http://www.nfl.com/standingsOk simple on the bottom of this it sais that "y" means "Clinched Wild Card" and there are 3 teams in the NFC that have that icon next to them. It is why i ask.
Also in division the Dolphins have a better record than the Ravens, yet over all the ravens are up by one game. Im just trying to understand the whole wild card thing.
"The wildcards are the two teams from each conference (4 teams across the NFL) that didnt finish first in their divsion, but still get to go to the playoffs. Usually, but not always, they are the 5th and 6th best teams of the conference (though even if one of the teams is 4th best in the conference, they are still given the #5 seed). These teams are given huge disadvantages by having to play in extra rounds and given no home playoff games (unless the two wildcards face each other in the round that decides who gets to go to the superbowl, something that has still yet to happen.) The wildcards are given the 5 and 6 seeds, even if the 4 seed, which is always a team which won their divison, had a worse record. No 5 seed has ever won a superbowl, and only 1 team has ever been to the Superbowl (1985 New England Patriots). Until the 2006 playoffs, for the 2005 season, no 6 seed had ever beaten a 1 seed. Also no 6 seed has ever been to a superbowl though this may change in 4 days, as in that amount of time, a 6 seed will play a game for the right to go to the superbowl; the same team that is the first 6 seed to beat a 1 seed (2005 Pittsburgh Steelers). Before the 2002 realigment, there were fewer divsions, only 3 in each conference (for a total of 6 across the NFL) (instead of the 4 now, for a total of 8 across the NFL). At that time the 4 seed WAS a wildcard. Wildcard teams have won the superbowl, but all of them were 4 seeds, when that seeding was still a wildcard, which is no longer the case. "
