With new format, even 12-5 is unlikely to cut it as 1 seeds have advantage to make the Super Bowl

[Jayinem]

The first year this is in place and look at what we have both #1 seeds in the Super Bowl. When you're a #1 seed you get homefield advantage throughout, but you're also the only team with a bye and your divisional round is going to be against the worst team left out of the other 6. You can pretty much pencil them in for the Conference Championship every year barring a huge upset, and then they'll likely be favorites to win in the Conference Championship too.

Being a wild card team was already a difficult task to win it all according to history, only happened a handful of times, especially when you're not a division winner and have to go on the road 3 times. But now there's even more of a disadvantage. I think it's a 4% chance according to history and that's before the format change.

I would temper expectations going forward unless you believe we can go 14-3. Pretty sickening that we were #1 seed twice but failed to win a game, but that's history.

I feel like it'd even be a little bit more fair to add an 8th team and have no byes, at least make #1` seed play as many games as everyone else. There's no such thing as byes in any sport but NFL.

 

[Jayinem]

These numbers were from 2022 and now #1s have a way bigger advantage than #2s, this is to win the Super Bowl. Going forward #1 seeds will have a higher percentage.

 

[Nova]

The only difference from before is that there’s one extra wild card team that could possibly upset a Division winner.

Philly just got very lucky this year with their Giants matchup and the injury to Purdy.

The Chiefs? They probably played the one team they didn’t want to play.

 

[Zman5]

This isn't the first year they had this format. And Rams won last year as the 4th seed. And the Bengals were in the SB as the 4th seed also.

 

[Jayinem]

This isn't the first year they had this format. And Rams won last year as the 4th seed. And the Bengals were in the SB as the 4th seed also.

Sorry last year was the first you're right. But those teams still at least won their division. If you don't win the division you're in that 4.3% category. So historically we had a 4.3% chance of winning the Super Bowl. It's really odd how 4 seeds have fared better than 3 seeds. But ideally you still want to be the 1 seed by a large margin. Still almost 75% of Super Bowls won by #1 or #2 seeds, and now that's going to go in favor of #1s even more since #2 has no bye.

 

[Legend]

The first year this is in place and look at what we have both #1 seeds in the Super Bowl. When you're a #1 seed you get homefield advantage throughout, but you're also the only team with a bye and your divisional round is going to be against the worst team left out of the other 6. You can pretty much pencil them in for the Conference Championship every year barring a huge upset, and then they'll likely be favorites to win in the Conference Championship too.

Being a wild card team was already a difficult task to win it all according to history, only happened a handful of times, especially when you're not a division winner and have to go on the road 3 times. But now there's even more of a disadvantage. I think it's a 4% chance according to history and that's before the format change.

I would temper expectations going forward unless you believe we can go 14-3. Pretty sickening that we were #1 seed twice but failed to win a game, but that's history.

I feel like it'd even be a little bit more fair to add an 8th team and have no byes, at least make #1` seed play as many games as everyone else. There's no such thing as byes in any sport but NFL.

Cowboys got to take care of business in the regular season by beating teams (they lost to) like Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Washington.

Home field advantage was also important even for the 1990s game below as Pat Summerall mentions in the intro.

I.e., the loser would have a much difficult path to the SB.

 

[Captain43Crash]

The first year this is in place and look at what we have both #1 seeds in the Super Bowl. When you're a #1 seed you get homefield advantage throughout, but you're also the only team with a bye and your divisional round is going to be against the worst team left out of the other 6. You can pretty much pencil them in for the Conference Championship every year barring a huge upset, and then they'll likely be favorites to win in the Conference Championship too.

Being a wild card team was already a difficult task to win it all according to history, only happened a handful of times, especially when you're not a division winner and have to go on the road 3 times. But now there's even more of a disadvantage. I think it's a 4% chance according to history and that's before the format change.

I would temper expectations going forward unless you believe we can go 14-3. Pretty sickening that we were #1 seed twice but failed to win a game, but that's history.

I feel like it'd even be a little bit more fair to add an 8th team and have no byes, at least make #1` seed play as many games as everyone else. There's no such thing as byes in any sport but NFL.

Yeah, the #1 seeds have a gigantic advantage.
Being in our division will make it really hard to get the #1 seed too. The Whiners will have a cake schedule compared to NFC East teams.
I think 8 teams with no byes is a excellent idea.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I think 8 teams with no byes is a excellent idea.

So half the league makes the playoffs? YUCK!

Cut it back to 6 teams and I'm all in. 4 division winners and 2 wildcards for each conference.

 

[john van brocklin]

The first year this is in place and look at what we have both #1 seeds in the Super Bowl. When you're a #1 seed you get homefield advantage throughout, but you're also the only team with a bye and your divisional round is going to be against the worst team left out of the other 6. You can pretty much pencil them in for the Conference Championship every year barring a huge upset, and then they'll likely be favorites to win in the Conference Championship too.

Being a wild card team was already a difficult task to win it all according to history, only happened a handful of times, especially when you're not a division winner and have to go on the road 3 times. But now there's even more of a disadvantage. I think it's a 4% chance according to history and that's before the format change.

I would temper expectations going forward unless you believe we can go 14-3. Pretty sickening that we were #1 seed twice but failed to win a game, but that's history.

I feel like it'd even be a little bit more fair to add an 8th team and have no byes, at least make #1` seed play as many games as everyone else. There's no such thing as byes in any sport but NFL.

With the shegals looking like a power house for the future, it's looking lean for us Cowboys fans.

 

[KingCorcoran]

With the shegals looking like a power house for the future, it's looking lean for us Cowboys fans.

If Philadelphia can go from a four win team to the Super Bowl in 25 months, so can everyone else. If the Eagles had stuck with Wentz for seven years does anyone believe they’d be playing the Chiefs in the Super Bowl 12 days from now? Anyone?

 

[Jayinem]

If Philadelphia can go from a four win team to the Super Bowl in 25 months, so can everyone else. If the Eagles had stuck with Wentz for seven years does anyone believe they’d be playing the Chiefs in the Super Bowl 12 days from now? Anyone?

Dak is Wentz, and we're stuck with him.

 

[Amarillofan82]

I still preferred the 6 team, 2 bye teams playoffs in each conference. If we are sticking with 7 teams then the only change I would like is seeding teams by record and not division.

 

[kskboys]

The first year this is in place and look at what we have both #1 seeds in the Super Bowl. When you're a #1 seed you get homefield advantage throughout, but you're also the only team with a bye and your divisional round is going to be against the worst team left out of the other 6. You can pretty much pencil them in for the Conference Championship every year barring a huge upset, and then they'll likely be favorites to win in the Conference Championship too.

Being a wild card team was already a difficult task to win it all according to history, only happened a handful of times, especially when you're not a division winner and have to go on the road 3 times. But now there's even more of a disadvantage. I think it's a 4% chance according to history and that's before the format change.

I would temper expectations going forward unless you believe we can go 14-3. Pretty sickening that we were #1 seed twice but failed to win a game, but that's history.

I feel like it'd even be a little bit more fair to add an 8th team and have no byes, at least make #1` seed play as many games as everyone else. There's no such thing as byes in any sport but NFL.

Then get your team better and win more games.

 

[Jayinem]

Then get your team better and win more games.

We are stuck with Dak. Do you think after the age of 30 Dak is going to cut the turnovers and make us a 14-3 team? I'm sorry to say I do not, I wish I did.

 

[kskboys]

Sorry last year was the first you're right. But those teams still at least won their division. If you don't win the division you're in that 4.3% category. So historically we had a 4.3% chance of winning the Super Bowl. It's really odd how 4 seeds have fared better than 3 seeds. But ideally you still want to be the 1 seed by a large margin. Still almost 75% of Super Bowls won by #1 or #2 seeds, and now that's going to go in favor of #1s even more since #2 has no bye.

Dude, the best teams in the NFL are the #1 and 2 seeds, of course they're going to win more super bowls.

 

[kskboys]

We are stuck with Dak. Do you think after the age of 30 Dak is going to cut the turnovers and make us a 14-3 team? I'm sorry to say I do not, I wish I did.

Agree. I'm done w/ him.

 

[Jayinem]

Dude, the best teams in the NFL are the #1 and 2 seeds, of course they're going to win more super bowls.

Yes of course, and we're not that team as constructed.

 

[kskboys]

Yes of course, and we're not that team as constructed.

Correct. So, we need to get a better team together.

 

[Zman5]

Yeah, the #1 seeds have a gigantic advantage.
Being in our division will make it really hard to get the #1 seed too. The Whiners will have a cake schedule compared to NFC East teams.
I think 8 teams with no byes is a excellent idea.

With parity, things change quickly in the NFL. NFCE was considered the worst division in football and NFCW had 3 teams in the playoffs year ago. NFCE became the best division this year and almost had every team in the division in the playoffs. We can't assume that's going to be the case next year. Look at what happened to the Rams after winning the SB and the Cards this year.

 

[KingCorcoran]

I still preferred the 6 team, 2 bye teams playoffs in each conference. If we are sticking with 7 teams then the only change I would like is seeding teams by record and not division.

The NFL does not play a balanced schedule. Seeding strictly by win/loss record is definitely not fair. The NFC East drew the AFC South and NFC North in a season they were the two worst divisions in the NFL. Every NFC East had a favorable schedule this season. The Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants made good use of it, too. Next year it’s the NFC West and AFC East. And the NFC teams don’t get nine home games next season like they did this past season. If you’re thinking the Eagles aren’t as good as their record indicates it’s because they aren’t. Either are the Cowboys.