NFL playoffs should be seeded without regard to division championships

[supreme_clientele81]

You'd be punishing teams that play AGAINST a tough division. Next year the NFC East has to play the NFC West AND the AFC West. The winner in that division will be lucky to have an 8-8 season.

Only their division would have a similar schedule, so it's only fair to compare them to their own division.

I get your point but the NFC West plays the NFC East & AFC West. Unless you are saying that either the 49ers or Seahawks would be lucky to win 8 games which I would disagree with.

 

[BoBlake]

I get your point but the NFC West plays the NFC East & AFC West. Unless you are saying that either the 49ers or Seahawks would be lucky to win 8 games which I would disagree with.

No, I think both of our teams will likely win 5 or 6 of their games against both divisions (AFCW & NFCE).

But I don't see the winner of the NFC East getting more than 3 or 4 wins out of two divisions (AFCW & NFCW).



Of course, this is making a lot of assumptions about the makeup of each team, but you get the idea.

 

[clyde_carbon]

You'd be punishing teams that play AGAINST a tough division. Next year the NFC East has to play the NFC West AND the AFC West. The winner in that division will be lucky to have an 8-8 season.

Only their division would have a similar schedule, so it's only fair to compare them to their own division.

I guess you're having a hard time keeping up.

The 49ers, at 12-4, would be #1 in the NFCE and #1 in the NFCN. That means, if we were in those divisions, the worst seed we can be is the 3rd seed. Because we're in the the NFCW, we're the 5th seed, and were 3 points away from being the 6th seed, despite having a better record than the 5th, 4th, and 3rd seeds respectively.

That is rewarding teams for being in bad divisions, and punishing teams for being in a good division. Get it?

 

[MHSL82]

Please stop!

How many years ago was it where the NFC west was 7-9 in the playoffs. It is not like the NFC West has been a power conference for many years. Once the 49ers and Seahawks have to start paying a QB the rate most of the good teams pay QBs things will even out as well.

This is the very flaw in the divisions right here! You guys assume we'd defend the system because SEATTLE made it that way - because they are in our division? We either do not share in their happiness (as in if we're not in we don't care who is) or we'd be upset they got to go when they sucked just a little less than we did.

 

[supreme_clientele81]

No, I think both of our teams will likely win 5 or 6 of their games against both divisions (AFCW & NFCE).

But I don't see the winner of the NFC East getting more than 3 or 4 wins out of two divisions (AFCW & NFCW).



Of course, this is making a lot of assumptions about the makeup of each team, but you get the idea.

Is this a hypothetical because the NFC East doesn't play the AFC West next year. After a Google search they play the AFC South.

 

[MHSL82]

I guess you're having a hard time keeping up.

The 49ers, at 12-4, would be #1 in the NFCE and #1 in the NFCN. That means, if we were in those divisions, the worst seed we can be is the 3rd seed. Because we're in the the NFCW, we're the 5th seed, and were 3 points away from being the 6th seed, despite having a better record than the 5th, 4th, and 3rd seeds respectively.

That is rewarding teams for being in bad divisions, and punishing teams for being in a good division. Get it?

Exactly. If a team were in a great division and were deserving of a spot, they'd lose a maximum of three division games and win enough out of division (>5 out of 10 outside their division).

 

[BoBlake]

I guess you're having a hard time keeping up.

The 49ers, at 12-4, would be #1 in the NFCE and #1 in the NFCN. That means, if we were in those divisions, the worst seed we can be is the 3rd seed. Because we're in the the NFCW, we're the 5th seed, and were 3 points away from being the 6th seed, despite having a better record than the 5th, 4th, and 3rd seeds respectively.

That is rewarding teams for being in bad divisions, and punishing teams for being in a good division. Get it?

I understand what you are you trying to say. I'm "keeping up." I disagree that there needs to be a change.

You're comparing your 49ers record to the winners of the NFCE & NFCN. You played completely different teams.

Only teams in your division have a similar schedule to you, which is why you're compared to teams within your division for getting a home game.


If you guys win in GB next week, I expect this to go away until next time. I didn't hear a lot from NFL nation last year when Seattle had to travel to Washington (and almost lost), despite having a better record.


I don't think this change will ever happen. You're talking about taking away home games from some of the biggest markets in the NFL.

 

[BoBlake]

If the change didn't happen after the 7-9 Seahawks hosted the NO Saints in the 2010 playoffs, it will never happen.

The NFL has seen the worst case scenario (team with better record traveling to a sub .500 division "winner" and even losing...and they were defending super bowl champions) and the owners voted to make absolutely no changes.

Can't see why the 49ers traveling to one of the "favorite" teams in the league would cause any ruckus.

 

[clyde_carbon]

I understand what you are you trying to say. I'm "keeping up." I disagree that there needs to be a change.

You're comparing your 49ers record to the winners of the NFCE & NFCN. You played completely different teams.

Only teams in your division have a similar schedule to you, which is why you're compared to teams within your division for getting a home game.


If you guys win in GB next week, I expect this to go away until next time. I didn't hear a lot from NFL nation last year when Seattle had to travel to Washington (and almost lost), despite having a better record.

I don't think this change will ever happen. You're talking about taking away home games from some of the biggest markets in the NFL.

Then we'll leave it at that. I'm not gonna go through 10 more pages of tired argument. It's an inherently flawed system. If you disagree, that's fine, but that's why I think, and I think it'll inevitably change.

 

[Arete Tzu]

I don't think this change will ever happen. You're talking about taking away home games from some of the biggest markets in the NFL.

I don't give a shit about the market. If you want to give your fans a home game, win it.

 

[erckm510]

There are a lot of things we can't change. Doesn't mean it can't be discussed.

That said, I guarantee you that this WILL change. Give it time. More and more people are realizing how absolutely ludicrous this system is.

There are only 32 people whose opinion counts on the current NFL system. And those people are making a shit ton of money with this system that many fans love. So I highly doubt that it will ever change.

 

[clyde_carbon]

There are only 32 people whose opinion counts on the current NFL system. And those people are making a shit ton of money with this system that many fans love. So I highly doubt that it will ever change.

Because if they change the system, they won't make a shit ton of money?

 

[Kinzu]

4 playoff spots should go to the division winners. The division winner is determined by record against division opponents. If you can't win within your division you don't deserve to be the division winner.

4 Wild Card spots would be determined by overall record among non-division winners.

Playoffs would be seeded as such.

All team receive a bye week as the playoffs start 2 weeks after the season ends.

Week 1 - Division Grudge Match
Each division winner is paired against one of the Wild Card teams. If a Wild Card team is from your Division you have to play them. If 2 Wild Card teams are from your division you play the one with the worst overall record. If no team from your Division is a Wild Card team you are paired with a team based on overall record. The team with the best overall record would be paired with the Wild Card team that has the worst overall record not already playing a Division foe and so on. All Division Winners get the Home game.

Week 2
The Winners from the previous week will be seeded based on overall record. The Top 2 teams remaining will receive home field advantage.

Week 3
Of the 2 teams remaining the team with the best overall record will play the home game for the Conference Championship

Week 4
NFL would never remove this so another bye week

Week 5
Super Bowl

This system would mean Week 1 of the playoffs would look like this.
NFC
Cardinals@49ers
Saints@Panthers
Eagles@Cowboys
Seahawks@Lions

AFC
Bengals@Patriots
Ravens@Steelers
Chiefs@Colts
Chargers@Broncos

As you can see under this system not much changes in the AFC this year other than the Steelers and Ravens getting thanks to the expanded system. The NFC though would see the Packers and Bears fail to make it. The Lions actually had a better division record than both of them. The same goes for the NFC East where the Cowboys had a better record than the Eagles. The Eagles still get in though as a Wild Card team along with the Saints, Cardinals, and Seahawks.

The Seahawks if they were to get through the Lions would have Home Field advantage throughout the rest of the playoffs as they hold the best overall record.

This system rewards overall records in much the same way as the current system, but it puts an even greater emphasis on winning your games against division foes. It also creates for a very fun drama filled opening week to the playoffs as you will get several division rivalry games to determine who stays and who goes home.

 

[Arete Tzu]

How is this for a major market? I'm sure Cardinal fans would have been more excited.

Thousands of unsold seats at Lambeau Field - ESPN

 

[erckm510]

Because if they change the system, they won't make a shit ton of money?

Maybe, maybe not. The simple point that I'm making is that since the NFL is a business, if that business is making alot of money doing things one way why would they risk a change that might lose them money. Businesses don't risk profits.

 

[h0ckeysk83r]

Why the hell are people saying we are whining about the current system? Even when the Seahawks made it' it was very disgusting. We didn't like it.

We are not whining we are having a discussion about how the 6 best teams are not making the playoffs. What do we have to whine about? We have made the playoffs cleanly these last 3 years.

The only slight gripe is having to go to lambeau with a better record. That is definitely something that can be changed. But not something that we are crying about. I'd be much more pissed to be a cardinals fan right now and sitting at home when the packers are in the dance. That's the bigger issue to me. It would be a bonus if they reseeded it different in regard to home field advantage.

The fact is the 6 best teams are not making it into the playoffs. And that is a disgrace.

 

[JDM]

4 playoff spots should go to the division winners. The division winner is determined by record against division opponents. If you can't win within your division you don't deserve to be the division winner.

4 Wild Card spots would be determined by overall record among non-division winners.

Playoffs would be seeded as such.

All team receive a bye week as the playoffs start 2 weeks after the season ends.

Week 1 - Division Grudge Match
Each division winner is paired against one of the Wild Card teams. If a Wild Card team is from your Division you have to play them. If 2 Wild Card teams are from your division you play the one with the worst overall record. If no team from your Division is a Wild Card team you are paired with a team based on overall record. The team with the best overall record would be paired with the Wild Card team that has the worst overall record not already playing a Division foe and so on. All Division Winners get the Home game.

Week 2
The Winners from the previous week will be seeded based on overall record. The Top 2 teams remaining will receive home field advantage.

Week 3
Of the 2 teams remaining the team with the best overall record will play the home game for the Conference Championship

Week 4
NFL would never remove this so another bye week

Week 5
Super Bowl

This system would mean Week 1 of the playoffs would look like this.
NFC
Cardinals@49ers
Saints@Panthers
Eagles@Cowboys
Seahawks@Lions

AFC
Bengals@Patriots
Ravens@Steelers
Chiefs@Colts
Chargers@Broncos

As you can see under this system not much changes in the AFC this year other than the Steelers and Ravens getting thanks to the expanded system. The NFC though would see the Packers and Bears fail to make it. The Lions actually had a better division record than both of them. The same goes for the NFC East where the Cowboys had a better record than the Eagles. The Eagles still get in though as a Wild Card team along with the Saints, Cardinals, and Seahawks.

The Seahawks if they were to get through the Lions would have Home Field advantage throughout the rest of the playoffs as they hold the best overall record.

This system rewards overall records in much the same way as the current system, but it puts an even greater emphasis on winning your games against division foes. It also creates for a very fun drama filled opening week to the playoffs as you will get several division rivalry games to determine who stays and who goes home.

Awful. There is no acceptable possibility where half the league gets in.

Admittedly every possible suggestion will be a downgrade, but this is a bad one.

 

[erckm510]

Awful. There is no acceptable possibility where half the league gets in.

Admittedly every possible suggestion will be a downgrade, but this is a bad one.

Yeah I don't like this scenario at all.

 

[deep9er]

IMO the entire purpose of Wildcard teams, is for teams with a good season to still enter the play-offs. a wildcard is "a second chance" should you not win your Division. a wildcard berth shouldn't then be a reason to claim yet a higher seed?

anyway, the problem isn't having Divisions, it is having an 'equal' schedule to which you can compare records? if two teams play a different schedule, how can you say one team is better than the next, based on records?

 

[Jim Rome is Flaming]

My final thought on this. I've always felt that the point of the playoffs is to find the best team. If you don't win your division, you aren't the best team. You should be thankful to be in the playoffs at all.