Hey there Bud! I’m so glad you asked me how do tiebreakers work in the NFL. I’m a huge football fan and I have to say, I’m pretty well versed on the ins and outs of the league. So, here’s what you need to know about tiebreakers:
The NFL follows a tiebreaker system to determine which teams will proceed in the playoffs and which teams will be eliminated from contention. The way the tiebreaker works is, if two teams have the same win-loss record, you use the number of conference wins to determine who wins. If both teams have the same number of conference wins, then you move on to the divisional wins. If they both have the same number of divisional wins, the team with the greatest number of wins against common opponents will prevail.
If wins against common opponents are tied as well, then you look at strength of victory (the combined win-loss record of the opponents you have beaten). If strength of victory is tied, then you look at strength of schedule (the combined win-loss record of all the opponents you have played, regardless of whether you won or lost). If strength of schedule is also tied, then the team with the greatest net points (points scored minus points allowed) will prevail.
If net points are tied as well, you can look at net total touchdowns, which is similar to net points but using touchdowns instead. If that too is tied, then you move on to the net differential in points scored in conference games. If that is tied as well, then you look at a coin toss to decide the winner.
I know this sounds complicated, but you get the hang of it really quickly. It’s a lot of maths and number crunching, but it’s all done in order to give the team which has performed the best throughout the season a higher probability of making the playoffs.
So that’s the quick and dirty on the NFL tiebreakers. It’s all about conference wins, divisional wins, wins against common opponents, strength of victory, strength of schedule, net points, net total touchdowns, net differential in points scored in conference games, and a coin toss. Pretty simple, right? Now, if you run into some friends who are into football or sports betting – you don’t even have to pretend like you know what you’re talking – you can just say: “Hey, dude, do you know about the NFL tiebreakers? I know all about them.”
One thing to remember about tiebreakers is that they change depending on the season. The rules are updated every year to make sure that the competition remains fair and exciting, so it pays to stay up to date on the latest news and updates.
Another thing to know is that tiebreakers are not just used to determine playoff qualifiers – they can also be used to decide the order of the draft. If two teams have the same record, they can have a draft tiebreaker to decide which team gets the first pick in the draft.
Finally, while some people may think that a tiebreaker system can make the playoffs “unfair” to teams that have similar records, the opposite is actually true. Tiebreakers give the better teams a greater chance of making the playoffs, which in turn creates more competitive matchups and a more exciting tournament.
So there you have it – how do tiebreakers work in the NFL? Pretty simple, right?