NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Teams with Toughest Road to Super Bowl

There's a reason why the NFL has a 16-game regular season prior to the playoffs. The first goal of every team is simply to qualify for the postseason, but nearly as important is seeding.

While the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers have proven in recent years that anyone can win it all from any seed, it is much easier to do so from a more advantageous position.

Several teams will have to run a nearly impossible gauntlet if they want to go the distance. That isn't to say that it can't be done, but it won't be easy by any means. Here are the three teams with the toughest road to the Super Bowl this postseason.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are largely the same team that secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season, and they may have an even better roster with dynamic rookie wide receiver Julio Jones in the fold.

Despite that, the Falcons have "regressed" to the fifth seed this season, but much of that has to do with the overall strength of the conference. With all the talent Atlanta has, it will be very tough to make a run this season.

For starters the Falcons will have to take on a confident New York Giants team on the road this weekend. New York has the tools to make a Super Bowl run in its own right, plus the Giants are entering the playoffs on a high note.

After that, Atlanta would probably have to travel to Lambeau and take on the 15-1 Green Bay Packers. If by some miracle they got past that, then it would be a road game against either the New Orleans Saints or San Francisco 49ers. It doesn't get much tougher than that.

Pittsburgh Steelers

If not for a tiebreaker, the Pittsburgh Steelers would be the AFC North champions at 12-4 and would have the week off, Instead, though, they have to face the Denver Broncos in Denver.

While the Broncos only finished 8-8 and are far from explosive offensively it is never easy to play at Mile High, and the elevation difference could wreak havoc on a Pittsburgh team that isn't used to playing in such conditions.

The Steelers are still the favorites, but things don't get any easier. The second and third rounds would probably involve trips to New England and Baltimore, although the order depends on the other Wild Card weekend game.

Pittsburgh beat the Patriots in the regular season, but the Pats offense is almost unstoppable right now. Also, the Steelers lost to the Ravens twice in the regular season, and while it's tough to beat a team three times in a season, Baltimore is the real deal.

Detroit Lions

Even if the Detroit Lions had won on Sunday, they would have had a tough road with the fifth seed in the NFC, a loss knocked them down to sixth, however, and gives them the most difficult potential schedule in the playoffs.

A first-round game against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome is hard enough, but things get even tougher moving forward.

A win would earn Detroit a date with the top-seeded Green Bay Packers on the road. The Packers beat the Lions in Week 17 despite the fact that quarterback Aaron Rodgers sat the game out. If backup Matt Flynn can throw for six touchdowns against them, I can only imagine what Rodgers would do.

Finally, the Lions would probably have a road date against a San Francisco 49ers team that has already beaten them. The Lions are promising, but this isn't their year.