bluedog
"Leader of Kings"
Ever since 1975, the playoff format has relied on teams’ regular season winning percentages to decide home field for the ever important post-season games. That was not always the case. Following the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, the realigned NFL set a predetermined post-season schedule for a four-year period based on specific divisions hosting playoff games regardless of the records of that season’s playoff teams. That explains why, in 1972, the 14-0 Miami Dolphins had to travel to Pittsburgh for the AFC championship game against the 11-3 Steelers. The format that year had the AFC Central Division champions hosting the game if they won the divisional playoff one week earlier.SOURCE