2011–12 NFL playoffs
The 2011–12 NFL playoffs following the 2011 regular season will begin on January 7, 2012, and end with Super Bowl XLVI on February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
NBC will broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games and Super Bowl XLVI. CBS will air the rest of the AFC playoff games and Fox the rest of the NFC games.
This will be the second postseason that the modified playoff overtime rules will be in effect. None of the games during the previous postseason ended up going into the extra session. Under these rules, instead of a straight sudden death, the game will not immediately end if the team that wins the coin toss scores a field goal on its first possession (the game will end if a touchdown is scored). Instead, the other team will get a possession. If the coin toss loser scores a touchdown on that possession, it will declared the winner. If the coin toss winner does not score on its first possession, or if both teams scored field goals on their first possession, the game will revert to sudden death.[1]
The Houston Texans and Detroit Lions broke two of the three longest active playoff droughts in the NFL heading into the 2011–12 playoffs, each clinching a playoff spot for the first time in at least a decade. It will be the first playoff appearance in the Texans' history, and the first for the Lions since 1999. The Buffalo Bills, who have been eliminated from playoff contention for the twelfth straight year, will be the only team yet to make the playoffs in the 21st Century.
Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are Eastern Standard Time (UTC-05)
Participants
Bracket
- Source: NFL Wild Card & Divisional Playoff Schedule Announced
- Re-seeding: The NFL Playoffs are re-seeded after the first round. The outcome of the games between the sixth and third seeds in each conference determine where the Wild Card winners will play in the next round. When a third seed wins, they next travel to the second seed. When the sixth seed wins, they travel to the first seed. The winner between the fifth and fourth seeds will play the remaining second round host team in that conference.
- Conference Championship Home Field goes to the lower-numbered seed remaining.
Wild Card playoffs
January 7
January 8
Divisional playoffs
January 14
| TBD (Higher seeded NFC Wild Card round winner) vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary |
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at Candlestick Park
- Date: January 14
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. PST
- TV announcers (Fox): TBA
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| TBD (Lower seeded AFC Wild Card round winner) vs. New England Patriots – Game summary |
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at Gillette Stadium
- Date: January 14
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- TV announcers (CBS): TBA
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January 15
| TBD (Higher seeded AFC Wild Card round winner) vs. Baltimore Ravens – Game summary |
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at M&T Bank Stadium
- Date: January 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- TV announcers (CBS): TBA
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| TBD (Lower seeded NFC Wild Card round winner) vs. Green Bay Packers – Game summary |
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at Lambeau Field
- Date: January 15
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/ 3:30 p.m. CST
- TV announcers (Fox): TBA
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Conference championships
As per an annual rotation used by the NFL since 1997, the AFC Championship Game will be the first game played on January 22 at 3:00 p.m. EST, followed by the NFC Championship Game at 6:30 p.m. EST.
| AFC Championship Game – Game summary |
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| Lower remaining AFC seed |
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| Higher remaining AFC seed |
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| NFC Championship Game – Game summary |
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| Lower remaining NFC seed |
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| Higher remaining NFC seed |
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Super Bowl XLVI
References
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Conference Tiebreakers
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NFL Playoff Tournament System
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