Aikman: "4-7 Division Leading Falcons an Argument Against Playoff Expansion"

[links18]

Or words to that effect during yesterday's broadcast. Really Troy? The state of the NFC South this year actually seems like it could be an argument FOR playoff expansion. If you are going to continue to award division winners then maybe an extra spot is called for, especially considering this year when a 7-9 or even 6-10 division winner might leave a 10-6 or 11-5 team (possibly the Cowboys) home for the playoffs. Thoughts?

 

[Super_Kazuya]

Or words to that effect during yesterday's broadcast. Really Troy? The state of the NFC South this year actually seems like it could be an argument FOR playoff expansion. If you are going to continue to award division winners then maybe an extra spot is called for, especially considering this year when a 7-9 or even 6-10 division winner might leave a 10-6 or 11-5 team (possibly the Cowboys) home for the playoffs. Thoughts?

You're spot on... Troy didn't think this through, but maybe it didn't come out right.

 

[dupree89]

I say keep it how it is. These divisions are cyclical. It wasn't long ago that we were all saying how pathetic the NFC West was. You want to be sure you get in the playoffs? Go win your division. If Dallas somehow is 10-6 and doesn't get in, I am not complaining about a 7-9 team winning the NFC South. I am complaining about how pathetic the Cowboys are at home. Their play this year at home is nothing short of embarrassing.

 

[links18]

I am complaining about how pathetic the Cowboys are at home. Their play this year at home is nothing short of embarrassing.

Well, that part I agree with.

 

[Alexander]

I can see the future commentary now. Blame the playoff structure if Dallas ends up with 10 wins and is on the outside looking in at a team with a losing record playing in January.

Jones has been in favor of more teams in the playoffs before and will just get more vocal about it if this happens.

 

[Szczepanik]

Easy rule change:

If a division leader does not have at least 8 wins, they are not eligible for playoff. Their spot would then be seen as an extra wildcard to a 11-5 team or so forth that would miss out.

 

[StylisticS]

Easy rule change:

If a division leader does not have at least 8 wins, they are not eligible for playoff. Their spot would then be seen as an extra wildcard to a 11-5 team or so forth that would miss out.

That's never going to happen and it shouldn't.

 

[windward]

Or words to that effect during yesterday's broadcast. Really Troy? The state of the NFC South this year actually seems like it could be an argument FOR playoff expansion. If you are going to continue to award division winners then maybe an extra spot is called for, especially considering this year when a 7-9 or even 6-10 division winner might leave a 10-6 or 11-5 team (possibly the Cowboys) home for the playoffs. Thoughts?

I agree with you here. I was like "huh?" When he said that. The seventh team in each conference are 8-4 and 7-4 currently. Poor argument by Troy.

 

[Szczepanik]

That's never going to happen and it shouldn't.

No one in the NFC South deserves a playoff spot in place of ANY of the wildcard hunts. Heck, even Chicago is more deserving, and that is truly saying something about that division.

 

[mahoneybill]

How about something really unique like best records regardless of division get in, and expand it by 2 teams....

That way the winners win, and those with the inferior records don't get to play...

 

[links18]

How about something really unique like best records regardless of division get in, and expand it by 2 teams....

That way the winners win, and those with the inferior records don't get to play...

The NFL wants as many teams in it as possible as late in the season as possible. Having four team divisions with a guaranteed playoff spot for one of them helps achieve this goal.

 

[Hoofbite]

Its rare that teams this awful are eligible.

There is no problem. No need to try and fix anything.

 

[CF74]

I would be all for expanding the playoffs if they tweak the qualifications to 9-7 or greater to get in.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

How about something really unique like best records regardless of division get in, and expand it by 2 teams....

That way the winners win, and those with the inferior records don't get to play...

You realize that if that happened there would be no relevance to the Cowboys/Giants, Cowboys/Eagles, Cowboys/Commanders games? I don't know about you but I enjoy those rivalries. They'd become as meaningless as Cowboys/Cardinals (formerly in the NFC East) have become.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I've felt that there should be playoff expansion for a few years now. But, not just because of the situation the Cowboys (or any team) could be in by losing a playoff spot to a sub-.500 team. I think it is too easy for the #1 and #2 seeds in the playoffs. They not only get HFA in the playoffs, but they get a bye week while their opponents are coming off a game.




YR

 

[mahoneybill]

You realize that if that happened there would be no relevance to the Cowboys/Giants, Cowboys/Eagles, Cowboys/Commanders games? I don't know about you but I enjoy those rivalries. They'd become as meaningless as Cowboys/Cardinals (formerly in the NFC East) have become.

To me they would be the same, as those would count towards best records , but also understand the historical " bragging rights" of divisional play/championships.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

To me they would be the same, as those would count towards best records , but also understand the historical " bragging rights" of divisional play/championships.

So do you treat Cardinals games the same as Eagles games? They were division rivals for 31 years until recently. If your answer is no, then in 5 years an Eagles game would be no different than a Jaguars game.

 

[links18]

If they had divisions of some number greater than four, division championships would be more meaningful.

 

[StylisticS]

No one in the NFC South deserves a playoff spot in place of ANY of the wildcard hunts. Heck, even Chicago is more deserving, and that is truly saying something about that division.

Your beef is on the amount of teams. Teams that win their division get rewarded period. This,btw, is going to happen more often in the near future.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

If you got rid of division winner playoff berths, there would be no need to play the current schedule. It would actually be somewhat unfair, as a team like New England would be competing for playoff berths (not just overall seeding) while getting to beat up on the AFC Least every year. But if you ditch the current schedule, what do you use? The current setup has a really nice symmetry going.

If you had two more teams, you could actually play a round robin conference schedule, alternating home and road every year. But it would be like baseball used to be, no games between AFC and NFC.