NFL: How Have Teams With First Round BYEs Faired

[babuka]

Still, even with the recent trend, teams with a bye weak reach the NFC championship game 50% of the time. Teams that don't have a harder road because they have to win two games to make the conference championship game. Maybe the advantage is not what it once was, but it is still an advantage. I personally do not buy into the "hot teams" at the end I the year. I think the recent trend involved really good teams with unusually bad starts and injuries, with a little bit of luck. Before long there will be a run of several years where only the 1 & 2 seeds make a run again and the wild cards get shut out.