Yahoo News NFL playoff picture 2019: Standings, schedule and who is set to qualify
The NFL regular season is nearing its conclusion and the race for the playoffs is hotting up. Here's everything you need to know.
Who qualifies for the playoffs?
The NFL's 32 teams are split into two 16-team conferences, the NFC and the AFC. Each of those conferences is then split into four divisions: North, East, South and West.
The team finishing top of each division at the end of the regular season qualifies automatically for the playoffs.
They are also joined by four wildcards. These are the two teams from each conference with the best record that haven't already qualified as divisional champions.
Note that this does not necessarily mean the two best second-placed teams. Last season, both NFC wildcards came from the same division, with the Atlanta Falcons' 10-6 record enough to qualify them, despite finishing third in the NFC South.
The two conferences run identical playoff tournaments parallel to one another, meaning teams from the NFC and AFC cannot meet until the Super Bowl.
How do the playoffs work?
The six teams qualifying for the playoffs from each conference are seeded according to their regular season record, with the divisional champions filling spots one through four, even if one of the wildcards has a better record.
Throughout the playoffs, the team with the higher seeding is guaranteed home field advantage, with only the Super Bowl played at a neutral venue. Head-to-head is used to split tied records.
The first round of the playoffs is known as the wildcard round. This pits the two wildcard teams against the third and fourth seeds.
The winners from the wildcard round then meet the first and second seeds in the divisional round, with the number one seed guaranteed to face the weakest surviving team.
The two winners from the divisional round then play for the conference championship. The two conference champions will meet in Atlanta for the Super Bowl on February 3.
Final playoff picture
NFC
Divisional champions
South: New Orleans Saints 13-3 (1st seed)
West: Los Angeles Rams 13-3 (2nd seed)
North: Chicago Bears 12-4 (3rd seed)
East: Dallas Cowboys 10-6 (4th seed)
Wildcard places
Seattle Seahawks 10-6 (5th seed)
Philadelphia Eagles 9-7 (6th seed)
AFC
Divisional champions
West: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4 (1st seed)
East: New England Patriots 11-5 (2nd seed)
South: Houston Texans 11-5 (3rd seed)
North: Baltimore Ravens 10-6 (4th seed)
Wildcard places
Los Angeles Chargers 12-4 (5th seed)
Indianapolis Colts 10-6 (6th seed)
