The 2016 season
The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl after the 2016 season, beating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime at NRG Stadium.
They went 14-2 in the regular season and won the AFC East. The conference championships: the Atlanta Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers 44-21; the New England Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17.
The New England Patriots had the best record at 14-2 and won the Super Bowl; the Cleveland Browns finished bottom at 1-15.
The Atlanta Falcons scored the most points (540) and the New England Patriots conceded the fewest (250). The longest winning run: the Dallas Cowboys, 11 in a row (weeks 2-13).
The biggest upset: the Los Angeles Rams, 10-point underdogs, beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-13 in week 4, one of 9 wins by teams getting 7 or more points. The widest margin: the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets 41-3 in week 16. The most points in one game: 89, when the New Orleans Saints beat the Arizona Cardinals 48-41 in week 15.
57% of games were decided by one score (8 points or fewer). 13 games went to overtime and 2 ties ended level.
Play-offs
Wild card round
Divisional round
- Green Bay Packers 34-31 Dallas Cowboys · upset, 5.5-point underdog won
- Houston Texans 16-34 New England Patriots
- Pittsburgh Steelers 18-16 Kansas City Chiefs
- Seattle Seahawks 20-36 Atlanta Falcons
Conference championships
Super Bowl
- New England Patriots 34-28 Atlanta Falcons (OT)
Final standings
AFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots · Won Super Bowl | 14 | 2 | .875 | +191 |
| Miami Dolphins · Lost wild card round | 10 | 6 | .625 | -17 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 9 | .438 | +21 |
| New York Jets | 5 | 11 | .313 | -134 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers · Lost conference championship | 11 | 5 | .688 | +72 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8 | 8 | .500 | +22 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6 | 9 | .406 | +10 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1 | 15 | .063 | -188 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans · Lost divisional round | 9 | 7 | .563 | -49 |
| Tennessee Titans | 9 | 7 | .563 | +3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 8 | .500 | +19 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3 | 13 | .188 | -82 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs · Lost divisional round | 12 | 4 | .750 | +78 |
| Oakland Raiders · Lost wild card round | 12 | 4 | .750 | +31 |
| Denver Broncos | 9 | 7 | .563 | +36 |
| San Diego Chargers | 5 | 11 | .313 | -13 |
NFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys · Lost divisional round | 13 | 3 | .813 | +115 |
| New York Giants · Lost wild card round | 11 | 5 | .688 | +26 |
| Washington Redskins | 8 | 7 | .531 | +13 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 9 | .438 | +36 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers · Lost conference championship | 10 | 6 | .625 | +44 |
| Detroit Lions · Lost wild card round | 9 | 7 | .563 | -12 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 8 | .500 | +20 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 13 | .188 | -120 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons · Lost Super Bowl | 11 | 5 | .688 | +134 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 | 7 | .563 | -15 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | .438 | +15 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6 | 10 | .375 | -33 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks · Lost divisional round | 10 | 5 | .656 | +62 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 8 | .469 | +56 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 12 | .250 | -170 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 14 | .125 | -171 |
Regular season only. Pct counts a tie as half a win. Div, Conf, Non-Conf: records against division, conference and other-conference opponents. Strk: current run of wins (W), losses (L) or ties (T). Last 5: oldest to newest. Teams level on Pct are ordered by division record, then points difference, which can differ from the official standings. Data: nflverse.
Season in numbers
| Measure | 2016 | Average since 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 45.5 | 44.5 |
| Home win rateNeutral-site games excluded; a tie counts as half. | 58% | 56% |
| One-score gamesDecided by 8 points or fewer. | 57% | 51% |
| Favourites wonAgainst the closing line; pick’ems and ties left out. | 64% | 67% |
| Overtime games | 13 (5%) | 6% |
Regular season only. Average: every completed season since 2002 except this one. Data: nflverse.