Has a Team with the Best Record in the Conference... (1 Viewer)

[Bill]

There are myriads of threads posted lately trying to figure out the tie breaker scenarios between the Saints and the Falcons.

It's really getting simple now:

1.) Assuming that the Saints will WIN all their remaining games (very tough task with two road games up north), the Falcons have to LOSE one other game besides their (assumed) home loss to the Saints on Monday night (Dec. 27th) for the Saints to take the division crown.

2.) Any additional loss by the Saints this year (not including the game in Atlanta) will require an additional loss by the Falcons. (If the Saints' additional loss would be the game in Atlanta, the Falcons would then have to lose three other games! Not likely when two of their last five is versus Carolina.) :scared:

If you don't want to think that far in advance, just remember...
If the Saints win in Cincinnati and the Falcons lose at Tampa Bay next Sunday (Go Bucs), the Saints will finally get to control their own destiny.

That would be VERY nice! :shy:

 

[St. Geezy]

If you don't want to think that far in advance, just remember...
If the Saints win in Cincinnati and the Falcons lose at Tampa Bay next Sunday (Go Bucs), the Saints will finally get to control their own destiny.

That would be VERY nice! :shy:

This would indeed be very nice. Not only would this scenario put us in a tie for the division, but it will give us a small margin of error. We'd be able to afford to lose a game (except the two remaining NFC South games) and still win the division by winning all the remaining games.

 

[mortenmo]

What am I missing. the standings right now is:

Atlanta 9 2 0 .818 6-0-0 3-2-0 2-0-0 6-1-0 276 209 +67 Won 5
New Orleans 8 3 0 .727 4-2-0 4-1-0 3-1-0 7-2-0 265 197 +68 Won 4

If we both win out except Atlanta looses one to us, we have the exact same conference, division record and the head-to-head is 1-1.

So I guess then it comes down to "Strength of victory" in this scenario when everyone wins out (except Atl loosing to us causing their division and conference records to even out with ours). We haven't played all the same teams (we play Cowgirls & Vikings while they played Eagles and Packers). Plus we lost to different teams I think "Strength of victory" only counts the games you win. So loosing to the bad teams like Browns actually helps us there I believe, but too lazy to calculate it right now

 

[Saint Jeremy]

What am I missing. the standings right now is:

Atlanta 9 2 0 .818 6-0-0 3-2-0 2-0-0 6-1-0 276 209 +67 Won 5
New Orleans 8 3 0 .727 4-2-0 4-1-0 3-1-0 7-2-0 265 197 +68 Won 4

If we both win out except Atlanta looses one to us, we have the exact same conference, division record and the head-to-head is 1-1.

So I guess then it comes down to "Strength of victory" in this scenario when everyone wins out (except Atl loosing to us causing their division and conference records to even out with ours). We haven't played all the same teams (we play Cowgirls & Vikings while they played Eagles and Packers). Plus we lost to different teams I think "Strength of victory" only counts the games you win. So loosing to the bad teams like Browns actually helps us there I believe, but too lazy to calculate it right now

I think the next tie breaker is common opponents. We lost to the browns and Arizona. ATL beat them So losing to the Browns did hurt us in more ways than one.

 

[State Of Affairs]

The reason for the divisons is marketing
At the end of the year 8 teams will hang a banner in their stadium
That helps sell tickets.
It may not be fair but it''s good business.

That and rivalries sales tickets and stimulates interest..

 

[Danneaux]

They should extend the seeds to 8 and base them by record. Division winners would still have a chance to make the playoffs and you give a few more teams with winning records a chance to make the playoffs as well instead of being unfairly left out.

I like that, and maybe the league would consider straight seeding once the 8 teams qualify, egardless of division finish.

 

[St. PJ]

I don't think any rule is so concrete that it can never change. As it stands now it doesn't happen too often, but if it's an issue that persists (where poor performing teams land playoff spots over teams with better records), I can see them revising the procedures. Playoff berths used to be based off records alone, so it's not so inconceivable that it can't be done again.

I only say it will NEVER happen with extra emphasis because I have heard many interviews with the competition commitee concerncing this subject on Sirius NFL Radio throughout the past 5 years, and while I don't recall every point of their argument, this was the ONE aspect that was a "given", that was non-negotiable, that wasn't going to change.

 

[St. PJ]

There are myriads of threads posted lately trying to figure out the tie breaker scenarios between the Saints and the Falcons.

It's really getting simple now:

1.) Assuming that the Saints will WIN all their remaining games (very tough task with two road games up north), the Falcons have to LOSE one other game besides their (assumed) home loss to the Saints on Monday night (Dec. 27th) for the Saints to take the division crown.

2.) Any additional loss by the Saints this year (not including the game in Atlanta) will require an additional loss by the Falcons. (If the Saints' additional loss would be the game in Atlanta, the Falcons would then have to lose three other games! Not likely when two of their last five is versus Carolina.) :scared:

If you don't want to think that far in advance, just remember...
If the Saints win in Cincinnati and the Falcons lose at Tampa Bay next Sunday (Go Bucs), the Saints will finally get to control their own destiny.

That would be VERY nice! :shy:

Close. If The Falcons lose to the Saints and either Tampa or Carolina (in essence, two NFC South Opponents), the Saints can lose to the Bengals, Rams, or Ravens, finish with a 12-4 record, just like Atlanta in the above scenario, and win the Division because they have a better NFC South Record (5-1) than Atlanta (4-2).

 

[Saint Greg]

The Saints went 12-3 in 1987 and which was good enough for a wildcard (49ers went 13-2)

In 1988, they finished in a three way tie for the division at 10-6 and didn't make the playoffs

2008 Patriots went 11-5 and didn't make the playoffs

Stuff happens

You forgot 1992...saints 12-4 and get wildcard.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ndcc]

In strike-shortened 1987 season, the (12-3) New Orleans Saints (with the 2nd-best record in the entire NFL), was a Wildcard. That year, the (13-2) San Francisco 49'ers won the NFC West over the Saints.

Both teams had identical records in the NON-strike games. The difference was that the 49'ers played their regulars in the "scab" games. The Saints' regulars DID NOT play in their games. The 49'ers were 3-0 in those games; the Saints were 2-1.

If you're not from the "Old School," you'll never fully understand why many of us still have heartburn for the Rams & Forty-Whiners. The Falclowns are our remaining nemesis from the old NFC West.

Anyway...

 

[neworleanshoo]

I'm taking your example and flipping it. It's possible both the Saints and Falcons end up 12-4, be best in the NFC, and the Saints take HFA while the Falcons get #5.

i neg repped you before i realized you were right... if the falcons lose to Tampa (or Carolina) and us, then we will be able to lose 1 non-division game (at Baltimore) and still get HFA if we both end up tied at 12-4.

so basically the bucs game this weekend is very likely our only shot.

Edit: I see St. PJ posted essentially the same thing above. but it bears repeating.

 

[suthernbreez]

We can tie Atlanta for the best record in the NFC and if we don't have a better NFC South record, we will have the 5th seed. Even if all the division winners are 7-9 and we are 13-3.

Of the 4 division winners, the best record gets top seed. Of the remaining 4 division winners, the next best gest the second seed.

There is no way to get homefield advantage (1st round bye) without winning your division.

If Atlanta and New Orleans have the same record, the first tie breaker is the division record (against NFC South opponents). The next tie breaker is common opponents. Since both we and Atlanta face nothing but common opponents for the remainder of the seasons, we can never win this tie breaker, which makes all the following ones null and void.

So the ONLY way we can win the division is to either have a better record than the Falcons, or for the Falcons to have an extra NFC South loss if we have the same record. Either way, Atlanta HAS to lose at least 2 games over the next 5.

I think that if a division leader has a worse winning record than another team outside of that division, the better record should trump the worse. Let them win their division, but not allow them to have a better seed position, if any at all. Some of the better teams get screwed because of it. Basicly, they should go by record alone. If one division has no one representing them, so be it. Of course this will never happen...IMO

 

[Bill]

Close. If The Falcons lose to the Saints and either Tampa or Carolina (in essence, two NFC South Opponents), the Saints can lose to the Bengals, Rams, or Ravens, finish with a 12-4 record, just like Atlanta in the above scenario, and win the Division because they have a better NFC South Record (5-1) than Atlanta (4-2).

I know that.

I was merely referring to the realistic possibilities.

Next Sunday will be just as big if not BIGGER than last week's games.

Tampa Bay can help us tremendously!

 

[the-commish]

They should extend the seeds to 8 and base them by record. Division winners would still have a chance to make the playoffs and you give a few more teams with winning records a chance to make the playoffs as well instead of being unfairly left out.

Putting 8 teams per conference in the playoffs would either cancel the bye week for the #1 and #2 seeds, or extend the whole playoffs by 2 weeks. That is not going to happen.

 

[detmut]

You're all whinning about this now but it has helped us in the past...in 2006 I think we wouldn't have been the 2 seed if it wasn't for winning the division.....

Nope:

Bears 13-3
Saints 10-6
Eagles 10-6
Seattle 9-7
Dallas 9-7
Giants 8-8

plus, we rested our starters for most of the last game because it didn't mean anything. we could have been 11-5 if that game had meant something.

is le moyne even a saints fan? he spends most of his time complaining about other saints fans.