We discussed this in the past but here we go again...apparently the NFL is "Urgently" discussing it now. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9...ostseason-format-3-game-preseason-sources-say
I'll deal with it if it happens, but I'm not a fan of it right now. Football is a one game playoffs, you are just adding another possibility of lower seed upsetting a top seed and making the regular season less important. I'd rather first thing on the agenda be canceling Thursday Night Football and only having it for Thanksgiving.
I would think the NFLPA has to agree to any change as well, and I don't see that happening so quickly. It's a pure profit center for the NFL, so I see no chance of that happening.
If that happens it's coming from a division winner, not a WC team even with an extra WC. I would have to look it up, but I think it's more common for division winners to get into the playoffs with a .500 or worse record than it is for WC teams.
I was thinking about this at work the other day actually. I'd be all for this. I just don't know how the playoff system would work.
The playoffs should be 10 teams. The 8 division winners and the 2nd place team with the best record in each conference to stop the injustice of a 12-4 team losing out on tiebreakers to another 12-4 team in the same division (Steelers/Ravens scenario in 2010). Let the division winner with the worst record host the wild card team in week one and then just let it flow from there. If the wildcard or that weakest division winner makes the Super Bowl it's because they beat the other followed by the 1 seed and the 2 or 3 seed to get there. No more 6th seed teams winning the Super Bowl. The competition for best record in each conference would be huge with that being the only way you get a bye.
i don't know. the season isn't very long at 16 games to get a totally accurate picture of who is great and who's not. so i like letting more teams get in the playoffs to prove they are good under pressure instead of holding early season games against them, which may have been just working out the team's gelling and injuries/suspensions. would suck for a team that starts 0-7 to miss out after winning 9 straight.
With the greed for $$$$ in the NFL, they would never take away games. I would rather they just go to 2 divisions per conference. The winner of each gets the bye and the next top 4 regardless of division play each other in the WC round. Problem with this is how would you structure the Reg season to make it fair. Best case scenario - leave it as it is.
I like that idea under that proposed scenario this is what the playoffs would've looked like the last 3 years. 2012 AFC 4. Ravens vs .5 Colts 3. Texans vs 6. Bengals 2. Patriots vs 7. Steelers (8-8) NFC 4. Redskins vs 5. Seahawks 3. Packers vs 6. Vikings 2. 49ers vs 7. Bears (10-6) 2011 AFC 4. Broncos vs 5. Steelers 3. Texans vs 6. Bengals 2. Ravens vs 7. Titans (9-7) NFC 4. Giants vs 5. Falcons 3. Saints vs 6. Lions 2. 49ers vs 7. Bears (8-8) 2010 AFC 4. Chiefs vs 5. Ravens 3. Colts vs 6. Jets 2. Steelers vs 7. Chargers (9-7) NFC 4. Seahawks vs 5. Saints 3. Eagles vs 6. Packers 2. Bears vs 7. Giants (10-6) So based on the records of the 7th seed it's no lower than 8-8.
if there is a rule change i'd support, it's having the ability to go for 3 after a TD. the team has to convert it from the 10 yard line.
Similar as now, only the top seed is the only team to get a bye, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5. I do wonder how the schedule's going to go with three games a weekend, one game at 1, one at 4 and one at 8? Or heaven forbid, Monday night playoffs? $$$$$
It's a good scenario. Top seed gets the bye and then the other teams play each other. May have to start one game at like 12 or something, but it would be fun. Would keep things interesting with some 10-6 teams. I guess some people want these 14-2 teams to always win the Superbowl
Not sure if I like this. 12 teams out of 32 makes playoffs more meaningful than say NBA or NHL playoffs. But I am all for reducing preseason to 2 games and play 18 regular season games with 2 byes instead of 1.
The fact that the season isn't very long argues for the other direction. Let fewer teams in so that fewer teams have a shot at getting randomly lucky or on a roll at the end of the year and invalidating the first half of the season in the end results. Watching 9 and 10 win teams win the Super Bowl 3 years in a row and 4 of the last 6 has been annoying to put it mildly. It makes watching the regular season less interesting because nothing that happens until week 8 or so matters lately.
The last time that the best regular season record won the Super Bowl was 2003. That's ridiculous. This has been a decade of mediocre teams winning the Super Bowl. It's been the antithesis of the dynasty era when one of the best teams won almost every season. 6 of the last 8 winners have had 10 wins or less.
Yes. The whole concept sucks and is motivated by nothing but greed, not producing a superior product. They'll end up making it like Basketball and hockey where NOT making the playoffs is a bigger deal than making them. Fuck Roger Goodell