New York Giants – (W) – 34-7Ģ005 Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5-0, 2nd Place, AFC North Division) Denver Broncos – (W) – 21-3ĭivisional Playoff – at Tennessee Titans – (W) – 24-10ĪFC Championship – at Oakland Raiders – (W) – 16-3 Louis Rams – (L) – 23-16Ģ000 Baltimore Ravens (12-4-0, 2nd Place, AFC Central Division) Buffalo Bills – (W) – 22-16ĭivisional Playoff – at Indianapolis Colts – (W) – 19-16ĪFC Championship – at Jacksonville Jaguars – (W) – 33-14 Green Bay Packers – (W) – 31-24ġ999 Tennessee Titans (13-3-0, 2nd Place, AFC Central Division) Jacksonville Jaguars – (W) – 42-17ĭivisional Playoff – at Kansas City Chiefs – (W) – 14-10ĪFC Championship – at Pittsburgh Steelers – (W) – 24-21 Dallas Cowboys – (L) – 52-17ġ997 Denver Broncos (12-4-0, 2nd Place, AFC Western Division) Houston Oilers – (W) – 41-38 (OT)ĭivisional Playoff – at Pittsburgh Steelers – (W) – 24-3ĪFC Championship – at Miami Dolphins – (W) – 29-10 Chicago Bears – (L) – 46-10ġ992 Buffalo Bills (11-5-0, 2nd Place, AFC Eastern Division) Wild Card Playoff – at New York Jets – (W) – 26-14ĭivisional Playoff – at Los Angeles Raiders – (W) – 27-20ĪFC Championship – at Miami Dolphins – (W) – 31-14 Philadelphia Eagles – (W) – 27-10ġ985 New England Patriots (11-5-0, 3rd Place, AFC Eastern Division) Houston Oilers – (W) – 27-7ĭivisional Playoff – at Cleveland Browns – (W) – 14-12ĪFC Championship – at San Diego Chargers – (W) – 34-27 Pittsburgh Steelers – (L) – 21-17ġ980 Oakland Raiders( 11-5-0, 2nd Place, AFC Western Division) NFC Championship – at Los Angeles Rams – (W) – 37-7 The Kansas City Chiefs, who did not win the AFL Western Division title, accomplished the tough feat of advancing through the AFL playoffs before defeating the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.ġ975 Dallas Cowboys (10-4-0, 2nd Place, NFC Eastern Division)ĭivisional Playoff – at Minnesota Vikings – (W) – 17-14 In 1969, the AFL implemented a playoff format that had the top two teams in each division qualifying for the post-season. Only four of those wild card teams - New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers - won three games on the road to make it to the Super Bowl.

Since the Wild Card System began in 1970, only ten wild card teams have advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. The Wild Card games that kick off the post-season play feature two division winners hosting wild-card teams. The playoff format now includes four division winners and two wild-card teams from each conference. A total of seven teams changed divisions with the Seattle Seahawks switching from the AFC to the NFC, where they first played in 1976. Then, in 2002, when the league expanded to 32 teams, the NFL realigned into eight four-team divisions. With a total of three wild cards included in both the AFC and NFC, twelve of the league's 28 teams qualified for the playoffs. Primary reasons cited for the dramatic change in the playoff format included an increase in television revenue and to streamline a complex tiebreaking system. In 1990, two more wild card teams were added to the mix. An additional wild card team in each conference was added to the playoffs with the two wild cards squaring off during the first weekend of the post-season. On March 29, 1978, the NFL adopted a new 16-game schedule preceded by a four-game preseason. While that format was short-lived – the league dropped it in 1975 – the addition of a wild card team was permanent. A predetermined post-season schedule was produced that rotated the home teams based on divisions, regardless of winning percentage. The three division winners and the non-division-winning team with the best won-loss percentage qualified for the playoffs. The merged league consisted of two conferences each containing three divisions. A new playoff format was unveiled as a result of the realignment that occurred prior to the 1970 merger of the National Football League and American Football League.

Wild card games nfl