Can I Upgrade To Windows 11 For Free

If your existing Windows 10 PC is running Windows 10 20H1 or later and meets the minimum hardware specificationsit will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalized, but for most devices already in use today, we expect it to be ready sometime in early 2022. Not all Windows 10 PCs that are eligible to upgrade will be offered to upgrade at the same time. To see if your PC is eligible to upgrade, refer to our knowledge base for a list of tested systems. Once the upgrade rollout has started, you can check if it is ready for your device by going to Settings/Windows Updates. Similar to how end users are notified when updates are available in Windows 10, end users will see an indication in the notification areas of the taskbar in the bottom right, that the upgrade is available.

More information on how that is presented will be available at a later date. Additional desktop notification options may be also be added at a later date. He also acknowledged the expansion of Microsoft Store to include more "traditional" desktop applications. Cunningham concluded that "as I've dug into and learned its ins and outs for this review, I've warmed to it more", but argued that the OS was facing similar "public perception" issues to Windows Vista and Windows 8. If you are having a brand new laptop or PC, then your system must be compatible with Windows 11 or even might come with it preinstalled.

But issues may arise with the older versions of PCs, as its hardware might not match with the requirements of Windows 11. If your PC has a 7th gen or previous Intel CPU, then it is unsupported by the latest upgrade. Still, you can migrate to Windows 11, but the way is a little more complicated as you will need to download install files, then perform a clean install and then restore the program and data files. If your existing Windows 10 PC is running the most current version of Windows 10 and meets the minimum hardware specifications it will be able to upgrade to Windows 11.

Not all Windows 10 PCs that are eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 will be offered to upgrade at the same time. Original equipment manufacturers can still ship computers without a TPM 2.0 coprocessor upon Microsoft's approval. Some third-party software may refuse to run on unsupported configurations of Windows 11. Citing security considerations, the system requirements for Windows 11 were increased over Windows 10.

While the OS can be installed on unsupported processors, Microsoft does not guarantee the availability of updates. Windows 11 also drops support for 32-bit x86 CPUs and devices which use BIOS firmware. The new OS is the next generation of Windows which the consumers were waiting for.

If you are interested in downloading it right now, you need to have an idea for an Insider Preview on your desktop. It is basically for testing purposes and may have bugs and errors. The minimum requirements needed for downloading the Insider preview can be checked on Microsoft's official website.

It's not imperative that you upgrade your system to Windows in the next couple of weeks, or even months. For many people, that's about the time to upgrade to a newer device, one that will come with Windows 11 already installed. Internet Explorer has been replaced by the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge as the default web browser, and Microsoft Teams is integrated into the Windows shell. Microsoft also announced plans to allow more flexibility in software that can be distributed via Microsoft Store, and to support Android apps on Windows 11 .

As part of the minimum system requirements, Windows 11 only runs on devices with a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 security coprocessor. According to Microsoft, the TPM 2.0 coprocessor is a "critical building block" for protection against firmware and hardware attacks. In addition, Microsoft now requires devices with Windows 11 to include virtualization-based security , hypervisor-protected code integrity , and Secure Boot built-in and enabled by default. The operating system also features hardware-enforced stack protection for supported Intel and AMD processors for protection against zero-day exploits. A redesigned user interface is present frequently throughout the operating system, building upon Fluent Design System; translucency, shadows, a new color palette, and rounded geometry are prevalent throughout the UI. Windows 11 is a free upgrade, but the minimum system requirements are quite a bit higher than ever before.

Microsoft calls Windows 11 the most secure Windows yet, and that tag comes at the cost of backward compatibility. Trusted Platform Module 2.0, aka TPM 2.0, is one of those requirements. There are ways to manually install Windows 11 on incompatible systems, but those include giving up on official future updates via Windows Update and/or modifying the Windows 11 ISO file to remove security checks. Although Windows 11 is a free upgrade for existing devices running Windows 10, the hardware needs to meet the minimum requirements to continue with the installation process. In a nutshell, you need an Intel's 8th Gen or newer, AMD Zen 2 or newer, or Qualcomm 7 and 8 Series processor.

This is in addition to the requirements of TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot and a minimum of 64GB of storage. At least 16GB of RAM The basic system requirements of Windows 11 differ significantly from Windows 10. Windows 11 only supports 64-bit systems such as those using an x86-64 or ARM64 processor; IA-32 processors are no longer supported. Thus, Windows 11 is the first ever consumer version of Windows not to support 32-bit processors and 16-bit software . The minimum RAM and storage requirements were also increased; Windows 11 now requires at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

S mode is only supported for the Home edition of Windows 11. The compatibility list includes the Intel Core i7-7820HQ, a seventh-generation processor used by the Surface Studio 2, although only on devices that shipped with DCH-based drivers. In October 2019, Microsoft announced "Windows 10X", a future edition of Windows 10 designed exclusively for dual-touchscreen devices such as the then-upcoming Surface Neo. Legacy Windows applications would also be required to run in "containers" to ensure performance and power optimization. Microsoft stated that it planned to release Windows 10X devices by the end of 2020. For both types of upgrades, head to Microsoft's Windows 11 download page.

To perform an in-place upgrade, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. For a clean install, you must create a bootable USB drive or DVD disc. Windows users should first try the Media Creation Tool for this process, since it does all the work for you. Mac and Linux users will have to flash or burn the ISO file for Windows 11 to a drive or disc, respectively. You can check out our guide on how to upgrade to Windows 11 for more details on each of these methods.

While not wanting to undermine that message, Microsoft also knows that it has users who will still want to try Windows 11 on older hardware—not least IT administrators with an office full of aging machines. With that in mind, the company told The Verge that users can install Windows 11 on unsupported devices if they want to, although this won't be mentioned in any official way. What's more, Microsoft is being non-committal about how many updates they will provide for Windows 11 on older PCs. Microsoft makes you accept that the company can stop providing updates, and security patches to Windows 11 on these devices. While Microsoft is unlikely to do that in practice, it's still better to be on the safer side.

Also, you're likely to run into driver incompatibility issues on unsupported devices. Especially, if your computer is running hardware that is more than 5-6 years old. All HUAWEI PCs with Windows 10 currently being sold on HUAWEI Consumer BG website will be able to upgrade to Windows 11.

For the PC to be able to upgrade to Windows 11, it must meet the minimum hardware specifications and specific hardware is required for some features. The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalized but is scheduled to begin late in 2021 and continue into 2022. If you're using Windows 10, installing Windows 11 will feel just like installing a Windows 10 feature update. Microsoft has said exactly that, which means the upgrade process should be pretty easy.

It's also been confirmed that Windows 11 will be a free update for Windows 10 users, as long as their PC is compatible. The free upgrade will start rolling out this holiday and it has no set end date yet, so you should be able to upgrade whenever you feel ready. You can refer to our knowledge base for a list of tested systems to determine if your device eligible to upgrade to Windows -11. Many PCs that are less than four years old will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. They must be running 20H1 or later version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware requirements to receive the Windows 11 upgrade. All Dell PCs with Windows 10 currently being sold on dell.com will be able to upgrade to Windows 11.

Microsoft continues to test new features and improvements after Windows 11 was released. It only tests the latest version of Windows with members who participate in the Windows Insider Program in the Dev, Beta and Release Preview channels. The Beta and Release Preview channels offer admins and users a sneak peek at the end of the month of non-security updates that will arrive in the Patch Tuesday update, which falls on the second Tuesday of every month. Microsoft has a series of Windows versions that are rolled out to provide the best services for its users. The company has declared to release the New Windows 11 later this year by delivering a free update for Windows 10 users.

And if the users want to try the service, it is available on Windows Insiders. These are the basic requirements with some additional details available on most PCs. After your installation percentage has reached 100% and completed its processes, you're done! You will be presented with a new login screen to access your desktop. If you were upgrading from Windows 10, all of your files, programs, and desktop icons should be intact.

If you notice anything is missing, you should find it safe on the backup you created at the beginning. The Start menu is now centered and the Taskbar has a new frosted glass aesthetic for a fresh, modern look. If you followed the steps above, you might have been noticed that you can upgrade to Windows 11 If so, simply click Download and Install on the pretty banner at the top of the Update window. This process can take several hours depending on your internet connection and PC. When it's done, your system will prompt you to reboot the PC to continue with the installation process.

If you're running on a laptop, be sure to plug in your AC adapter now. Once the installation is complete, you should find all of your files and applications in the same place you left them before the update. Some may sport a new look (those rounded edges on apps and folders look nice, don't they?) but everything should function as you remember. The Windows 11 requirements are harsh, but sneaking around them carries risks.It is possible to install Windows 11 without a supported CPU. This is apparently Microsoft's recommended method for switching to the new OS, though if that's true they're taking their sweet time in offering it to everybody.

Windows 11 SE was announced on November 9, 2021, as an edition exclusively for low-end devices sold in the education market, and a successor to Windows 10 S. It is bundled with applications such as Microsoft Office for Microsoft 365, Minecraft Education Edition, and Flipgrid, while OneDrive is used to save files by default. Windows 11 SE does not include Microsoft Store; third-party software is provisioned or installed by administrators.

Windows 11, the first major Windows release since 2015, builds upon its predecessor by revamping the user interface to follow Microsoft's new Fluent Design guidelines. The redesign, which focuses on ease of use and flexibility, comes alongside new productivity and social features and updates to security and accessibility, addressing some of the deficiencies of Windows 10. There are many users who, after the release of Windows 11, went ahead and checked whether their PC is eligible to be upgraded with Windows 11. Sadly, they found out that their PC does not meet the minimum requirements to install Windows 11.

In this case, the question arises what options are left then? To put it simply, the best option here is to buy a new PC before the deadline, i.e. 2025. There are a few risks that come along with not updating to Windows 11, these include losing out on the latest features, security updates, patches, and compatibility with upcoming security features and applications. Many games that use Anti-cheat tools also have started relying on Windows 11 security features to provide fair gameplay.

While these games still work on Windows 10, it is only a matter of time before Windows 11 ends up becoming a requirement. Upgrades to Windows 11 will begin to roll out late in 2021 and continue into 2022. During this time, we will be doing some behind the scenes testing and validating for your specific PC. Windows Update will provide an indication if and when your PC is eligible. There is a way to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, but we wouldn't recommend it.

Although Microsoft hasn't confirmed it, the company has heavily implied that unsupported users won't receive critical security updates. If you still want to install, you can do so using the Media Creation Tool, which bypasses hardware checks. Once you've chosen a method for your upgrade, be sure to first look over our Windows 11 upgrade checklist to get all your ducks in a row. It'll make it easier to zip through the process—and recover faster if something happens to go awry. And while you're waiting for the installation to complete, you can check out our Windows 11 review as well as six new features you should try after you make the jump.

Can I Update To Windows 11 For Free Microsoft is rolling out the OS in phases, so your system might not prompt you to upgrade just yet -- in fact, you might not find it even if you tell your computer to check for updates. An August blog post from Microsoft said the company expects "all eligible devices to be offered the free upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022." Don't want to wait another half a year? Read on to find out how the Windows 11 Installation Assistant is your shortcut to Windows 11. Note that Windows 11 will only be a 64-bit release and won't come in a 32-bit flavor. That's fair since 32-bit PCs are not sold anymore anyway and 64-bit editions can run 32-bit applications just fine. Of course, Windows 11 supports System on a Chip which means Windows 10 on ARM devices will get the upgrade as long as they meet other criteria.

The above screenshot makes it clear that Surface Pro X running Windows 10 on ARM is eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade. Microsoft has just revealed the timeline for the free Windows 11 upgrades it promised to existing Windows 10 users with compatible machines and it is not good news. At the launch, the company announced that Windows 11 will be launching later this year which people naturally assumed to mean that those free Windows 11 upgrades would also begin to roll out too. Instead, Windows 11 will only start rolling out to existing Windows 10 users in 2022, and even then, the rollout will be staggered. Microsoft's Windows 11 launch news has been something of a mixed bag.

On one hand, the latest version of Windows looks promising with big improvements to its UI and under the hood enhancements said to deliver 40 percent better performance. On the other hand, there has been a lot of confusion and disappointment among some users with relatively new machines who don't appear to be eligible to upgrade at all due to strict new requirements. Microsoft doesn't recommend installing Windows 11 on devices that don't meet the system requirements, but you'll still be able to do so. It's worth noting that you might not get Windows 11 updates on PCs with unsupported processors. Microsoft will let you know when Windows 11 is ready for your system via the Windows Update Settings page or when you check for updates.

The company expects to offer the upgrade to all eligible Windows 10 devices by mid-2022. Next, Microsoft says it will look at hardware eligibility, reliability metrics and other factors on existing Windows 10 devices to determine when to offer the latest OS through Windows Update. It's a similar approach to how the company has handled Windows 10 feature updates over the years. You can find out whether your device is compatible using the PC Health Check app. There's a lot to enjoy in Windows 11, but remember that you're currently running an early version that isn't quite finished yet. For example, all of our custom Taskbar shortcuts were missing their icons after installation and needed to be re-pinned to appear again.

Be sure to Check For Updates often as Microsoft releases bug fixes. If you experience a major problem, or just decide Windows 11 isn't for you, you can easily reinstall Windows 10 using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool to download a free installation file. For new users, Windows 11 will seem like a good option with the new design. You get rounded corners, a departure from the sharp edges we've seen in Windows for a long time. The Start Menu is now cleaner, featuring pinned apps and a recommended tab that shows you files based on your recent usage.

Mlb Wild Card Standings 2019 Nfl

From 1999 until 2013, three division champions within each conference were given the #1-3 seeds based on their regular-season records. Among the remaining teams within each conference, five additional teams with the best records are awarded seeds #4 through #8. The division champions (first-third seeds) and the non-division winning team with the best record were given home ice advantage in the opening playoff series, in which they face the eighth-seeded through fifth-seeded teams, respectively. However, the playoff format differed slightly from that of the NBA. In the NHL, the highest-remaining seed of the first round played the lowest-remaining seed of the first round in the next round of the playoffs. For example, if the #1, #4, #6, and #7 seeds win their respective first round series then the second round of the playoffs matched the #1 seed versus the #7 seed and the #4 seed versus the #6 seed .

Home ice advantage in each NHL playoff series prior to the Stanley Cup Finals was granted by the higher seed, even if the "wild card" team had a better regular season record. For the Finals, the team with the better record will receive home ice advantage. In the National Football League , since 2020, each of the two conferences sends three wild-card teams along with four division champions to its postseason.

The first round of the playoffs is called the "Wild Card Round". In this round, each conference's division champion with the best regular-season record is awarded a first-round bye and granted automatic berth in the "Divisional Round". The four division champions are seeded from #1 through #4, while the three wild card teams are seeded #5 to #7; within these separations, seeding is by regular-season record. In the "Wild Card Round", the #7 team plays the #2 team, #6 plays #3, and #5 plays #4. In the "Divisional Round", the lowest-remaining seed plays the #1 seeded team, while the other two wild-card winners face-off against each other, with the higher seed hosting. The higher-seeded teams have home-field advantage in both rounds and the "Conference Championships".

For the 1969 AFL playoffs, a "crossover" format was used such that the division winners played the runners up in the opposite division. The NFL kept this principle in place by stipulating that a wild card team could never face its own division champion in the divisional round. In North American professional sports leagues, "wild card" refers to a team that qualifies for the championship playoffs without winning their specific conference or division outright. In most cases, the rules of the league call for the wild card team to survive an extra round or to play the majority of their postseason games away from home. Despite Kansas City's win, some purists argued for the tradition of having only division champions contest the playoffs to continue. In any event, most owners in both conferences wanted to keep the even four-team playoff field in each conference.

This was established by having the three division champions in each conference joined by the best second-place finisher in the conference. Major League Soccer , the top level of soccer in both countries, used a wild card format starting in its 2011 playoffs. The wild card matches were single games, with the #7 seed hosting the #10 seed and the #8 seed hosting the #9 seed. The lowest surviving seed then played the Supporters' Shield winner (i.e., the team with the highest point total), while the other surviving wild card played the top seed in the other conference. The NFL was the first league ever to use the wild-card format. The decision to implement a Wild Card coincided with the completion of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

Prior to the merger, the right to compete in the postseason for the NFL title was restricted to division/conference champions. Until 1967, a tiebreaker game was played to resolve a deadlock for first place in either of the two conferences. When the league expanded to 16 teams, it realigned into four divisions and expanded the playoffs to two rounds. Tiebreaker games were eliminated in favor of the use of performance-based criteria to determine division champions.

The runners-up played the winners of the opposite divisions for the right to contest the AFL Championship Game. Before the 2006–07 NBA season, the NBA seeded its teams in the same manner as the NHL. Until 2015, the NBA seeds the three division winners and the wild-card team with the best record by regular-season record. This means that the wild-card with the best record got a seed as high as #2 ; however, the next four wild-card teams will still be limited to the #5 through #8 seeds. In Major League Baseball , wild-card postseason spots are given to the two teams in each league with the best records among the non-division winners. The initial wild-card format was implemented after MLB expanded to 28 teams and realigned its two leagues to each have three divisions .

Since a three-team playoff would require one team to receive a bye, the wild card was created to allow a fourth team; as the postseason in 1994 was canceled due to the players' strike, the wild card has been in effect since 1995. In 2012, a second wild card was added to each league; the two wild card teams in each league face each other in the Wild Card Game, with the winner facing the number 1 seed in the Division Series. The new format the fourth place team in one division to qualify if it finished with an outright better record than the third place team in the other division. The Eastern owners agreed in exchange for expanding the schedule to 18 games, and also with a stipulation that the qualifying fourth-place team would stay in its own division for the playoffs. It also introduced the possibility of the first place teams losing their traditional byes based on results elsewhere in the league. This occurred in 1986, when the 11-7 Calgary Stampeders qualified in place of the 4-14 Montreal Alouettes.

The Alouettes folded before the start of the following season. Although it is highly questionable whether a 1986 playoff appearance would have saved the floundering Montreal franchise, the CFL quickly re-instated the traditional playoff format for the 1987 season. It also moved the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (the West's easternmost team) to the Eastern Division.

This balanced the divisions both in numbers as well as, to a considerable extent, in playing caliber, and the reduction in teams also caused the schedule to be changed to emphasize more divisional games. As a result, the three top finishers of the two divisions finishers always had the six best league records from 1987 up until the start of the league's U.S. expansion experiment, which started in the 1993. From 2015 to 2018, the top six teams from each conference qualified for the playoffs, with the #1 & #2 seeds in each conference automatically qualifying for the conference semifinals, and seeds #3-6 in each conference being wild cards. The lowest-seeded winner (played between the #4 & #5, and #3 & #6 seeds) in each conference played the #1 seed, and the next-lowest played the #2 seed in the conference semifinals. The notion of "wild cards" was essentially abolished in the 2015–16 NBA season, as changes made prior to the season mean the top eight teams in each conference qualify regardless of divisional rank, with the seeded teams ranked by percentage. The only particular advantage to winning a division now is that a divisional title serves as the first tiebreaker for qualification seeding purposes.

The new format means it is possible for an especially weak division to send no teams to the NBA playoffs, although as of the start of the 2020–21 season this has not yet occurred. Following the addition of the Houston Texans in 2002, the league added a fourth division to each conference. The league decided not to change the number of playoff teams, and thus the number of wild card qualifiers was reduced to two per conference. In 2020, the playoffs returned to three wild cards per conference, or 14 teams total.

The term "Wild Card Round" continues to be used for the opening round of the playoffs, even though this round has involved both division winners and wild card teams since 1990. The number of wild-card qualifiers was expanded to two per conference in 1978 — the divisional winners were granted a bye week while the wild card teams, seeded #4 and #5, played with the #4 seed having home field advantage. During this time, the #1 seed hosted the winner of the #4 vs #5 wild card game, while the #2 seed played the #3 seed. The 49ers' loss Thursday night clinched a playoff spot for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys have won three consecutive games after losing three of four. They have moved ahead of the Rams, Cardinals and Buccaneers thanks to a better conference record, and they continue to be the overwhelming favorites to win the NFC East. In fact, they can clinch the division on Sunday night with a victory over Washington.

And they can secure the division title even if they lose to Washington -- that will happen if the Eagles lose to the Giants or if the Cowboys clinch a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Eagles. Almost as amazing as the Bills leading the AFC East is that the second-place team is the Dolphins, not the Patriots. Last year, the Dolphins lost their first seven games and set the record for players used in a single season. This year, Miami would get the second wild-card spot if the season ended today. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they play the Chiefs next week. Barring a huge upset, their chances at winning the AFC East are slim.

But the Dolphins can still make the playoffs even if Kansas City beats them. Head coach Brian Flores's roster plays disciplined defense and sound special teams, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the offense are solid. That makes Miami more well-rounded than several other teams in the wild-card hunt.

While not a wild card team, the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs were the first non-division winner to win the Super Bowl. Because the term "wild card" was not instituted until the following year, the Chiefs are not included in the above list, but are recognized as the first team to win the Super Bowl without winning a division title. The decision to make the conferences equal in size meant they could not feasibly align into anything except three divisions of four or five teams in each conference. This led to a debate as to how the postseason of the merged league should be structured. Both the NFL and AFL playoff formats of 1969 had attracted fierce critics. The Raiders went on to lose the AFL title game to the Western runner-up Kansas City Chiefs.

Although the CFL was officially founded in 1958, its constituent sections did not fully merge until 1981. At the time, it was agreed that three teams from each division would qualify, regardless of overall league standings. This quickly proved controversial, as a wide disparity in playing caliber had emerged between the East and West divisions.

In 1981, even the fifth place Western team's record of 6-10 was good enough for outright possession of sixth place overall. The format was changed for the 2021 curling season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For at least that year, tournaments will expand to eighteen teams each. Three wild card teams will gain direct entry into the main draw, which expanded to pools of nine teams each.

As a result, teams that advance to the championship pool will play twelve round robin games instead of eleven. To accommodate the expanded round robin schedule, the playoffs will revert to the old three team, two game format thus eliminating the page playoff and quarter-final round. Curling Canada introduced Wild Card teams starting with the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and 2018 Tim Hortons Brier.

The change was made as part of a wider set of changes which expanded the tournaments to 17 teams and eliminated the unpopular Pre-Qualifying Tournaments. From 2018, the round robin stage of the Tournament of Hearts and Brier will consist of two seeded "pools" of eight teams as opposed to the old format consisting a single group of twelve teams. The remaining two participants in the tournament are the Wild Cards, which compete in an MLB-style play-in game prior to the main tournament to determine the sixteenth team in the main tournament. Just as is the case with MLB division titles, the format is designed to give teams an incentive to win their provincial championships. The Wild Cards are the top two teams in the Canadian Team Ranking System standings that did not win either the previous year's tournament or their respective provincial or territorial championship.

The top ranked of these two teams receives the hammer to start the game. In some events, wild cards are chosen freely by the organizers. Some North American professional sports leagues compare the records of teams which did not qualify directly by winning a division or conference. The Ravens are so decimated by injuries and COVID-19 losses that coach John Harbaugh has felt compelled to go for a game-winning 2-point play twice in the past three weeks rather than take his chances in overtime.

They have lost both games and are now on a playoff-crushing three-game losing streak. The Ravens will have a chance to turn it around at the Bengals, but the FPI is giving them only a 49% chance to make the playoffs, and their division title odds are just 35%. The two wild card teams in each league face each other in a one-game playoff, with the winner facing the number 1 seed in the Division Series. The advantages of the wild card format are that it allows a second- (or third-) place team a chance to win the World Series, even if there is a dominant division winner.

Remember, the NFL added a third wild-card spot for each conference this season, so 14 teams will make the playoffs. In the AFC, the 11-0 Steelers and 11-1 Chiefs have vise grips on their divisions and are fighting for the bye. In the NFC, the 10-2 Saints and 9-3 Packers are the only teams with a realistic shot at clinching the top seed. NCAA tournaments in all of its sports have included wild card berths, typically known as at-large berths or at-large bids. In previous seasons, the top 12 drivers in championship points after the first 26 races of the season automatically qualified for the Chase, with their points reset to a point unreachable by any other driver.

Under the 2011–2013 system, only the top 10 drivers automatically qualified. The other two Chase qualifiers were the two drivers ranked from 11th through 20th after 26 races with the most race wins, with tiebreakers used as necessary to restrict the number of "wild cards" to two. Major changes to the Chase format that took effect in 2014, most notably determining the newly expanded Chase field of 16 mainly by race wins, eliminated this type of "wild card".

In the First Round, the division champions play the Wild Cards, while the second and third placed teams in each division play each other; therefore the bracket is fixed, like the NBA. Home-ice advantage is given to the higher seed in the first two rounds, with the better regular season record being used in the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. The Cardinals can clinch a playoff spot Sunday despite their three-game losing streak. They could also regain their spot atop the NFC West if the Rams lose in Minnesota.

But at the very least, they have opened a door for the Rams while losing control of the division for the first time all season. ESPN's FPI still considers the Cardinals a lock to get in the playoffs. But with the Cards facing a tough game against the Cowboys next week, the Rams are now the FPI favorites to win the NFC West. The Chiefs were at one point 3-4, but they have won seven consecutive games and are getting better results -- if not better play-to-play efficiency -- than any team in the NFL. They no longer have to worry about losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Chargers, and they can clinch the AFC West this weekend with a win over the Steelers and a Chargers loss to the Texans. And they have a 46% chance to get the first-round bye, per ESPN's FPI.The Chiefs can also simply clinch a playoff berth this week with a win.

On March 29, 1978, the NFL adopted a new 16-game schedule preceded by a four-game preseason. An additional wild card team in each conference was added to the playoffs with the two wild cards squaring off during the first weekend of the post-season. The first round of the playoffs is dubbed the wild-card round (or wild-card weekend).

The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference receive a bye in the first round, which entitles these teams to automatic advancement to the second round, the divisional playoffs, where they face the wild-card weekend winners. For all of these teams' differences, though, their schedules down the stretch are similar. The Titans' other two games are against Detroit and Green Bay , while Indy's other two are against Las Vegas and the Steelers . Indy's matchup against the Raiders next week will be crucial, since Las Vegas is also competing for a wild-card spot. A Colts win next week gives them a nearly 90 percent chance of making the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.

A loss drops them below 50 percent and seriously hurts their division chances. The competition is now divided into the Australasian Group, including all Australian and New Zealand teams, and the African Group, consisting of the South African teams plus the Argentine and Japanese franchises. In turn, the Australasian Group is divided into Australia and New Zealand Conferences, and the African Group is split into Africa 1 and Africa 2 Conferences. As in the 2011–15 system, the conference winners will receive playoff berths. The number of wild cards will increase to four, with the three top non-winners from the Australasian Group and the top non-winner from the African Group, again based on competition points, earning those spots. Tournaments generally run for 10 consecutive episodes and feature 15 contestants.

The first week's five episodes, called the "quarter-finals", feature three new contestants each day. The winners of these five games, and the four highest scoring non-winners ("wild cards"), advance to the semi-finals, which run for three days. The winners of these three games advance to play in a two-game final match, in which the scores from both games are combined to determine the overall winner. This format has been used since the first Tournament of Champions in 1985 and was devised by the late long time host Alex Trebek himself.