NFL scores are one of the most important factors that help determine a team’s standing and success in the league. They are also essential for analyzing player and coaching performance and making strategic decisions in future games. In addition, they are a crucial element in determining how teams will perform in the playoffs.
The playoffs in the NFL are a little different than they were in the past. There are now two more playoff games in each round, which gives more teams a chance to make a postseason run and keeps fan bases of middling teams interested through the end of the regular season. Additionally, this format allows the NFL to generate more revenue by airing two extra prime-time playoff games in each round.
There are 14 total teams that qualify for the playoffs: four division winners and three wild card teams from each conference. Each conference’s top-two seeds receive a first-round bye, while the remaining teams are seeded according to their regular season record.
Generally speaking, the higher-seeded team will have a better chance of winning the game, but that’s not always the case. In fact, there have been some epic playoff upsets in recent history that saw lower-seeded teams win big.
The NFL has a 12-step process for breaking ties in both the regular season and the playoffs. The first step is to look at the team’s record against teams with similar records. This helps to eliminate teams that may have a better won-lost record against the team in question. If the first step does not resolve the tie, the NFL will then break the tie using a series of tiebreakers.
Tiebreakers include won-lost record, strength of schedule, best net touchdowns, and more. The last step is a coin toss to decide which team makes the playoffs. This process was largely designed to ensure that the best teams make it to the Super Bowl.
If the highest-seeded team loses in the first round, it will play a rematch against the lowest-seeded team from its conference. This rematch will take place in the second round, and is hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of this matchup will then advance to the conference championship game, which is typically played at a neutral site.
Lastly, the two teams that win the conference championships will meet in the Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be played on the first Sunday in February.
While there are countless memorable NFL blowouts, the most lopsided game of all time may have been the 74-7 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1934. That game was so lopsided that the Eagles scored 42 points in the first half alone. While most teams are unable to put up such a huge margin, many have been known to come close, especially in recent years.