So I have no issue with a Division Leader making the playoffs over a team playing with a better record but not getting a wild card, for example NFL North Leader Green Bay (8-7-1) & Arizona (10-6). I think the playoff seeding though should be reformed so that a wild card with a better record than a division leader gets the higher seed.

For example New Orleans (11-5) is a #6 seed and better than #3 seeded Eagles (10-6) or the #4 seeded Green Bay. Thus I think they should get home advantage (plus potentially easier opponents) during the wild card game to reward them for better play during the regular season. Pretty much unless San Francisco won, the Panthers as the #2 would have had the easier game playing the Eagles or Green Bay.

Thoughts?

1/5/2014 1:46:55 PM

NFL records have a lot to do with the strength of the schedule each team plays since they only play so many games, which is why I don't think they should seed solely based on record.

If there was a way to incorporate strength of schedule I'd be for it.

1/5/2014 1:57:09 PM

If it ain't broke (in this case, "broke" = "billion dollar money making machine"), don't fix it.

/thread

1/5/2014 2:02:15 PM

Its easy: if the Saints wanted to host a playoff game, they should have won their division. Its really that simple.

1/5/2014 2:04:50 PM

^

1/5/2014 2:07:20 PM

I kind of agree with this. I also think they should make a rule that you have to be at least 8-8 to make the playoffs after the 7-9 Seahawks made it a few years ago.

1/5/2014 2:08:28 PM

That 7-9 Seahawks team bitchslapped that Saints team. Which means the Saints team was overrated and they wouldn't have gotten worked in the NFC West (not really...but whatever...stupid thread).

1/5/2014 2:11:04 PM

I'm okay with the seeding, but I think the NFL needs to allow 8 teams from each conference into the playoffs and get rid of bye weeks

1/5/2014 2:14:33 PM

To hell with it, have a 32-team playoff and be done with it!

1/5/2014 2:16:39 PM

Quote :

"I'm okay with the seeding, but I think the NFL needs to allow 8 teams from each conference into the playoffs and get rid of bye weeks"

why?

1/5/2014 2:21:18 PM

^^^ No. You would make the last 6 weeks of the regular season meaningless for a team if they're 8-2. If you remove the bye and make all playoff teams play 3 games regardless of their record just to make the Super Bowl, the difference between finishing 1st or 2nd or 3rd is not that meaningful then.

NFL wants the primary focus of a team to be winning the division. The issue is the size of divisions is so small at 4 that it's not too hard to have 4 teams together that are all mediocre. I would say go the NHL route and have 4 eight-team divisions, but I imagine certain teams and TV partners wouldn't go for that as they'd lose the strength of some of their rivalries.

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 2:24 PM. Reason : /]

1/5/2014 2:23:30 PM

Because 12/32 is not enough teams in my opinion.

1/5/2014 2:23:48 PM

that's the point of the playoffs. not every team and their grandmother is suppose to make it.

1/5/2014 2:25:20 PM

I think it's perfect in contrast. In the AFC you could argue there should only be 5 teams when you see that San Diego need a missed FG to beat the #5 seed's second string.

The playoff races this year at the lower end weren't really all that great just because there were so many teams that had chances at 6th and when they had the chance lost the game. Again, I think that has more to deal with 4-team divisions, the division quality is so diluted compared to when there were 5-team divisions that you rarely get good division title races into the last week unless both teams are highly flawed (like the two this year: DAL/PHI and GB/CHI).

1/5/2014 2:29:35 PM

It's probably the best playoff system going. Leave it alone.

1/5/2014 2:43:32 PM

Quote :

"I think it's perfect in contrast. In the AFC you could argue there should only be 5 teams when you see that San Diego need a missed FG to beat the #5 seed's second string. "

don't get it.

1/5/2014 2:43:55 PM

If it was the case that a wildcard never wins the superbowl I might say yes, but that shit happens all the time.

1/5/2014 2:54:34 PM

Theres nothing to fix here

1/5/2014 3:07:15 PM

Quote :

"that's the point of the playoffs. not every team and their grandmother is suppose to make it."

16/32 would not have everyone and their grandmothers make it.

Quote :

"Theres nothing to fix here"

The fact that 12-4 SF has to go to 8-7-1 GB is a problem. There is some fixing that has to go on.

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 3:15 PM. Reason : ]

1/5/2014 3:14:48 PM

^ pretty much the point of this thread....

I'm curious if the GB team would prefer to have waived home field to play in 63 Deg F San Francisco vs. 5 Deg F Green Bay lol

Quote :

"not really...but whatever...stupid thread"

Apparently any thread is stupid that goes against the opinion of shitheads like jbrick83

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 3:28 PM. Reason : l]

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 3:38 PM. Reason : l]

1/5/2014 3:22:09 PM

I think the team with the better record should get the higher seed. Let's say San Fran wins the west at 11-5. Panthers go 12-4, with a reg. season win over SF. Saints actually win the south at 13-3. Panthers fans would bitch because SF would get the higher seed.

1/5/2014 3:37:53 PM

NFL is going to a BCS system soon.

1/5/2014 5:34:56 PM

I like the nfl playoffs as they are.

1/5/2014 5:52:49 PM

Quote :

"I think the NFL needs to allow 8 teams from each conference into the playoffs and get rid of bye weeks"

They're going to add a 7th team from each conference over the next few years, and only give the #1 seed in each conference a 1st round bye

#sources

1/5/2014 6:00:17 PM

Quote :

"Because 12/32 is not enough teams in my opinion"

Your opinion sucks

1/5/2014 6:07:57 PM

Yup it's totally fair that a 12-4 SF team has to travel to play an 8-7-1 team.

Home field advantage means a lot in the playoffs, so I think it's ridiculous to reward a team for winning a shitty division and punish a second place team that plays in a great division. All of you Panthers fans would be pissing and moaning if the shoe were on the other foot.

1/5/2014 6:12:10 PM

Quote :

"Your opinion sucks"

Hey - thanks for adding quality content to the thread you piece of shit.

1/5/2014 6:36:17 PM

someone has to convince me about the home field advantage thing. You are suppose to be good at home but everyone can beat you in the playoffs. it's more on turnovers than anything

we just saw Philly and Cincinnati lose on their home field and the colts barley won after the chiefs choked

1/5/2014 6:39:30 PM

all those teams sucked or played easy schedules, so it's no surprise they lost.

1/5/2014 6:40:41 PM

LOL. yeah OK

1/5/2014 6:43:02 PM

KC- overrated
Cincy- annual playoff choke squad
Philly- lulz

1/5/2014 6:47:15 PM

yeah ok. anything to support that theory.

1/5/2014 6:51:31 PM

they all lost?

1/5/2014 6:54:04 PM

so home field advantage doesn't mean anything .


the better team that scores more points in the end always wins. like always

1/5/2014 6:56:56 PM

i'm drunk/lazy, some some statistician needs to dig up numbers. willing to bet that that home team wins more often than not though

1/5/2014 7:07:38 PM

I wasn't arguing with you I just questioned it. more than likely you're right

1/5/2014 7:17:44 PM

of course I am. The fact that shitty teams who didn't even deserve home field advantage in the first place lost sorta illustrates my point, but we can let science decide

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 7:24 PM. Reason : im drunk]

1/5/2014 7:22:35 PM

there is a pretty gigantic reason that Green Bay went 8-7-1

1/5/2014 7:28:05 PM

Aaron Rodgers being gay has nothing to do with their record

1/5/2014 7:31:28 PM

As usual, ujustmad

1/5/2014 7:33:22 PM

i agree, make the 6 playoff teams the 4 division winners and 2 wild cards, but seed them based on record.

it keeps winning the division important (and in turn keeps more teams in the playoff hunt late in the season) and gives better teams with home field advantage.

it also helps keep the best matchups until later in the playoffs. take this year for example: if the eagles and 9ers would have won this weekend, arguably, the 2 best teams in the nfc (seahawks/9ers) would be playing each other in the divisional round instead potentially in the nfc championship game.

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 7:38 PM. Reason : d]

1/5/2014 7:37:02 PM

nah, let's continue with a shitty tradition that makes zero sense

1/5/2014 7:38:08 PM

Why would the Seahawks and 49ers be playing this week? And why would the #1 seed (Seahawks) play the #3 seed (49ers) in the NFC championship game?

1/5/2014 7:39:47 PM

umm, panthers would play the eagles since they were the 3 seed and the 9ers are the 5 seed.

[Edited on January 5, 2014 at 7:41 PM. Reason : actually the eagles are the 3 seed]

1/5/2014 7:40:57 PM

guess who's NOT playing next week?

1/5/2014 7:47:06 PM

and another home team lost

1/5/2014 7:48:03 PM

yep. another bad team who got homefield advantage lost to a better team who deserved it more.

1/5/2014 8:19:25 PM

For this premise to happen, you'd have to get rid of divisions and just have conference schedules and seed by conference. I for one am fine with the current setup. But they're gonna add a 7th team in each conference soon.

1/5/2014 8:39:27 PM

the number of playoff teams is fine. the way they're seeded is not. they don't need to create another fucking division to add more crappy teams to the mix. football is getting worse, not better

1/5/2014 8:42:34 PM

who said anything about adding another division?

1/5/2014 10:10:52 PM