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 JAX and IND wind up with the same record at the end of the season is if IND beats JAX Week 17.)
- Tiebreakers that don’t affect playoff berths or seeding are not shown.
- If tie for the last wild card team is at 9 wins, either IND or HOU must be included in the tiebreaker.
- Division ties are broken first. If HOU, IND, and KC all finish 9-8, break the AFC South tie between HOU and IND first, then break the tie between the HOU-IND winner and KC.
- 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.
- NYJ, MIA, CLE, CIN, TEN, LV, and KC have been eliminated.
- DEN has clinched a playoff berth.
The complete tiebreaker rules are here.
Jump to East | North | South | West | Interdivisional ties 2-way • 3-way • 4-way
AFC East
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| NE-BUF |
13-4 |
- BUF beats NYJ and
- NE beats NYJ, MIA
|
NE |
division record |
| NE-BUF |
|
- BUF beats NYJ, PHI and
- NE beats exactly 1 of NYJ, MIA
|
BUF |
conference record |
| NE-BUF |
12-5 |
- BUF beats NYJ; loses to PHI and
- NE beats exactly 1 of NYJ, MIA
|
BUF |
common opponents |
| NE-BUF |
|
- BUF beats NYJ and
- NE loses to NYJ, MIA
|
BUF |
division record |
| NE-BUF |
12-5 |
- BUF loses to NYJ and
- NE beats exactly 1 of NYJ, MIA
|
NE |
division record |
| NE-BUF |
|
- BUF beats PHI; loses to NYJ and
- NE loses to NYJ, MIA
|
BUF |
conference record |
| NE-BUF |
11-6 |
- BUF loses to NYJ, PHI and
- NE loses to NYJ, MIA
|
BUF |
common opponents |
AFC North
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| PIT-BAL |
9-8 |
PIT beats BAL |
PIT |
head-to-head |
| PIT-BAL |
|
- BAL beats PIT and
- PIT beats CLE
|
BAL |
common opponents |
| PIT-BAL |
|
- BAL beats PIT and
- PIT loses to CLE
|
BAL |
division record |
AFC South
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| JAX-IND |
11-6 |
JAX beats TEN |
? |
strength of victory |
| JAX-IND |
|
- IND beats HOU and
- JAX loses to TEN
|
IND |
division record |
| JAX-IND |
10-7 |
|
? |
strength of victory |
| JAX-HOU |
12-5 |
|
HOU |
conference record |
| JAX-HOU |
|
- JAX beats exactly 1 of IND, TEN and
- HOU beats TEN
|
HOU |
division record |
| JAX-HOU |
11-6 |
- JAX beats exactly 1 of IND, TEN and
- HOU loses to TEN
|
HOU |
conference record |
| JAX-HOU |
|
JAX loses to IND, TEN |
HOU |
division record |
| IND-HOU |
11-6 |
IND beats HOU, JAX. SF |
HOU |
conference record |
| IND-HOU |
10-7 |
IND beats HOU, JAX; loses to SF |
? |
strength of victory |
| IND-HOU |
|
IND beats HOU; loses to JAX |
HOU |
division record |
| IND-HOU |
10-7 |
HOU beats IND |
HOU |
head-to-head |
| JAX-IND-HOU |
11-6 |
JAX beats TEN |
HOU |
conference record |
| JAX-IND-HOU |
11-6 |
- IND beats JAX, HOU, SF and
- JAX loses to TEN
|
HOU |
- JAX eliminated on division record
- conference record
|
| JAX-IND-HOU |
10-7 |
IND beats JAX, HOU; loses to SF |
IND or HOU |
- JAX eliminated on division record
- strength of victory
|
| JAX-IND-HOU |
10-7 |
HOU beats IND |
HOU |
head-to-head |
AFC West
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| DEN-LAC |
|
|
LAC |
head-to-head |
Interdivisional ties
2-way ties
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| NE-PIT |
11-6 |
|
PIT |
head-to-head |
| NE-IND |
11-6 |
|
IND |
conference record |
| NE-JAX |
|
|
JAX |
conference record |
| NE-HOU |
|
|
HOU |
conference record |
| NE-DEN |
|
|
DEN |
common opponents |
| NE-LAC |
|
|
LAC |
conference record |
| BUF-PIT |
10-7 |
|
BUF |
head-to-head |
| BUF-IND |
11-6 |
BUF beats PHI |
IND |
conference record |
| BUF-IND |
|
- BUF loses to PHI and
- IND beats SF, HOU
|
? |
strength of victory |
| BUF-IND |
10-7 |
- BUF loses to PHI and
- IND beats SF; loses to HOU
|
BUF |
common opponents |
| BUF-IND |
10-7 |
IND loses to SF |
IND |
conference record |
| BUF-JAX |
|
BUF beats PHI |
JAX |
conference record |
| BUF-JAX |
|
BUF loses to PHI; beats NYJ |
BUF |
common opponents |
| BUF-JAX |
|
BUF loses to PHI, NYJ |
? |
strength of victory |
| BUF-HOU |
|
|
HOU |
head-to-head |
| BUF-DEN |
|
|
BUF |
conference record |
| BUF-LAC |
|
BUF beats PHI |
LAC |
conference record |
| BUF-LAC |
|
- BUF loses to PHI and
- LAC beats DAL
|
LAC |
common opponents |
| BUF-LAC |
|
LAC loses to DAL |
LAC |
conference record |
| MIA-HOU |
9-8 |
|
HOU |
conference record |
| BAL-IND |
10-7 |
IND beats SF |
BAL |
conference record |
| BAL-IND |
10-7 |
IND loses to SF |
? |
strength of victory |
| BAL-JAX |
10-7 |
|
JAX |
common opponents |
| BAL-HOU |
|
|
HOU |
head-to-head |
| PIT-IND |
|
|
PIT |
head-to-head |
| PIT-JAX |
|
|
PIT |
conference record |
| PIT-HOU |
|
- PIT beats DET and
- HOU beats at least 1 of LAC, IND
|
HOU |
common opponents |
| PIT-HOU |
|
- PIT beats DET, BAL and
- HOU loses to LAC, IND
|
? |
strength of victory |
| PIT-HOU |
|
PIT beats DET; loses to BAL |
HOU |
common opponents |
| PIT-HOU |
|
PIT loses to DET |
PIT |
conference record |
| PIT-LAC |
10-7 |
|
LAC |
head-to-head |
| IND-LAC |
|
|
IND |
head-to-head |
| JAX-DEN |
|
|
JAX |
head-to-head |
| JAX-LAC |
|
|
JAX |
head-to-head |
| HOU-DEN |
12-5 |
|
DEN |
head-to-head |
| HOU-LAC |
|
HOU beats LAC |
HOU |
head-to-head |
| HOU-LAC |
11-6 |
LAC beats HOU |
LAC |
head-to-head |
| HOU-KC |
9-8 |
|
HOU |
head-to-head |
3-way ties
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| NE-PIT-JAX |
11-6 |
|
PIT |
conference record |
| NE-PIT-IND |
11-6 |
|
PIT |
head-to-head |
| NE-PIT-HOU |
11-6 |
|
HOU |
common opponents |
| NE-JAX-DEN |
|
|
JAX |
conference record |
| NE-JAX-LAC |
|
LAC beats DAL |
JAX |
- NE eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| NE-JAX-LAC |
|
LAC loses to DAL |
LAC |
conference record |
| NE-IND-LAC |
11-6 |
- IND beats SF and
- LAC beats DAL
|
IND |
- NE eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| NE-IND-LAC |
11-6 |
- IND beats SF and
- LAC loses to DAL
|
LAC |
conference record |
| NE-HOU-DEN |
12-5 |
|
HOU |
conference record |
| BUF-PIT-JAX |
|
|
PIT |
conference record |
| BUF-PIT-IND |
|
IND beats SF |
PIT |
conference record |
| BUF-PIT-IND |
10-7 |
IND loses to SF |
PIT |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| BUF-PIT-HOU |
|
HOU beats at least 1 of LAC, IND |
HOU |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- common opponents
|
| BUF-PIT-HOU |
|
- PIT beats BAL and
- HOU loses to LAC, IND
|
PIT or HOU |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- strength of victory
|
| BUF-PIT-HOU |
10-7 |
|
HOU |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- common opponents
|
| BUF-PIT-LAC |
10-7 |
|
LAC |
- PIT eliminated on head-to-head
- conference record
|
| BUF-JAX-DEN |
|
BUF beats PHI |
JAX |
conference record |
| BUF-JAX-DEN |
12-5 |
BUF loses to PHI |
BUF |
- DEN eliminated on conference record
- common opponents
|
| BUF-JAX-LAC |
|
- BUF beats PHI and
- LAC beats DAL
|
JAX |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| BUF-JAX-LAC |
|
- BUF loses to PHI and
- LAC beats DAL
|
? |
strength of victory |
| BUF-JAX-LAC |
|
LAC loses to DAL |
LAC |
conference record |
| BUF-IND-LAC |
11-6 |
- BUF beats PHI and
- IND beats SF and
- LAC beats DAL
|
IND |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| BUF-IND-LAC |
11-6 |
- BUF loses to PHI and
- IND beats SF and
- LAC beats DAL
|
LAC |
- IND eliminated on common opponents
- common opponents
|
| BUF-IND-LAC |
|
- IND beats SF and
- LAC loses to DAL
|
LAC |
conference record |
| BUF-IND-LAC |
|
IND loses to SF |
IND |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| BUF-HOU-DEN |
12-5 |
|
HOU |
conference record |
| BUF-HOU-LAC |
|
HOU beats LAC |
HOU |
head-to-head |
| BUF-HOU-LAC |
11-6 |
LAC beats HOU |
LAC |
- BUF eliminated on conference record; head-to-head
|
| MIA-PIT-HOU |
9-8 |
PIT beats DET |
HOU |
- MIA eliminated on conference record
- common opponents
|
| MIA-PIT-HOU |
9-8 |
PIT loses to DET |
PIT |
conference record |
| MIA-BAL-HOU |
9-8 |
BAL beats GB |
HOU |
conference record |
| MIA-BAL-HOU |
9-8 |
BAL loses to GB |
HOU |
- MIA eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| MIA-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
|
HOU |
conference record |
| PIT-JAX-LAC |
10-7 |
|
LAC |
- JAX eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| PIT-IND-LAC |
10-7 |
IND beats SF |
LAC |
- IND eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| PIT-IND-LAC |
10-7 |
IND loses to SF |
? |
strength of victory |
| PIT-HOU-LAC |
10-7 |
|
? |
strength of victory |
| PIT-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
PIT beats DET |
HOU |
- KC eliminated on conference record
- common opponents
|
| PIT-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
PIT loses to DET |
PIT |
conference record |
| BAL-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
|
HOU |
head-to-head |
4-way ties
| If these teams tie |
at |
with these things happening |
tie goes to |
based on |
| BUF-PIT-JAX-LAC |
10-7 |
|
LAC |
- BUF & JAX eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| BUF-PIT-IND-LAC |
10-7 |
IND beats SF |
LAC |
- BUF & IND eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
| BUF-PIT-IND-LAC |
10-7 |
IND loses to SF |
PIT, IND, or LAC |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- strength of victory
|
| BUF-PIT-HOU-LAC |
10-7 |
|
PIT, LAC, or HOU |
- BUF eliminated on conference record
- strength of victory
|
| MIA-PIT-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
PIT beats DET |
HOU |
- MIA & KC eliminated on conference record; common opponents
|
| MIA-PIT-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
PIT loses to DET |
PIT |
conference record |
| MIA-BAL-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
BAL beats GB |
HOU |
conference record |
| MIA-BAL-HOU-KC |
9-8 |
BAL loses to GB |
HOU |
- MIA & KC eliminated on conference record
- head-to-head
|
