Simple NFC Tiebreaker Chart, 2016, After Week 16

Notes and assumptions: Tiebreaker winners are as they would be if the teams were tied at the end of the season, NOT as if the season ended right now. Tiebreakers that don't affect playoff berths or seeding are ignored.  (Example: If NYG and GB both finish 10-6, GB wins the NFC North, but NYG doesn't win the NFC East.) Division ties are broken first.  If three or more teams are tied, apply that tiebreaker, not the two-team tiebreaker. Strength of victory is the combined winning percentage (essentially, the number of wins) of the teams a team has beaten. It has nothing to do with point totals. Two ties equal one win and one loss. Clinched division and home-field advantage: DAL. Clinched division: SEA, ATL. Clinched wild card and #5 seed: NYG. Eliminated: SF, CHI, LA, PHI, ARI, NO, CAR, MIN, NO. Eliminated from division: WAS, TB. The complete tiebreaker rules are here. NFC Division Tiebreakers after Week 16: Tied Teams Record Winner Why? DET-GB 9-6-1 GB head-to-head NFC Wild Card and Seeding Tiebreakers after Week 16: Tied Teams Record Extra conditions (all must occur) Winner Why? WAS-DET DET head-to-head WAS-GB 8-6-2 v. 9-7 GB head-to-head DET-ATL 10-6 DET common opponents DET-TB 9-7 DET common opponents DET-SEA 10-6 v. 9-5-2 DET conference record GB-ATL 10-6 ATL head-to-head GB-TB 9-7 DAL loses to PHI or IND loses to JAX or TEN loses to HOU or SF loses to SEA GB strength of victory GB-TB 9-7 DAL beats PHI IND beats JAX TEN beats HOU SF beats SEA GB strength of schedule GB-SEA GB conference record WAS-DET-TB DET WAS eliminated on conference record; common opponents WAS-GB-TB 8-6-2 v. 9-7 v. 9-7 DAL loses to PHI or IND loses to JAX or TEN loses to HOU or SF loses to SEA GB WAS eliminated on conference record; strength of victory WAS-GB-TB 8-6-2 v. 9-7 v. 9-7 DAL beats PHI IND beats JAX TEN beats HOU SF beats SEA TB WAS eliminated on conference record; strength of victory DET-ATL-SEA 10-6 v. 10-6 v. 9-5-2 DET SEA eliminated on conference record; common opponents GB-ATL-SEA 10-6 v. 10-6 v. 9-5-2 ATL SEA eliminated on conference record; head-to-head

Simple AFC Tiebreaker Chart, 2016, After Week 16

Notes and assumptions: No possibility of future tie games. Tiebreaker winners are as they would be if the teams were tied at the end of the season, NOT as if the season ended right now. Tiebreakers that don't affect playoff berths or seeding are ignored.  (Example: If HOU and MIA both finish 10-6, HOU wins the AFC South, but MIA doesn't win the AFC East.) Division ties are broken first. If three or more teams are tied, apply that tiebreaker, not the two-team tiebreaker. Strength of victory is the combined winning percentage (essentially, the number of wins) of the teams a team has beaten. It has nothing to do with point totals. Clinched division and first-round bye: NE. Clinched division and #3 seed: PIT. Clinched division and #4 seed: HOU. Clinched playoff berth: OAK, KC, MIA. Eliminated: everyone else. The complete tiebreaker rules are here. AFC Division Tiebreakers after Week 16: Tied Teams Record Winner Why? HOU-TEN 9-7 HOU division record OAK-KC 12-4 KC head-to-head AFC Wild Card and Seeding Tiebreakers after Week 16: Tied Teams Record Winner Why? NE-OAK 13-3 OAK common opponents MIA-KC 11-5 MIA common opponents PIT-HOU 10-6 PIT strength of victory

Reader Mail: Most Plays In A Quarter (Updated 12/22/16)

The Bears ran 35 plays in the 4th quarter in last week's game against the Titans.  Is this a record? No, but it's close.  Most of the following, like the Bears, were failed comebacks from large deficits. Most plays in a quarter, 1983-2016: (all 4th quarters unless noted) Team Date Plays* Opponent Non-plays** Notes St. Louis Rams 12/10/1995 40 BUF 3 San Diego Chargers 11/30/1997 40 DEN 8 began with final 23 plays of record 25-play drive New England Patriots 11/12/1989 38 NO 4 Minnesota Vikings 10/14/2012 38 WAS 3 Washington Redskins 11/4/1990 37 DET 1 Redskins came back from 38-21 down entering 4Q; record 112 plays and then-record 39 first downs for game Pittsburgh Steelers 11/19/2006 37 CLE 1 Steelers came back from 13-3 down to win 24-20 Cincinnati Bengals 1/5/2014 37 SD 1 AFC Wild Card Game Buffalo Bills 11/14/1994 36 PIT 2 Green Bay Packers 10/14/1996 36 SF 2 twice rallied from 3-point deficits; won in OT Baltimore Ravens 9/23/2001 36 CIN 3 San Francisco 49ers 11/25/2002 36 PHI 0 Indianapolis Colts 1/18/2004 36 NE 0 AFC Championship Game Denver Broncos 10/31/2004 36 ATL 2 Jake Plummer 499 passing yards for the game New Orleans Saints 11/9/2008 36 ATL 3 Indianapolis Colts 11/2/2015 36 CAR 1 came back from 23-6 down to force OT at 23-all; lost 29-26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10/28/1984 35 KC 7 Kansas City Chiefs 11/24/1991 35 CLE 4 Chicago Bears 11/16/1997 35 NYJ 2 Miami Dolphins 11/23/1997 35 NE 3 St. Louis Rams 12/11/2006 35 CHI 5 Detroit Lions 9/23/2012 35 TEN 3 recovered onside with 0:16 left; tied game on Hail Mary; lost in OT Tennessee Titans 10/7/2012 35 MIN 2 Titans called timeouts while the Vikings were attempting to kneel out the clock with 2:00 left up 30-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9/25/2016 35 LA Rams 4 70-minute lightning delay with 2:00 left Chicago Bears 11/27/2016 35 TEN 2 New York Giants 12/22/2016 35 PHI 1 * "Plays" by NFL definition include runs, passes (including sacks), and field goals.  Punts, kickoffs, and plays nullified by penalty are not included. ** "Non-plays" as used here includes punts and plays nullified by penalty. Other records: Most plays in a first quarter: 33, Dallas Cowboys, 10/16/1983 vs. Eagles Most plays in a second quarter: 33, five teams (Denver Broncos, 10/20/1985 vs. Seahawks; Dallas Cowboys, 10/17/1993 vs. 49ers; Houston Oilers, 9/17/1995 vs. Browns; Indianapolis Colts, 12/7/2003 vs. Titans; Arizona Cardinals, 10/7/2007 vs. Rams) Most plays in a third quarter: 33, Cleveland Browns, 10/4/1987 vs. Patriots (replacement game) Most plays in an overtime: 29, St. Louis Cardinals, 10/24/1983 vs. Giants (missed 3 field goals in 10-10 tie) Most plays in a double overtime: 4, Cleveland Browns, 1/3/1987 vs. Jets (AFC Divisional Round) [Pre-1983 record: 9, Miami Dolphins, 12/25/1971 vs. Chiefs (AFC Divisional Round)] Most plays in a game: 112, Washington Redskins, 11/4/1990 vs. Lions Most plays in a regulation game: 98, three teams (San Diego Chargers, 10/19/1986 vs. Chiefs; Green Bay Packers, 10/26/1986 vs. 49ers; Pittsburgh Steelers, 12/8/2002 vs. Texans) Fewest plays in a quarter: 1, San Diego Chargers, 1/11/2009 vs. Steelers (3rd quarter, AFC Divisional Round) (intercepted on only play from scrimmage and muffed a punt) Fewest plays in a first quarter: 3, many teams Fewest plays in a second quarter: 2, New York Jets, 11/20/2005 vs. Broncos (fumbled on second play of only drive; also punted to open quarter and later fumbled kickoff) Fewest plays in a third quarter (regular season): 2, Denver Broncos, 9/9/2012 vs. Steelers (71-yard TD pass on only drive) Fewest plays in a fourth quarter: 2, Pittsburgh Steelers, 12/26/1987 vs. Browns (field goal on first play of quarter, intercepted on only other play) Fewest plays in a game: 28, Cleveland Browns, 9/12/1999 vs. Steelers (first game for expansion Browns; lost 43-0)