This is a good article. Click here for more information.

NFL playoffs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from )

NFL playoffs
Most recent season or competition:
2020–21 NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs logo new.svg
SportAmerican football
Founded1933
No. of teams14
Most recent
champion(s)		Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(2nd title)
Most titlesGreen Bay Packers
(13 titles)[A]
TV partner(s)CBS
Fox
NBC
ESPN/ABC

The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Currently, seven teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaking procedure exists if required. The tournament culminates in the Super Bowl: the league's championship game in which two teams, one from each conference, play each other to become champion of the NFL.

NFL postseason history can be traced to the first 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, which pitted the league's two division winners against each other (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 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, twelve in 1990, and fourteen in 2020.

Among the major professional sports leagues in the United States, the NFL postseason is the oldest continuously run playoffs to use a single-elimination tournament in all of its rounds. Major League Baseball (MLB) has traditionally used "best-of" series formats, first holding its Wild Card postseason round in 2012. Major League Soccer (MLS) did not begin to use a full single-elimination tournament until 2019. Both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) continue to use "best-of" series formats.

Current playoff system[]

Schedule for the NFL playoffs
Season 2020–21
(Previous) 		2021–22
(Tentative)
(Tentative)
Wild Card Jan 9–10 Jan 15–17 Jan 14–16 Jan 13–15
Divisional Jan 16–17 Jan 22–23 Jan 21–22 Jan 20–21
Conference Jan 24 Jan 30 Jan 29 Jan 28
Super Bowl LV
Feb 7 		LVI
Feb 13 		LVII
Feb 12 		LVIII
Feb 11

The 32-team National Football League is divided into two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Since 2002, each conference has 16 teams and are further divided into four divisions of four teams each. As of 2020, qualification into the playoffs works as follows:[2]

  • The four division champions from each conference (the team in each division with the best overall record) are seeded 1 through 4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record.
  • Three wild-card qualifiers from each conference (the three teams with the best overall record of all remaining teams in the conference) are seeded 5, 6, and 7.

If teams are tied (having the same regular season won-lost-tied record), the playoff seeding is determined by a set of tie-breaking rules.[2]

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 super wild-card weekend). In this round, the second-seeded division winner hosts the seventh-seeded wild-card, the third hosts the sixth, and the fourth hosts the fifth. There are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. The division winner with the best record from each conference receives a bye which automatically advances them to the second round, dubbed the divisional round and hosts the lowest-remaining seed from the first round, and the other two winners from the wild-card round play each other with the higher seed hosting.[3] The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional-round playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winners of those contests go on to face one another in the Super Bowl which is played at a pre-determined neutral site.

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 began sharing SoFi Stadium in 2020.

(Day) – #3 Seed Hosts (Day) – 2nd Highest Seed Hosts
6 Wild Card #2
3 Division Winner #3
2nd Lowest Seed
(Day) – Higher Seed Hosts
(Day) – #2 Seed Hosts 2nd Highest Seed
See Re-seeding below
7 Wild Card #3 Lower Seed
(Day) – #1 Seed Hosts
2 Division Winner #2 Higher Seed
AFC Championship
(Day) – #4 Seed Hosts Lowest Seed
1 Division Winner #1
5 Wild Card #1
Divisional playoffs (Day) – Neutral Site
4 Division Winner #4
Wild Card playoffs
A AFC Champion
(Day) – #3 Seed Hosts (Day) – 2nd Highest Seed Hosts N NFC Champion
Super Bowl
6 Wild Card #2
3 Division Winner #3
2nd Lowest Seed
(Day) – Higher Seed Hosts
(Day) – #2 Seed Hosts 2nd Highest Seed
See Re-seeding below
7 Wild Card #3 Lower Seed
(Day) – #1 Seed Hosts
2 Division Winner #2 Higher Seed
NFC Championship
(Day) – #4 Seed Hosts Lowest Seed
1 Division Winner #1
5 Wild Card #1
4 Division Winner #4
  • Re-seeding: Home field is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket system; the outcome of the Wild Card games determine the matchups of the Divisional playoffs games, with the lowest remaining seed in each conference traveling to the first seed, and the second-lowest remaining seed traveling to the second-highest remaining seed.
  • Conf. championships: Home field goes to the higher-remaining seed in each conference.

Breaking ties[]

Often, teams will finish a season with identical records. It becomes necessary, therefore, to devise means to 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.[2][4]

The current tiebreakers are as follows, with coin tosses used if all of the criteria fail:[5]

Divisional tiebreakers Conference tiebreakers
  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 (games played against the same opponents).
  4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
  5. Strength of victory (the combined won-lost-tied percentage of all the teams that a club has defeated).
  6. Strength of schedule (the combined won-lost-tied percentage of all the teams that a club has played against).
  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.
  1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2.
  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.)
  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 (record of all the teams they defeated that season).
  6. Strength of schedule (record of all the teams they played that season).
  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.

Overtime rules[]

See also: Overtime (sports)

The NFL introduced overtime for any divisional tiebreak games beginning in 1940, and for championship games beginning in 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"), decided by a one-yard touchdown run by Colts fullback Alan Ameche after eight minutes and fifteen seconds of extra time.[6][7] Overtime under the original format was 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 the (other team’s) 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. True sudden death rules would continue for a second and subsequent overtime periods.

Double overtime[]

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.[8] 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 overtime 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 an AFC playoff game on December 25, 1971.[9][10][11]

Playoff games that went into at least two overtimes[12]
Length of game 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 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 69-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme
† AFL game prior to the AFL–NFL merger.

Playoff and championship history[]

Further information: National Football League championships
For playoff games of the American Football League prior to the AFL–NFL merger, see 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 title).[13][14]

1932 playoff game[]

Further information: 1932 NFL Playoff Game

In 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. Of note, 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 ignored 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.[13][15] 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.[15]

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. 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 was the first season there was a scheduled playoff tournament to determine the teams to play for the NFL Championship.[16]

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 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 1960–69 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.[17]

AFL and AAFC playoffs[]

Main article: American Football League playoffs

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, the final season before its merger with the NFL, the AFL added a first round whereby each division winner played the second-place team from the other division. The winners of these games met in the AFL Championship Game.[16] 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.[18]

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 eventually led to a full merger of the two leagues.[13]

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.[19]

Originally, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation.[20] From 1970 to 1974, the divisional playoff round rotated which of the three division champions have home-field advantage, with the wild-card teams and their opponents they faced in the divisional playoff game will never get it. 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. Meanwhile, the wild card teams had better records than the division winners they faced (the Browns and 49ers were each 9-5).
  • 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 10-4 Bengals had to play at the 12-2 Dolphins in the divisional round, while the 9-4-1 Raiders hosted the wild card Steelers.
  • In 1973, the Cowboys finished 10–4 but hosted two 12–2 teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota.
  • In 1974, the 11-3 Dolphins had to play at the 12-2 Raiders in the divisional round, while the 10-3-1 Steelers hosted the wild card Bills.
  • In 1974, the Vikings hosted the Rams in the NFC championship even though both teams went 10-4 and Los Angeles defeated Minnesota in the regular season.

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.[13] 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, forcing the worst-ranked 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.[21] 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 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.[22] This ten-team playoff format was used through the 1989 season.[19] Under this system, the Oakland Raiders became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl following the 1980 season.[23]

During the strike-shortened 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.[24]

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 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 season, a third wild-card team for each conference was added, expanding the playoffs to 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.[25]

The 2001 season became the first time that playoff games were played in prime time.[26] 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 realignment into eight divisions. In this format, used until the 2019 season, the four division winners and two wild cards in both conferences are seeded 1–6, respectively, with the top two seeds receiving byes, and the highest seed in each round guaranteed to host the lowest seed.[19]

A limitation of the 12-team format was that division winners, including one with a .500 regular season record or a losing season, could play a home playoff game against a wild card teams who had superior regular season records. Home field advantage does not guarantee success, however; during the 2015–16 season, every road team won their respective playoff game, the first such occurrence in NFL history.[27] Through 2019 however, NFL owners remained adamant that every division winner should still be rewarded with a home playoff game regardless of record.[28][29]

Calls to expand the playoffs to 14 teams began in 2006. Proponents of expansion noted the increased revenue that could be gained from an additional two playoff games. They also noted that the 12-team playoff system was implemented when the league still had 28 teams, four fewer than the 2002 expansion. 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.[30][31] 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.[32] 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 February 2015, the Washington Post reported that support among team owners had eroded, and league leaders expressed reluctance to make a change until the end of the 2015 season.[33] The proposal then lost all interest by 2017.[34]

The league eventually revisited and implemented the 14-team playoff format in 2020, placing a third wild-card team in each conference, and only giving the top seed a bye (as explained above).[35][36]

NFL playoff appearances[]

Correct as of end of the 2020 regular season (including 2020 playoff berths).

*Tiebreaker playoff appearances based on the team with the more recent playoff appearance.

Appearances by active teams[]

Team Appearances[37]
Green Bay Packers 34
Dallas Cowboys 34
Pittsburgh Steelers 32
New York Giants 32
Cleveland / St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams 30
Minnesota Vikings 30
Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts 29
Chicago Bears 27[B]
San Francisco 49ers 27
Philadelphia Eagles 27
Boston / New England Patriots 27[C]
Cleveland Browns 25[D][E]
Boston / Washington Redskins/Football Team 25
Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans 24[C]
Kansas City Chiefs 23[C]
Miami Dolphins 23
Oakland / Los Angeles / Las Vegas Raiders 22[C]
Denver Broncos 22
Buffalo Bills 20[C]
Seattle Seahawks 19
San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers 19[C]
Detroit Lions 17[B]
New Orleans Saints 14
Atlanta Falcons 14
Cincinnati Bengals 14
New York Jets 14[C]
Baltimore Ravens 13[E]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11
Chicago / St. Louis / Arizona Cardinals 10
Carolina Panthers 8
Jacksonville Jaguars 7
Houston Texans 6
  1. ^ Dating back to when the NFL playoffs were first held in 1933, the Green Bay Packers have nine NFL titles before the Super Bowl era, and four Super Bowl championships afterwards.[1]
  2. ^ a b Does not include the appearance in the 1932 NFL Playoff Game. The NFL officially records it as an additional regular season game[38]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  4. ^ The NFL does not officially recognize the Cleveland Browns' playoff appearances and records from 1946 to 1949 when they were part of the All-America Football Conference.
  5. ^ a b The Baltimore Ravens were originally the Cleveland Browns, and 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 while the current Cleveland Browns are considered to have joined the NFL in 1950, were inactive from 1996–98, and resumed play as a new team in 1999.

Current playoff appearance streaks[]

  • Bold italics including longest streak indicates that the streak is also the team's longest-ever streak for consecutive playoff seasons.

Updated through January 3, 2021.

Current consecutive Playoff appearances
Seasons 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
6 Kansas City Chiefs' tied longest streak
4 New Orleans Saints longest streak
3 Seattle Seahawks
3 Baltimore Ravens
3 Green Bay Packers
2 Buffalo Bills
2 Tennessee Titans
1 Pittsburgh
1 Tampa Bay
1 Cleveland
1 L.A. Rams
1 Chicago
1 Indianapolis
1 Washington
Seasons 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Breakdown by division[]

2020 season
Division AFC Seasons NFC Seasons
East Buffalo Bills 2 Washington Football Team 1
North Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns		 3
1
1		 Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears		 3
1
South Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts		 2
1		 New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers		 4
1
West Kansas City Chiefs 6 Seattle Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams		 3
1


Other current streaks of accomplishment[]

All streaks can be verified on the team encyclopedias at Pro-football-reference.com.[39]

Updated through January 3, 2021

Current consecutive 7+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 7+ win seasons
Seasons 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
21 New England Patriots' longest streak
18 Pittsburgh Steelers' longest streak
15 New Orleans Saints' longest streak
11 Seattle Seahawks longest streak
9 Kansas City Chiefs longest streak
7 Minnesota Vikings
6 Tennessee Titans
6 Baltimore Ravens
5 Los Angeles Rams
4 Indianapolis Colts
3 Chicago Bears
3 Green Bay Packers
3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3 Buffalo Bills
2 Las Vegas Raiders
2 Arizona Cardinals
2 Los Angeles Chargers
2 Cleveland Browns
2 Miami Dolphins
1 Washington
1 Dallas
1 Cincinnati
1 Denver
1 San Francisco
Seasons 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Current consecutive 8+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 8+ win seasons
Seasons 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
17 Pittsburgh Steelers' longest streak
9 Seattle Seahawks longest streak
9 Kansas City Chiefs longest streak
6 Tennessee Titans
6 Baltimore Ravens
5 Los Angeles Rams
4 New Orleans Saints
3 Chicago Bears
3 Green Bay Packers
3 Buffalo Bills
2 Arizona Cardnials
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2 Indianapolis Colts
1 Cleveland
1 Miami
1 Las Vegas
1 New England
1 Dallas
1 L.A. Chargers
1 San Francisco
1 Cincinnati
Seasons 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Current consecutive 9+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 9+ win seasons
Seasons 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
9 Seattle Seahawks' longest streak
9 Kansas City Chiefs tied longest streak
6 Tennessee Titans' longest streak
5 Los Angeles Rams' longest streak
4 New Orleans Saints' longest streak
4 Baltimore Ravens
3 Green Bay Packers
2 Buffalo Bills
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 Pittsburgh
1 Cleveland
1 Indianapolis
1 Miami
1 Arizona
1 New England
1 Dallas
Seasons 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Current consecutive 10+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 10+ win seasons
Seasons 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
7 Kansas City Chiefs' longest streak
4 New Orleans Saints' longest streak
3 Baltimore Ravens
3 Green Bay Packers
2 Buffalo Bills
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 Pittsburgh Steelers
1 Indianapolis Colts
1 Tennessee Titans
1 Cleveland Browns
1 Miami Dolphins
1 Los Angeles Rams
1 Arizona Cardinals
1 Dallas Cowboys
Seasons 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Current consecutive 11+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 11+ win seasons
Seasons 2018 2019 2020 2021
3 Kansas City Chiefs' longest streak
3 Green Bay Packers
2 Baltimore Ravens
1 Buffalo Bills
1 Cleveland Browns
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 Indianapolis Colts
1 Tennessee Titans

Current consecutive 12+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 12+ win seasons
Seasons 2018 2019 2020 2021
3 Kansas City Chiefs' longest streak
2 Green Bay Packers tied longest streak

Current consecutive 13+ win seasons[]

Current consecutive 13+ win seasons
Seasons 2019 2020 2021
2 Green Bay Packers' tied longest streak
1 Kansas City Chiefs

All-time streaks of accomplishment[]

Notable current streaks in table are listed below in bold. Only the longest streak for each team is listed. Note that the regular season increased from 14 to 16 games in 1978, and teams only played 9 regular-season games in 1982.

All streaks can be verified on the team pages at Pro-Football-Reference.com.[39]


Most consecutive playoff appearances all time[]

Teams' longest consecutive playoff appearances all time
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
Az Cards 2 Detroit Lions 3 NY Jets 2 Az Cards 2 NY Jets 2 NY Jets 2 Kansas City Chiefs 6
Cleveland Browns 6 Washington Redskins 4 Dallas Cowboys 9 Houston Oilers 7
Pittsburgh Steelers 8 Buffalo Bills 6
Los Angeles Rams 8 San Francisco 49ers 8
Oakland Raiders 6
Minnesota Vikings 6 San Diego Chargers 4 0 Chicago Bears 5 Detroit Lions 3
Miami Dolphins 5 Miami Dolphins 5
Bold and light blue is an Active Streak
Teams' longest consecutive playoff appearances all time
1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
Indianapolis Colts 9 Cincinnati Bengals 5
Jacksonville Jaguars 4 Philadelphia Eagles 5 New York Giants 4 Green Bay Packers 8
Tampa Bay Bucs 4 New England Patriots 11
San Diego Chargers 4 Texans 2 Texans 2 Texans 2
Miami Dolphins 5 Baltimore Ravens 5 Carolina Panthers 3
NY Jets 2 NY Jets 2 Denver Broncos 5
Az Cards 2 Atlanta Falcons 3 Az Cards 2
Seattle Seahawks 5 Seattle Seahawks 5 New Orleans Saints 4
Kansas City Chiefs 6
6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 11 seasons: New England Patriots 2009–19
  • 9 seasons: Dallas Cowboys 1975–83, Indianapolis Colts 2002–10
  • 8 seasons: Pittsburgh Steelers 1972–79, Los Angeles Rams 1973–80, San Francisco 49ers 1983–90, Green Bay Packers 2009–16
  • 7 seasons: Houston Oilers 1987–93
  • 6 seasons: Cleveland Browns 1950–55, Oakland Raiders 1972–77, Minnesota Vikings 1973–78, Buffalo Bills 1988–93, Kansas City Chiefs (1990–95, 2015–20)
  • 5 seasons: Miami Dolphins (1970–74, 1981–85, 1997–2001), Chicago Bears 1984–88, Philadelphia Eagles 2000–04, Seattle Seahawks (2003–07, 2012–16), Baltimore Ravens 2008–12, Cincinnati Bengals 2011–15, Denver Broncos 2011–15
  • 4 seasons: Washington Redskins 1971–75, San Diego Chargers (1979–82, 2006–09), Jacksonville Jaguars 1996–99, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1999–2002, New York Giants 2005–08, New Orleans Saints 2017–20
  • 3 seasons: Detroit Lions (1952–54, 1993–95), Atlanta Falcons 2010–12, Carolina Panthers 2013–15
  • 2 seasons: Arizona Cardinals (1947–48, 1974–75, 2008–09, 2014–15), New York Jets (1968–69, 1981–82, 1985–86, 2001–02, 2009–10), Houston Texans (2011–12, 2015–16, 2018–19)

Longest consecutive streak with a playoff win[]

Streaks can be verified at Pro Football Reference.com Team Franchise Pages[39]

Teams' longest consecutive seasons with a playoff win all time (minimum 2 seasons)
1940s 1952–1962 1967–1979
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Chicago Bears 2 Detroit Lions 2 Cleveland Browns 2| Baltimore Colts 2 Houston Oilers 2 Cleveland Browns 2 Baltimore Colts 2 Oakland Raiders 5
Miami Dolphins 3 Los Angeles Rams 3
Teams' longest consecutive seasons with a playoff win all time (minimum 2 seasons)
1980s 1990s 2000s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
San Diego Chargers 3 Chicago Bears 2 Denver Broncos 2 San Francisco 49ers 3 Dallas Cowboys 6 Minnesota Vikings 4 Indianapolis Colts 2
New York Giants 3 Houston Oilers 2 Buffalo Bills 4 Pittsburgh Steelers 4 Jacksonville Jaguars 2 Philadelphia Eagles 5
Cleveland Browns 2 Washington Redskins 3 Green Bay Packers 5 Miami Dolphins 3 Tennessee Titans 2
San Francisco 49ers 3 San Francisco 49ers 3
Denver Broncos 2
Bold and light blue is an Active Streak
Teams' longest consecutive seasons with a playoff win all time (minimum 2 seasons)
2000s 2010s 2020s
8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
Baltimore Ravens 5 Indianapolis Colts 2
Arizona Cardinals 2 New England Patriots 8
New York Jets 2 San Francisco 49ers 3 Carolina Panthers 2 Atlanta Falcons 2 Kansas City Chiefs 3
Seattle Seahawks 5 New Orleans Saints 2
Houston Texans 2
8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 8 seasons: New England Patriots 2011–19
  • 6 seasons: Dallas Cowboys 1991–96
  • 5 seasons: Oakland Raiders 1973–77, Green Bay Packers 1993–97, Philadelphia Eagles 2000–04, Baltimore Ravens 2008–12, Seattle Seahawks 2012–16
  • 4 seasons: Buffalo Bills 1990–93, Pittsburgh Steelers 1994–97, Minnesota Vikings 1997–2000
  • 3 seasons: Miami Dolphins (1971–73, 1998–2000), Los Angeles Rams 1974–76, San Diego Chargers 1980–82, New York Giants 1984–86, San Francisco 49ers (1998–90, 1992–94, 1996–98, 2011–13), Washington Redskins 1990–92, Kansas City Chiefs 2018–20
  • 2 seasons: Chicago Bears (1940–41, 1984–85), Detroit Lions 1952–53, Cleveland Browns (1954–55, 1986–87), Baltimore Colts (1958–59, 1970–71, 2003–04, 2013–14), Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Titans (1960–61, 1978–79, 1987–88, 2002–03), Denver Broncos (1986–87, 1997–98), Jacksonville Jaguars 1998–99, Arizona Cardinals 2008–09, New York Jets 2009–10, Houston Texans 2011–12, Carolina Panthers 2014–15, Atlanta Falcons 2016–17, New Orleans Saints 2017–18
  • *Teams to not win a playoff game in consecutive seasons: Bengals, Buccaneers

Most consecutive 7+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 7+ win seasons
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
Oakland/L.A. Raiders 22
Cleveland Browns 17 Washington Redskins 12
Dallas Cowboys 17
Baltimore Colts 11 Cincinnati Bengals 6 ←——→ Cincinnati Bengals 6
Minnesota Vikings 14
Detroit Lions 5 Los Angeles Rams 8
4 5 6 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1930s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Teams' longest consecutive 7+ win seasons
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
Philadelphia Eagles 10 Tampa Bay Bucs 7 Baltimore Ravens 7
San Francisco 49ers 16 New England Patriots 21
Miami Dolphins 15 San Diego Chargers 11
Carolina Panthers 8 Detroit Lions 5
Green Bay Packers 13 Atlanta Falcons 5 Atlanta Falcons 5
Oilers/Tennessee Titans 9 Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Jacksonville Jaguars 5 New Orleans Saints 15
Kansas City Chiefs 12 Chicago Bears 9
Buffalo Bills 10 New York Jets 6 New York Giants 9
Denver Broncos 10 Arizona Cardinals 5
Houston Texans 3 Houston Texans 3
Seattle Seahawks 11
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 22 seasons: Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 1965–86[40]
  • 21 seasons: New England Patriots 2001–21[41]
  • 17 seasons: Cleveland Browns 1957–73,[42] Dallas Cowboys 1965–81,[43] Pittsburgh Steelers, 2004–20[44]
  • 16 seasons: San Francisco 49ers 1983–98,[45]
  • 15 seasons: Miami Dolphins 1989–03,[46] New Orleans Saints 2006–20[47]
  • 14 seasons: Minnesota Vikings 1968–81[48]
  • 13 seasons: Green Bay Packers 1992–04[49]
  • 12 seasons: Washington Redskins 1981–92,[50] Kansas City Chiefs 1989–2000,[51]
  • 11 seasons: Baltimore Colts 1961–71,[52] San Diego Chargers 2004–14,[53] Seattle Seahawks 2010–20,[54]
  • 10 seasons: Buffalo Bills 1987–96,[55] Philadelphia Eagles 1987–96,[56] Denver Broncos 2000–09,[57]
  • 9 seasons: Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans 1995–2003,[58] Chicago Bears 2005–13,[59] New York Giants 2005–13[60]
  • 8 seasons: Los Angeles Rams 1973–80,[61] Carolina Panthers 2002–09[62]
  • 7 seasons: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1997–2003, Baltimore Ravens 2008–14
  • 6 seasons: Cincinnati Bengals (1972–77, 1981–86), New York Jets 1997–2002
  • 5 seasons: Detroit Lions (1934–38, 2013–17), Jacksonville Jaguars 1996–2000, Atlanta Falcons (2008–12, 2015–19), Arizona Cardinals 2013–17
  • 3 seasons: Houston Texans (2007–09, 2014–16)

Most consecutive 8+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 8+ win seasons
1960s 1970s 1980s
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
Oakland Raiders 16
Dallas Cowboys 16
Baltimore Colts 9 Los Angeles Rams 8
Cleveland Browns 7 Washington Redskins 9
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1960s 1970s 1980s
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
Chicago Bears 6 Miami Dolphins 15 New York Giants 8
San Francisco 49ers 16 New England Patriots 19
Philadelphia Eagles 6 Jax Jaguars 4 Philadelphia Eagles 6
New Orleans Saints 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 San Diego Chargers 8
Houston Oilers 7 New York Jets 6 Baltimore Ravens 7
Buffalo Bills 6 Denver Broncos 7 Atlanta Falcons 5
Minnesota Vikings 10 Indianapolis Colts 9 Seattle Seahawks 9
Kansas City Chiefs 9 Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Green Bay Packers 13 Cincinnati Bengals 5
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 19 seasons: New England Patriots 2001–19
  • 17 seasons: Pittsburgh Steelers 2004–20
  • 16 seasons: Oakland Raiders 1965–80, Dallas Cowboys 1966–81, San Francisco 49ers 1983–98
  • 15 seasons: Miami Dolphins 1989–2003
  • 13 seasons: Green Bay Packers 1992–2004
  • 10 seasons: Minnesota Vikings 1991–2000
  • 9 seasons: Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1963–71, 2002–10), Washington Redskins 1971–79, Kansas City Chiefs 1989–97, Seattle Seahawks 2012–20
  • 8 seasons: Los Angeles Rams 1973–80, San Diego Chargers 2004–11, New York Giants 2005–12
  • 7 seasons: Cleveland Browns 1963–69, New Orleans Saints 1987–93, Houston Oilers 1987–93, Denver Broncos 2000–06, Baltimore Ravens 2008–14
  • 6 seasons: Chicago Bears 1983–88,[59] Buffalo Bills 1988–93, Philadelphia Eagles (1988–93, 2006–11), New York Jets 1997–2002,[63] Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1997–2002[64]
  • 5 seasons: Atlanta Falcons 2008–12, Cincinnati Bengals 2011–15
  • 4 seasons: Jacksonville Jaguars 1996–99

Most consecutive 9+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 9+ win seasons
1960s 1970s 1980s
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
Cleveland Browns 7 Oakland Raiders 9
New York Giants 3 Dallas Cowboys 8 St. Louis Cardinals 3 San Diego Chargers 4
Pittsburgh Steelers 9
Los Angeles Rams 8
Detroit Lions 3 Minnesota Vikings 5
2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
San Francisco 49ers 16 New England Patriots 19
Washington Redskins 5 Buffalo Bills 6 Jacksonville Jaguars 4 San Diego Chargers 4 Atlanta Falcons 5 Arizona Cardinals 3
New York Giants 3 Philadelphia Eagles 5 Philadelphia Eagles 5 Baltimore Ravens 5 Kansas City Chiefs 8
Chicago Bears 5 Green Bay Packers 7 Tampa Bay Bucs 4 New York Giants 3 Houston Texans 3
Houston Oilers 7 Miami Dolphins 7 Seattle Seahawks 9
Denver Broncos 5 Kansas City Chiefs 8 Denver Broncos 5 Denver Broncos 5 New Orleans Saints 4
Detroit Lions 3 New York Giants 3 Indianapolis Colts 9 Cincinnati Bengals 5
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 19 seasons: New England Patriots 2001–19
  • 16 seasons: San Francisco 49ers 1983–98
  • 9 seasons: Oakland Raiders 1972–80, Pittsburgh Steelers 1972–80, Indianapolis Colts 2002–10, Seattle Seahawks 2012–20
  • 8 seasons: Dallas Cowboys 1966–73, Los Angeles Rams 1973–80, Kansas City Chiefs (1990–97, 2013–20)
  • 7 seasons: Cleveland Browns 1963–69, Houston Oilers 1987–93, Green Bay Packers 1992–98, Miami Dolphins 1997–2003
  • 6 seasons: Buffalo Bills 1988–93
  • 5 seasons: Minnesota Vikings 1973–77, Washington Redskins 1983–87, Denver Broncos (1983–87, 2002–06, 2012–16), Chicago Bears 1984–88, Philadelphia Eagles (1988–92, 2000–04), Atlanta Falcons 2008–12,[65] Baltimore Ravens 2008–12,[66] Cincinnati Bengals 2011–15
  • 4 seasons: San Diego Chargers (1978–81, 2004–07), Jacksonville Jaguars 1996–99,[67] Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1999–2002, New Orleans Saints 2017–20
  • 3 seasons: Detroit Lions (1952–54, 1993–95), New York Giants (1961–63, 1984–86, 1988–90, 2010–12), Arizona Cardinals (1974–76, 2013–15), Houston Texans 2014–16

Most consecutive 10+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 10+ win seasons
1929–32 1960s 1970s 1980s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
Houston Oilers 3 Cleveland Browns 3 Miami Dolphins 6 Houston Oilers 3
Green Bay Packers 4 New York Giants 3 Pittsburgh Steelers 5
Los Angeles Rams 6 San Diego Chargers 3
Minnesota Vikings 4
Dallas Cowboys 7
Oakland Raiders 4
St. Louis Cardinals 3
1929–32 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1960s 1970s 1980s
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
Cleveland Browns 3 Houston Oilers 3 Jacksonville Jaguars 3 New England Patriots 17
Washington Redskins 5 New York Giants 3 Green Bay Packers 4 ————— Green Bay Packers 4 ————————— Green Bay Packers 4 Arizona Cardinals 3
San Francisco 49ers 16 Indianapolis Colts 9 Seattle Seahawks 5
Philadelphia Eagles 5 ———————————— Philadelphia Eagles 5 Baltimore Ravens 3
Chicago Bears 5 Buffalo Bills 4 Cincinnati Bengals 4 New Orleans Saints 4
Atlanta Falcons 3 Kansas City Chiefs 6
Denver Broncos 4 <———————————————————————————————————————————————————> Denver Broncos 4
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 17 seasons: New England Patriots 2003–19
  • 16 seasons: San Francisco 49ers 1983–98
  • 9 seasons: Indianapolis Colts 2002–10
  • 7 seasons: Dallas Cowboys 1975–81
  • 6 seasons: Miami Dolphins 1970–75, Los Angeles Rams 1973–78, Kansas City Chiefs 2015–20
  • 5 seasons: Pittsburgh Steelers 1972–76, Washington Redskins 1983–87, Chicago Bears 1984–88, Philadelphia Eagles (1988–92, 2000–04), Seattle Seahawks 2012–16
  • 4 seasons: Minnesota Vikings 1973–76, Oakland Raiders 1974–77, Denver Broncos (1984–87, 2012–15), Buffalo Bills 1990–93, Green Bay Packers (1929–32, 1995–98, 2001–04, 2009–12), Cincinnati Bengals 2012–15, New Orleans Saints 2017–20
  • 3 seasons: Houston Oilers (1960–62, 1978–80, 1991–93), New York Giants (1961–63, 1988–90), Cleveland Browns (1963–65, 1986–88), St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals (1974–76, 2013–15),[68] San Diego Chargers 1979–81, Jacksonville Jaguars 1997–99, Atlanta Falcons 2010–12, Baltimore Ravens 2010–12

Most consecutive 11+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 11+ win seasons
1929 — 1960s 1970s 1980s
1930 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
New York Giants 2 New York Giants 2 Miami Dolphins 3 Dallas
Cowboys 6		 Miami Dolphins
3
Minnesota Vikings 3 Oakland Raiders 4 Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Washington Redskins 2 Washington Redskins 2
San Diego Chargers 2
Houston Oilers 2 Chicago
Bears 4
1929- 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1930 1960s 1970s 1980s
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
NY Giants 2 Green Bay Packers 4 Indianapolis Colts 7 New England Patriots 10
Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Jacksonville Jaguars 3 Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Seattle Seahawks 3 L A Rams 2
Buffalo Bills 4 S. F. 49ers 5 Tenn Titans 2 Tenn Titans 2 San Diego Chargers 2 Baltimore Ravens 2 Denver Broncos 4 Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Kansas City Chiefs 3
Philadelphia
Eagles 5		 New Orleans Saints 3 Arizona Cardinals 2 New Orleans Saints 4
8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
  • 10 seasons: New England Patriots 2010–19
  • 7 seasons: Indianapolis Colts 2003–09
  • 6 seasons: Dallas Cowboys 1976–81
  • 5 seasons: San Francisco 49ers 1994–98, Philadelphia Eagles 2000–04
  • 4 seasons: Oakland Raiders 1974–77, Chicago Bears 1985–88, Buffalo Bills 1990–93, Green Bay Packers 1995–98, Denver Broncos 2012–15, New Orleans Saints 2017–20
  • 3 seasons: Minnesota Vikings 1969–71, Miami Dolphins (1972–74, 1983–85), Jacksonville Jaguars 1997–99, Denver Broncos 1997–99, Seattle Seahawks 2012–14, Kansas City Chiefs 2018–20
  • 2 seasons: San Diego Chargers (1979–80, 2006–07), Washington Redskins (1983–84, 1986–87), New York Giants (1929–30, 1962–63, 1989–90), Pittsburgh Steelers (1978–79, 1994–95, 2004–05, 2010–11, 2016–17), Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1979–80, 1999–2000, 2002–03), Baltimore Ravens 2010–11, Arizona Cardinals 2014–15, Los Angeles Rams 2017–18

Most consecutive 12+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 12+ win seasons
1929- 1960s 1970s 1980s
1930 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
New York Giants 2 New York Giants 2 Oakland Raiders 3 Pittsburgh Steelers 2
Minnesota Vikings 2
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
Miami Dolphins
3 		New York Giants 2 Dallas Cowboys
4		 Tenn Titans
2 		Indianapolis Colts 7 Baltimore Ravens 2 Denver Broncos 4 New Orleans Saints 3
Chicago
Bears 2 		Buffalo Bills 2 S. F. 49ers 3 Philadelphia
Eagles 3 		Pittsburgh Steelers 2 Seattle Seahawks 2 Kansas City Chiefs 3
Green Bay Packers 2 Green Bay Packers 2 New England Patriots 8 Green Bay Packers 2
  • 8 seasons: New England Patriots 2010–17
  • 7 seasons: Indianapolis Colts 2003–09
  • 4 seasons: Dallas Cowboys 1992–95, Denver Broncos 2012–15
  • 3 seasons: Oakland Raiders 1967–69, Miami Dolphins 1983–85, San Francisco 49ers 1996–98, Denver Broncos 1997–99, Philadelphia Eagles 2002–04, Kansas City Chiefs 2018–20, New Orleans Saints 2018–20
  • 2 seasons: New York Giants (1929–30, 1962–63, 1989–90), Minnesota Vikings 1969–70, Pittsburgh Steelers (1978–79, 2010–11), Chicago Bears 1985–86, Buffalo Bills 1990–91, Green Bay Packers (1996–97, 2001–02, 2019–20), Tennessee Titans 1999–2000, Baltimore Ravens 2010–11, Seattle Seahawks 2013–14

Most consecutive 13+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 13+ win seasons
1929- 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
1930 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2-5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5-9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
New York Giants 2 Chicago
Bears 2 		S. F. 49ers 2 Green Bay Packers 2 Tenn Titans
2 		New England Patriots
2 		New England Patriots
2		 Denver Broncos 2 New England Patriots
2		 New Orleans Saints 2
Buffalo Bills 2 Green Bay Packers 2
  • 2 seasons: New York Giants 1929–30, Chicago Bears 1985–86, San Francisco 49ers 1989–90, Buffalo Bills 1990–91, Green Bay Packers (1996–97, 2019–20, Tennessee Titans 1999–2000, New England Patriots (2003–04, 2010–11, 2016–17), Denver Broncos 2012–13, New Orleans Saints 2018–19

Most consecutive 14+ win seasons[]

Teams' longest consecutive 14+ win seasons
1980s 1990s 2000s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 2 3 4 5 6
Chicago
Bears 2 		S. F. 49ers 2 New England Patriots
2
  • 2 seasons: Chicago Bears 1985–86, San Francisco 49ers 1989–90, New England Patriots 2003–04

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "NFL Champions 1920-2018". ProFootballHOF.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "NFL Playoff Procedures and Tiebreakers". Yahoo! Sports. December 31, 2006. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  3. ^ "NFL Football Playoff Bracket". CBS Sportsline. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  4. ^ "FoxSports.com – NFL Tiebreaking Procedures". December 9, 2006. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2008.
  5. ^ NFL Tiebreaking Procedures Entry on the website nfl.com. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "Colts win 23-17 in overtime". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 29, 1958. p. 4, part 2.
  7. ^ Maule, Tex (January 5, 1959). "The best football game ever played". Sports Illustrated. p. 8.
  8. ^ "2011 Official Rules and Case Book of the National Football League" (PDF). Rule 16, Section 1, Article 4, Paragraph d.
  9. ^ Banks, Don (December 22, 2011). "Remembering the Christmas gift that was The Longest Game Ever". SI.com. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  10. ^ "Field goal gives Miami overtime win". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 26, 1971. p. 19.
  11. ^ Underwood, John (January 3, 1972). "Up, up up and away!". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
  12. ^ "NFL Record and Fact Book – Overtime Games" (PDF). NFL. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c d "NFL History". NFL.com. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  14. ^ 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book. July 25, 2006. p. 410. ISBN 1-933405-32-5.
  15. ^ a b Hickock, Ralph (November 19, 2004). "The 1932 NFL Championship Game". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2002. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  16. ^ a b Hickock, Ralph. "NFL Playoff and Championship History". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  17. ^ "The Playoff Bowl (Bert Bell Benefit Bowl)". Archived from the original on April 15, 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2007.
  18. ^ "1969 Standings". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  19. ^ a b c "History of the Wild Card". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  20. ^ "Chasing perfection: 2005 Colts vs. '72 Dolphins". NFL.com. November 22, 2005. Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  21. ^ "1975 Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  22. ^ "1983 Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  23. ^ "1980 Standings". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  24. ^ "1982 Standings". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  25. ^ Platania, Joe "1990 Rule Change Makes Ravens-Steelers Possible" Archived July 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine PressBox (Baltimore), January 2011.
  26. ^ "NFL playoff games going prime time". Chicago Tribune. June 13, 2001. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  27. ^ "Wild Card weekend makes history as all four road teams win". Fox Sports. January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  28. ^ "Proposal to reseed playoff teams withdrawn by owners". Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  29. ^ Schefter, Adam (December 9, 2019). "Source: Reseeding playoff teams has 'never been a consideration' for NFL". ESPN. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  30. ^ Weisman, Larry (March 22, 2006). "Expanding playoffs, instant replay on NFL owners' agenda". USATODAY.com. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  31. ^ Clayton, John (December 30, 2005). "Playoff format is matter of integrity". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  32. ^ "Expanded NFL playoffs eyed for 2015". ESPN. October 9, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  33. ^ Maske, Mark (February 18, 2015). "Expanded NFL playoffs no longer seen as likely for next season". Washington Post. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  34. ^ Maske, Mark (June 5, 2017). "Whatever happened to the expanded NFL playoffs? They were going to happen, and then … nothing". Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  35. ^ Patra, Kevin (March 31, 2020). "Owners approve expanding postseason to 14 teams". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  36. ^ Battista, Judy (March 15, 2020). "NFL players approve CBA: Impact on league in 2020 and beyond". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  37. ^ "Inside the Numbers". NFL Record & Fact Book 2014. NFL. July 29, 2014. p. 315. ISBN 978-1618933942.
  38. ^ "NFL History: 1931–1940". NFL.com. Retrieved November 13, 2013. After the season finale, the league office arranged for an additional regular-season game to determine the league champion
  39. ^ a b c "Team Encyclopedias and Records". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  40. ^ "Oakland Raiders Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  41. ^ "New England Patriots Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  42. ^ "Cleveland Browns Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  43. ^ "Dallas Cowboys Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  44. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  45. ^ "San Francisco 49ers Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  46. ^ "Miami Dolphins Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  47. ^ "New Orleans Saints Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  48. ^ "Minnesota Vikings Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  49. ^ "Green Bay Packers Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  50. ^ "Washington Redskins Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  51. ^ "Kansas City Chiefs Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  52. ^ "Indianapolis Colts Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  53. ^ "San Diego Chargers Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  54. ^ "Seattle Seahawks Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  55. ^ "Buffalo Bills Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  56. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  57. ^ "Denver Broncos Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  58. ^ "Tennessee Titans Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  59. ^ a b "Chicago Bears Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  60. ^ "New York Giants Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  61. ^ "St. Louis Rams Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  62. ^ "Carolina Panthers Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  63. ^ "New York Jets Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  64. ^ "Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  65. ^ "Atlanta Falcons Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  66. ^ "Baltimore Ravens Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  67. ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  68. ^ "Arizona Cardinals Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.

Further reading[]

External links[]

Retrieved from ""