NFL Playoff Scenarios 2013: Predicting Which Teams Will Clinch First-Round Byes

December 25, 2012   ·   Rick Weiner   ·   Jump to comments

Snagging a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs is both a blessing and a curse.
While it affords teams an extra week to prepare, gives players an additional week to rest and heal and ensures home-field advantage, securing a first-round bye isn't always all it's cracked up to be.
We only need look at last year's playoffs for proof. 
Green Bay, the NFC's top overall seed, lost its conference semifinal game to the New York Giants. Of the four teams to receive first-round byes, only one (the New England Patriots) advanced to the Super Bowl—and the Pats lost that game.
Even so, landing that elusive bye is something that teams strive for in the NFL on a yearly basis, and this season is no different.
Of the four byes handed out each season, only three remain available, as the Atlanta Falcons have already clinched the top overall seed in the NFC.
With six teams trying to squeeze into three spots, you can guarantee that those teams in contention will be l...

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