Who is Still in the Playoffs? NFL Edition

It’s that time of year again! The NFL playoffs are upon us and we’re here to give you a quick run-down of who’s still in the running for the Lombardi Trophy.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; since then, two more have been added. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is also broadcast on television in over 180 countries.

AFC Playoffs

The AFC playoff teams have been decided! The Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots have all clinched a spot in the postseason. These four teams will battle it out in the AFC playoffs to see who will advance to the Super Bowl.

New England Patriots

New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston region. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Gillette Stadium in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 28 miles (45 km) southwest of downtown Boston.

The Patriots are also headquartered at Gillette Stadium. An original member of the American Football League (AFC), the Patriots joined the NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL–NFL merger. The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971. The Patriots played their home games at Foxboro Stadium from 1971 to 2001, then moved to Gillette Stadium at the start of the 2002 season. Between 2002 and 2017, the Patriots compiled a regular season record of 201–71 (.739), with a playoff record of 24–18 (.571). In that time frame, they won 21 AFC East titles, 13 AFC championships, and six Super Bowls, with a perfect 4–0 record in Super Bowls held at neutral sites and a 5-1 record when playing there overall (including 2 losses in Miami). From 2001 to 2018 under head coach Bill Belichick, they won 16 AFC East titles in 18 seasons and advanced to 12 AFC Championship Games—seven consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2017—and won eight conference championships: four of them consecutively from 2014 to 2017. The franchise appeared in Super Bowl XLIX and Super Bowl LIII; winning both games by decisions of four points or fewer for a combined total margin of victory for all three games under Belichick of 8 points. Belichick has been selected for nine Pro Bowls – more than any other coach – with an NFL-record eight wins as head coach; and he has received Coach of the Year honors three times from various news organizations including AP and Sporting News. quarterback Tom Brady has been selected to 14 Pro Bowls – more than any other player — while being named Most Valuable Player five times by various news organizations including AP and Sporting News; he is also one win shy (two) matching Brady’s record for most NFL Championships by anystarting quarterback with seven wins each: five wins as starting quarterback for NE while winning two more while serving as backup quarterback taking over late regular season games or during post-season play off rounds due to injuries suffered by NE’s first string quarterback(s).

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC. In contrast with their status as perennial also-rans in the pre-merger NFL, where they were the oldest team never to win a league championship, the Steelers of the post-merger era are one of the most successful NFL franchises.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional football franchise based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays its home games at TIAA Bank Field.

Founded in 1993, the Jaguars originally played their home games at the Gator Bowl Stadium before moving to Alltel Stadium (now TIAA Bank Field) in 1995. Since their inception, the Jaguars have won division championships in 1998 and 1999 and have qualified for the playoffs six times, most recently in 2017. The Jaguars have won only one playoff game, a Wild Card Playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills following the 2007 season.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team was founded in 1960 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt and was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). In 1963, the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and were renamed the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The team is valued at over $2 billion. Hunt’s son, Clark, serves as chairman and CEO.

The Chiefs have won three AFL championships, in 1962, 1966, and 1969. They became the second AFL team (after the New York Jets) to defeat an NFL team in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game when they beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The team’s victory on January 11, 1970, remains the club’s last championship game victory and appearance to date. Between 1985 and 1993, the Cardinals/Chiefs won seven out of ten AFC West titles under head coach Marty Schottenheimer—the winningest coach during that ten-year span for any NFL team—and compiled an NFC-best 91 regular-season wins; however they lost their only two playoff games under him. Since then, they have mostly struggled tofindsuccess inheriting an 0–16 record from 2007 publicly dubbed as “the worst professional sports season ever”. According to Forbes Magazine in 2019 themost recent year data is available), they are worth $2 billion dollars which is tied with seven other teams for 19th most valuable sports franchise In 2020 they are scheduled to move from Arrowhead Stadium which they have called home since 1972 into a brand new stadium being built adjacent called Loews Arrowhead Stadium

NFC Playoffs

The National Football Conference (NFC) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held each year to determine the National Football League (NFL)’s national championship. The tournament brackets are made up of six teams, four divisional winners and two wild card teams. The four divisional winners are seeded 1-4 based on their regular season record, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that compete in the National Football League (NFL). The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in the short-lived second American Football League before joining the NFL the next year. In 1946, the franchise moved to Los Angeles. The Rams franchise remained in the metro area until 1994, when they moved to St. Louis. The Rams franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016.

The Rams advanced to Super Bowl LIII, marking their fourth Super Bowl appearance and first since 2001.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team was founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966. The Saints began play in Tulane Stadium in 1967.

The name “Saints” is an allusion to November 1 being All Saints Day in the Catholic faith, or more specifically to the specific group of New Orleans Catholic saints who were French-speaking Jesuits who died during a yellow fever epidemic in 1785; they became known as the “Casket Girls” because many of them were buried in above-ground caskets due to cemetery shortages.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are still in the NFC playoffs! They are scheduled to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, January 13th at 4:40pm EST.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) and play their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Conclusion

The NFL playoffs are nearing the end, and only a few teams are still in contention for the Lombardi Trophy. Who is still in the playoffs?

As of right now, the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and San Francisco 49ers are still alive in the hunt for the Super Bowl. The Patriots and Broncos have already clinched their divisional titles, while the Colts and 49ers are still fighting for theirs.

In the AFC, the Patriots are currently the number one seed, while the Broncos are number two. The Colts are fighting for the final spot in the AFC with the Cincinnati Bengals. If the Colts win their Week 17 matchup against the Bengals, they will clinch a playoff berth.

In the NFC, the 49ers and Packers are currently battling for the top spot in the conference. Whoever wins their Week 17 matchup will be seeded first in the NFC playoffs. The Seahawks and Panthers are also fighting for a playoff berth in the NFC.

So who is still in the playoffs? As of right now, it looks like four teams from each conference will make it to this year’s NFL postseason.