NFL: How Have Teams With First Round BYEs Faired

[RFlagg]

Seeing as the Falcons have a BYE these week, and combined with the fact that I was curious and bored, I decided to do a little research into how teams with first round BYEs have faired over the years in their first playoff game. To do this, I went back to 1990, when the NFL first went to a 12 team playoff format. In that time, there have been 88 teams to earn a first round BYE with and overall record in their first game of 64-24 (.727). That's a pretty good record and over a 16 game season would be equal to an 11.6-4.4 record.

However, while doing my research I noticed something strange. Early on in this format, teams with first round BYEs rarely lost. Over the first 5 years, they were a combined 18-2 and through 2004, teams with a BYE went 49-11. Since '05, however, teams coming off a BYE are a combined 15-13 in their first playoff game.

When breaking it down as AFC vs. NFC, we see another stark difference. In the current format, AFC teams coming off a BYE are 29-15, while the NFC is 35-9. Through '04, AFC teams were 22-8, NFC 27-3. Since then, AFC teams are just 7-7, NFC 8-6.

I think this paints a pretty clear picture that the first round BYE has not been as helpful in recent years and there might be something to teams getting hot and winning games.

Also, just for fun, here is every team and how many first round BYEs they have had under the current format and their record.

Patriots - 8, 6-1
Steelers - 8, 7-1
49ers - 8, 6-1
Broncos - 5, 3-1
Cowboys - 5, 4-1
Colts - 4, 1-3
Packers - 4, 3-1
Bears - 4, 2-2
Falcons - 4, 2-1
Titans/Oilers - 4, 1-3
Bills - 3, 3-0
Chargers - 3,1-2
Chiefs - 3, 0-3
Raiders - 3, 3-0
Giants - 3, 2-1
Eagles - 3, 3-0
Vikings - 3, 3-0
Rams - 3, 2-1
Ravens - 2, 1-1
Panthers - 2, 1-1
Saints - 2, 2-0
Buccaneers - 2, 2-0
Jets - 1, 1-0
Dolphins - 1, 1-0
Jaguars - 1, 1-0
Redskins - 1, 1-0
Lions - 1, 1-0
Seahawks - 1, 1-0
Browns - 0
Bengals - 0
Texans - 0
Cardinals - 0