The following charts seek to answer the following question: If these two (or more) teams finish with the same record, who wins the tiebreaker?
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. (Example: the only way DAL and ARI wind up with the same record at the end of the season is if ARI beats DAL in Week 16.)
- Tiebreakers that don’t affect playoff berths or seeding are ignored. (Example: a tie at 7-10 between MIN and CHI.)
- Any tie for the last wild card spot at 8-9 must include PHI or WAS from the NFC East, NO or ATL from the NFC South, and SF from the NFC West.
- Division ties are broken first. If NO, ATL, and SF all finish 8-9, break the NFC South tie between NO and ATL first, then break the tie between the NO-ATL winner and SF.
- 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.
- DAL has clinched the NFC East. GB has clinched the NFC North. TB has clinched the NFC South.
- LAR and ARI have clinched playoff berths.
- NYG, CHI, DET, CAR, and SEA have been eliminated.
The complete tiebreaker rules are here.
Jump to East | South | West | Interdivisional ties 2-way • 3-way • 4-way
NFC East
| If these teams tie | at | with these things happening | tie goes to | based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI-WAS | 8-9 | WAS | division record |
NFC South
| If these teams tie | at | with these things happening | tie goes to | based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO-ATL | 8-9 | NO beats ATL | NO | division record |
| NO-ATL | 8-9 | ATL beats NO | ATL | head-to-head |
NFC West
| If these teams tie | at | with these things happening | tie goes to | based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI-LAR | ARI | division record | ||
| ARI-SF | 10-7 | ARI | head-to-head |
Interdivisional ties
2-way ties
| If these teams tie | at | with these things happening | tie goes to | based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL-GB | DAL | conference record | ||
| DAL-TB | TB | head-to-head | ||
| DAL-ARI | ARI | head-to-head | ||
| DAL-LAR | DAL | conference record | ||
| PHI-MIN | 9-8 | PHI beats DAL | ? | strength of victory |
| PHI-MIN | PHI loses to DAL | MIN | common opponents | |
| PHI-NO | PHI | head-to-head | ||
| PHI-ATL | PHI | head-to-head | ||
| PHI-ARI | 10-7 | PHI | conference record | |
| PHI-SF | SF | head-to-head | ||
| WAS-MIN | WAS | conference record | ||
| WAS-NO | 8-9 | NO | head-to-head | |
| WAS-ATL | WAS | head-to-head | ||
| WAS-SF | 8-9 | WAS | conference record | |
| GB-TB | TB beats NYJ | GB | conference record | |
| GB-TB | 12-5 | TB loses to NYJ | GB | common opponents |
| GB-ARI | 12-5 | GB | head-to-head | |
| GB-LAR | GB | head-to-head | ||
| MIN-NO | 8-9 | NO loses to CAR | MIN | common opponents |
| MIN-NO | 8-9 |
|
? | strength of victory |
| MIN-NO | MIN beats GB | MIN | common opponents | |
| MIN-ATL | MIN | conference record | ||
| MIN-SF | SF | head-to-head | ||
| TB-ARI | 12-5 | TB beats NYJ | ARI | conference record |
| TB-ARI | TB loses to NYJ | TB | common opponents | |
| TB-LAR | LAR | head-to-head | ||
| NO-SF | 9-8 | SF beats HOU | NO | conference record |
| NO-SF |
|
NO | common opponents | |
| NO-SF | 8-9 | NO loses to ATL | ? | strength of victory |
| ATL-SF | SF | head-to-head |
3-way ties
| If these teams tie | at | with these things happening | tie goes to | based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL-GB-TB | DAL | conference record | ||
| DAL-GB-ARI | 12-5 | DAL | conference record | |
| DAL-GB-LAR | DAL | conference record | ||
| DAL-TB-ARI | 12-5 | TB beats NYJ | ARI |
|
| DAL-TB-ARI | TB loses to NYJ | TB |
|
|
| DAL-TB-LAR | DAL | conference record | ||
| PHI-MIN-NO | ? | strength of victory | ||
| PHI-MIN-ATL | PHI beats DAL | PHI or MIN |
|
|
| PHI-MIN-ATL | PHI loses to DAL | MIN |
|
|
| PHI-MIN-SF | SF | head-to-head | ||
| PHI-NO-SF | 9-8 | SF beats HOU | SF |
|
| PHI-NO-SF |
|
NO |
|
|
| PHI-NO-SF | 8-9 | NO loses to ATL | NO or SF |
|
| PHI-ATL-SF | SF | head-to-head | ||
| WAS-MIN-NO | 8-9 | WAS | conference record | |
| WAS-MIN-ATL | 8-9 | WAS | conference record | |
| WAS-MIN-SF | 8-9 | WAS | conference record | |
| WAS-NO-SF | 8-9 | WAS | conference record | |
| WAS-ATL-SF | 8-9 | WAS |
|
|
| GB-TB-ARI | 12-5 | TB beats NYJ | GB |
|
| GB-TB-ARI | 12-5 | TB loses to NYJ | ? | strength of victory |
| GB-TB-LAR | 12-5 |
|
GB |
|
| GB-TB-LAR | 12-5 |
|
? | strength of victory |
| GB-TB-LAR | 12-5 | LAR loses to BAL | LAR | conference record |
| MIN-NO-SF | 9-8 |
|
MIN |
|
| MIN-NO-SF | 9-8 |
|
MIN or NO |
|
| MIN-NO-SF | SF loses to HOU | ? | strength of victory | |
| MIN-ATL-SF | SF | head-to-head |
4-way ties
| If these teams tie | at | with these things happening | tie goes to | based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL-GB-TB-ARI | 12-5 | DAL | conference record | |
| DAL-GB-TB-LAR | DAL | conference record | ||
| PHI-MIN-NO-SF | 9-8 | SF beats HOU | PHI, MIN, or NO |
|
| PHI-MIN-NO-SF | SF loses to HOU | ? | strength of victory | |
| PHI-MIN-ATL-SF | SF | head-to-head | ||
| WAS-MIN-NO-SF | 8-9 | WAS | conference record | |
| WAS-MIN-ATL-SF | 8-9 | WAS | conference record |
