NFL Lions propose change in the way the playoffs are seeded (47 Viewers)

[St.Dan]

The first season I remember in full as a kid happens to have been the strike-shortened 1982 season, when only nine regular season games were played. The playoffs that year were seeded by straight-up record and not by whoever won whichever division.

I dare say it might be a better system -- one that might eliminate weak division winners from getting home playoff games. The 2010 Seahawks and recent Buccaneer teams come to mind.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...e-playoff-seeding-record-not-division-winners

 

[Rexman100]

The first season I remember in full as a kid happens to have been the strike-shortened 1982 season, when only nine regular season games were played. The playoffs that year were seeded by straight-up record and not by whoever won whichever division.

I dare say it might be a better system -- one that might eliminate weak division winners from getting home playoff games. The 2010 Seahawks and recent Buccaneer teams come to mind.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...e-playoff-seeding-record-not-division-winners

the Lions make the playoffs once in their history now they want to change the rules....lol

 

[scott88]

I agree with Lions. Winning a division shouldn't guarantee you anything more than an auto playoff spot.

 

[Saint Greg]

I wanted it changed after our 11-5 team had to go to the 7-9 Seahawks. Funny how teams don't care until it happens to them.

 

[RaginSaint93]

I was mad when the 11-5 Saints had to travel to the 7-9 Seahawks in 2010.

 

[St. Geezy]

Long overdue. Should have made the move as soon as the conferences expanded to 4 divisions. It diluted the field. We used to virtually never see sub 10 win division winners and now it’s almost every year, and the top wild card team should not be penalized for being in a great division.

If the goal of a single elimination playoff is to give the best teams the easiest path, then seeding by record makes the most sense. Getting an automatic playoff berth is reward enough for winning a division.

Also love their proposal to make defensive holding and illegal contact no longer equal an automatic first down. There is nothing worse than seeing a 3rd and very long determined by a ticky tack foul. Hands to the face should also be a part of that proposal. Those penalties in a third down situation are akin to the offense getting assessed an automatic fourth down for holding or illegal hands to the face.

 

[2009ring]

The one time they get the #1 seed and blow it, now they want to change the system. Nobody gave a crap when the Saints had to travel to Seattle in 2010.

 

[DerrickB]

Go back to giving the 1 and 2 seeds a first-round bye.

 

[Merl]

Don’t see it passing

 

[neworleanshoo]

I like that division championships means something. No need to change it.

 

[Merl]

Go back to giving the 1 and 2 seeds a first-round bye.

Don’t see how that would work unless they go back to a 6 team per conference playoffs.

 

[DerrickB]

Don’t see how that would work unless they go back to a 6 team per conference playoffs.

Yeah that's true. My bad

They would have to add an eight team playoff for the 1 and 2 seed to get the bye.

 

[St.Dan]

Yeah that's true. My bad

They would have to add an eight team playoff for the 1 and 2 seed to get the bye.

....which is what made adding yet another playoff team in 2020 was just dumb. Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but it was dumb. But I guess the owner$ don't care about quality of competition at the end of the day, do they? And nope, that's not a typo in the previous line

 

[WhoDat?DrewDat]

Personally, I would hate this move.

Go look at the NBA. Nobody cares about divisions there.

Division rivalries are some of the best parts of the NFL. Please don't remove the importance of winning your division. Weak or strong division shouldn't matter.

 

[Merl]

Yeah that's true. My bad

They would have to add an eight team playoff for the 1 and 2 seed to get the bye.

Even that won’t work. It would leave them with 5 teams for the second round so the 1 seed would have to get 2 bye weeks.