Question About The Importance Of Division Record?

[rgcowboys]

With the Raiders going undefeated in their division and still not winning it, is it that important? The Raiders went 6-0 and the Chiefs went 2-4 in their division. Also with the NFL thinking about a 18 game season, will the division games count less? Remember if you have a easy schedule outside your division, then you have a serious advantage. Just a question to get your thoughts.

 

[NinePointOh]

7 of the 8 division champs had the top divisional record in their respective divisions. It's important, but not so dominant that you can go 2-8 in all of your other games (like the Raiders) and still expect to make the playoffs.

 

[SDCowboy]

Every game is important at only 16-18 games. Division game extra importance comes from them being tie breakers.

 

[JD_KaPow]

With the Raiders going undefeated in their division and still not winning it, is it that important? The Raiders went 6-0 and the Chiefs went 2-4 in their division. Also with the NFL thinking about a 18 game season, will the division games count less?

Divisional games are worth 3/8 of a team's record, plus a bit because of their effect on tiebreakers. In an 18 game schedule, they'll be worth 1/3, plus a somewhat lesser bit (because the odds of two teams ending with the same record will go down slightly). That's how important they are.

Remember if you have a easy schedule outside your division, then you have a serious advantage. Just a question to get your thoughts.

An advantage over who? All the teams in a division play the same out-of-division schedule, with the exception of 2 games. So yes, a last-place team will generally have an advantage over the first-place team in their division - the schedule is designed precisely to give them that advantage. It will be interesting to see what they do with an 18-game schedule - will they schedule games that increase or offset that advantage?