# Have both wild cards ever come out of the same division in the NFL? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 22, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720 "2011-11-22T05:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/1 "2011-11-22T05:00:49Z")
Just curious. Seems alot of stories talk about how my Bears had damn near a lock on getting into the playoffs this year. Assuming Detroit also made it that would make 3 NFC North teams in the playoffs. I’m assuming GB doesn’t implode and blow it too. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/2 "2011-11-22T05:46:30Z")
Yes, it’s happened. In 2007, it happened in both conferences. The Cowboys won the NFC East, while the Giants and Redskins were the two NFC wild card teams. In the AFC, the Colts won the AFC South, while the Jaguars and Titans were the wild cards. I’m fairly certain it’s happened in other seasons, too, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/3 "2011-11-22T06:15:21Z")
It’s common. I too am too lazy to research it, but I suspect that it’s been a reasonably frequent occurrence since realignment. Prior to realignment it was even more common. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/4 "2011-11-22T11:48:40Z")
There’s a decent shot of it happening in the AFC North this season. ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/5 "2011-11-22T12:13:49Z")
Under the old alignment (3 divisions, 3 wild cards) there was a year when 4 teams in the NFC North made the playoffs. 1994, I think. Minnesota won the division and Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago all got wild cards. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/6 "2011-11-22T14:35:23Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > There’s a decent shot of it happening in the AFC North this season. In fact, I’m trying hard to come up with scenarios where the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals _don’t_ all get in. They all look to be 11-5 or 12-4 at season’s end. Everyone else already has 5 losses with 6 weeks to go. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/7 "2011-11-22T14:54:25Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > In fact, I’m trying hard to come up with scenarios where the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals _don’t_ all get in. The Bengals are 6-4, and will soon face teams who are currently 7-3 and 7-3 and 7-3. My beloved Jets are 5-5, just like the Titans and the Broncos and the Bills; all of 'em face fewer winning-record teams for the rest of the season. It shouldn’t be _ **too** _ hard to come up with a scenario. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/8 "2011-11-22T14:59:03Z")
I seem to recall that in New England’s very first Superbowl season (1984) they had to play both the Jets and Dolphins in the playoffs. Of course that was before realignment, but I could swear the AFC East has had it happen since then also. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/9 "2011-11-22T15:05:57Z")
> [@UncleNito](#): > > Under the old alignment (3 divisions, 3 wild cards) there was a year when 4 teams in the NFC North made the playoffs. 1994, I think. Minnesota won the division and Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago all got wild cards. Good memory (though it was the NFC Central back then). The Vikings were 10-6, and everyone else was 9-7. Not only did four NFC Central teams make the playoffs, but they all played each other in the first round of the playoffs. > **[1994 NFL Standings & Team Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1994/)** > > Check out the 1994 NFL Standings & Team Stats including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/10 "2011-11-22T15:07:28Z")
Next year it will be the NFC West! Wow, this coffee is strong. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/11 "2011-11-23T22:20:51Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yes, it’s happened. > > In 2007, it happened in both conferences. The Cowboys won the NFC East, while the Giants and Redskins were the two NFC wild card teams. In the AFC, the Colts won the AFC South, while the Jaguars and Titans were the wild cards. I’m fairly certain it’s happened in other seasons, too, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now. 🙂 It happened twice in a row for the NFC East- the Iggles won the division in 2006, and the Cowboys and Giants were the wild cards. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-both-wild-cards-ever-come-out-of-the-same-division-in-the-nfl/603720/12 "2011-11-23T22:57:20Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Not only did four NFC Central teams make the playoffs, but they all played each other in the first round of the playoffs. They should really bring back that four teams to a game rule.