Every Time an NFL Division Had Three Playoff Teams

It’s not often that a late-November matchup is relevant for the Jets and the Patriots who are barely in the playoff picture, but here we are. Then again, it seems that if you’re a team on the east coast as of Week 11 anything is possible.

Both division rivals head into their Sunday matchup firmly in the playoff picture. Strangely enough, the whole AFC East would make the 2022 postseason if the regular season ended today. The unprecedented inclusion of an entire division is only possible thanks in large part because of the NFL’s addition of a No. 7 seed in the playoffs back in 2020.

The change gave just the No. 1 seed a bye week and added a wild-card team to each conference, making it a 14-team playoff. Its conference counterpart is also weirdly on the same path. The Commanders (5–5) are currently edged out by the 49ers for the No. 7 spot in the NFC while the rest of Washington’s division is firmly in the postseason picture.

Since the change to four divisions per conference in the 2002 season, three teams making the postseason from the same division has happened nine times. Only once before have two divisions had three playoff teams in the same year and never in the NFL’s history has an entire division advanced to the playoffs.

Here is every time a division has had three teams make the playoffs:

2006 NFC East: Eagles (10–6), Cowboys (9–7), Giants (8–8)
2007 NFC East: Cowboys (13–3), Giants (10–6), Washington (9–7)
2007 AFC South: Colts (13–3), Jaguars (11–5), Titans (10–6)
2011 AFC North: Ravens (12–4), Steelers (12–4), Bengals (9–7)
2013 AFC West: Broncos (13–3), Chiefs (11–5), Chargers (9–7)
2014 AFC North: Steelers (11–5), Bengals (10-5-1), Ravens (10–6)
2017 NFC South: Saints (11–5), Panthers (11–5), Falcons (10–6)
2020 AFC North: Steelers (12–4), Ravens (11–5), Browns (11–5)
2021 NFC West: Rams (12–5), Cardinals (11–6), 49ers (10–7)

If the Patriots were to beat the Jets Sunday, all AFC East teams would still be in the playoff picture. Only in the event of a New York win do things get dicey, leaving an opening for the Chargers and Bengals to sneak in. Here’s how the AFC and NFL East stack up going into Week 11:

2022 AFC East: Dolphins (7–3), Jets (6–3), Bills (6–3), Patriots (5–4)
2022 NFC East: Eagles (8–1), Giants (7–2), Cowboys (6–3), Commanders (5–5)

The Jets-Patriots game is the only AFC or NFC East matchup in Week 11, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

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