INFOGRAPHIC: How to Reach the Super Bowl

It’s the biggest event in the American sporting calendar, with 100 million fans tuning in to watch the game unfold onscreen, but what exactly does it take for a team to reach the Super Bowl?

In this infographic you can see exactly how the stats stack up, and exactly what NFC and AFC teams must achieve to reach Super Bowl LI.

What is immediately noted is that the standards are set much higher in the AFC, where more regular season victories (13 to 12), more home wins (seven to six), more road successes (5.9 to 5.5) and more Conference triumphs (9.4 to 8.5) have been required to reach the Super Bowl in the last ten years.

In the three seasons between 2007 and 2009, the AFC entrants (New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts) topped their respective Division with a perfect record of six victories.

The AFC also seems the more exciting Conference, with a greater focus on offence over defence.

More points-per-game on average are scored and conceded across Super Bowl-reaching franchises, with the same being true of yards gained and allowed.

Through six matches of the current NFL season, the Patriots are the most dominant force in the AFC with six victories, alongside making more offensive yards. New England are the 11/4 favourites to win Super Bowl LI.

In the more competitive NFC, the Minnesota Vikings went 100% through their opening five matches as they chase a first Super Bowl appearance since 1976 and a first ever victory in what would be a fifth attempt, yet were finally beaten last time out by the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Vikings’ main competition is likely to arrive from the Seattle Seahawks, who have participated in the showpiece in two of the last three years and are chasing a second triumph.

Source: bwin