Playoff Structure is Dated

[Aven8]

That scenario could happen in the NFC this year and the 2007 Giants would probably still make the playoffs under these discussed changes.

The AFC is a joke though. AFC Championship is set.

That's the way it was in the olds days as well. The East sucks in basketball as well. You never know though, Bortles sucks but they can play D. Tennessee can run the football as well so anything can happen. Pitts is not exactly consistent this season.

 

[SDCowboy]

I've said for years that they should get rid of divisions. Then the top 6 teams from each conference get in. Period. It would also get rid of three of the games being repeats, along with allowing for more varied matchups.

 

[robjay04]

Well, NBA, MLB, and NHL all still have confetences

People only complain about this when their team happened to be in the tougher confernce that year.
Not so much when its the other way around.

The NBA is openly talking about changing it up.

Commissioner and Lebron both spoke about something they want to see, potentially starting next season.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

I've said for years that they should get rid of divisions. Then the top 6 teams from each conference get in. Period. It would also get rid of three of the games being repeats, along with allowing for more varied matchups.

Then what on earth does the schedule look like with no divisions?
Some of you aren’t thinking this through. The NFL has the most balanced and frankly, elegant league set up and schedule of all the major sports. It’s the only league where a casual fan can look at the standings at the end of the season and know exactly who their team will be playing the next year. It’s also very balanced. In the NBA, a team in your division may only play the Warriors 3 times (with 2 game at home) while meanwhile you have to play then 4 times. They don’t have the right number of teams to play a balanced schedule. The NFL does.
The only way they could make a fair conference standing is to reduce the schedule by one game and play a round robin. But they would never do that.

 

[links18]

Divisions promote regional and historical rivalries. Moreover, they provide a mini goal within the season to win your division. That was more meaningful back when divisions were generally five teams, now a division championship just means you did better than three other teams. But it helps with marketing and gives a goal to shoot for other than winning it all because only one team wins the Super Bowl a year.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

It seems silly to me to think the Cowboys are playoff worthy.

As noted above, they had their chance and they blew it. Criticizing the current playoff structure to justify why the Cowboys are deserving is backwards to me.

We aren't. Had plenty of chances to make the playoffs.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Take division rivals away and watch the NFL ratings go down even more.

 

[hornitosmonster]

And by the way, I think we would lose to Jax, for example. We'd struggle to score on that defense.

The Cardinals beat them with Gabbert at QB. The Jags are not that good

 

[robjay04]

It’s crazy the amount of people that don’t read posts.

I specifically said leave the divisions together to keep the rivalarlies in tact but don’t guarantee a playoff spot the winner.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

I agree that teams like Dallas and Seattle blew their chance and don't deserve to be in the playoffs. But this year's playoff talent does seem uniquely terrible. I'd be surprised if the Patriots don't ease their way to another championship.

 

[Risen Star]

I'm a traditionalist, so no. Keep it the way it is. I don't believe the Cowboys, Lions or Seahawks are any better than the Chiefs. Doesn't matter anyway. Some years the strength is in the NFC, some years the AFC. If you're not top 6 in your conference you don't deserve to be there.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

It’s crazy the amount of people that don’t read posts.

I specifically said leave the divisions together to keep the rivalarlies in tact but don’t guarantee a playoff spot the winner.

Then what is the point of divisions?

 

[Ranching]

Yaaaaaaawwwwwwnnnn. Who gives a flying flip?

 

[Alexander]

That scenario could happen in the NFC this year and the 2007 Giants would probably still make the playoffs under these discussed changes.

The AFC is a joke though. AFC Championship is set.

We're you complaining when it was pretty much Dallas and Buffalo for a few years?

 

[robjay04]

Then what is the point of divisions?

Rivalries.

Still keep the divisional games every season but randomize the rest. I don’t think a divisional championship should guarantee a playoff spot. That is how we get teams with losing records in the playoffs.

Chances are if you dominate your divisional foes, you’re gonna make the playoffs regardless but a 7-9 team making it over a 10-6 team? Not good for football.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Rivalries.

Still keep the divisional games every season but randomize the rest. I don’t think a divisional championship should guarantee a playoff spot. That is how we get teams with losing records in the playoffs.

Chances are if you dominate your divisional foes, you’re gonna make the playoffs regardless but a 7-9 team making it over a 10-6 team? Not good for football.

That happens so rarely it isn't worth changing. I just looked it up and only 2 teams in non strike years have made the playoffs with losing records.

 

[camelboy]

I posted it few years ago and will post it again
After each season when teams are ranked from 1 to 32 the NFL should do a NFL Draw (similar to FIFA draw). Create 4 pots
pot 1 : Teams ranked from 1 to 8 (heads of each division)
pot 2: Teams ranked from 9 to 16
pot 3: Teams ranked from 17 to 24
pot 4: Teams ranked from 25 to 32

That's another blockbuster event on NFL calendar. Imagine the ratings. Now NFL can put some rules (like a team from the east coast cannot be placed in a group or division where all 3 teams are on the west coast. just an example)

Old rivalries do not exist anymore, TV networks are coming up with new rivalries depending on strong teams meeting in the playoffs for a few times (i.e., Pats v Colts) or big name QBs competing against each other ,, etc. But someone please tell me.. where is the Packs/Bears rivalry? Cowboys/Commanders? Chiefs/Raiders? Jets/Dolphins .. those games are now reserved for MNF which is the irrelevant TV spot on the NFL calendar..
Another point, teams like Pats is having a HUGE advantage from playing in a historically bad division, and almost every year getting HFA throughout the playoffs, thanks to the automatic 5 divisional wins they have before the season even begins...

If they are saying rating are going down (even with so called rivalries) why not shake things up with an earthquake ...that shod grab fans and everybody's attention
Imagine the draw event, the coverage, the analysis, the new rivalries, the level of play will get even better because you will not have bad divisions, and there is always the "division of death" ..

 

[sweetness0986]

Watching these playoff games, especially the AFC makes me realize that the NFL Playoffs are not really the “best of the best”.

Why do we even have conferences anymore? For that matter...why do we even have divisions?

Why don’t we randomize the schedule more and just have the best 12 teams in the entire NFL make the playoffs? We can still have divisions for scheduling purposes to keep some legendary rivalries in tact.

It seems silly to watch the Titans, Jaguars, Bills and Chiefs in the playoffs when they are obviously not better than several NFC teams. This isn’t necessarily a Cowboys thread but good luck in trying to convince me that the Cowboys, Seahawks or even the Lions wouldn’t be more competitive than this garbage.

I know the NBA has openly talked about doing this because of the talent discrepancy they in the West and East. The NBA is steadily picking up a lot of popularity, especially amongst young people because they aren’t afraid to switch up traditions. The NBA’s rising popularity will eventually start to eat into the NFL’s market share and I’m sure showcasing a Jaguars/Bills matchup doesn’t help matters. The NFL may need to start making changes like this instead of talking about further saturating the product by adding more playoff teams.

Hopefully this doesn’t get moved, I thought it would make good discussion.

Have you watched the Cowboys play lately? Didn’t look any better than the game we watched today.

 

[robjay04]

We're you complaining when it was pretty much Dallas and Buffalo for a few years?

No.

This wouldn’t really have changed that scenario. The difference would be the SB would’ve probably been the two best teams—-Cowboys versus 49ers which was really the best of the best matchup those years.

I didn’t think this thread would’ve been controversial. The best 12 teams in the league make the playoffs...seems like a win win for everyone who likes football.

 

[Alexander]

I didn’t think this thread would’ve been controversial.

It is not really that controversial.

No offense, but it seems kind of whiny since we are all sitting here wishing our team were playing this weekend.