<P> For the 1990 season, a third wild - card team for each conference was added, expanding the playoffs to the current twelve teams . The lowest - seeded division winner was then "demoted" to the wild - card weekend . Also, the restrictions on intra-divisional games during the divisional playoffs were removed . </P> <P> The 2001 season became the first time that playoff games were played in prime time . Thus, the league no longer had the same restrictions like in 1984 as to when to schedule games in the Pacific Time Zone . </P> <P> The 1990 format continued until the 2002 expansion and reorganization into eight divisions . In this current format, as explained above, the 4 division winners and 2 wild cards are seeded 1--6, with the top 2 seeds receiving byes, and the highest seed in each round guaranteed to play the lowest seed . Also, seeds determine the home - field advantage . </P> <P> There are some limitations that exist in the current 12 - team playoff system . Since being a division winner is a guaranteed playoff berth, there have been many cases in which a team that wins a "weak" division either barely has a winning record or has a . 500 or losing record altogether (such as the 2010 Seattle Seahawks). At the same time, since a division winner is seeded higher than the wild cards, non-division winners may end up playing a road game during Wild Card Weekend against a team with an inferior record, or may end up outright missing the playoffs . And going on the road during the first postseason round does not guarantee success: the first time that all four road teams won during Wild Card Weekend occurred during the 2015--16 season . </P>

How many wild card teams make the nfl playoffs