Standings

[Steve2222]

Records don't tell the whole story due to unbalanced scheduling. The 9-7 Divisional winner could very well be better than the 11-5 Wild Card opponent.

The 9-7 team could be in a tough division (they all beat up on each other). And the 11-5 team had the luck of the draw and didn't play very many winning teams throughout the year.

Yeah this. In the end it all balances out and I think the system is just fine. The Super Bowl Champion 9/10 was the best team in the league that year. There’s always those exceptions like the 2005 Steelers.

 

[jammerhawk]

So the way it works if you don't win your division you could be actually playing on the road with a better record than the home team. Winning your division is a big deal.