Playoff expansion a done deal for 2015

[RS12]

 

[dstovall5]

So how many teams are making the playoffs now? If it's above 50%, then I'm completely against it. No way should any team in the bottom half of the league be able to continue their season in January with a chance to win the super bowl.

 

[Hoofbite]

Don't care for it.

There's no need to increase the number.

Will it be a 3rd wildcard? 14 teams in the playoffs?

 

[Toruk_Makto]

One additional team per conference is what i've heard.

I'm cool with it.

 

[Machete]

and we'll still miss it by one game.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

2 more games on WC weekend. THIS CHANGE WILL END FOOTBALL AS WE KNOW IT!!!! OH NO I HAVE TO WATCH MORE OF THE BEST FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SURE THAT IF MY TEAM IS THE 7 SEED THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LIKE THAT THEY MADE THE PLAYOFFS BECAUSE I WILL STILL FEEL THEY DID NOT DESERVE IT!!!!!!!!1

 

[RS12]

I am against lessening the impact of the regular season. Less teams in the playoffs means regular season games that are much more must win situations.

 

[links18]

It sucks that a 10-6 team can miss the playoffs for an 7-9 division winner, but winning the division should count for something, so I am cool with it.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...s-surrounding-impending-nfl-playoff-expansion

This was published 5 days ago but it's saying there isn't an official format yet. The most likely format would be only one team gets a bye. I'm guessing it would look like this:


(For simplicity sake, let's assume all the higher seeds win)


Round 1

#1 seed gets bye

#2 division winner vs #7 wildcard

#3 division winner vs #6 wildcard

#4 division winner vs #5 wildcard

Round 2

#1 seed vs # 4 division winner

#2 division winner vs #3 division winner

Round 3

#1 seed vs #2 division winner

Round 4

Super Bowl

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Glass half full outlook:

At least teams who earned a playoff spot will get in (i.e. Cardinals last year, Patriots when they went 11-5 with Cassell)


Glass half empty outlook:

A really bad team will make the playoffs. If you thought it was bad when a 7-9 Seahawks made the playoffs, wait till a 6-10 makes it.

 

[Hoofbite]

Glass half full outlook:

At least teams who earned a playoff spot will get in (i.e. Cardinals last year, Patriots when they went 11-5 with Cassell)


Glass half empty outlook:

A really bad team will make the playoffs. If you thought it was bad when a 7-9 Seahawks made the playoffs, wait till a 6-10 makes it.

I don't think it makes it more likely that a 6-10 team makes it.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I am against lessening the impact of the regular season. Less teams in the playoffs means regular season games that are much more must win situations.

I have been reading about topological approaches to questions like this one ie how many truly competitive situations regarding the playoffs there could be. In the vein I will try and demonstrate how you are wrong.

Competition comes in three forms. Challenge to division leads, people struggling for the last spot, and jockeying for position for home field advantage. Those are the vertex, edges and sides.

You will still see 4 division races so those matchups are still possible. You will still have a finite number of wild card slots and so there will still be jockeying for those last spots just as there were before. Now otoh there are 7 teams jockeying for position versus 6. That in theory presents one more team competing for HFA. In fact the symmetry looks exactly the same at least from the end points of top teams and bottom teams. It is just longer, so to speak, because of the additional team or teams per conference. Longer speaks to more quantity or more places where competition is possible.

I would argue that expansion means more competition unless you dont think coaches find HFA important enough to compete over.

 

[CF74]

The main drawback is good players can end up getting injured while playing a lesser team thereby decreasing said teams chance of making it to the Super Bowl and then The Show is watered down..

 

[RS12]

I have been reading about topological approaches to questions like this one ie how many truly competitive situations regarding the playoffs there could be. In the vein I will try and demonstrate how you are wrong.

Competition comes in three forms. Challenge to division leads, people struggling for the last spot, and jockeying for position for home field advantage. Those are the vertex, edges and sides.

You will still see 4 division races so those matchups are still possible. You will still have a finite number of wild card slots and so there will still be jockeying for those last spots just as there were before. Now otoh there are 7 teams jockeying for position versus 6. That in theory presents one more team competing for HFA. In fact the symmetry looks exactly the same at least from the end points of top teams and bottom teams. It is just longer, so to speak, because of the additional team or teams per conference. Longer speaks to more quantity or more places where competition is possible.

I would argue that expansion means more competition unless you dont think coaches find HFA important enough to compete over.

I take more of motivational approach, particularly early to mid season, instead of this is a must win game, now the thought process could be more teams get in to the playoffs so we'll get em next week. That used to be the great thing about college football, every week was like a playoff and only two teams made the Championship game, now cheapened by expanded playoffs. Takes the desperation out of each week.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I don't think it makes it more likely that a 6-10 team makes it.

Probably not. Usually when an "undeserving" team makes the playoffs, they're a division winner. And usually when a deserving team doesn't make the playoffs, they're not a division winner. So this actually might be a good thing.

 

[links18]

It all depends on how much you think a division championship should be worth. Arguably, it was worth more when divisions were 5 teams, but it is what it is today-4 divisions per conference means eight division champions.

 

[Craig]

Just add 2 more and get rid of the playoff bye altogether and i'll be happy.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

Probably not. Usually when an "undeserving" team makes the playoffs, they're a division winner. And usually when a deserving team doesn't make the playoffs, they're not a division winner. So this actually might be a good thing.

Right. This doesn't really mess things up as much as the "get off my lawn" types think. The real culprit for bad teams getting in the playoffs has always been 4 team divisions. Now sometimes, this will let a bad team in as well, but it will also put in teams that will make the field stronger.

 

[CowboyChris]

I dont like it cause the #2 seed no longer gets a bye in the 1st round, cause some 7-9 team may back into the playoffs

 

[EST_1986]

I dont like it cause the #2 seed no longer gets a bye in the 1st round, cause some 7-9 team may back into the playoffs

No 7-9 will make the 7th seed.