CFZ Here are some divisional scenarios

[erod]

You’re literally undermining your own point.

The fact that not all divisions are equal is precisely why you do away with division seeding.

No, you're undermining yours.

Tougher divisions can result in lesser records for better teams. There were years when the 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, and Cardinals were all good, much like the AFC North with the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals for a good while. Those teams beat each other up, while a wild card from another division puts up a better record with an easier path.

The Cowboys have had an extremely easy schedule thus far. Their record is pumped up a bit at the moment because of it. They finally beat a winning team yesterday. (Beat the crud out of them, in fact.)

There's no way to fix this to work every year, so just leave it alone.

Dallas only had to beat 3 teams to win their division. If they can't do that, then they deserve the 5 seed. Period.

 

[WillieBeamen]

If we can get through Buffalo and Miami somehow, I think we win out. Detroit is falling apart and Washington gave up a month ago.

Huge IF

 

[erod]

If we can get through Buffalo and Miami somehow, I think we win out. Detroit is falling apart and Washington gave up a month ago.

Agreed. The next two weeks will be telling to see how they handle last night's glorious success.

 

[StarOfGlory]

Giants are tanking.I bet they will draft a QB if given a chance.

If they do, their next five picks better be o-line.

 

[Flamma]

I think our only chance is winning out and hoping the Eagles drop another game. I don't see another realistic path. The Eagles are going to flush the Giants down the toilet in both games.

 

[doomsday9084]

Dallas loses to Buffalo or Miami

- Dallas is likely dead for the division. In this scenario, we'd need need the Eagles to lose to the Giants so we would beat them out using the divisional tiebreaker. A loss to Buffalo or Miami puts us behind the Eagles in common games and we'd need them to lose both the Seahawks and Cards games so we could either finish one game clear or them or win the common games tiebreaker.

I believe that we would be tied on common games since they lost to NYJ. Dallas losses would be Arizona and Miami/Buffalo. Philly losses would be NYJ and Seattle/Arizona.

This assumes that Philly loses to Seattle or Arizona and not NYG. If they are tied at this point than division record and conference record are tied. It then goes to "strength of victory".

Right now, Philly has that tie breaker but its close. We would want NYJ, Detroit, Carolina and Seattle (if that is who Philly loses to) to win and Buffalo/Miami, Arizona, KC and Minnesota to lose.

Its possible for Dallas to have this tie breaker by the end of the season.

 

[links18]

Here’s the most complex ending: both teams lose next week and then win out.

Philly and Dallas are both then 13-4, both have the same division record, common opponents record, conference record. Then it goes to strength of victory where KC is falling in winning%, and Miami will give Dallas a jolt as they’re very likely the AFC’s #1 seed (Baltimore has Jags-9ers-Dolphins-Steelers left).

So what decides the division may very well end up being how big the difference is between TB and Carolina’s final records. If Carolina can win a couple more games I think it’ll be really close due to Detroit vs Minnesota record differences and that KC’s record is now much closer to Los Angeles’… and Dallas beat 5 win NYJ while Philly’s counterpunch will have being beaten 2 win ARI.

Thanks, you made my head hurt!

 

[Sydla]

I believe that we would be tied on common games since they lost to NYJ. Dallas losses would be Arizona and Miami/Buffalo. Philly losses would be NYJ and Seattle/Arizona.

This assumes that Philly loses to Seattle or Arizona and not NYG. If they are tied at this point than division record and conference record are tied. It then goes to "strength of victory".

Right now, Philly has that tie breaker but its close. We would want NYJ, Detroit, Carolina and Seattle (if that is who Philly loses to) to win and Buffalo/Miami, Arizona, KC and Minnesota to lose.

Its possible for Dallas to have this tie breaker by the end of the season.

This is what I said. If we lose to Buffalo or Miami, we would likely need the Eagles to lose to the Giants so it never gets to common games and then maybe conference games. Because if it gets to common games if we lose to Buffalo or Miami, our options become more limited and we need lots more help.

 

[DrlabonAggiesCowboys]

If we can get through Buffalo and Miami somehow, I think we win out. Detroit is falling apart and Washington gave up a month ago.

Detroit and Miami look about the same, both teams haven't really beaten any elite teams in their conferences. Miami may be the stronger of the two teams but marginally so. Dallas will get a tough test from Buffalo but I think they win that game. I also think the Eagles are 50/50 to lose to Seattle if Geno Smith returns.

 

[Silverz1972]

Seahawks has beat eagles last 7 times they have played them. Now granted they haven’t played them in three years.

Think seahawks don’t beat them though for any other team to pull upset.

 

[JBS]

I said in another thread, our best path to winning the division is giants beating philly. I think thats more realistic of an outcome than us winning out and the Seahawks beating them

It will allows us to be able to drop one of the next 2 and still win it

How are the giants going to beat them ? They’re atrocious

 

[beware_d-ware]

What is even the advantage of winning the division? Say the 49ers lock up the 1 seed... the NFC East champ probably gets the #2 seed and faces #7. But if Dallas takes the top wild card slot and becomes the #5 team, then we play some #4 seed NFC South jokers who are equal to a #7 if not worse.

The math breaks down the same either way. We're guaranteed a playoff spot, we play an easy WC game to start, then we have a big-boy divisional round game against the 49ers or Philly.

 

[DUO_CORE]

If we both lose out, who wins the division?

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

No, you're undermining yours.

Tougher divisions can result in lesser records for better teams. There were years when the 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, and Cardinals were all good, much like the AFC North with the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals for a good while. Those teams beat each other up, while a wild card from another division puts up a better record with an easier path.

The Cowboys have had an extremely easy schedule thus far. Their record is pumped up a bit at the moment because of it. They finally beat a winning team yesterday. (Beat the crud out of them, in fact.)

There's no way to fix this to work every year, so just leave it alone.

Dallas only had to beat 3 teams to win their division. If they can't do that, then they deserve the 5 seed. Period.

What aren’t you computing?

If you do away with the divisions then you aren’t locked in to playing each other twice a year. You avoid

No system is perfect, or can account for all scenarios l, but to just say “let’s just stay the same” is weak-minded and accepting of a subpar product.

And before you appeal to the notion of rivalries…spare me. The divisions already don’t make sense geographically and we have rivals (49ers, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, etc) that are in other divisions and conferences. Not to mention, the rivalries with Philly, Giants, etc, don’t just go away.

 

[DrlabonAggiesCowboys]

What is even the advantage of winning the division? Say the 49ers lock up the 1 seed... the NFC East champ probably gets the #2 seed and faces #7. But if Dallas takes the top wild card slot and becomes the #5 team, then we play some #4 seed NFC South jokers who are equal to a #7 if not worse.

The math breaks down the same either way. We're guaranteed a playoff spot, we play an easy WC game to start, then we have a big-boy divisional round game against the 49ers or Philly.

What you are angling for is home-field. Dallas would get the first and second games at home (where we have been awesome). As the 2 seed, we would host Seattle or GB in the WC, then Philly (who is the 5) at home in the Divisional. Then, maybe San Fran (assuming they are the 1 seed) loses their Divisional round against Seattle or GB (who I think will beat Detroit), giving us the NFC title game at home.

 

[beware_d-ware]

What you are angling for is home-field. Dallas would get the first and second games at home (where we have been awesome). As the 2 seed, we would host Seattle or GB in the WC, then Philly (who is the 5) at home in the Divisional. Then, maybe San Fran (assuming they are the 1 seed) loses their Divisional round against Seattle or GB (who I think will beat Detroit), giving us the NFC title game at home.

That's the issue right there... it comes down to crossing our fingers that we can avoid the Niners.

This is the best Cowboys team I have seen since at least 2007, but this just looks like the Niners' year.

 

[WillieBeamen]

If we both lose out, who wins the division?

We do

 

[Tabascocat]

Hopefully, SF and Dallas broke the Philthy Egals and they free fall. No need for a tie-breaker then

 

[JohnBoy]

Question: why is Dallas now considered at the top of the NFCE? According to a quick Google search "How do the NFL division standings work?":

"If two teams are tied in the division standings, the first tiebreaker is their head-to-head record against each other. From there, if the tied teams have an identical head-to-head record, the next tiebreaker is their divisional record. Following that, he next tiebreaker is their record against common opponents."

I still see a tie between Cowboys & Eagles given these three criteria, help me...

 

[Jstopper]

Question: why is Dallas now considered at the top of the NFCE? According to a quick Google search "How do the NFL division standings work?":

"If two teams are tied in the division standings, the first tiebreaker is their head-to-head record against each other. From there, if the tied teams have an identical head-to-head record, the next tiebreaker is their divisional record. Following that, he next tiebreaker is their record against common opponents."

I still see a tie between Cowboys & Eagles given these three criteria, help me...

They are not tied in divisional standings. The eagles are 3-1 and the cowboys are 4-1