Playoffs need altering!

[SDCowboy]

I don't think a losing team should make the playoffs either but it's very rare when it happens. If they add 2 more teams to the playoffs which seems to be the plan then that will open the door for losing teams to qualify. They asked Goodell not long ago if the NFL would move away from divisions and he didn't seem in favor of that. I think the league would have issues moving away from divisions but some revisions need to be made that reward all teams with good records.

It's certainly isn't fair to see an 11 win team miss the playoffs and a 7 win team qualify due to the conference or division they play in. The changes we've seen over the past several years have been to do with rule changes. They haven't tweaked the playoff system since 1990. The link gives you a brief history of how the NFL's playoff system has evolved over the years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_playoffs

I agree with you on expending the playoffs with more teams.

 

[windward]

I'm in favor of division champions making the playoffs but not necessarily getting a home game.

 

[Direwolf63]

I'm not so sure I agree with this. In 2008 the Patriots were 11-5, missed the playoffs and I don't remember any of us being all that upset about it.

Why is it different just because we root for Dallas?

Rooting for Dallas has nothing to do with it. As I stated in another post, I would be embarrassed if the Cowboys made the playoffs at 6-10 while an 11-5 team didn't make it.
IIRC, the Patriots missed the playoffs and the Chargers made it with an 8-8 record. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now.
I'm not upset about it. But this situation is absurd. And there is an easy fix to it that I have already explained. It keeps division races relevant, which I think we all want. All it does it fix a absurd situation when it needs fixing. When all division winners has a winning record, the fix doesn't apply. Everything remains as it does today.

It's simple, and it makes sense. I know traditionalists don't like it. Fine. This is an opinion board, after all. It's not a revolutionary idea. Just a tweak to what we have now.

And I'm sure this change won't ever happen, likely because it makes too much sense for the NFL to adopt.

 

[links18]

They could go to two eight team divisions per conference, top two teams in each division make it, plus two wild cards per conference. Oh hell, I don't know.

 

[Direwolf63]

They could go to two eight team divisions per conference, top two teams in each division make it, plus two wild cards per conference. Oh hell, I don't know.

You don't have to dismantle the divisions to make the system work better. Just tweak the system.

 

[links18]

You don't have to dismantle the divisions to make the system work better. Just tweak the system.

I guess, but a division championship was a little more meaningful when there were three divisions of five teams (or two of 5, one of four or six--whatever).

 

[MissouriCowboy]

The NFL needs to redo the playoffs system. Division winners must have atleast a .500 record, if not, they just need to allow the 6 best teams! It's an embarrassment to the league and the game to have anyone from the NFC south in and an 11-5 team (potentially) out!

I agree. Dallas was 7-9 and got in I be ashamed/

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I'm okay with the current system; the goal should be to win the division.

 

[EST_1986]

What if we were 7-9 but won the division, but yet weren't allowed in the playoffs, because it was the worst record for playoff teams, so we are ousted from a team finishing 8-8.

Then we would have same titled thread different post

 

[Beast_from_East]

The league already knows that. Expect changes this off season.

The NFL is going to expand the playoffs by adding more wildcard teams................they are not going to seed by overall record because they want to keep division games important. That is why they put all the division games at the end of the season.

By adding more wildcard teams, you do away with the problem of an 11-5 team not making the playoffs but you still retain the importance of division games.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

If the Cowboys finish 11-5 and are home for the playoffs, and the Saints/Falcons/Panthers are the 4 seed with a 6-10 or worse record, I'm likely going to break something around the house.

Three years of 8-8 finally dead and Dallas still gets screwed by a seeding system.

 

[Hostile]

Rooting for Dallas has nothing to do with it. As I stated in another post, I would be embarrassed if the Cowboys made the playoffs at 6-10 while an 11-5 team didn't make it.
IIRC, the Patriots missed the playoffs and the Chargers made it with an 8-8 record. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now.
I'm not upset about it. But this situation is absurd. And there is an easy fix to it that I have already explained. It keeps division races relevant, which I think we all want. All it does it fix a absurd situation when it needs fixing. When all division winners has a winning record, the fix doesn't apply. Everything remains as it does today.

It's simple, and it makes sense. I know traditionalists don't like it. Fine. This is an opinion board, after all. It's not a revolutionary idea. Just a tweak to what we have now.

And I'm sure this change won't ever happen, likely because it makes too much sense for the NFL to adopt.

To accomplish what you want the NFL would have to do away with Divisions and treat the post season just like the NBA or the NHL.

That's why I don't like the idea. Missing the playoffs at 11-5 would suck, but missing them at 8-8 sucks too.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

The NHL has gone back to divisions (and even before, it was divisions, just that the div winners got in automatically with the rest being by record, like the NFL).

The only time the NHL did not have division records count was 1979-1981 when top 16 got in regardless.

Now in the NHL, top three in each division get in regardless, with the next two best records in as wild cards.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

As others have said, simply add two wild cards and all this debate is moot. Sending a 6-10 team to the playoffs as a wild card would make far more sense than sending a 6-10 team to the playoffs as a top four seed and leaving a 10 and 11 win team at home watching. This is something that should've been done long ago.

 

[Hostile]

The NHL has gone back to divisions (and even before, it was divisions, just that the div winners got in automatically with the rest being by record, like the NFL).

The only time the NHL did not have division records count was 1979-1981 when top 16 got in regardless.

Now in the NHL, top three in each division get in regardless, with the next two best records in as wild cards.

That is the only thing I dislike about the NHL to be honest. Too many teams get in. I much prefer the way things are right now in the NFL. It is simply too diluted.

 

[TimHortons]

Too bad. Win more games.

I don't see changes coming either. But it should be changed. I proposed changes in another thread a couple of weeks ago.

If a division winner had 7 wins or less, they are replaced by a 3rd wildcard team if they have a better record. If the division winner and the 3rd WC team is tied, the division winner gets in.

Either make it the division winner, or 6 best records; adding in the 7 wins part is too arbitrary. Go one way or the other, either division winners, or top 6. So under your rules, a 7-9 division winner would not get in over a 10-6 team, but if they manged to win one more game to get to 8-8 they now get in over the 10-6 team? Doesn't sound right

 

[Sarge]

This same complaint has been going on for years.

 

[TimHortons]

I say make it top 6 records, then division record is the first tie breaker. That way, divisional games are still quite significant. Or, at least make division record one of the tiebreakers to keep some of the significance

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

That is the only thing I dislike about the NHL to be honest. Too many teams get in. I much prefer the way things are right now in the NFL. It is simply too diluted.

16 of 30 get in. You really cannot drop any and keep it even. Byes won't work given it would be "unfair" for one team to have to play of 7 while another rests and could theoretically be off up to 3 weeks.

The NHL will likely expand so it will be 16 of 32.

 

[Direwolf63]

To accomplish what you want the NFL would have to do away with Divisions and treat the post season just like the NBA or the NHL.

That's why I don't like the idea. Missing the playoffs at 11-5 would suck, but missing them at 8-8 sucks too.

Nonsense

AFC East Winner: 13-3 No. 1 seed
AFC South winner: 12-4 No. 2 seed
AFC West winner: 11-5 No. 3 seed
AFC north winner: 7-9 No. 4 seed

WC #1 11-5
WC #2 10-6
Next best record: 10-6

In this hypothetical situation, the 10-6 record moves in and the 7-9 record is out. How is that like the NBA or NHL? How does this do away with the divisions? It doesn"t. It's more fair than what we have now. The divisions stay. Only one is moved out because they are below .500.