Who Are The Wildcards In The NFL?
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The NFL season is underway and there are a few teams that have shown they can take down anyone on any given Sunday. Who are the wildcards in the NFL?
The NFL is unpredictable
The National Football League is one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States. It is also one of the most unpredictable. Each year, there are a handful of teams that no one expects to make the playoffs, but they end up doing just that. These are the teams that we call the “wildcards.”
The term “wildcard” is used in many different contexts, but in the NFL, it refers to a team that makes the playoffs despite not winning their division. In order to be eligible for a wildcard spot, a team must have a record that is better than at least two other teams in their conference.
So, who are the wildcards in the NFL? Here are a few of the most recent examples:
-The Carolina Panthers made the playoffs as a wildcard team in 2017 after finishing with an 11-5 record. They went on to lose to the divisional round to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
-The Jacksonville Jaguars made the playoffs as a wildcard team in 2017 with a 10-6 record. They went on to lose to eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, in AFC Championship game.
-The Buffalo Bills made the playoffs as a wildcard team in 2017 with a 9-7 record. They went on to lose in overtime of the Wild Card round to eventual NFC champions, Los Angeles Rams.
Who are the teams to look out for?
In the NFL, the term “wild card” team refers to a playoff contender that did not win their divisional title, but still accumulated enough regular-season wins to earn a spot in the playoffs.
In recent years, the wild card teams have been some of the most unpredictable and dangerous squads in all of football. Just look at last year’s Super Bowl participants: The Los Angeles Rams were a wild card team that went on to lose to the New England Patriots in the big game.
So, who are the teams to look out for this year? Here are a few contenders:
-The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the most consistent teams in recent years, and they always seem to find a way to make the playoffs. Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and he has a plethora of weapons at his disposal.
-The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best offenses in football, and they just added another weapon in wide receiver Amari Cooper. The Cowboys also have one of the best young running backs in Ezekiel Elliott.
-The Pittsburgh Steelers have arguably the best offensive trio in football with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown, and running back Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers also have a solid defense that is led by linebacker Ryan Shazier.
The Wildcard teams
The Wildcard teams are the teams that did not win their division but still made the playoffs. In the NFL, there are six Wildcard teams: four from the AFC and two from the NFC. The Wildcard teams are seeded fifth and sixth in their respective conferences. The Wildcard round is a single-elimination tournament that is played between the Wildcard teams and the third and fourth seeds in each conference. The winner of each Wildcard game goes on to play the top seed in their conference in the Divisional round.
Why the Wildcard teams are dangerous
There are a lot of good teams in the NFL, but every year there are a few that rise above the rest. These are the teams that make the playoffs and have a chance to win the Super Bowl. But there are also a few teams that are just good enough to make the playoffs, and these are the teams that can cause upsets in the Wildcard round.
The Wildcard round is the first round of the playoffs, and it features the two best teams from each conference that didn’t win their division. These teams are usually good, but they’re not always great. And that’s why they can be dangerous.
The Wildcard round is when upsets happen. The higher seeded team is supposed to win, but anything can happen in a one-game playoff. We’ve seen it time and time again. A team that looked like they had no business being in the playoffs can go on a run and make it to the Super Bowl.
So, who are the Wildcard teams this year? Here’s a look at both conferences:
AFC:
-Baltimore Ravens
-Indianapolis Colts
NFC:
-Dallas Cowboys
-Seattle Seahawks
What the Wildcard teams need to do to be successful
In order for a Wildcard team to have success in the NFL playoffs, they need a few things to go their way.
First, they need to have a good quarterback. A Wildcard team is not likely to win a Super Bowl without a great quarterback leading the way.
Second, they need to have a good defense. A Wildcard team is not likely to win a Super Bowl if their defense is not good enough to stop the other teams’ offense.
Third, they need to be lucky. A Wildcard team is not likely to win a Super Bowl if they do not get lucky and have some things go their way.