TODAY’S SPORTSTAT: 30 is magic number for NFL playoff teams

By JERRY TAPP

The Jacksonville Jaguars have advanced to the AFC Championship Game with two very different wins: A 10-3 win over the Buffalo Bills in their Wild Card contest; and a 45-42 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Divisional Round game.

In looking at the playoff games played in the NFL since the start of the Super Bowl era (since 1966), teams have a 90% chance of winning a post-season game if they can score 30 or more points. Playoff teams are 208-24 (a .897 winning percentage) when they scored 30 or points in a playoff games since 1966.

Here’s a look at the combined records of playoff teams from 1966 through the first two rounds of the playoffs this season based on how many points they scored.

0-9 points                           3-113 .026

10-19 points                    68-231 .227

20-29 points                  217-128 .629

30-39 points                  149-21 .876

40 or more points          59-3 .952

Note: Teams that score under 20 points in a playoff game since 1966 are 71-344 (.171 winning percentage).