officially adopted the term. From 1970-1977, the divisional playoffs featured the #1 seed hosting the wild card team and the #2 seed hosting the #3 seed unless the #1 seed and wild card team were divisional rivals. In that case, the #1 seed hosted the #3 seed and the #2 seed hosted the wild card team. (This policy is currently used by Major League Baseball in its Division Series). The number of wild-card qualifiers was expanded to two per conference in 1978 - the divisional winners were granted a bye week whilst the wild card teams played (hence the origin of the phrase "Wild-Card Round"). Like wild card teams before, the wild card game winner played the #1 seed, or the #2 seed if they and the #1 seed were divisional rivals. The playoffs were expanded again to three wild cards per conference in 1990 with the lowest ranked divisional winner losing its bye (and divisional rivals could now meet in the divisional playoffs). Following the addition of the Houston Texans in 2002 the league added a fourth division to each conference. The league decided not to change the number of playoff teams and thus the number of wild card qualifiers was reduced to two per conference. Bengals Rule...Just not this year

Answer 3

An NFL team can clinch a playoff spot by winning enough games so that, after all tiebreakers are accounted for, they will be ahead of anyone who could possibly get at least a wildcard spot.

Examples being:

If New England were to beat Miami this week (Week 13, 2012), New England would clinch the division, and thus a playoff spot. This is because it would give the New England a 9-3 record, and Miami a 5-7. If New England were to lose the rest of their four games after and finish 9-7, and Miami won the rest of their 4 games to finish 9-7, New England would hold a 5-1 record in the division to Miami's 3-3, thus winning the tiebreaker and taking the division. So a New England win would clinch the AFC East Division title and a playoff spot.

Baltimore can clinch a wild card spot this week with a win over Pittsburgh. This is because it would give the Ravens a good enough record and a hold over the tiebreakers so that, even if they were to lose the rest of their games, they would finish with at least the second best record out of all non-division winners, thus clinching at least a wild-card spot in the playoffs.

Answer 4

you have to win so many games and other teams have to lose so many