Eric Winston wants to see playoff seeding changed...

[PhilSimms11]

On the NFL's end, it seems the league would like to make at least one big change to the playoff format. As CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported this week, the NFL is looking to add an extra playoff game to each conference. The league would do that by potentially expanding the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams.

If that change gets brought to the negotiating table by the league, don't be surprised if NFLPA president Eric Winston brings his own idea for change to the table. Although Winston doesn't necessarily want to see the playoffs expanded, he does want to see the NFL completely change how it seeds teams during the postseason.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports, Winston wrote that he would like to see playoff teams seeded by record, not by whether or not they won a division title. If that format sounds familiar, it's probably because it's the same format that was implemented by the NBA during the 2015-16 season.

If the NFL Playoffs had seeded teams by record in 2018, the postseason would have looked like this in the AFC and NFC:

AFC
(1)KC (12-4)*--10-2 to 9-3 in conference vs LAC
(2)LAC (12-4)
(3)NE (11-5)*--HTH win vs HOU
(4)HOU (11-5)*
(5)BAL (10-6)*--8-4 to 7-5 in conference vs IND
(6)IND (10-6)

NFC
(1)NO (13-3)*--HTH win vs LAR
(2)LAR (13-3)*
(3)CHI (12-4)*
(4)SEA (10-6)--HTH win vs DAL
(5)DAL (10-6)*
(6)PHI (9-7)
*division winner

My hat's off to you, Eric Winston.

 

[Southieinnc]

I don't want more games.
I don't want seeding change
I don't want to water down the league so mediocre teams can get some playoff action.
Want to play in the playoffs? Just win baby!

 

[Cave_Johnson]

no

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Winning the division has to count for something imo. I know sometimes a 12 win team like the Chargers playing in the WC game is the argument against that but I don't care. They shoulda beat the other teams in the div.
As for expanding it, no thanks. Why add a couple of .500 teams just to make the owners (and Vegas) more money.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

I don't want more games.
I don't want seeding change
I don't want to water down the league so mediocre teams can get some playoff action.
Want to play in the playoffs? Just win baby!

Absolutely!

 

[beardown07]

dumb idea is dumb


leave the goddamned game alone! What is the obsession with changing rules every goddamned offseason?? Enough already.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

dumb idea is dumb


leave the goddamned game alone! What is the obsession with changing rules every goddamned offseason?? Enough already.

OP brings up the same idea year after year. Some folks don't get the idea about how fixing something that's not broke is a bad idea.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Divisions should guarantee playoffs. Seeding thereafter I think is a legit topic, however.

Expand the playoffs? Big nah

 

[Southieinnc]

dumb idea is dumb


leave the goddamned game alone! What is the obsession with changing rules every goddamned offseason?? Enough already.

There are a lot of teams in the 8-8 range that want to play in the playoffs.
There are also a lot of teams that recognize that the more games you put in the playoff process, the harder it gets to win the Superbowl. This makes the SB winner even more random - to the detriment of the top tier teams.
Some are even suggesting a best of seven championship!!!!!!

 

[rmilia1]

The only thing if be interested in is just putting the 12 best teams in. 8 division winners and the 4 teams with the best records after that. But that'll never happen so leave it alone

 

[SteelersPride]

OP brings up the same idea year after year. Some folks don't get the idea about fixing something that's not broke.

Op has a handwritten rule book, by him, I think.

 

[beardown07]

There are a lot of teams in the 8-8 range that want to play in the playoffs.
There are also a lot of teams that recognize that the more games you put in the playoff process, the harder it gets to win the Superbowl. This makes the SB winner even more random - to the detriment of the top tier teams.
Some are even suggesting a best of seven championship!!!!!!

Oh for fuck's sake, best of 7 is a fucking TERRIBLE idea.

 

[Southieinnc]

Oh for fuck's sake, best of 7 is a fucking TERRIBLE idea.

The more bizarre the change, the more likely that one of the mediocre teams gets lucky.....

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Hell no... Primary focus should always be on winning the division. Allowing more playoff teams is diluting the league.

 

[rmilia1]

The more bizarre the change, the more likely that one of the mediocre teams gets lucky.....

Going to a "best of" scenario actually helps the better teams . It'll never happen for obvious reasons but there's a reason the best teams make the NBA and MLB championship every year . The sames not true on football . Much more random . That's what makes what NE has done even more remarkable

 

[Nosferatu]

I'd rather they got rid of the wildcard teams and just the eight division winners go to the playoffs.

 

[PDay8810]

I'd rather they got rid of the wildcard teams and just the eight division winners go to the playoffs.

but wildcard teams have gone to the SB and some have won it.

leave it as it is

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

I love how both the nfl and mlb currently do their playoffs. The regular season is important and the postseason makes sense. Don't mess with them.

 

[Nosferatu]

but wildcard teams have gone to the SB and some have won it.

leave it as it is

Yeah, stop rewarding teams that can't even win their division!

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Going to a "best of" scenario actually helps the better teams . It'll never happen for obvious reasons but there's a reason the best teams make the NBA and MLB championship every year . The sames not true on football . Much more random . That's what makes what NE has done even more remarkable

The NFL is borderline NBA-like in terms of lack of parity. The only thing keeping any resemblance of randomness is that the playoffs are a knockout tournament; and even then the top 2 seeds get freaking byes. MLB is far more equitable in terms of sport. The Yankees are never winning 120 games a year even if they outspend #2 by 300M

Or in other words: The better team wins far more often in the NFL and NBA than most any other sport.

NHL and MLB probably are on the other end of the scale if anything.