A Jerry Jones kind of rule change

[TheMarathonContinues]

If you apply this rule going back to the realignment you'd have close to the same amount of 10-6 teams make the playoffs as 8-8 teams. But it also would have let in 15+ amount of 9-7 teams. So it is heavily loaded with 8-8 and 9-7 teams.

I’m fine with it as long as we never have a 9 or 10 win not yet in over a 8 win team.

 

[Hadenough]

Mediocrity about to be rewarded. Jerry will like this a lot. Thoughts on the change?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28975474/nfl-playoff-expansion-14-teams-everything-need-know

That was my immediate thought when I first saw this. Dallas still wouldnt of made the playoffs this last year though. The Rams would of made it but at least Dallas could say they beat a playoff team.

 

[Flamma]

You can still have that happen due to small divisions. If the NFL expanded to 36 teams it would be good if they realigned to three 6 team divisions in each conf. That would probably eliminate 8-8 division winners. But now the NFL is moving more towards NBA and NHL style playoffs. The playoffs are not among the best teams and the regular season is primarily for seeding. The more playoff teams the more revenue. It's not about improving the game. MLB is trying really hard to get there but it's a slow process.

 

[Flamma]

That was my immediate thought when I first saw this. Dallas still wouldnt of made the playoffs this last year though. The Rams would of made it but at least Dallas could say they beat a playoff team.

Yeah. The Rams at 9-7 and the Steelers at 8-8 make the playoffs. I'm excited just thinking about what could have been.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Goodell was asked last season about after the new CBA gets worked out did he see the league adding any expansion teams and he said with the make up of the league with 8 divisions with 4 teams each he didn't see a fair way of adding any teams.
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During the time after the Browns returned to the NFL and before the Texans, the NFL had 31 teams. Most divisions had 5 teams. The central divisions, if I recall correctly, had 6. Thus, I think it's possible. Unless they want to expand a team into each division. That could be doable.

 

[OmerV]

Mediocrity about to be rewarded. Jerry will like this a lot. Thoughts on the change?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28975474/nfl-playoff-expansion-14-teams-everything-need-know

That's not what makes it a Jerry Jones type rule change. What makes it a Jerry Jones type rule change is that it is designed to bring in more revenue.

 

[Bobhaze]

Mediocrity about to be rewarded. Jerry will like this a lot. Thoughts on the change?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28975474/nfl-playoff-expansion-14-teams-everything-need-know

I absolutely hate this. Too many playoff teams weakens the reg season and it makes “parity” instead of excellence the dominant theme of the NFL. The only reason this change happened was greed. The very thing killing this league’s future.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Hate it.

The #2 seeds are being punished by losing their bye.

They have to earn their way to the Divisional Round now by pummeling some garbage #7 seed that probably finished 8-8 or 9-7.

Way to water down the playoffs, clowns. Fixing what isn’t broken.

Kind of like paying Top money to players who aren't the top players at their positions right? Hey, the market is driving these things. Don't stress.

 

[gjkoeppen]

During the time after the Browns returned to the NFL and before the Texans, the NFL had 31 teams. Most divisions had 5 teams. The central divisions, if I recall correctly, had 6. Thus, I think it's possible. Unless they want to expand a team into each division. That could be doable.

I get that you think it's possible but from Goodell's interview I got the idea the he doesn't thinks so. There was a constant barrage of complaints to the league office when the divisions were of different sizes. Teams in 5 team divisions complained that 4 team divisions had it easier to win the division title. There was a lot of internal squabbling about that.and was made public during a congressional hearing about the leagues antitrust exemption.
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[coogrfan]

I hate the playoff expansion policy. It's so stupid. The only reason it makes sense is if they plan to expand teams into the league. And I don't see why they can't expand at least 2-4 more teams. That way, at least it makes more sense to need the playoff spot. I can think of some places for the NFL to expand to.

You're not concerned about diluting the product? There aren't enough good qb's now.

 

[The Natural]

Hate it.

The #2 seeds are being punished by losing their bye.

They have to earn their way to the Divisional Round now by pummeling some garbage #7 seed that probably finished 8-8 or 9-7.

Way to water down the playoffs, clowns. Fixing what isn’t broken.

The 2 seeds are being punished by finishing second.

 

[Bullflop]

No need to mention that a change to a 14 team playoff expansion may serve to allow our Cowboys better access to the playoffs!

 

[Nav22]

The 2 seeds are being punished by finishing second.

And the mediocre 7 seeds are being rewarded.

 

[Doomsday77]

So as almost everyone has said, it's about the $$. How else are the owners going to recoup the additional money they have to pay out for the extra regular season game and the loss of a pre-season game?

 

[The Natural]

And the mediocre 7 seeds are being rewarded.

Dont be suprised when a 7 seed beats a 2 seed, not pummeled as you said.

 

[Flamma]

Dont be suprised when a 7 seed beats a 2 seed, not pummeled as you said.

I won't be surprised. The 1-15 Cowboys won a game against a team that went 10-6. We all know it can happen, that's really not the point. Does that team deserve to be in the playoffs based on their regular season in the first place?

I could be wrong and thinking about this the wrong way. I thought the regular season was about seeing who makes the playoffs. A battle of the best teams. But if they're going to drag every team that is .500 and over into the playoffs, the regular season is more about seeding than anything else.

 

[CouchCoach]

The NFL has effectively just about insured that the #1 seeds get to the SB. The bye teams have a distinct advantage and now there is only one in each conference.

This change did not make the playoffs any better, just made more money for the NFL. But then, how many changes and rules do they make that actually makes the game better?

 

[InTheZone]

we already have bottom feeders that clearly don't belong making it, now they're adding another from each conference.. We're devaluing the whole point of the playoffs

 

[Nav22]

Dont be suprised when a 7 seed beats a 2 seed, not pummeled as you said.

That might be even worse.

Who the hell wants to see some mediocre 8-8 or 9-7 team - that wouldn’t have even qualified for the playoffs a year ago - advance to a title game?

Why stop there? Why don’t we just allow 8 teams per conference like the NBA and NHL?

You know why? Because what makes the NFL special is how difficult it is just to make the playoffs. It makes each of the 16 (for now) regular-season games THAT much more important.

By expanding the regular season AND postseason, they’ve effectively diminished the importance of each game AND watered down the playoff field. Terrible.

 

[charron]

expanded playoffs and we still can't get in. Fun times ahead.