The first overtime game that used these new rules was this postseason's Wild Card playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

None of the games during the 2010–11 NFL playoffs went into overtime. If the winner of the coin toss does not score on its first possession, or if both teams score field goals on their first possession, the game will revert to sudden death. If the loser of the coin toss scores a touchdown on that possession, it will be declared the winner. Instead, the other team will get a possession. Under these rules, instead of a straight sudden death, the game will not immediately end if the team that wins the coin toss scores a field goal on its first possession (the game will end if a touchdown is scored by the offense or if the defense scores a safety on the first possession of the overtime period). This was the second postseason that the modified playoff overtime rules were in effect. 8 Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17.7.1.2 NFC: New York Giants 20, San Francisco 49ers 17 (OT).7.1.1 AFC: New England Patriots 23, Baltimore Ravens 20.6.2.2 NFC: New York Giants 37, Green Bay Packers 20.6.2.1 AFC: Baltimore Ravens 20, Houston Texans 13.6.1.2 AFC: New England Patriots 45, Denver Broncos 10.6.1.1 NFC: San Francisco 49ers 36, New Orleans Saints 32.5.2.2 AFC: Denver Broncos 29, Pittsburgh Steelers 23 (OT).5.2.1 NFC: New York Giants 24, Atlanta Falcons 2.5.1.2 NFC: New Orleans Saints 45, Detroit Lions 28.5.1.1 AFC: Houston Texans 31, Cincinnati Bengals 10.Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are Eastern Standard Time ( UTC−05)

This team was tied with the Lions for the overall longest failure streak entering the season (the Bills had also not made the playoffs since qualifying as a wild card in 1999 where they were defeated by the Tennessee Titans).īoth the conferences’ runners-up made the Super Bowl the next year, which Baltimore won, 34–31. The Buffalo Bills, who were eliminated from playoff contention for the twelfth straight year then, were the only team that had not made the playoffs in the 21st century (and would not do so again until 2017). The Houston Texans qualified the playoffs for the first time since entering the league in 2002, and the Detroit Lions qualified for the first time since 1999. The postseason tournament concluded with the New York Giants defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, 21–17, on February 5, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The National Football League playoffs for the 2011 season began on January 7, 2012.

Nfl playoff grids