After all the running, passing, kicking, and tackling from Sunday's games, we have now come to the conclusion of the 2019 NFL regular season. Of the league's 32 teams, 12 will have a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Miami in Super Bowl LIV. Here is how the regular season of the NFL's historic 100th season of football ends:
--- LEGEND ---
! = playoff team
!! = Division winner
!!! = Home Advantage
--- AFC ---
AFC EAST: New England!! (12-4), BUF! (10-6), NYJ (7-9), MIA (5-11)
AFC NORTH: Baltimore!!! (14-2), PIT (8-8), CLE (6-10), CIN (2-14)
AFC SOUTH: Houston!! (10-6), TEN! (9-7), IND (7-9), JAX (6-10)
AFC WEST: Kansas City!! (12-4), DEN and OAK (7-9 each), LAC (5-11)
--- NFC ---
NFC EAST: Philadelphia!! (9-7), DAL (8-8), NYG (4-12), WAS (3-13)
NFC NORTH: Green Bay!! (13-3), MIN! (10-6), CHI (8-8), DET (3-12-1)
NFC SOUTH: New Orleans!! (13-3), ATL and TB (7-9 each), CAR (5-11)
NFC WEST: San Francisco!!! (13-3), SEA! (11-5), LAR (9-7), ARI (5-10-1)
Home advantage in the AFC goes to the Baltimore Ravens, and home advantage in the NFC goes to the San Francisco 49ers. Both of those teams get First-Round Byes. Cincinnati locked up the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Here are the matches to be played out on the weekend of January 4, 2020 and January 5, 2020:
* BUF Bills at HOU Texans
* TEN Titans at NE Patriots
* MIN Vikings at NO Saints
* SEA Seahawks at PHI Eagles
And in the Divisional Round:
* (lowest remaining AFC Wild Card seed) at BAL
* (highest remaining AFC Wild Card seed) at KC
* (lowest remaining NFC Wild Card seed) at SF
* (highest remaining NFC Wild Card seed) at GB
Congratulations to all teams that advanced to the postseason. Teams now are trying to prove they are worthy enough to be champions of the league for the 2019 NFL season. Even those more lucky than good have as much a chance to win it all. At this level, it's literally "win or go home." There is no Third Place Game or loser's bracket. You lose, you're done. See you next season. So make that winning push!
I wouldn't put too much on New England being vulnerable. We tried that last season, and how did New England end up last postseason? Oh nothing... just another shiny Lombardi Trophy in their collection. I even did not believe my Houston Texans would amount to much this season, yet they ended up winning the AFC South even without the services of J.J. Watt (for most of the season) followed by shipping off JaDeveon Clowney to Seattle. So anything can happen as the Postseason commences.
As a little news note, NYG coach Pat Shurmur was fired by the Giants. He accumulated a 9-23 record in two seasons coaching the Giants. This reportedly begins a search for a third coach of the team in five years.
The action begins this coming Saturday with the Wild Card games.
[UPDATE] changed playoff information regarding the Divisional games.