# 2012–13 NFL playoffs
The 2012–13 [NFL playoffs](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-playoffs) were the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league)'s postseason tournament for the 2012 season, a four-round elimination bracket that ran from the Wild Card games in early January 2013 through [Super Bowl XLVII](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xlvii)[11](https://www.nfl.com/playoffs/bracket/2012). The Baltimore Ravens won the tournament, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII to claim their second Super Bowl title[1](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/02/nfl/1564771502_801922.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| AFC seeds | Denver (13-3) took the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/bengals/eus1xrs10p5menmticti.pdf) |
| NFC side | San Francisco earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye; Washington won the NFC East and the No. 4 seed with a seventh straight win over Dallas; Minnesota took the final wild card[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWkXejUCb1M) |
| AFC Divisional | New England beat Denver 45-10, setting single-game playoff franchise records for points (45) and yards (509)[4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/NE.pdf) |
| AFC Championship | Baltimore beat New England 28-13, only the second time in franchise history the Patriots had dropped a conference championship game[1](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/02/nfl/1564771502_801922.html) • [4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/NE.pdf) |
| Super Bowl XLVII | Ravens 34, 49ers 31[1](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/02/nfl/1564771502_801922.html) |
| Playoff MVP | Joe Flacco completed 73 of 126 passes for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, a 117.2 passer rating, and was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP[5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578685779/patriots/beahcaj8k6cjn6iasia5.pdf) |
## How the field was set
In the AFC, the [Denver Broncos](https://www.edgepedia.org/denver-broncos) finished 13-3 and clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as the conference's top seed[2](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/bengals/eus1xrs10p5menmticti.pdf). The No. 1 seed changed hands on the final weekend: Indianapolis's convincing home win knocked Houston out of the top spot, sending the Texans to the No. 3 seed as Denver capitalized with a win over Kansas City[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPwYb_yNXeE).
In the NFC, San Francisco earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, Seattle entered as a wild card facing Washington, and Washington won the [NFC East](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-east) and the No. 4 seed by beating Dallas for its seventh consecutive victory; Minnesota closed out the final wild card berth[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWkXejUCb1M).
## Wild Card round
The [Baltimore Ravens](https://www.edgepedia.org/baltimore-ravens) also advanced from the Wild Card round as the [No. 6](https://www.edgepedia.org/no-6) seed. Baltimore's pass rush contributed in the Divisional round that followed: [Terrell Suggs](https://www.edgepedia.org/terrell-suggs) registered both of his 2012 playoff sacks in the Divisional victory at Denver on January 12, 2013[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578518158/patriots/wdclk8kmiod51mycxf02.pdf).
## Divisional round
New England hosted Denver in the AFC Divisional round and won 45-10, setting single-game playoff franchise records for both points and yards in the process with 509 yards of offense[4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/NE.pdf). That sent the Patriots to the [AFC Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/afc-championship-game) and the Ravens to Foxboro as well, after Baltimore's win at Denver[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578518158/patriots/wdclk8kmiod51mycxf02.pdf).
## Conference championships
The Ravens ended New England's season with a 28-13 win in the AFC Championship Game, only the second conference championship loss in Patriots franchise history[1](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/02/nfl/1564771502_801922.html) • [4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/NE.pdf).
In the [NFC Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-championship-game), second-year quarterback [Colin Kaepernick](https://www.edgepedia.org/colin-kaepernick) showed what NFL.com's season retrospective called remarkable poise, making brilliant throws after the 49ers fell behind 17-0 on the road against the [Atlanta Falcons](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-falcons), and San Francisco rallied to reach the Super Bowl[8](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/xlvii-moments-and-memories-that-defined-the-2012-nfl-season-0ap1000000136332).
## Super Bowl XLVII
The Ravens met the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII and won 34-31. Safety [Ed Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-reed), a two-time Defensive Player of the Year on the Baltimore defense, contributed five tackles, one interception and one pass defended in the victory[1](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/02/nfl/1564771502_801922.html).
Flacco was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Across Baltimore's four-game playoff run he threw 11 touchdown passes without an interception and finished with a 117.2 passer rating on 73-of-126 passing for 1,140 yards; dating back to December 23 of the regular season, his final six games produced 13 touchdowns and 0 interceptions at a 113.9 rating[5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578685779/patriots/beahcaj8k6cjn6iasia5.pdf) • [9](https://as.com/us/us/2019/02/14/nfl/1550110783_166182.html). The run also gave Ravens quarterback [Joe Flacco](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-flacco) seven career road playoff wins, the record total at the time, two of them coming in the 2012 campaign alone[7](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578518158/patriots/wdclk8kmiod51mycxf02.pdf).
## Rules context
The playoff overtime rules in force during this postseason had been adopted for the 2010 season and could no longer be ended by a field goal on the first possession. In March 2012, NFL owners voted 30-2 to extend those playoff overtime rules to the regular season as well, so that beginning with the 2012 season the same modified sudden-death format governed both[10](https://www.nfl.com/news/owners-vote-to-adopt-playoff-ot-rules-in-regular-season-09000d5d827ecefd).
## References
1. [Ed Reed, Clase 2019 del Salón de la Fama, AS.com](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/02/nfl/1564771502_801922.html)
2. [Cincinnati Bengals Media Guide, 2012 NFL standings and playoff seedings](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/bengals/eus1xrs10p5menmticti.pdf)
3. [2012-2013 NFL Playoff Picture, Bracket and Schedule: NFC Edition, Secret Base/SB Nation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWkXejUCb1M)
4. [New England Patriots Historical Timeline 2012-13, NFL Media Guide](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2023/NE.pdf)
5. [New England Patriots Offensive Player Notes (Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII MVP)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578685779/patriots/beahcaj8k6cjn6iasia5.pdf)
6. [2012-2013 NFL Playoff Picture, Bracket and Schedule: AFC Edition, Secret Base/SB Nation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPwYb_yNXeE)
7. [New England Patriots Playoff History/Notes](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1578518158/patriots/wdclk8kmiod51mycxf02.pdf)
8. [XLVII moments and memories that defined the 2012 NFL season, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/xlvii-moments-and-memories-that-defined-the-2012-nfl-season-0ap1000000136332)
9. [Con Joe Flacco, los Broncos de Elway son contendientes, AS.com](https://as.com/us/us/2019/02/14/nfl/1550110783_166182.html)
10. [Owners vote to adopt playoff OT rules in regular season, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/owners-vote-to-adopt-playoff-ot-rules-in-regular-season-09000d5d827ecefd)
11. [NFL Official Playoff Bracket: AFC & NFC Matchups Unveiled, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/playoffs/bracket/2012)
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