NFL Playoff Picture

The top six teams in each conference in the National Football League qualify to play in the NFL Playoffs. Four of the teams come from winning their individual divisions, while the other two spots are filled with wild-card teams who have the next-best records in the conference. Teams are seeded in order of their record, with the team with the best record taking the top seed and so on.http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures In many cases, teams can clinch a playoff spot before the end of the regular season in the NFL.http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace

The NFL Playoffs consist of four rounds, the Wild Card Weekend, Divisional Round, conference championships and the Super Bowl.http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=POST&season=2010

In the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers are secured a spot in the 2010-11 NFL Playoffs. In the AFC, the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens competed.http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81c2d42c/article/playoff-picture-2010

Though the seeds in each conference are primarily decided by record, there are specific rules to determine division champions and wild card teams in the event of a tie. If two teams in the same division have the same record, there are up to 11 variables considered to determine a winner. The teams' head-to-head record is compared, then their divisional record and record in common games. If no divisional champion can be determined after analyzing all records and schedule strength, a team's total number of net touchdowns can eventually be used to determine the winner.http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures