NFL Playoff Methodology (1 Viewer)

[diggler]

Does anybody know the logic that the NFL uses to select the Playoff Seeding, and the matchups? I have a few questions, as I am trying to make my Fantasy league seeding/matchups similar to the NFL.

1. Are the top 4 Division Winners necessarily the top 4 seeds, even if a wildcard team had a better record than one of the Division winners?

1b. If a Wildcard team has the second best record in the league/conference, is he awarded a first round bye, or will that bye go to the second best Division winner?

2. Are Division rivals allowed to face off in the first round? (I know in MLB they cannot, unsure about NFL).

3. What determines the 2nd Round matchup for the top seed? i.e. Does the top seed play the lowest surviving seed in round 2, or does he play the winner of a certain first round matchup?

Thanks guys.

 

[Dodge]

4 Division Leaders. Then the next two best teams are the last two seeds. A wild card can not have a higher seed than a divisional winner.

What division you're in does not matter as soon as the seeding is in place. So in the first week of the playoffs if the Eagles are the third seed and the Giants are the sixth seed, they will play each other. (See 2006 season.)

Week One

Seed 1 - Bye

Seed 2 - Bye

Seed 3 vs Seed 6

Seed 4 vs Seed 5

Week Two

Seed 1 vs. Lowest Seed

Seed 2 vs. The Other Team

Week Three

Winner vs. Winner

SB:

Winner

 

[Wadsworth]

Divison winners always get the nod. The only way a wild card team, reguardless of record can ever host a playoff game is if it's the 5 seed playing the 6 seed in the conference finals. Pretty lame rule in my opinion. For example, this season in theory San Diego could finish 8-8 and win their weak divison. Jacksonville could finish 12-4 and second in a very tough divison. Yet week 1 of the post season Jacksonville would travel to San Diego.